Being a paranormal romance author is a delight and a challenge during the holidays. (or any time of year). Keeping control of the most productive working hours is a challenge for any entrepreneur. Balancing a schedule, especially when you work primarily from home, is tough any time or year.
It sounds divine to simply bounce out of bed, breeze by the coffee pot and sink into the cushy chair for hours upon hours of productive writing. But working from home means so many distractions that can sneak in and — Oh, look! A squirrel!
What I mean to say is although I love the benefit of writing in my jammies, I know the perils of skipping my prime creative time. It’s more than the risk of losing my momentum with a story. Writing, spending time quietly venturing forth with my characters, is a treat for me as much as it is the foundation of my career.
Some authors I know plan their annual calendar so they aren’t facing hard deadlines during the holidays or other times when personal demands are high. This is fantastic and last year that worked for me.
This year, not so much. But what I do have on my career to do list this month is manageable – particularly if I work ahead on some supporting tasks. Like…outlines, character sketches, and…. Oh who am I kidding. I’m a pantser at heart. All I can really do ahead is a bit of brainstorming and marketing stuff.
Knowing that, knowing what works best for me as a paranormal romance author, makes the biggest difference in my time management. It means I can adjust my schedule to work my writing and career stuff around the family things I want and need to address.
There’s baking and shopping with my daughter. Movies and gaming with my son. And quiet time over breakfast or a nightcap with my husband.
Sure it would be nice to have the whole month off to rest and relax, but if I go too long without working on the creation of some story I start to grow horns and snarl at people. (It’s really a look better suited to Halloween).
So I carve out time each day to listen to the voices in my head and play with my fictional friends and I’ve set up a schedule to handle my promotion as well as my need to write forward. Which means I can relax and enjoy every moment with my family in between.
Live the adventure!
