Writing is something I need to do regularly, and if I can't commit to a regular schedule, then I don't want to do it. It's like exercise; if I knew I'd only be able to workout once a week, I wouldn't work out at all. Now there are writers out there who would say I'm not a "real" writer because of this attitude. But I learned long ago that there are times in life where I have to make hard choices on how I spend my time. They've always been related to earning a living or dealing with illness and injury. And because I don't earn a living from my writing, it sometimes has to go on the back burner for awhile.
Which is where I am now. So what have I been doing with my time? Well, I opened an official online store on eBay: Bama Sue's Online Zoo in April. The picture above is part of my logo. I specialize in stuffed animals, especially Steiff and vintage plush. Opening a store, whether brick and mortar or online requires a large time commitment. I'm the sole proprietor and sole employee. I wear a bunch of hats, including CEO, CFO, COO, Marketing Director, Listing Agent, Customer Service, and Shipping Director. But on the plus side, I get to use my writing skills to write the copy for my listings.
In addition to the eBay store, I'm still teaching fitness classes locally and I'm now an official continuing education provider for the Aquatic Exercise Association. And in my personal life, I take care of my 110-year-old Victorian home and the zoo of critters that I call companion animals. It's like caring for a bunch of little kids, except I can leave home without requiring the services of a babysitter (although I do have a house sitter come in when I have to be away overnight or longer).
There are writers who are able to handle all of the above and cut out sleep to write. I don't function well that way. I wind up shambling through the day like a brain-fogged zombie and actually get less done.
I've gone through these periods of writing vs no writing since I was eighteen so I know I'll be able to get back to writing regularly at some point. In the meantime, the life I'm living (versus writing about life) will give me fodder for my fiction. So my cycle is essentially live, then write about it, live and then write about it. And when you stop to think about it, that's not a bad scenario. So many professional authors (ie, writers who can make a living writing) wind up writing about writers because that's all they do. At least I'll be able to write about all sorts of things like mermaids in the public pool, and an online store that sells spare body parts to zombies, and were-pets who turn into people during the full moon. And I won't make myself sick or crazy trying to do it all and have it all and be it all.
A win/win in my book.
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