Being a writer and mother can be tough. There is a
lot of “mother guilt” associated with it. It took years for me to find a
routine that suited both myself and my children.
These are my top 7 suggestions
for finding yours:
#1. Make it clear.
Ensure that everyone understands that
writing is your job and just because you do it at home does not mean it
is not important. It requires time, sacrifice, and consideration on everyone’s
part, just like a normal 9-5 job would.
#2. Prioritize.
There is no such thing as “Supermom”. You do not and
cannot do everything. Do not burn yourself out due to societal expectations. You
need to decide what is important when it comes to your time and what is not.
#3. Schedule time for your writing.
If you are a full-time writer: set a schedule that
works for you and you know you can meet regularly. Then, stick to it.
If you are not a full-time writer: You need to have
a talk with everyone in your household and agree on a schedule for your
writing. During that time, you will not be disturbed unless it is an emergency.
Regardless of what stage you are in as a writer, let
me paraphrase J.K. Rowling’s advice: be ruthless in defending your writing
time.
#4 Utilize “between-times”.
Between-times is something I am a massive fan of and
advocate as much as I can. There are so many moments throughout the day when
you are waiting in a line, sitting on a train/bus, or being put on hold on the
phone. These are your between-times. They can be used to puzzle out plot
points, sketch out ideas, and other writerly related things. Make it a habit of
always carrying a notebook with you to use at these times.
#5 Night owl or early bird?
Depending on whether you prefer to rise early or
stay up late, you can work this to your advantage. Take an hour at these times
to give you more freedom and time to write.
#6 Remember it is healthy for children
to see parents going after their dreams.
When children see their parents making sacrifices,
working hard, and going after goals, it teaches them 3 things: they can dream,
they can go after those dreams, and they can do it while being a parent. I
believe the latter is especially important for female children who are often
socialized to believe they have to choose between career or motherhood.
#7 Cut the guilt trip.
There comes a point where you have to make the
choice to write despite the guilt. Remind yourself of why you’re doing it and
have regular, quality time with your children to alleviate the guilt.
This list is only a starting point. I’m sure you can
come up with many others. The idea is to find those tricks that work for you
then sticking to them. That is the fastest way for yourself and everyone else
to get used to the idea that you are a writer.
What would you add to this list? Which one do you
need to focus on the most?
Beautiful
Leigh Hatchmann
Genre: Fantasy Romance, Fairytale Retelling
Publisher: Independent
Date of Publication: 27th August 2020
ASIN: B08BNKG3ZV
Number of pages: app. 380
Word Count: app. 90,000 words
Cover Artist: Sarah Paige from Opium House Designs
Tagline: You think you know their story . . .
Book Description:
Bella-Rosa Amato
My life is the envy of women everywhere. I live in a gorgeous mansion, wear expensive clothes, go to A-list parties, and attend a prestigious college.
It is a life of beauty and glamor . . . and all of it is a lie.
Behind closed doors, I am bullied by my cold and powerful father. With no money of my own, I have no choice but to obey him . . .
Until I am attacked, and a half man-half beast intervenes. Kit takes me to his home to heal, where I am immersed in his secret world. As we bond over unexpected experiences and shared interests, my gratitude changes into something that feels as old as time.
Kit/King
I was created for the darkness and, for a while, it controlled me. But I escaped that life and made a new home for myself.
Before Bella crossed my path, I didn’t think happiness was possible. But she not only accepts my differences, she offers friendship.
Her gentle and compassionate heart opens me up to those parts within me.
With her, I don’t feel like the beast I have always been labeled.
But the closer we get, the more I wonder if I am truly as human as she believes, and whether the mistakes of the beast can ever be forgiven . . .
When an old enemy resurfaces, Bella and Kit will need to stand firm in their love, face the brutalities of the past, and trust in the beauty that comes from within to make it out alive.
BEAUTIFUL is a sweet and dark, modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast. The themes of beauty, strength, redemption, and love shine through in an unforgettable tale that will make you question everything you think you know about beauty . . . and the beast.
