I was around 25 years old when I started pursuing writing for publication. Once I latched onto that dream, I didn’t feel the need for any other dreams. My husband and I never wanted kids, I had no other career ambitions, no other sense of calling. So I spent the next 27 years on that.
Really smart to be thinking of this now. I di a lot of short story writing in my 20's and 30's, but didn't get to novels until in my 50s. After 9 adult novels, 3 YA novels, and now shopping the first book in new Upper MG series, I've been wandering for about a year asking myself how can I make this work with the reality of my life for the next five to ten years?
I'm 69, with medical and financial responsibility for my mother, a sister, and a brother. I've moved them all near me, within 15 minutes of my home so I can physically visit, take them to medical appointments, and keep me and them in the loop. Also, with publishing changes that focus on new releases, I'm making less money on my backlist. So have taken a PT job to stabilize my income.
Writing is my love, and my primary creative expression. However, with all that is going on it has been very hard to prioritize it. So far, the conclusion I've come to is it is highly likely I can only do one book a year (maybe 1-1/2). In the first 6 years of my career I managed three a year. Then I dropped to two a year, and spent more time in getting out related products (i.e., audiobooks). Last year I only wrote one. I had three on my schedule for this year, but realistically it won't happen.
I simultaneously feel lost and relieved to be realistic about my output. I'll be following what you decide will work for you. Thanks for sharing honestly.
This is so good, Sara. I've been in that same "when the book is done" cycle for years too, and I'm exhausted (probably because I have a July 1st deadline looming ;)). It's not the book writing that exhausts me so much as it is the after-the-book-is-done and how much I dread it while writing the book itself. I'm always interested in how to change that abrupt shift we writers seem to have to make from secreting ourselves while we write, to (sometimes) exploiting ourselves to sell the book we just wrote.
Congratulations on turning in your latest book! I’m glad you do not think it will be your last. Enjoy your time of contemplating an unusually open horizon.
Really smart to be thinking of this now. I di a lot of short story writing in my 20's and 30's, but didn't get to novels until in my 50s. After 9 adult novels, 3 YA novels, and now shopping the first book in new Upper MG series, I've been wandering for about a year asking myself how can I make this work with the reality of my life for the next five to ten years?
I'm 69, with medical and financial responsibility for my mother, a sister, and a brother. I've moved them all near me, within 15 minutes of my home so I can physically visit, take them to medical appointments, and keep me and them in the loop. Also, with publishing changes that focus on new releases, I'm making less money on my backlist. So have taken a PT job to stabilize my income.
Writing is my love, and my primary creative expression. However, with all that is going on it has been very hard to prioritize it. So far, the conclusion I've come to is it is highly likely I can only do one book a year (maybe 1-1/2). In the first 6 years of my career I managed three a year. Then I dropped to two a year, and spent more time in getting out related products (i.e., audiobooks). Last year I only wrote one. I had three on my schedule for this year, but realistically it won't happen.
I simultaneously feel lost and relieved to be realistic about my output. I'll be following what you decide will work for you. Thanks for sharing honestly.
This is so good, Sara. I've been in that same "when the book is done" cycle for years too, and I'm exhausted (probably because I have a July 1st deadline looming ;)). It's not the book writing that exhausts me so much as it is the after-the-book-is-done and how much I dread it while writing the book itself. I'm always interested in how to change that abrupt shift we writers seem to have to make from secreting ourselves while we write, to (sometimes) exploiting ourselves to sell the book we just wrote.
Congratulations on turning in your latest book! I’m glad you do not think it will be your last. Enjoy your time of contemplating an unusually open horizon.