Hey, friend! How's life treating you?

Have you ever wondered what the life of a writer is like? Here are a few fun facts you may not have realized.

1) The Hours are Weird

Believe it or not, writers have lives. I am a fitness instructor and have four crazy kids to take care of, so the only time I get to write is early in the morning. I have to get up at the crack of dawn to beat my kids (whose ideal wake up time is 6:30 AM) so I can get some quality writing done ALONE. That leads us to -

2) Your Co-Workers Don't Respect Your Space or Time

And by co-workers, of course, I mean CHILDREN. They don't care if I have a deadline and I needed this writing done yesterday, they have needs and they need them now. My co-workers - ahem, children - will climb all over me, laptop or not. (Also, other people don't have to remind their co-workers to change their underwear, but hey, it's all good.)

One co-worker doesn't bother me so much :)

3) It's Lonely

Creating a book is a long, lonely journey. It eats up a LOT of time, and that time is 99% by yourself, typing away, lost in your own head. This is why a lot of writers are introverts, it's a function of the job.

4) The Highs are Really High and the Lows are Really Low

Writing a novel is hard work. It can feel like a slog. A lot of people attempt it but relatively few can say they've actually completed one, let alone published! Finishing a draft, finally getting that publisher, those are the moments we live for! But it's a lot of bumps in the road along the way, and rejection upon rejection upon rejection. Yeah, those suck.

5) Stories Don't Just Magically Flow Out of You

I know, shocking, right? Writing great stories takes a TON of hard work, study, and dedication. I have read countless books on writing and taken dozens of writing courses. Oceans of Sand is my 4th novel! The first three weren't published (even though I tried) and, looking back, I realize that they didn't deserve to be. But I learned so much from writing them and from studying my butt off!

Fellow writers - looking for a great book to improve your craft? This one is life changing!

6) First Drafts Always Suck

Along those same lines, the first draft of a novel is never any good. It just isn't. A truly great story comes from countless hours editing, honing, and revising.

Brandon Sanderson likes to say that a plot is made of, "Promises, progress, and payoff." (I took his class at BYU. OHMYGOSHITWASAWESOME.) That kind of structure in a novel doesn't come the first time. It takes work, work, and more work.

7) A Writer Spends More Time Marketing their Book than Actually Writing It

You know, I didn't realize this one until recently, but it is the truth. Getting your book in front of the right audience is a whole other ballgame and takes a whole other set of skills. (I'm learning. Anyone with marketing expertise want to help me out?)

8) When You See People You Describe them in Your Head

Yep. When I see you I will notice your fabulous features and make a mental description of them.

9) Writers are Frequently Awoken in the Night with MUST WRITE NOW Ideas

Not just at night, either! In the middle of reading, movies, date night with my husband. These are all times I've been hit by lightning and needed to rush to a notepad to jot an idea down.

10) I Don't Write for Me. I Write for You.

I love to write (duh). I have since I was a little kid. But the reason was always to show my mom, my friends, my husband, my writing group, and now, an even bigger audience. I write because I have stories inside me that need to be told. I write to share pieces of human experience with the world. I write because books have taken me on an emotional journey and I want to do that for you.

So thanks for reading. It means the world to me!

Don't forget - Oceans of Sand is coming out June 2023!!! It will be here before we know it, and you can hold my book in your hands!!! Subscribe to my newsletter and join me on facebook, twitter, and instagram for all the updates.

Thanks for being you - you rock!

A lot of you work from home - do you have any little "co-workers" bothering you?