How to Balance Writing Life with Family Life by Penny Zeller

Hey everyone!

I’m super excited about having novelist Penny Zeller as our guest blogger on today’s Marriage & Motherhood Mondays. Penny’s latest release, Hailee, is available now!

Here’s a brief summary of Hailee:

For years, orphan Hailee Annigan was just a ragamuffin in the Cincinnati streets, stealing food to keep her two younger brothers fed. Her thievery landed her in a home for delinquent youngsters, where her life was changed, thanks to her teachers. Now, nineteen-year-old Hailee excitedly heads to Montana to be a teacher, yet she’s still plagued by her shameful past and the fear of never seeing her brothers again.

Based on his upbringing in high-society Boston, no one would have guessed that Nate Adams would attend seminary and become a church pastor in rugged Montana. Even now, Nate’s parents refuse to put aside their own plans for his future and accept his calling.

When their paths converge, an immediate attraction draws Hailee and Nate together, even as the pressures and demands of others pull them apart. Can the unlikely pair come to terms with their pasts and face the future together?

Here’s Penny…

When I was asked to write a post about balancing writing life with family life, I had to give that topic some heavy-duty thought. After all, I’m still working on figuring out how to prioritize and fit in all the duties of being a wife, mom, and author, especially since there is no such thing as a typical day.

When I first began my career as a writer, I started by writing magazine articles so I could stay home with our daughters, supplement our income, and gain valuable work experience. But how was I to do that with little ones?

A few years ago, I was preparing to interview a prominent professional for a major magazine article. My two daughters were toddlers then, and the concept of working from home as a writer was an adventure in itself. “Now girls, Mommy has a very important phone call to make. Can you sit nicely and watch Angelina Ballerina and after I’m finished, we’ll go to the playground and Mommy will go down the slide and play on the swings with you.”

After a pinky promise, I called my source, who a pleasant man with so much knowledge that I could have written a dozen articles just based on his expertise alone. The phone connection was good, I was keeping up with what taking notes, and my girls were quietly watching Angelina Ballerina.

I glanced down to write an answer to one of my interview questions, when from out of nowhere, my two-year-old sprang from the playroom, her short stubby legs sashaying around, as she danced in circles in the living room, giggling. It wasn’t the dancing, giggling, or the joyful grin on her face that alarmed me. No, it was the loud and continuous eeeeeee-aawwwww, eeeeeee-aawwwww sound of the toy accordion in her hand as she played what she called “bootiful music, Mama!”

I gasped. “No, no, sweetie,” I mouthed.

She smiled and continued her presentation of “How to Make Mommy Panic in One Easy Step.”

“Mrs. Zeller?” My source asked, “Are you there? I am hearing some interference. I think we have a bad connection.”

“Um, yes, sorry about that.” I wondered how to tell my source the truth about the interference and still maintain my professionalism. Besides, he was 2,500 miles away, so it could be a bad connection…

So, how do you balance the demands of motherhood with the demands of writing? I’ve narrowed it down to five steps that I have found helpful –

1.  Pray. Each morning before I climb out of bed and face a day of mothering, chauffeuring kids to after-school events, housecleaning, volunteering, and writing books, I ask the Lord to prepare my heart. I ask that He guide my day, that I would use my time wisely, and that I would get accomplished only what He would have me do that day.
2. Get your priorities straight. Children grow up so fast and I don’t want to regret the time I spent on things that weren’t important. What is really important are those eternal differences we make in the lives of others, particularly our family members. My husband and my children are my main ministry, and I have to remember who comes first (after the Lord) in this life of busyness. But then, how do I make time for my career?
3.  Be deliberate. I have to be deliberate about putting aside time for my writing. I work while my children are in school and then quit for the day when they come home.
4.  Don’t get sidetracked. So many things to do on the computer and so little time! Emailing, Facebooking, tweeting, blogging, Linking in – who has time for it all? And I can get sidetracked at the drop of a hat! I have to keep my focus or I’ll look back on the day and realize nothing of consequence was accomplished. I have found that making a list of things I need to do for the day in order of importance is helpful.
5.  Make a poster. I taped a homemade “office hours” paper to my office door and try hard to adhere to those writing hours when my children are in school. I have posted these writing hours, not so much for visitors, but for myself. It reminds me that if I don’t set aside time for my writing, it will be spent doing a host of other “unnecessary” things (see point #4).

So, there you have it. And now, I must tend to those dishes in the sink. Ah, balancing writing life and chores. Now that’s a topic for another time!

I love to connect with my readers at –

My website: www.pennyzeller.com

My blog: A Day in the Life of a Wife, Mom, and Author:  www.pennyzeller.wordpress.com,

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Penny-A-Zeller/96391560959?ref=ts

About Penny:

Penny Zeller is the author of several books and numerous magazine articles in national and regional publications. She is also the author of the humor blog “A Day in the Life of a Wife, Mom, and Author” (www.pennyzeller.wordpress.com). She is an active volunteer in her community, serving as a women’s Bible study small-group leader and co-organizing a women’s prayer group. Penny devotes her time to assisting and nurturing women and children into a closer relationship with Christ. Her passion is to use the gift of the written word that God has given her to glorify Him and to benefit His kingdom. Hailee is the final book in the series, which began with McKenzie and Kaydie in Montana Skies, her first series with Whitaker House. When she’s not writing, Penny enjoys spending time with her family and camping, hiking, canoeing, and playing volleyball. She and her husband reside in Wyoming with their two children. Penny loves to hear from her readers at her website, www.pennyzeller.com.