I get asked this question a lot. And there is no denying it. I’m a busy woman. I have a demanding full-time job as a programme manager currently integrating the cybersecurity teams of two global companies that merged a year ago. I’m also the editor of our parish magazine. The skittles team that I volunteered for meets at least once a week, and I’m the captain. There are endless charity events and community clubs happening around the villages. Marketing book 1 is also all up to me. I started a writing club that meets every other week on a Monday. And I love gardening, reading and spending time with my bulldog, family and friends.
So how do I fit it all in and stay sane?
The Edge of Oblivion took me three years to write, edit, rewrite, edit some more, design the book cover, more editing, typesetting, and finally publishing. Now that I’ve been through it once, I know what it takes – mostly. I considered waiting to release book 1 until book 2 was in the final stages of the first draft. But no, I just wanted to get Bex out in the world. And I’ve set the release date for November 2025. That doesn’t give me much time to dilly dally.
So how do I manage to squeeze in writing amongst all the other commitments that take up the majority of my days. Here’s a peek into my daily schedule.
Most weekdays:
5:30am alarm – hit snooze for a 10 minute lay in
5:45-6:20am – matcha green tea, feed Sage, read Gardners World or a book, snuggle with Sage, water vegetables and flowers in pots
6:20-7:30 – shower and dress
7:30-7:45 – make coffee drink (a concoction that my husband calls dirt) take vitamins
8:00-9:00 – light editing, write a chapter
9:00-5/6:00pm – work, Teams meetings mostly as I work from home
6:00-9:00pm – dinner, chat with husband, watch some telly
9:00-10:00pm – ready for bed, read
Weekends are a little looser, in that depending on where we are in the month, I may focus on my editing commitments for the Parish magazine. Gardening is typically done in the mornings after matcha and before it gets too warm. That leaves the afternoons to write. I try to spend a few hours on either Saturday or Sunday writing either a post for my stack or another chapter.
I had a panic moment when I was calculating how many chapters I would need to complete each week to make my self-imposed deadline of November for the next release. I’ve managed the first draft of 25 chapters so far. If book 1 is any indication at 60 chapters, and I want to be finished with the first draft by the end of August, that means I need to be completing six chapters a week over the next six weeks. YIKES.
It does make me question my sanity when I put pressure like this on myself. To achieve six chapters a week, I will need to make a few adjustments. Evening telly will be the first to go. However, I also know that after working all day, my brain is usually drained and I’m not sure how much creative juices I’ll have left. Hopefully that won’t increase the editing time.
Plotting has definitely helped me stay more focused. I have a better idea of where and how the story progresses. It’s the finer details that I leave for my pantser brain to fill in. This is why I believe I can complete the first draft by the end of August. This allows for two months of editing and rewriting and working with the cover designer. I firmly believe it’s all doable and that with a few adjustments and reprioritisation, I will meet my deadline of November for the release of Pierce the Veil.
I hope you’re as excited as I am to see what happens to Bex in this strange new world she landed in.
How do you balance all the demands on your time? Please share your tips on how to find balance in your life while striving to achieve your goals?