LIVE Q&A: How to Balance Writing and Life, Stop Procrastinating, and Get Focused

LIVE Q&A: How to Balance Writing and Life, Stop Procrastinating, and Get Focused

Blogs and Vlogs 2018, Conference 2018, Live 2018 44 Comments

This post will go live 5 minutes before the session begins. To participate in the Q&A, post your questions below!

Kendra Levin is an associate editorial director at Viking Children’s Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House, where since 2005 she has worked on a wide range of children’s literature from picture books to young adult novels.  She has edited New York Times bestsellers including Girls Who Code and Rebel of the Sands, and her books have received such awards as the Printz Honor (The Passion of Dolssa), the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award (Don’t Throw It to Mo!), the Society of Illustrators Gold Medal (The Lost House), and more. A regular contributor to Psychology Today, Kendra also helps writers as a teacher and certified life coach, and is the author of The Hero Is You, a grounded self-help guide to a healthier writing process. Visit her at kendracoaching.com and follow her kendralevin.

 

 

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44 Comments

44 Comments

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  • Christine
    · Reply

    Hi Kendra! Do you have any pointers for dealing with writing burnout?

  • Cassy
    · Reply

    Hi Kendra! My biggest balance struggle is deciding between writing and reading. I want to be a well-read writer and know how important it is to read widely to improve, but I find it hard to set aside my WIP to read, and vise versa. Once I get immersed in one, it’s hard to stop. Any tips for finding a good balance between reading and writing and not feel like you’re falling behind in either?

  • Marquess
    · Reply

    I get 2 hours a day, 4x a week for my writing, which is great. Only friends and family tend to guilt me into helping out, going to lunch, or getting more involved. Any tips for protecting this sacred and hard earned time?

  • Tiffany
    · Reply

    How many hours do you think an aspiring author should dedicate to their writing every day? Teens, adults, people in or out of school, how many hours is not too much but not too little?

  • Emma
    · Reply

    Hello Kendra! I love coming up with stories, but I tend to get bogged down when writing them and staying on track, or I get distracted by world building/character creation. What are some good ways of keeping yourself disciplined to sitting down and actually writing?

  • Michelle
    · Reply

    Do you have tips for writes who put too much aside for their writing? More specifically not having time for family and friends while juggling a full time job whilst writing 50 hours a week.
    Thank you!

  • Sarah
    · Reply

    How do you set your writing goals? Do you make more long-term goals–like “I want to finish this draft by March”–or more day-to-day goals–“I want to write an hour a day”?

  • Kira Brighton
    · Reply

    Do you have any advice for writers who have health issues? How can we be effective authors, throughout the process of writing and publishing and marketing, even with our strict energy limitations?

  • D Landy
    · Reply

    Hello and thanks for being here!

    I’m in the process of building a platform that engages with PB families. The hardest part is how to juggle is the 24/7 schedule of social media. Any suggestions on how to pare this down to a couple hours a day so it doesn’t overtake my creative writing (and free) time?

  • Gwendolyn
    · Reply

    Hey!
    I have heard people talk about setting up a system of rewards/punishments for achieving or failing to achieve a set goal (like 350 words a day for a month). What are your thoughts on that? If you think that it is a good idea, what sort of reward/punishment would you suggest?

  • Lisa
    · Reply

    Do you think you can overwrite the same project? Typical advice is to stop and move on to something else, but what if the ‘perfectionist’ in you has a hard time letting go? Thanks in advance!

  • Jasmine
    · Reply

    When is it a good time to step away/take a break from your manuscript for a few days?
    Thank you!

    • Jasmine
      · Reply

      And as an addendum – it’s easy to decide “I just don’t feel like writing, I’m going to give up an play video games”. At one point do you force yourself to do it anyway? (Is it possible to force creativity?)

  • EA
    · Reply

    Hi Kendra,
    I’ve been having a lot of difficulty focusing on my work in the current political climate. Any tips to feel inspired in such bleak times?
    Thanks!

  • Katie
    · Reply

    This seems to come up a lot, but editing/revising versus writing: What’s the balance? How many projects should be worked on at once, or should I only be focused on one project at a time? How do I know when it’s time to stop revising something and start a new work? Is it possible to spend too much time working on one piece?

    How long should I work on my first novel before starting on a new one?

  • Miranda
    · Reply

    You always hear that you aren’t supposed to edit as you write. But I find that editing actually helps give me the push to eke out more word count. Do you think “don’t edit while you write” is a hard and fast rule?

  • Laurie
    · Reply

    What are your feelings on author websites — especially “pre-published”? I’m a full-time professional writer during the day but am trying to transition to children’s writing. And with my limited time, I debate how much time to devote to building a website. Thanks!

  • jenniferchen0
    · Reply

    Hi Kendra:
    As a working mom, I’m slowly revising a YA book based on a R&R from an agent (and a few other interested agents). I work full-time as a freelance journalist so I’m juggling writing on deadlines, daycare hours, and revising a book. I try to squeeze in 30 minutes a day to work on the book by eliminating social media and shutting off my email. But I’m still struggling to get this rewrite done. Any suggestions? I tried revising at night after my twins go to bed, but my brain is too tired and I was getting burnt out.

