The YA Author’s Summer Juggle: Writing and Water Balloon Fights

Summers provide a special challenge as a parent.  I want to spend as much time as I can with our son, soaking up every minute of fun and freedom as I can because, let’s face it, in a few years he isn’t going to want to hang with his mom at the beach.  And rightfully so – I’m not aiming to raise a Norman Bates, here. But as a writer trying to finish a book, it’s hard to put a project on hold for weeks so I can hang out.  So how do I make it work?

My level of anxiety usually tells me when it’s time to get back to work and I think I‘ve hit that point today.  At the beginning of every summer vacation, I take a couple of weeks off for carefree fun after school gets out.  No plans, no camps; just beach, movies and friends…a real summer vibe.  But that also means no work (other than marketing, because let’s face it, I always have to market).  So daily marketing aside, it’s been nothing but fun in the sun.

But with another week until camp starts, I am getting worried about not writing for seven more days. Every time I take a break from writing my book, I have to re-read it to find my spot in the plot, get in sync with the characters and that takes more time away from writing.  My first draft always requires research, which also pulls time from writing.  And soon I find it hard to turn my brain off as we watch yet another Disney movie or have another water balloon fight.  That when I know it’s time for me to start writing again.

I love writing, but it also causes me stress.  If I take too long a break from a project, I start to worry about finishing or forgetting my plot or wondering if my story will come together in the end.  I never know if my story, characters or plot works until I finish, which always makes the first draft of a story the hardest and most stressful for me.  All this relaxing has really upped my stress level!

So this week, I begin the fine art of the summer juggle.  I’m putting myself back on a schedule, carving out an hour or two of writing each day amid all the fun activities with our son.  I might not get to write as much as I want, but a little is better than nothing.  

I love spending time with our son and I don’t want to miss out on this time with him. I’m never going to get another summer like this one with him.  He will always be older every year, his interests changing as he matures. But taking an hour or two to work won’t take away from our time together. And I’ll also be teaching him about life balance – making time for work and play.  I might not be writing as much as I want, but a little is better than nothing so I’ll take it.

I’m not going to focus on the fact that other than my schedule, I am actually a horrible juggler. I drop whatever I’m juggling every time I try.  Maybe one day I can work on it.  But it won’t be this summer.Happy Tuesday! 💕