A Writer’s Life by Kimberly Rose Johnson

Honestly, as I read Kimberly Rose Johnson's post with tips for keeping your writer sanity, the thing that popped into my mind was "What she said!" -- Sandy

Kimberly: In the early stages of our writing journey we are inundated with you must do this or that to get published—build your platform, read books on the craft, go to writer’s conferences, and read books in the genre you want to be published in. Those are all good things, and yes, you need to do them, but it can become overwhelming, especially after you have been published and your list of must do items grows.

I currently have eleven published books and a twelfth will release June 30th. I never would manage to juggle marketing, writing, social networking, continued education, coming up with new story ideas, and the plethora of other things we do if I hadn’t learned discipline early on in my writing life. I have a weekly writing goal, and a list of things that must be accomplished each week to stay on schedule and meet my deadlines. Did you notice I didn’t say daily goals? Ideally I break my word count into five even days, but sometimes the words don’t come, life gets in the way, or I am inspired and write double what I’d planned. The key is, to reach my goal by Friday.

I would get burned out if I didn’t take at least one day off a week. This is usually Saturday. I have to give my eyes and mind a break from the business of writing. I have found I am more productive overall when I take a day off.

The key to success for me is to keep my focus on the Lord. When I get so caught up in what needs to be accomplished that I forget about Him, things don’t go as well as when I include Him in my day. I encourage you to take time out daily to spend with the Lord.

The other thing that keeps me sane and on track is knowing my limits. I refuse to over schedule myself. Yes I am busy, and yes there are times I wonder why I do this to myself, because quite frankly, I get tired. That is when I am especially thankful I didn’t over commit my time, because otherwise I wouldn’t meet my deadlines, and my final product would suffer.

I encourage you today, to take control of where your time is spent. Just as a scene should always be moving a story forward, so should your choices on how you spend your time. Make sure those choices move you in the right direction and toward your end goal, don’t over commit, and most importantly keep the Lord number one in your life. 

Can you share other tips that work for you when it comes to keeping your writer sanity?

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Kimberly Rose Johnson married her college sweetheart and lives in the Pacific Northwest. From a young child Kimberly has been an avid reader. That love of reading fostered a creative mind and led to her passion for writing.

She especially loves romance and writes contemporary romance the warms the heart and feeds the soul.

Kimberly holds a degree in Behavioral Science from Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.

You can connect with Kimberly via her website at: http://kimberlyrjohnson.com/index.html

Three Things Writing Has Taught Me by Kimberly Rose Johnson

Kimberly Rose Johnson

When I began my writing journey in 2006, I knew I needed to learn the craft of writing, but I didn’t expect some of the other lessons I’ve learned along the way. Here are three things writing has taught me.

1. Patience

There have been many lessons learned over the past eight years, but the biggest lesson for me was patience. By nature I am not a patient person, but I had to change or lose my mind because the publishing industry’s philosophy seems to be hurry up and wait and wait and wait. LOL

When my first book, The Christmas Promise, was contracted in the summer of 2012, I had to wait until November of 2013 to see it in print. It seemed like an eternity. In reality it was relatively quick compared to what some writers experience.

2. God is in Control

I learned that God is in control—not me. That lesson took me too many years to grasp.

I am a take-charge kind of person and I have to hold myself back often. I tend to run ahead of the Lord if I’m not careful. I wonder if that has anything to do with patience. Anyway, once I finally grasped that God is my manager and nothing is going to happen unless He says so, then I finally let go and stopped stressing over my lack of a contract.

The funny thing was once I stopped trying to do it on my own, I was offered that elusive contract and not just for one book, but three.

3. It’s not about me

I write because I love the process, and I am happiest when writing. I judge whether a day was good by how much writing I accomplished, but when all is said and done it’s not about me. It’s about the story, the craft, and for me, the ministry.

Remembering that it’s not about me is key to all the other things I’ve learned. I cannot focus on me, but I must focus on Him. When I do that everything else falls into place.

In conclusion, my journey has been one of ups and downs. There were times when I wondered if I was wasting my time, even though there was nothing else I’d rather be doing than write. I’ve developed wonderful friendships through this process and have expanded my world considerably.
I’m not the same person I was eight years ago when as a stay-at-home-mom/piano teacher I started writing. I’ve traveled to several states for writer’s conferences, learned to use the Internet and email, learned a craft I was clueless about, became bold in my faith, and I’m more open to people and new experiences than I used to be.

I’m thankful that I didn’t receive a book contract soon after I started writing, but instead had small successes I could hold onto that encouraged me to keep growing and learning. The process gave me time to be molded into a person who can handle the stresses of writing professionally. God knew what He was doing.

I’m still on the journey and look forward to what ever the Lord has for me.

What lessons have you learned on your writing journey? Share with us by leaving a comment below.

About the Author

MEGHAN BLACK HAS FINALLY MET HER MATCH

A Match for Meghan
by Kimberly Rose Johnson

The veterinary assistant never backs down from a dare…and what greater challenge than finding die-hard bachelor Ben Young his ideal mate? But what's an incurable Cupid to do when the handsome vet turns the tables and asks her out?

Ben is perfectly content with his single life. And he figures there's only one way to get the petite dynamo to quit her matchmaking—date her himself! But his plan backfires when he realizes that Meghan could be The One. Can he convince a woman who believes in happy endings for everyone but herself that he's her Mr. Right?

Kimberly Rose Johnson holds a degree in Behavioral Science from Northwest University. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, teenage son, and their yellow lab. She writes heartwarming Christian romance for Heartsong Presents and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She enjoys taking long walks with her husband and dog, reading, dark chocolate and time with friends.

You may contact Kimberly via her website at http://kimberlyrjohnson.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimberlyRoseJohnson

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kimberlyrosejoh

Available at: Amazon, Christianbooks.com and Barnes and Noble