Writing

Seeking Advice

I’ve been thinking this problem over for a long time now, and I can’t seem to come to a solution. So, I figured I’d better take the question outside of myself and see if you might help?

This question will pertain to writers mostly, but I suppose that others who are multipassionate might relate.

I find it a struggle to give the necessary time to both my blog and my writing. True, my blog is a form of writing for me. I utilize the same tools of the craft. At least I try. See, I included the obligatory statement of humility. My point: I spend a lot of time writing each blog post. Even the posts that I assume will be quick often take double or triple the amount of time that I estimate. I can’t help it. I’m a writer, and I love writing.

My problem, my real point, is that I am also a writer outside of blogging. I have several pieces that I’m working on, some more extensive than others. But when I focus on these pieces, my blogging gets neglected. I’m finding it difficult to manage both. I have some ideas of what to do, of course, but I’m not certain I’ve considered everything.

I won’t tell you my ideas yet because I’d like for all ideas to be voiced. Later, after reading your suggestions and doing more research, I’ll write a follow-up post with what I’ve determined is the best solution for me. Someone may stop by this post and read your comments and get benefit from it, even if they don’t come back for my follow-up post.

So let me ask you, how do you deal with finding writer/blogger balance? Help! There’s no shame in asking for a little help. A lot of help is also welcome. 🙂

My name is Lyz-Stephanie and I want to inspire you to live a more interesting, fulfilling and beautiful life. Think of me as your well-being and happiness guide. I know that things aren’t always easy. Life doesn’t drop dreams into our laps, but every day we can do something to make our lives happier and richer, make our minds more active and engaged. I’m on the journey. Will you join me?

If you like what you’re reading and think I’m kind of a cool chick, please share the link. And don’t forget to find me on the other side! Instagram I Twitter I Pinterest

39 thoughts on “Seeking Advice”

  1. Thank you – this isn’t something that I feel is talked about enough. I’m not sure if my advice will help in your exact situation, but I struggle with the same thing, so I can try 🙂

    I work as a content marketer (so writing blog posts, news articles, email newsletters etc for a logistics company) 5 days a week, 9-5.30. I get home around 7 and by the time I’ve changed and eaten it’s usually around 8. And then you’ve got a few hours of time – buuuut let’s face it, you’re probably tired. For me, I blog during my lunch break and on the way to and from work from my phone (reading posts, replying to comments); I also like to use one day out of my weekend to just BULK write and upload. Like an entire day to do photography or whatever; this is also a good thing to mix in with going out and meeting friends etc. (This isn’t doable all the time, but at least once or twice a month). Even if this is just a main image and a couple of paragraphs that need to be fleshed out; it’s something.

    I try to always have 4 posts scheduled (and I often replace scheduled posts like wishlists or inspiration posts with more timely ones like event reviews etc, so there’s always SOMETHING that can go out) because that means you have less pressure on you and you can always just kind of top up the stock. Again, taking a day to bulk write once every few weeks helps with this. These don’t need to be set in stone, but they’re a backup.

    On top of that, I have a minimum of about 30 drafts. Some are completely filled in, they just need images . . . some are an idea, an opening paragraph and maybe a link to something that inspired me. This means that on days I’m procrastinating the post I’m meant to be writing I can update another post. This comes in surprisingly handy – for example, I have a BFF Gift Guide post that’s completely written and ready to go out over Christmas; I just need to stick a photo of what I end up buying my BFF in it. Over the past week, that post has been completely written through no real intent – I just kind of added to it when I was out of inspiration for other things.

    For me, the biggest issue is networking and catching up on people’s blogs/staying engaged. As you can tell from this obscenely long comment (sorry!) I like to really take the time to read people’s content and comment on it. So reading people’s posts takes a very long time – plus, whenever someone comments on my blog, I a. want to give them a thoughtful response back and b. want to check out their blogs too. Which is a lot of time as well!

