You Have To Have Support

Today I have a special,

special,

guest.

Author 

Rona Simmons

I consider myself fortunate in that though it has taken me thirty years to get here, my real life is one of my own making. Three years before I retired from the black and white corporate world, I began planning what my next steps would be. Leaving the carefully and intentionally structured world of work for the many shades of grey was not stress-free. To overcome the anxiety, I turned to familiar territory: to what I knew and to the skills I had developed over the course of my career.
Organization and planning were two skills honed over at work (some might say they were more than honed, perhaps even bordering on obsession -- but that’s another story. Ah ha! See how these flashes of inspiration appear as if out of nowhere ... let me jot that down before I continue.). So, it was a natural transition for me to organize and plan my post-work life. I created a schedule for writing, committing to set days and times to start and stop. That worked for close to a year. I was faithful to my schedule. On days when I struggled for inspiration, I did not give up and do something else. I stuck with it and alternated writing with the research I needed to do for my novel. Again, my former life of note taking and filing came to the rescue.

Now, just over a year after retiring and embarking on my self-imposed scheduled life, I have allowed myself a bit of leeway from the schedule. After all, retirement is also about having time for friends and family, for traveling, for attending all those concerts or classes that never seemed to fit into the daily grind before. Still, I more or less adhere to my original schedule. I don’t even feel guilty now when, on occasion, I allow myself to switch a day of writing for a day of some other pleasure. In fact, I have found that having taken an unscheduled break, I not only feel refreshed but am anxious to return to writing when Monday morning rolls around.


One last item worth mentioning is my “support system”. Oh dear, I think those words might be another hangover from corporate life. In any event, it has been tremendously helpful to have the support of my family -- a husband who is very supportive of my pursuing my interests, though he hates to read himself, a sister who is a former language major and avid reader and has volunteered to serve as an initial reader and editor, another who is an artist and has been down this road before who has provided tips for websites and presentations, and of course my father who without hesitation pulled $0.99 from his wallet to be the first to purchase my recently published eBook.

__________________________

 Ms. Simmons recently retired from thirty years in the world of corporate finance to pursue the call of her long suppressed creative side, including creative writing and photography.  Though having written countless memos, letters, and reports and published business articles throughout her career, she is enjoying the freedom and creative aspects of fiction.  In one short year, she has published two articles, one showcasing her photography, completed and submitted one short novel for potential publication, and is working on the second draft of a general fiction novel.  She lives with her husband outside Atlanta, Georgia on eight wooded southern acres that provide inspiration for both her writing and photography.

 

 

Rona Simmons
https://www.ronasimmons.com
https://sites.google.com/site/ronasimmonsphotography/
Author of: Meryl's Commitment, a contemporary, southern romance novel
Sample or purchase Meryl's Commitment at: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/148458

Writing While Being Wife and Mother: Balance or Insanity?

It's Thursday!

My absolutely favorite day of the week.

Today I have author,

Amy McGuire

As a mother of a nearly four-year-old drama queen and wife of a busy youth pastor I have learned the art of multi-tasking.  I think it started when my little one came into the world.  I used to make a sandwich and eat it with one hand while feeding her.  Dinners too were one-handed while I carried around a fussy baby.  Now that she’s older it’s teeth brushing while she sits on the potty or feeding her a night time snack while reading a bedtime story.

As a stay-at-home mom I have heard the whole range of comments, from “You’re a stay-at-home mom?  What do you do all day?” to my personal favourite, “Oh, I wish I could just quit my job and be home with the kids all day.”  And then there’s, “All that free time! No wonder you’re a writer!”  I’ve learned to ignore the jibes and chuckle under my breath at the misconceptions and misplaced envy.  I think if I didn’t, I would cheerfully strangle my ‘well-meaning’ friends and acquaintances.   

When I decided not to go back to work after my maternity leave was up I had no idea that being a full-time mother would be more work than my full-time job.  Before I got pregnant I worked as a receptionist for a condo development company for almost four years, 8:30 to 5, Monday to Friday.  At the end of each workday I would take the subway home, cook dinner, enjoy a nice evening with my husband and turn in early.  Oh, and I got every weekend and holiday off.  

