The Juggling Act: Working Full-time and Writing by Amy Clipston

Today, is a repeat of one of the most popular Wednesday posts from 2016. It's hard to balance all our responsibilities with a writing career, so I hope you'll find something in Amy Clipston's experience that will help you. Happy New Year! -- Sandy

Amy: People often ask me, “How do you work a full-time job and write books?” I resist the urge to roll my eyes, and instead I sweetly reply, “I just make it work.”

Unlike many authors, I work a full-time for a local government, in addition to writing four books per year for HarperCollins Christian Publishing.

While other authors may write for 14 hours straight on a Monday, I pop out of bed at 5:15 a.m. and rush to a job located 20 miles from my home. Since my husband has battled chronic kidney disease and endured two kidney transplants, my family depends on the health insurance and steady pay my job provides. 

Balancing two jobs has forced me to be disciplined when I am on deadline. Only once in my writing career have I asked for a deadline extension. My remaining books have been submitted to my editor either on time or early.

In order to meet my deadlines, I follow these rules:

1. Keep a calendar

I carry an old-fashioned day planner with a list of my upcoming deadlines taped in the back. Aside from the dates my books are due to my editor, I also set my own deadlines, building in time to polish the book before submitting it.

2. Stay organized

Most authors fall into one of two categories: Pantsers (seat-of-the pants writers) or Plotters. I am most definitely a plotter. When I write a novel, I begin with a synopsis, and after my editor approves it, I turn the synopsis into a detailed outline arranged by chapter and scene. While writing, I use the outline as a road map to prevent the dreaded writer’s block. The outline will change and grow while I am writing, but it keeps me on track.

3. Write whenever possible!

Some nights I write until midnight. I work on weekends, and I’ve been known to bring my laptop to Urgent Care and the Emergency Room when I’ve had to accompany a family member. It may seem trivial if you only have fifteen minutes, but even short amounts of writing time will add to your word count.

4. Ask for help

Contrary to the rumors, I’m not Super-Woman, and I can’t do it all on my own. I couldn’t balance this demanding schedule without my mother, who lives with my family and me. She keeps our household running so I can balance writing and working.

5. Find time to rest

When I need a break, I enjoy watching movies with my family, and I relish listening to audio books in my car while I commute to and from work. The downtime helps me relax and also recharges my inspiration.

6. Celebrate success

When I finish a draft of a book, I reward myself with doing something fun with my family. The journey through the first draft is mentally and physically exhausting, so I give myself time to relax and enjoy what I have accomplished.

Although working two jobs isn’t ideal and sometimes it’s no fun at all, I enjoy my reward when I hold a new book in my hands.

