By Bonnie Randall
Part of the How They Do It Series (Monthly Contributor)
I was vending my novel at a Word On The Street festival this past weekend, and had the great fortune to share my table with marvelous children’s author Amelia Lionheart. Amelia does a whopping 96 signings/year, attends schools for lectures, works at her day job, and (of course) continues to craft fiction for her young audience. As a writer I was humbled by her hectic calendar, yet as a counselor our conversation made me think about balance—what we take on versus what we are capable of, and how we weave that trite concept ‘self-care’ into the intensity of all we do and commit to. So, if
you are a writer who has ever
- Got slammed by a flu or a cold immediately after a big signing or event.
- Battled anxiety
- Fell prey to depression.
then maybe you could use a little balance. The reality is, the body
will say “No” when we push ourselves beyond capacity, and there
are twenty-four hours in a day for a reason. So let’s deviate a little this month from talking craft, and instead talk balance and how to get it—or at least approach it. Some suggestions for your reflection:
