It takes an incredible amount of drive to become a successful author. It can often seem like a writer must have a dedication that borders on obsession in order to become successful. For this reason it’s so easy to let your desire to become a successful writer consume your entire existence. However, just like any other career it’s important to eventually find the balancing point between your personal and professional life. You must make time for the other things you enjoy in life and the people you love. The history books are filled with writers who suffer because they fail to seek and achieve life balance. Unfortunately, many times these writers have turned to unhealthy options like drugs and alcohol and end up troubled souls. It’s perfectly natural to be consumed with your writing while you’re working but don’t let writing consume your entire life.

Actually, your writing will benefit when you achieve the proper work-life balance. The quality of your writing becomes exponentially better when you experience life deeply. It’s okay to make time for family, friends, and fun. While writing if you feel yourself working from a place of desperation and have a difficult time pulling yourself away from your writing desk pause and think of taking the time to enjoy life as field-research for your writing. If you do nothing but write all day your writing won’t reflect the richness and complexity of someone who has had real life experiences. I learned this important lesson many years into my career while writing my first novel Alarm Clock Dawn. Real life provides you with an inexhaustible cast of characters and scenes that are better than you could ever dream up on your own. So travel, go to that party, spend quality time with your significant other, your readers will thank you for it.

Making the most out of each and every writing session is a great way to make sure that you have sufficient time left over for everything else in your life. One easy way to work towards achieving a greater level of efficiency and inner satisfaction in your writing is to find your own unique writing ritual. To find a writing ritual that works with the natural rhythm of your body, mind and unique spirit. Many writers eventually settle into their own ritual through months or years of struggle, frustrating bouts of writer’s block and inner turmoil. If you purposefully recognize and hone your own writing ritual from the beginning of your career it will gel much more quickly, your work and your personal life will be better for it.

I stumbled on an easy way to hone my own writing ritual while working on my first novel. I decided to give myself the gift of one week. I took five consecutive days of vacation time from my day job to experience what it’s truly like write for a living. I realize that vacation time is precious but giving yourself the gift of this week will be a great investment in the future of your writing career that will pay wonderful dividends. Your future is worth it! This one week of treating your writing as if it were your day job will give you a glimpse of what it’s like to live a writer’s life. By the end of that week you should have a pretty good idea if you have the discipline required to do it.

During this week it should be your goal to:

Craft Your Ideal Work Schedule

Each writer is different, some of us are early birds, some of us are night owls and there are several variations in between. I’m an incurable early bird and was lucky enough to find my ideal writing ritual quickly while working on the final draft of my first novel. I usually rise at between 6:30 and 7:00, shower, eat breakfast and find myself at the writing desk by 9:00AM. I discovered that what works best for me is to divide the day into two shifts, three to four hours of writing in the morning and another two to three hours in the afternoon with a break for lunch in between. If I don’t feel particularly productive at some point in the afternoon shift I allow myself a break to take the dog for a walk or go for a short bike ride. If I find my creativity stalling, physical activity and fresh air will almost always get the ideas flowing again. Be cognizant of when and how you produce your best work then simply start creating a time schedule for your writing within those parameters.

“Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don't give up.” - Anne Lamott

Create Your Writing Nook

The process of writing is sacred in its own right and should feel that way to a writer. Writing is a transformational act of self-expression that most writers also wish to one day pay their bills and put food on their table. It’s very important treat this magical process of creation with the respect it deserves and design an environment that helps to encourage your creativity to flourish. If possible, you should have a space in your home set aside for nothing but your writing. It doesn’t have to be big or fancy but it should be comfortable and free from distractions.

My writing nook is on the second level of our house. My writing space is a small, secluded attic filled with natural light. After working in this space for a few writing sessions I began to discover that the creative mood was enhanced merely by sitting down at the desk. Before I write, I make sure that my smartphone is across the room. Although I run my plethora of social media and author website from my phone and it’s an amazing tool, I want no distractions during my writing session. I write on a laptop computer so I also make it a practice to never stay logged into my social media accounts when I’m working on a manuscript.

It’s important to keep your body comfortable while working so nothing pulls your attention away from your work. I have a standard office chair and a table that are ergonomically correct. I also have a small space heater nearby during the winter months, this keeps my fingers from going numb so my keystrokes have a better chance of keeping pace with my flow of ideas. A warm mug of my favorite green tea is typically within arm’s reach. Sometimes I’ll burn incense or play relaxing music.

“Tomorrow may be hell, but today was a good writing day, and on the good writing days nothing else matters.” ― Neil Gaiman

Once you seek balance in your writing life you will soon discover that the personal and professional aspects of your life will each become better and the creative process will start to blossom and feel as natural as breathing. You were born to tell your unique stories and the wellspring of creativity inside of you is just waiting to be tapped. These words are aching to be released and will begin to flow freely from your mind if only given the proper environment and mood.

Did you miss the last post in my Indie Author Series? If so click here to read it.

(Gif sourced from Giphy.com)

*I am an American novelist, poet, traveler, and crypto-enthusiast. If you’ve enjoyed my work please sign up for my author newsletter at my website. Newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates and special offers and your information will never be sold or shared.