Even if you don't work another full-time job, how do you balance all that life and a writing career throw at you and still get in your word count goal?

~~~~~~

Amy Clipston is the award-winning and bestselling author of more than two dozen novels. She holds a degree in communication from Virginia Wesleyan College and works full-time for the City of Charlotte. Amy lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, and three spoiled rotten cats.

Amy Clipston’s current book, The Courtship Basket, is the second in her new Amish Heirloom series.

The Juggling Act: Working Full-time and Writing by Amy Clipston

I have a tremendous amount of respect for authors who work other full-time jobs and still manage to keep up with writing responsibilities. Today, one of those authors, Amy Clipston, provides tips for those seeking a writing career while they work another job. -- Sandy

Amy: People often ask me, “How do you work a full-time job and write books?” I resist the urge to roll my eyes, and instead I sweetly reply, “I just make it work.”

Unlike many authors, I work a full-time for a local government, in addition to writing four books per year for HarperCollins Christian Publishing.

While other authors may write for 14 hours straight on a Monday, I pop out of bed at 5:15 a.m. and rush to a job located 20 miles from my home. Since my husband has battled chronic kidney disease and endured two kidney transplants, my family depends on the health insurance and steady pay my job provides.

Balancing two jobs has forced me to be disciplined when I am on deadline. Only once in my writing career have I asked for a deadline extension. My remaining books have been submitted to my editor either on time or early.

In order to meet my deadlines, I follow these rules:

1. Keep a calendar

I carry an old-fashioned day planner with a list of my upcoming deadlines taped in the back. Aside from the dates my books are due to my editor, I also set my own deadlines, building in time to polish the book before submitting it.

2. Stay organized

Most authors fall into one of two categories: Pantsers (seat-of-the pants writers) or Plotters. I am most definitely a plotter. When I write a novel, I begin with a synopsis, and after my editor approves it, I turn the synopsis into a detailed outline arranged by chapter and scene. While writing, I use the outline as a road map to prevent the dreaded writer’s block. The outline will change and grow while I am writing, but it keeps me on track.

3. Write whenever possible!

Some nights I write until midnight. I work on weekends, and I’ve been known to bring my laptop to Urgent Care and the Emergency Room when I’ve had to accompany a family member. It may seem trivial if you only have fifteen minutes, but even short amounts of writing time will add to your word count.

4. Ask for help

Contrary to the rumors, I’m not Super-Woman, and I can’t do it all on my own. I couldn’t balance this demanding schedule without my mother, who lives with my family and me. She keeps our household running so I can balance writing and working.

5. Find time to rest

When I need a break, I enjoy watching movies with my family, and I relish listening to audio books in my car while I commute to and from work. The downtime helps me relax and also recharges my inspiration.

6. Celebrate success

When I finish a draft of a book, I reward myself with doing something fun with my family. The journey through the first draft is mentally and physically exhausting, so I give myself time to relax and enjoy what I have accomplished.

Although working two jobs isn’t ideal and sometimes it’s no fun at all, I enjoy my reward when I hold a new book in my hands.

Even if you don't work another full-time job, how do you balance all that life and a writing career throw at you and still get in your word count goal?

~~~~~~

Amy Clipston is the award-winning and bestselling author of more than two dozen novels. She holds a degree in communication from Virginia Wesleyan College and works full-time for the City of Charlotte. Amy lives in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, and three spoiled rotten cats.

Amy Clipston’s current book, The Courtship Basket, is the second in her new Amish Heirloom series.

3 Keys to Protect Your Writing Time by Ralene Burke

I don't know about you, but time is worth double its weight in gold to me. I never seem to have enough to accomplish all I want. Today, author Ralene Burke shares three tips on protecting your time for writing. -- Sandy

Ralene: We live in a society that loves to fill its days with activity—lots of activity. All too often, we pile on obligation after obligation. Our kids need to be somewhere, the church needs a Sunday School teacher, our mother needs someone to trim the bushes, the writers group needs a speaker for next weekend, and the list goes on.

Somewhere in the midst of all the activity, though, we missed any chance to do the thing we’re called to do: write. Where did the writing time go? We were well-intentioned when we said we would write 5,000 words this week, weren’t we?

While each activity listed above is important, and while someone does need to do it, here’s a little secret: it doesn’t have to be you. There may be a need, and you may be able to fill it, but that doesn’t mean you’re supposed to. With a system in place, you can keep the busyness to a minimum.

3 Keys to Protect Your Writing Time

1.       Know Your Priorities: Ultimately, your priorities are between you and God, but it is important that you know what they are! Spend some time in prayer, talk with your spouse, and then WRITE THEM DOWN. Writing them down helps to establish them in your brain so you’re more likely to remember and stick to them.

2.       Set Your Schedule: With your priorities in mind, go through the activities already in your schedule and determine if they fall in line with your priorities. If they do, add them to your schedule; if they don’t, throw them out! Then determine what time is available for writing based on when you are most creative/awake and what is available in the schedule.

3.       Learn to Say No: This is a big one that we hear a lot—but how often do we take it to heart?

Think of it like this. If you were at a normal, 9-5 job with a boss and a paycheck, what would you do? In non-emergency situations, you’d have to say no and then address it later. For bigger needs, like being a Sunday School teacher or speaking for a writers group, take the time to pray. Ask God if this is an opportunity that He wants to use you for. Does it align with your priorities? Can you balance your schedule or are you adding unnecessary obligations?