    And this is without social media promotion and activity that other bloggers do – I have 0 idea how they manage that, I must confess. Honestly, my best advice is to be as prepared as possible. If you can get to a month’s worth of content BEFORE that month hits, you can completely relax throughout that month, planning the month ahead and networking etc. Not sure if this helped, but maybe you’ve got something from this! All the luck in the world, lovely xx

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    1. Thank you so much for all of the details that you added to this comment! It’s so appreciated. You’re right that it seems a good idea to get ahead of the game as far as having posts ready. I do like the idea of one day a week to work on as many blog posts as possible, even if just tinkering with them. A month in advance would be an absolute dream!

      Goodness, don’t even get me started on the reading of other’s posts and social media. I think a lot of the larger blogs have assistants to help manage content, honestly. I don’t know a percentage, but if I could have someone take all of my photos, add captions and the best hashtags, I’d totally do it. It makes my brain hurt! lol

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        1. I would love to have them published. I wouldn’t mind doing self-publishing as well if needed. I feel like they kind of end up on the back burner a lot of times. But I need to value those projects more. Honestly, I’d say that I feel half in half out on both aspects, so nothing gets the attention it deserves.

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          1. Yes. I understand this, and fully support self-publishing. Your blog is what is going to get those sold, but you can’t publish them if you aren’t working on them lol It’s a conundrum for sure. I think that your blogging community would understand if your posting frequency dropped for a little while, while you worked on your book, and then you could really commit to your blog and then your book would get to where it needed to go. Not sure if this was helpful…we could always start working on a time machine that added more hours to the day…. 😉

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            2. ❤❤❤ I want to give your blog a button on my website for September. I’m getting pretty substantial traffic so it can hold you over while you work! if that’s ok with you

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            3. You’re so awesome, I’d be so thankful if you did that for me. I went looking for your about page to make sure we weren’t related somehow, but you are an international woman of mystery. I almost wrote you a harassing email about it, but then you just sent me this message. Hahaha. Good times.

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            4. Haha! I’m gonna publish that “about” page soon, I promise! I had a lot of weird rape and death threats when I launched a kickstarter for a travel case a few years ago, so I have been a little gun shy about sharing my personal information, but I’m getting over it! lol. I’ll button you good, I’ll button you real good!

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            5. Goodness, there are so many fucking creepers out there who have an empty life and heart full of hate. I’m sorry you had to even deal with something like that from barbarians. It’s actually something I’ve read many women with an online presence have had to deal with, so I know you aren’t alone. I know lots of readers will be very thrilled to read about you. (Insert heart emoji cause I’m on computer).

              I’m so ready to be buttoned down real good. I’ve got the 90s R&B already playing in the background.

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  3. I remember my priorities and order accordingly. My novel is top priority, so my regular writing time goes to that almost every writing day. I sit and I write my novel before anything else almost every time (with rare exceptions where I need a break from that.)

    Consistent blogging is also important, yes, but not top priority for me (some people will flip-flop the priority, saying blogging is top and novel is second, and that’s fine too).

    Since I post to WordPress once a week, usually about once a month I’ll choose one of my regular writing days to schedule 4 or so posts, and post-pone novel writing just that one day.

    Every so often I mess up the process, get my priorities wrong, or even drop the ball, but keeping my priorities straight and aligning my time accordingly means I’m usually making progress where I most want to.

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    1. Amy, it sounds like you’ve got a really strong sense of your priorities, which is awesome. It also sounds like having a solid, strict schedule helps you to accomplish that. I could’ve sworn you posted more than once a week, but I’m sure it definitely helps you to stay on track when you aren’t posting almost every day.

      I need to get more serious about my writing life outside of blogging by being more disciplined I think. Damn discipline, always coming back to haunt me! I have a ton of ideas haven’t been getting the attention they deserve. Thank you for sharing your routine. It’s very helpful, and I’m sure others can appreciate it too. 🙂

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      1. I can sound more sure of my priorities than I actually am haha. With trying to juggle so many things, it helps for me to have a set decision on where I can drop the ball when needed, and where I will keep plugging away. It fluctuates of course.

