Writing With a New Job

by Ron Estrada

Not so long ago I posted about the interruption of hunting for a new job. Naturally, there comes another shock to your daily routine when the new job is found. If you’re like me, it’s difficult to maintain any kind of writing routine when your real world is suddenly derailed and put upon a new track.

What’s the newly employed part-time writer to do??

Here are a few tips:

1. The job must come first. If you have to cut back on the writing for a few months to focus on learning your new position, do it. This is your daily bread and roof over your head. Give your undevoted attention to your new boss and company!

2. Does the new job require travel? First, embrace this. These are experiences and places that are rich fodder for upcoming novels. Keep your journal, even if you’re not actively writing.

3. If travel is required, think about how you can fit in more writing at airports, hotels, and other places where you will certainly be idle for many hours. Need a lighter laptop? Or, like me, will an iPad help? I got the cover with built in keyboard. As you can see, no spelling errors despite the odd arrangement and small keys!

4. You may feel as if you’ll never have time to write again and are throwing out contacts and shutting down your website. Stop it. Transitions are always hard. Like I said, focus on the new job, don’t stress about your daily word count, take a break from writing for as long as you need. You’ll know when the time is right to get going again. The muse sleeps, but rarely does it abandon its host.

5. Catch up on your reading. Ironically, when we’re writing, we find we have little time to read. If you’re taking a writing hiatus, grab a few novels and enjoy them without studying them like a writer would. By the way, this will certainly help waken your sleeping muse.

6.  Pray. Be thankful for the job God has provided you. Ask Him to direct your writing. Remember, His timimg is perfect.

Even full-time writers experience life-changing scenarios that shuts down their keyboards for a while. They get back in the game because they have to. You don’t have to, but you’ll no doubt miss the journey once you’ve been out of it for a while. Just click on that “Writer Interupted” bookmark when you’re settled in. We’ll be here waiting.