Our writing time is so fleeting, it’s gone before we know it if we’re not making a conscious effort to protect it. Priorities, a schedule, and the ability to say no give us more control and help make room in our busy lives for that which we are called to do.

Therefore, go forth and write. Make the time to be the writer God called you to be.

How do you make time in your schedule for your writing? What kind of priority do you give it?

~~~~~

Whether she’s wielding a fantasy writer’s pen, a freelance editor’s sword, or a social media wand, Ralene Burke always has her head in some dreamer’s world. And her goal is to make it SHINE! She spins fantastical tales to encourage people to SHINE BEYOND. She has worked for a variety of groups/companies, including Realm Makers, The Christian PEN, Kentucky Christian Writers Conference, and as an editor for a number of freelance clients.

Her first novel, Bellanok, is being published as a 5-part mini-series starting in August 2015!

When her head’s not in the publishing world, she is wife to a veteran and homeschooling mama to their three kids. Her Pinterest board would have you believe she is a master chef, excellent seamstress, and all around crafty diva. If she only had the time . . .

You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, or at her website. 

Which Tax Deductions Apply to You as a Writer? By Danica Favorite

I don't want to depress you on this first day of the new year, but if you're like me, you're already thinking about all those receipts and spending records from the past twelve months. Today, I'm rerunning a popular post from 2013 by Danica Favorite. Hopefully, the information helps you as you prepare for the upcoming tax time. -- Sandy

Danica - There are a lot of legitimate deductions a writer can take for his or her writing business. But there are also a few deductions writers take that aren't deductible. I'm going to share a few of the most common.

The first thing I want to address is what you CAN deduct. The IRS standard for what is deductible for your business is what is REASONABLE and NECESSARY for your business. So what's reasonable and necessary? That's something the IRS does not define, but as a business owner deducting that expense, you should be prepared to explain how it's necessary for your business as well as a standard business practice among writers.

Here are a few suggested items you might be able to deduct:

·         Ink, paper, mailing supplies, and other office expenses.

·         Research materials

·         Conferences and other writing related education

·         Professional memberships

·         Advertising

·         Transportation Expenses

·         Meals and Entertainment

·         Business gifts

·         Legal and Professional Service

·         Other writing tools

·         Utilities

·         Computers and other equipment. NOTE! These should be depreciated and only in the proportion of business use. Care should be taken to determine the amount, if any, personal use can be attributed to these items

One thing I'd like to point out as a commonly missed deduction are your transporation expenses. When you take trips to the post office to mail things related to your writing business, or you're going to meet another writer for critique, be sure to track your mileage!

As far as deductions that people think are legitimate but aren't, I'm going to give the most commonly abused deduction by writers (at least in my experience). Business clothes. Unfortunately, the IRS has very specifically stated that the business clothes you're buying to wear to conferences are not deductible. A lot of writers try to claim it, but it's not legitimate. I know some writers have said, “but I claim business clothes every year.” But there's a problem with that logic. If the IRS chooses to audit those returns, that deduction will be disallowed, and the writer will be responsible for paying penalties and interest on the additional tax levied based on that mistaken deduction. Remember- just because you've deducted something, doesn't mean that it's a legitimate deduction. Even if you've gotten away with it in the past, the IRS has the right to take a look at previous years' returns and change them.

Another deduction mistake is taking a deduction for the entire cost of an item that is used for both personal and business expenses. For example, many writers want to deduct the cost of their Internet service. This is a legitimate business expense. However, if you have the Internet service in your home, and the rest of your family uses it, then part of it is personal use. So you need to apportion the amount of business use and only deduct that amount on your tax return.

As you can see, there are a number of great deductions you can take for your writing business. Just remember that they need to be reasonable and necessary for your writing business. Keep in mind that you need to only deduct the business portion of your expenses, and be cautious about deducting anything that the IRS doesn't allow.

What business deductions do you take for your writing business? Are there any that you're thinking of adjusting?

~~~

Danica Favorite works as an online moderator for a major publisher where she connects readers and writers with new fiction releases. Having spent time in the corporate world teaching tax law and preparing taxes, she much prefers fiction to numbers. You can connect with her at www.danicafavorite.com.