        But NO! I definitely don’t have a strict schedule, just a set schedule. If I get too strict, my anxiety skyrockets and I drop everything. So my main rule is to consistently move forward, and the rest will work itself out.

        But yes, I definitely only blog once a week (every Thursday) with rare exceptions. With your regular posting, I imagine you would have a different schedule, maybe a once a week scheduling blogposts for each day or something like that. Your constant posts make me so happy, but I definitely would find it overwhelming to post that frequently ❤

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        1. Thank you so much, Amy. Some days I mean to post something and all I have to do is a bit of editing, maybe photos, but then it takes too long and I don’t post.

          It’s nice to hear that your schedule isn’t strict because most strict things scare me. I do need a more disciplined schedule though. Mine is flimsy. It’s also reassuring to know you’d be okay with me posting less. I want to build my blog around great content; I’d never want to lose quality for my readers.

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          1. You definitely haven’t lost quality yet – and I don’t think you will. Maybe take it one step at a time, just see what happens as you adjust your priorities. Schedule a certain day for other writing projects instead of blogging, and see if you can keep up with blogging or need to slow down. Or, cut back on blogging to do other writing, and then add blogging on until you find the sweet spot. Either way, just experiment and see what works to get what you’re looking for 🙂

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    1. Oh I didn’t even throw the kids into the equation. I tell you, I’ve had to ask them to pretend I’m not even home when I’m writing, but there’s always something. Or I’m blasting music through my headphones to drown out the sound of the tv or whatever.

      You’re going to quit both of them, sell your house and go sell paddleboards rentals on the beach in Costa Rica. Then you’ll start writing about your experience and sharing them on your blog, haha. 🙂 It’s useless to fight it!

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  6. This is my big dilemma in life. I post when I feel like it. I am not much of a worrier about stats and the number of people who choose to read me or not. Frankly I could do more to boost the stats but that would require more investment of time on a daily basis. Unfortunately, it is something I cannot do. So that’s that…I liked the various suggestions that came up on your post. It is a mix that works on me. Mia’s suggestion is practical – about creating a bank. I have a similar bank of unfinished drafts – with patches of thoughts and photos – that I work on from time to time too. Mine is not a suggestion – more like a sharing of my situation which you know about 🙂 xx

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    1. Your posts are always so detailed and written with a writerly hand that I don’t see how you could possibly write multiple times a week! Yes, I think it comes down to making a choice about where to place the most attention as opposed to trying to literally balance, and that’s something I’ll have to think about.

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      1. I agree with you about spending hours writing one post without even sometimes wanting to. It just happens, right? But that is because you want to put your best out there and that counts, Lyz. Choices, as you say wisely, make all the difference.

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  7. So many fab comments here. It’s a struggle for me – lately more than in the past. Blogging has taken a backseat, partly because I feel uninspired to blog, and I require sleep.

    I write, though. I work on short stories that may or may not morph into a book. I also write and query publications, lately more in my geographical area in order to break in locally and connect with others. That’s still a necessity where I reside. My other day jobs are the little writing I actually get paid to do; I teach tennis; and I’m responsible for maintaining a website for a local company – writing, photos and editing – it wears me out but offers the most financially. My short answer: I have not figured out how to balance it. I *try* to focus on what I love above what will be most tangibly lucrative in the short-term. Right now that’s not happening and I need to shift some things around. Keep doing what moves and inspires you most. Maybe it’s hokey sounding, but I believe that will lead you to the areas you should devote most of your time.

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    1. Viv, thank you so much for your comment and to contributing to the pool of ideas. It sure does sound like you have a lot going on in the writing department and otherwise. What do you mean you need sleep? That’s not at all necessary for human functioning. 🙂

      Sometimes I feel so lucky not to be a novelist because my characters would be desperately trying to get my attention with the way things stand. Do you short stories have an overarching theme?