Excerpt
1:
My senses picked
up new stimuli: leaves being trampled, three sets of racing feet . . . and
traces of spilled human blood. Not enough to cause death, but enough to tease
my nose.
I heard a rough
male voice yell, “Stop her. She’s getting away again.”
She? Again?
A second male,
younger sounding, added, “How the hell? She should be dead by now.”
That pricked my
ears up. Literally. I paused, waiting for what else I could hear. One set of
the footsteps were closing in on me. The woman. Her musky perfume was light,
but feminine. If I stepped behind a tree and took advantage of the growing
night-time shadows, I could hide. Yet, when I tried, I found I could not move
from my spot. Frowning, I crouched into the darkness instead.
Satisfied I
would be safe from easy observation, I narrowed my attention onto my hearing.
Panicked breaths, a raised heartbeat, blood pounding in fear reached my ears.
It was definitely the woman. The men were chasing her. She was terrified . . .
and heading straight for me.
The next second,
a woman stumbled to the ground a few feet away. My natural night vision allowed
me to see her as clearly as if it were midday.
Fresh blood
dripped from cuts above her top lip, both eyebrows, left cheek, and the bridge
of her nose. Her palms held fresh, jagged cuts and her left leg had an uneven
slice from the top of her ankle to the mid-shin. The latter injuries told me
one thing. She scaled the eight-foot, barbed wire fence that keeps us closed
off from the outside world. Whatever she was running from must have been
serious for her to do that. In the process of either running from the men or
scaling the fence, she’d lost her shoes. Her feet would be scraped and sore
from the loose sticks and underbrush.
I continued to
scan her body for visible damage. Blackening bruises marked her right eye,
chin, and arms. Probably other places I couldn’t see. Her red dress had been
torn in multiple places––from barbed wire, gripping twigs in the thick forest,
or grabbing hands? I wouldn’t know for sure until I got a closer look.
She panted,
desperate for both breath and relief. How had she run from her obvious
attackers in this weakened state? She looked and sounded ready to collapse from
exhaustion.
The way I must
have looked to Josephine when she found me.
The woman tried
to scramble to her feet but fell onto her back. The action made her cry out in
pain. My heart squeezed. Compassion propelled me toward her. I stepped on a
fallen branch. The ensuing cracking noise echoed through the surrounding trees.
The woman lifted
her hands to cover her face and whimpered, “Please. Don’t,” before passing out.
A strange ache
passed through me, like I had lost something important. I heard the beast in me
roar for the first time in years.
The first male
voice cut through the air, “Did you hear that?”
“Maybe a coyote
has her?”
“Serves her
right, but we’d better check. Mr. Chisholm will want to know. This way.”
Mr. Chisholm?
Recognition
flickered in the back of my mind. Where did I know that name?
Two flashlight
beams bobbed in the distance, closing in on us. For the second time that night,
I relied on the insistent urges within me. I scooped the woman into my arms and
ran.
About the Author:
Leigh Hatchmann is a best-selling non-fiction author, international-selling romance author, identical triplet, writing coach, editor, and hot chocolate addict. She uses her postgraduate degree in counseling to create believable, three-dimensional characters. Her certificates in forensic science and forensic anthropology help her to create realistic crime elements in her stories. She is currently completing her master's degree in writing and has also finished postgraduate study in editing.
When not writing, reading, coaching, studying, or enjoying nature, she can be found having fun in nature with her three gorgeous children (plus one laid back dog and one grumpy cat). She is active on social media and encourages readers to interact with her there. She also writes fiction under the pseudonym A.K. Leigh and non-fiction as Alicia Leigh.
*Fall in love . . . with Leigh!*
Website: www.fallinlovewithleigh.com
Bookbub: www.bookbub.com/authors/a-k-leigh
Facebook: www.facebook.com/akleighauthor
Instagram: www.instragram.com/akleighauthor
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/akleigh
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