Writing Through Interruptions

Sometimes you can't find those large chunks of writing time, or maybe your office is in the middle of the your home's flight path with little ones (or maybe an occasional big one) soaring through your space. How do you find those minutes to be creative and accomplish your daily word goal? I asked Darlene Franklin:

"You're in a living situation in which interruptions are constant. What is one way in which you maintain your concentration in order to fulfill contracted deadlines?" - Sandy

Darlene: I work in small increments. That’s the key.

For instance, last week I aimed to write 2,000 words a day. That many words will take me at least two hours—two hours I am unlikely to remain uninterrupted.

So I take those 2,000 words and break them into four 500-word segments. I plan to take a break after each 500 words, to go to my second goal for the day (proofing 32 pages of a final galley proof. I also break that into segments, of course.

I break those 500 words down further. Depending on how distracted I feel, or how many interruptions I expect, I write 500 words in 2-3 increments. I can usually write 200-300 words without interruption; but if times are bad, I’ll go down to 150 words if I have to.

Writing 2,000 can seem overwhelming. Writing 150 words doesn’t threaten me at all.

I keep track of those small achievements on a spreadsheet. 169 words written; 1831 left to go. 374 words written; 1626 left to write. Soon I’ve reached the halfway point, and the numbers left to write go down.

That way, when I’m interrupted for a meeting, or someone needs to speak to me, or I have to respond to an email, I just pick up where I left off. Okay, so I didn’t write 150 words, but only 134. I’ll just make my next two goals (to reach 500 words) a little bigger.

If I could plan on 500 words in half an hour, or a thousand words in an hour, I might do more writing—but breaking it down means I meet my goals and my deadlines.

~

Award-winning author and speaker Darlene Franklin lives in cowboy country--Oklahoma. Oklahoma has the benefit of being the home to her son, his wife, and their four beautiful children. Darlene loves music, needlework, reading and reality TV. She currently resides in a nursing home, which has become a place of blessing. Connect with her on her blog: http://darlenefranklinwrites.blogspot.com/

If you're a slow writer like me, it can take all day to make a word count goal. What have you found to be helpful in meeting your goals when chaos reigns around you? Have you tried Darlene's method of using a number of small goals - eating that elephant one chunk at a time?

Writer's Wisdom Wednesdays

I’m sure you’ve heard or read about the popularity of choosing one word to describe a person’s hopes for the coming year. I did that for the first time and chose possible—“With God all things are possible.” I’ve already seen a few of those “possible things” in my 2013. Having the opportunity to join the Seriously Write team is one of them.

We’re dubbing this day of the week Writer’s Wisdom Wednesdays. Um…no, the wise writer is not me—too much pressure. Though I may throw in an occasional tidbit of experience, my plan is to present you with advice from other writers…some multi-published and some, like me, still looking for that first contract. I’ll ask our colleagues specific questions aimed at some aspect of the writing process so they can share their skills in the area. The first Wednesday of each month will be dedicated to research, the second marketing, the third creativity, and the fourth organization and business.

The goal is to learn something useful from those who have been through the experience or have a special ability. For example, on February 13, a marketing day, Nicole Miller will talk about boards and pins on Pinterest. Nicole is one of my critique partners and my go-to girl when I have crazy questions about my blog, Facebook, etc. She’s ready, willing and able (as well as patient) to answer my queries.

Okay, since this is, technically, a research day, I'll start off by asking you this question. What do you find most difficult about the process of research when it comes to your book?

For me, it's worrying over whether or not my research is complete. Did I find the right information? For instance, in my current WIP, my hero is trying to set up a newspaper office in 1885. I searched for days for just the right press for that man and his economic circumstances, finally settling on a Washington Hand Press. Was it the best choice for him? Based on my research, I think so. Ah, but
that nasty little word niggles its way into my worry box...think. 

What about research niggles its way into your worry box? 

Do you have a topic you would like to see covered in the future? Is there something you need help with such as cramming all you have to do into one twenty-four hour period? (Raising my hand here!)  Whatever it is, let's share ideas each Wednesday.