      I’ve been trying to pay more attention to and connect with my community, particularly the art scene. I think having a strong local connection is really important for a creative, though I hadn’t realized that until more recently. It’s hard to find a balance though. I’m reading this book called Real Artists Don’t Starve by Jeff Goins. You might be interested in it. Writing is always my first love. Blogging gives me a great beautiful outlet for that, but I have to make sure that it isn’t my only outlet. Thanks for the encouraging words, Viv. You are much appreciated. 🙂

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      1. So funny you mentioned that book – it’s on my to-read list, but I had forgotten about it (temporarily) until you mentioned it here. So…thank you!

        I write personal essays and creative non-fiction stuff. That’s where I feel most natural, but over the past year I’ve been tipping my toe in short fiction, and I’m kinda hooked. I love writing it, but for me it’s not a natural process at all, so I spend a lot of time on my stories and characters. I do feel like it’s becoming easier (in some ways) as I do it more…but lately I’ve been thinking it may not be the right time.

        Hope you’re well – aren’t you in FL? I’m near Tybee Island and am getting evac mode for Hurricane Irma. Stay safe, friend. Hope we can chat about writing more soon.

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        1. Viv, I keep wanting to take time and respond to this message and it just keeps getting prolonged. So I just want to quickly say a few things. One I’m glad I reminded you of the book. I’m always wanting to do things or get to something and then completely forget about it, LOL.

          Your style of writing actually sounds a lot like mine, personal essays and creative nonfiction. I’ve also dipped my toe into short stories a little bit, but mine never really surpass two pages. I don’t know how I feel about that, but I suppose as long as we are getting our point across and having good character and plot development the length shouldn’t matter. Third, I would love to chat about writing more with you. Thank you for taking the time to write me such a thoughtful response. I will talk to you soon. 💜

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  8. I totally understand where you are coming from. You have two obligations and one will always take a back seat. I too am the same. I am half way through writing my novel, part way through writing my poetry book, and have my blog. Again, like you I thought there has to be a way to get all done equally, so sought the advice of Stephen King (yes the horror writer), and that was “don’t think, just write, and keep writing”. In a lecture, he said that he had flitted between projects quite a lot, and I thought that doing that with my novel/poetry/blogging that I will do the same. Easier said than done though. The same advice was given to me by JoJo Moyes just before she became famous (we used to be blog buddies). Another Liverpool writer I know is strict with her writing and writes only between certain times, therefore treating it like a job.

    In essence, I do not think that there is a true answer to this problem apart from going with your gut feeling. I am interested to see what happens though.

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    1. Oh, we definitely have a lot in common, Mr. Knitter. I love the idea of being able to flit around, and if I had an assistant to take over the less-creative side of blogging, then maybe flitting would be a perfect fit for me.

      I’m reading about different writers and their writing methods, and it’s as you say, everyone is very different in their approach. In the end, I have to comfortable but I’m a bit too hippie by nature to just let myself be totally free. I’m end up splashing in the ocean or making homemade soap, lol. I can’t wait to share what happens. Thanks for the talk. 🙂

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  10. Great post! I totally suck at this and can offer you no advice or suggestions, but am going to study the comments to see if I can learn a thing or two. I have no kids, no significant other, but still, I can’t seem to even take care of myself properly lately, let alone my blog or book I am writing. I NEED HELP ALSO!

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    1. We’re in this together, girlie! I split custody of my kids and I still have a difficult timing finding balance, so don’t feel bad. Especially for the adhd adults and those who have multiple passions it can be a bigger struggle.

      I hope that the comments and my follow up post will help. Life’s mostly in our control so I know if we work hard at it we’ll come up with something. Thanks for commenting. It made me laugh to hear your situation because I can so relate.

      Btw, what kind of book are you writing? I love writers 🙂 🙂

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