Balance — that’s the thing

The business and creative sides of writing can feel like being on a teeter-totter. How do you manage to keep a balance? 

by Dietrich

I set a block of time to write every day, yet there are those situations when that takes some juggling. I think the routine and repetition is important, and I like to treat writing like my day job — only with a lot more enthusiasm. I’m raring to get started wherever I left off from the day before. And I actually look forward to Monday mornings.

While the business side of writing is key and very important to me, I won’t let it muscle away the time set aside for writing. The phone’s off, the earbuds are in, the “I’m in writing mode — keep out” sign is on the door (not really), and there’s absolutely no email or social media while I’m writing. So, unless I smell smoke … 

Generally speaking, the afternoon and evening are a better time for getting back to people and taking care of the business side. Of course there are those times when something comes up and I need to switch things around, but generally this is how it goes.

Let’s face it, it’s more fun to write than to tend to business, which is why a lot of us writers suck at the business side. Aside from the novels, I write here at Criminal Minds every couple of weeks, and then there’s my own blog, Off the Cuff, where I interview other authors about their upcoming books. Aside from that, I like to take part in any worthwhile writers’ events (live as well as online) that come my way. While I have organized many of my own events, I like to count on the qualified professionals out there to do aspects of the business side where I’m a lightweight or just plain totally lost, like publicity and on-line marketing.

TIFA MOTIVE Crime & Mystery Festival
with Sam Wiebe, Catherine Graham and Lisa de Nikolits

Of course, there are times when it’s good to shake things up. As I’m writing this, I’ve just unpacked from a trip to Toronto, taking part in the fabulous TIFA MOTIVE festival, and I now feel like the batteries have been recharged after taking part in some great events and spending some time with my publisher and some writing pals I haven’t seen in a few years, and connecting with some new ones too. And that’s just the kind of thing that feeds the creative side, and keeps me feeling positive and inspired too.