The famous lines of times and seasons in Ecclesiastes 3 tell us that “to everything there is a season.” How do you balance life and writing in the seasons of life? We all have lives that require physical presence away from the keyboard. What have you found helpful in maintaining balance?
I get up early, dress quietly and close the door softly
so as not to wake my husband. I go downstairs to make a cup of tea, then climb
the same stairs up to my studio. A neat stack of pages sits on my desk, the
growing height an indication of the words typed and printed yesterday and the
days before. Moments of meditation and prayer are followed by a productive hour
or two of writing before I eat breakfast with my husband. I clean up the
kitchen and do a few chores before returning to my desk to deal with
correspondence, business items, and perhaps some editing.
Oh, if only. It's fun to dream about an ideal writing life, but that's all it is, a dream. In my real life, there is a
garden to tend to, grandchildren to entertain, shopping and cooking that must
be done, and a plethora of other tasks and delights to distract me from
writing. And that’s okay. I like my varied life.
Writers throughout the ages have faced the challenge of their writing lives. In his
article The Daily Routines of 12 Famous Writers, James Clear writes of authors
who get up early, of others who rent hotel rooms for writing, and others who spend their days teaching and write in slivers of time. The
key takeaway for me is that every writer has an individual approach to
balancing life and writing. It may take time to discover the balance, and it’s
likely to shift throughout life.
Flexibility is a key word for me. When I am engrossed in a
project, I find it easy to dedicate more time to it, and I do get up early to
work in the hush of early morning. This is easier now that it’s just the two of
us at home. When my children were younger, I would use the time they were at
school to write my articles or write while they were doing their homework. I
fit my writing around the daily routines of meals and teaching. I don't determine to write every day. I try to write four days in a week, usually in the morning, but not always.
Sometimes I must be intentional about my writing. It’s easy
to get out of the habit of sitting down to write regularly and much more
difficult to get back into a routine. There, too, however, flexibility comes into
play. It’s okay to take time off when life presents challenges or other
opportunities. As a teacher, I’ve always found sticking to a schedule in the
summer almost impossible. Now that I’m retired, I give myself permission to take
summers off.
Grace is another key word when it comes to balancing life and writing. Or life and anything! I can become quite negative about myself when I let things slip and I fail to meet the goals I’ve established. I am learning to give myself grace and to rest in the loving presence of God who loves me whether I write a single word or not. And I realize that sometimes God has other things for me to do.
Some days writing takes the form of words added to the Notes
feature on my phone, or capturing a few thoughts on paper while I’m in the
kitchen preparing food. These are small steps, but each step forward brings me
closer to my writing goals.
The writer of Ecclesiastes also wrote these words:
As I build my life and my body of work, I want to be wise, and am so
thankful that God generously gives his wisdom to me, and to anyone who asks him.