    I’d love your suggestions!
    Thanks so much,
    Jennifer

  • Hallie
    · Reply

    What are your suggestions for balancing researching for one project while editing and marketing another one, but still having other personal obligations that need to be fulfilled?

    • Hallie
      · Reply

      Like, I’m a high school student, I’m trying to finish editing and Indie publish one book while marketing it, research for a second book, write a short story (that relates to the book I’m researching for) for a contest at school, and make the sketches to give to my best friend for her birthday.

  • aneeqah
    · Reply

    Hi Kendra! Thanks so much for your time. I know social media is a big time distractor for me (it eats up so much of my writing time!), but as a writer, I want to stay connected with the industry and connect with other writers. Do you have any advice for balancing social media time and knowing how much social media is too much?

  • Jennifer Bushroe
    · Reply

    When you’re feeling unmotivated, how do you differentiate between when you need to give yourself tough love and work anyway, vs. when you actually need a break for some self-care?

  • Gwendolyn
    · Reply

    How should you schedule your social media involvement? Your time dedicated to creating an author platform?

  • Leeann
    · Reply

    What if you haven’t been published and people keep asking, when it will happen?

  • Rebekah
    · Reply

    Hi Kendra,

    Thank you for being here. How do you determine how much of your personal life you share with the world as an author?…Especially when writing stories that are based on topics close to our hearts, how much do we offer? How much should we hold back?

    Rebekah Lowell

  • Janine
    · Reply

    Is there ever a point where you think a writer should really give up? A number of trunked novels/number of years attempted?

  • jackie
    · Reply

    Can you shed any light on how the writing process/time constraints typically change (or need to change) once someone is repped, published, and now working on the 2nd book? The crunch of having high stakes deadlines I know nothing about now may obviously alter my whole process when the time comes.

  • Katlyn
    · Reply

    For writers who work from home and write full time, what is your advice for setting deadlines and being driven without being consumed by the need to succeed? My identity tends to revolve around writing, and I think that contributes to my feeling as though I Have to succeed, and soon, especially since I’ve had the advantage of being supported while i work on my writing full time.

  • Leanne
    · Reply

    Hi, Kendra! My kids loved Girls Who Code and Don’t Throw It to Mo! Can you offer advice on balancing multiple projects, for example, editing one and drafting another, while maintaining focus and momentum?

  • Marquess
    · Reply

    because this is such a self motivating career, is there any way in particular that you encourage yourself to get things done?

  • jackie
    · Reply

    What should a timeline probably look like once you finish your first 1-3 drafts alone, and are now ready for CPs, sensitivity readers, and betas? How do you know what to pad the timeline with, or realistically offer people to do their thing so that you can make more edits?

  • Shanice
    · Reply

    Hi! I’m writing my novel for a graduate thesis.
    The complicated part is that my thesis requires different things than publication.
    For example, I’m trying to be done and have it out for submission by Christmas time.
    But, I won’t be able to defend it until April.
    How do I balance grad school demands with submission/revision demands?

  • Lakyn
    · Reply

    Are you a morning writer, and if so, do you have any tips on how best to become one? lol

  • Stephanie
    · Reply

    Hi Kendra–How do you balance reading within a genre to stay updated on the market versus reading widely and following your additional reading interests? Thank you!

  • Flor
    · Reply

    My YA manuscript has my MC at age 13 in Chapter 1 but by Chapter 6 she has turned 16 and remains at 16. I’ve been asked repeatedly by agents if it is necessary to have her at ages 13-15 and why not just start her at 16. One of the themes of the story is dealing with internal struggle and I wanted to contrast the MC’s naivety in the earlier years versus the point of no return at 16 in which she has no choice but to take leadership actions. I myself have become weary of the “immediately a badass” type of characters and that’s why my story is structured the way it is. In your opinion, is this a losing battle on my part that I keep this type of structure?

  • Katelyn
    · Reply

    Any suggestions on healthy ways to deal with failure? Say you don’t meet a goal, what’s a good way to get you back on track?

  • Elisha Jachetti
    · Reply

    Hello! What are good day jobs that would keep you as an author at least somewhat involved in the industry, so you are able to network and make money independent of your novels, but also have time to write?

  • Nathan
    · Reply

    Kendra,

    This isn’t a question, but I attended several of your sessions at SCBWILA17. I still use the “Meet Your Character” technique I learned from you and reference my notes from those sessions every time I write. I’ve been on a solid path since the summer and know my manuscript is getting stronger and stronger. THANK YOU!

  • kate
    · Reply

    Thank you! This was so helpful and encouraging.

  • aneeqah
    · Reply

    Thank you so much for your time, Kendra!!

  • Leanne
    · Reply

    Thanks for a great session!

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