Writing When Life Gets Busy

Life is rarely linear. What do I mean by that? The events that make up our day to day rarely flow seamlessly together with our priorities, expectations, and dreams. I don’t mean to imply that life is always contrary to what we want, but something will inevitably occur to challenge our plans. Whether it’s a particularly busy season at work, the birth of a new child, family drama, or any number of other situations, something often needs to drop on the priority list. Unfortunately for writers, the first thing we often sacrifice when life gets busy is writing.

I understand. For many writers who have yet to break into the publishing world, writing almost feels like a hobby. It rarely, if ever, generates income, and it often feels like we can just pick up where we left off once the busy season ends. That thought is incredibly deceptive. Writing is a trained skill. The more you practice it, the better you get. And, like other trained skills, it can get rusty when left unused. Of course, skills don’t disappear overnight, but if it keeps getting put on the back burner, it will be forgotten in time.

In the interest of full disclosure, I’m writing this from the hospital room where I’m holding my third child when he decided to arrive almost a month early. The point I’m trying to make in this post is particularly poignant to my current situation. My family has always and will always come first over writing. My heart and mind are free of conflict in this matter. But I still have a longing to write. When life throws us curve balls, it can be harder to hit them all. But that doesn’t mean we stop batting altogether.

Here’s what I’m trying to say. Even if writing is the appropriate thing to sacrifice during a busy season, don’t eliminate it entirely. Sure, in my case it may not be a great time to launch a new long form project. Instead, maybe I challenge myself to write a few short stories or flash fiction pieces. Maybe I don’t write every day, like I used to have planned, but I make sure I still write one or two times a week.

Life isn’t linear. If it was, the stories of our lives wouldn’t be worth telling. Unexpected challenges prove what we value the most and are the best seasons in which to grow. When life gets busy, don’t throw away your passions completely. Just adjust them to fit better in the current situation. Keep the skill in working condition and it will keep improving. Who knows? Maybe this busy season will provide unexpected inspiration for your next project!