How to Do It All

That seems to be the question I'm hearing recently.
How do I write, blog, maintain a presence on Facebook and even Tweet on Twitter?
How do I do all that when I have a full time job and/or kids and a husband?

Well, I only have one of the above - a full time job. I'm single (for many years) and my daughter is grown. But my job can take a big bite out of my time and energy.

So how do I do everything I need to do to work to my dream of being a published writer - published in novel length?

I make some choices and set priorities. I'm not Mrs. Clean - my apartment is not a mess and there are no dishes in the sink (they're in the dishwasher) but you can see a few cat hairs.

I give up most television shows. I record several routinely and watch them on the weekends or when I have some non-writing, non-reading time. Oh, did I forget to mention that I read one book a week and listen to one a week (on my car CD player since I travel for work)?

I get up early top check emails, Facebook and sometimes Twitter. I check all three when I get home.

I work at least an hour every day on a Work In Progress. I have several projects. When I'm stuck on one, I move onto another project - that gets my creative juices going.

With three blogs - I try to have at least one blog every other day on one. Blogging also gets my creative juices going.

One of the hardest things to do is to say no to friends when they want me to do something with them. I try not to do that too often, because writers need non-writer friends to center them in the real world instead of the pretend one in their stories.

Friends and family can also be energizing.
Travel can give you a new perspective - and maybe a story idea.
Writing groups give you support.

But it's still you, alone in that chair, facing that blank screen and blinking cursor and only you can make the decision - do I want this enough to give up (fill in the blank).

All I know is there are two things that are as important to me as breathing and eating: reading and writing.

And somehow, I find the time for both.