Again, it has been a while since I’ve written an entry for my blog. I apologize for that. I just get so caught up in my other writing that I let the blog go. That said, as every writer knows, communicating with our readers is a critical part of building our author brand, so I really need to settle down and spend time on my website.
For this entry, I wanted to talk for a moment about my youngest son, who is ten. This year he has really discovered his love for reading, and it shows in the amount of reading he has done from last summer until now reading through series with the speed of the Flash. He just blew through the first seven books of the Spirit Animal series and has now begun his march through the 39 Clues series. He’s even begun to take an interest in comic books, which is where my love for reading began.
I am absolutely proud of his love for reading, but I have to admit I’m a little jealous. And that’s the point of this blog. I find that reading has become tougher and tougher the more writing I do. Right now I am working with two different publishers, which means I am facing double duty in editing my manuscripts with each publisher’s editor. On top of that, soon I’ll have to do some editing work on a short story to be included in an anthology. Then, I am writing the third book in my Guardian series and am plotting out the second book to my pirate series. That doesn’t leave much time for reading, especially with a full-time job in government affairs and a part-time college teaching gig.
Oh, I’m not complaining. I am more than grateful to the publishers who believe in my work and I am happy and excited to do the editing work that lies ahead. And I enjoy that hour or so a day when I can squeak out some time to continue work on my next novel. The problem I face is that if I take time away from those activities to read a little, I feel guilty that I’m not writing. I do find some time to read, especially during the summer when I am not teaching, but even as I write this blog, I am staring at a pile of books I have not gotten to or books I have started but not finished. To complicate matters, I know every writer needs to read to improve their craft.
So, yes, I’m a little jealous of my youngest son, and a part of me longs for my younger days when I looked forward to blaring the radio into my headphones as I dove into novel after novel. I look fondly on those days, and I realize it was that love for reading that led me to become a writer—first a newspaper journalist for twenty or so years and now a novelist (as a hobby, not a career—yet).
Again, none of this is meant to complain. I am so thankful for everything I have I my life today—most important my family. And I view writing as a gift. I guess my point in this blog entry is to seek out the thoughts of other part-time writers out there as to how you all find a balance between reading and writing—while holding jobs and raising families. If you wouldn’t mind send me a message on the contact page of this website.
Going forward, I will make time to read. In fact, my goal this approaching summer is to read a couple of the same books as my youngest, so we can talk about the stories. Then again, we might just have to settle with reading comic books together. And, of course, I will write—not only my stories but this blog as well.
And by the way, as I write this blog, I am blaring music from my iPod. Some things don’t change.