They say hindsight is twenty-twenty.  Never has that been more true than now when I try to find a few moments in each day to write, edit, market and prepare my books for sale.  I didn’t start to consider becoming published until my daughter was nearly ten months old.  If I had been writing all those years I used to take the subway back and forth to work, forty-five minutes each way, I would probably have a whole stack of books to my name.  Maybe I would even have a publishing contract by now.  As it is, I have taken it upon myself to publish my own works and while it is rewarding to see my novel out there, at times it would be nice to have the support of a traditional house.  At the very least I would be able to charge a little more for my books.

And yet, would I trade this season of my life?  Not for a million book sales.  I write in my ‘free time’ between dishes, cooking and raising my daughter who makes every day shine with her bubbly personality and zest for life.  I write and edit and market between making beds, folding laundry, cleaning up messes, changing the kitty litter and making sure the cats don’t starve.  I write between church, family and life obligations.  It’s certainly harder to be an author now that my life is so much fuller, but it’s more rewarding.  I’m leaving my daughter a legacy with my books.  I’m teaching her that she can follow her dreams, whatever they may be.  Life is busy, but I love what I do.  I’m so blessed with an understanding husband who sends me away on ‘writers retreats’ every few months.  My family’s support has definitely helped keep me sane.

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Amy lives in Toronto, Ontario with her husband and their young daughter.  As the child of missionary parents she grew up in East Africa and has gained a rich knowledge of the world around her.  She has had a passion for English Literature and romance since she was a little girl.  She began writing poetry and stories almost as soon as she could pick up a pencil.  She writes young adult romance under the pen name, Amy McGuire and Sweet Love is her first published novel, available both on her website and Amazon.  Sweet Love is the first in a five book series entitled, The Heart’s Five Senses.  She wrote books one through three in 2009 while her daughter napped and is currently working on book four.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/Htnaoa

Website: http://www.shesanauthor.com/apps/webstore

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authoramymcguire

Twitter: @shesanauthor

Gift From Heaven

Today I have guest author

Dorothy Davies

My working day begins with reading over breakfast. My Kindle is my joy, it’s so much easier to hold than a book when eating cereal … then I drive to work, accompanied by rock music from favourite artists. That’s the first ‘me’ time, driving and singing along to the music.

I run a small publishing company and work in an office with my partner, who has his desk opposite mine. Even with that arrangement, if I want his attention, it is quicker to email him … so I do! I do the editing, the book layout and blurb-excerpt preparation work, he does the cover design and puts the whole thing on our website.

I leave work around 4 PM to do the banking and post the orders; then I go home to my daughter who has been taking care of the house and all the chores that go with it whilst I have been out.

By 5.30 I have my home computer switched on in my office. I either work direct with the keyboard or use voice recognition software, depending on who is writing with me.

The first task is to read the stories which have come in for my ongoing Static Movement anthologies. If I decide the story is not right, I send feedback on it so the author can, if they wish, decide whether to rewrite or ignore me. It’s always their choice.

Once that is done, the stories slotted into the anthologies, the contracts sent out, I start work on my books or short stories. By then the spirit author who works with me on the horror writing is usually around; I sense his presence and hear his laughter. If he’s not there, it’s one of the other spirit authors who are waiting to write their life story. I always know who it is without anyone telling me, it’s that vivid an impression. It’s one of the joys of being a medium and all the joy of being a writer.

In some ways the books are not ‘mine’ but in others they are, as the words come through me to be translated to the screen. The ‘voice’ in each book is very different but overall the control is mine. It makes the books distinctive and still have my touch.

It’s a life I would not trade with anyone else!

_____________________________

Dorothy Davies, full time editor and owner of a small publishing company, editor for Static Movement anthologies and I also feature heavily in other editors' anthologies too.

My books:

Death Be Pardoner To Me, the life of George, duke of Clarence (Wars of the Roses) channelled from the duke himself

I Diced With God, the life of Henry VIII channelled from the King himself

Thirty Pieces of Silver, the three years Judas Iskariot spent with Jesus and his part in the final act channelled from Judas himself

I Bid You Welcome... an anthology of horror stories channelled from horror/ghost writers in spirit.

In case it is not immediately apparent, I am a medium as well as writer/editor/photographer and publisher of my own quarterly spiritual magazine.