Balancing School, Work, and Writing
After being unemployed for much of the summer, I finally have a job! But how will it stack with writing, school, and life in general?
Last week was my first week being back in school. It’s definitely an experience, as I got my first degree back in 2013—so ten years ago.
Thankfully, all my classes are online this semester, though I will have to take two in person. I’m getting my certificate to be a sterile processing technician, as I really need a dayjob that matches my temperament.
Two of my classes are the standard English and an IT class, the third is Medical Terminology I. I’m neutral on the first two, but I’m really jazzed about my medical class! SO far it’s proving to be a challenge, but I aced my first test and am less intimidated by it now.
I think I’ll be in my groove by the middle of the month. A lot of the learning process involves the school’s online system.
On top of that, I also started a new job as an early morning stocker for a clothing store. Getting up at 4 AM will probably be the hardest part, but it’s a close distance to my home, the pay is decent, and I’ll have limited interaction with customers. I really dislike working nights and afternoons, but shine brightest in the early morning.
Right now I’m finding the right balance between work, school, and writing.
My serials are all up to date and have episodes queued up to late October, and I even have one ready to end around Halloween. That just leaves my other two series, and I’m considering putting one on hiatus.
I’ll be diverting more attention to my novels, such as book two of St. Acton or an older WIP with feline shifters. I’d love to write more novellas for Early Adopter as well, but those can wait.
And speaking of Early Adopter…
I’ve sent it off for development edits, and maybe a bit more, depending on what it needs. I normally do my own edits, but I’ve come to realize that my books could use additional tweaking from outside eyes. Finding a good editor has been difficult, however I had really good luck this time around.
I’ll definitely be doing that for future novels, now that money will be less of an issue. The main thing stopping me before were editing fees…a good editor can cost you a grand or more, and my minimum wage jobs barely earn me more than $1200 a month. And when you factor in living expenses, bills, and the small allowance I afford myself for games and books…I don’t have much leftover.
Covers are the one thing I don’t do myself, as I just don’t have the eye for design. I can draw, but I can’t make a pleasing book cover. Believe me, I’ve tried, with middling results.
And speaking of covers! I’ll be able to request some really nice ones for my books. I still need one for Last Train Home, along with covers for the following books in the series. And then there are other writing expenses to consider…
One thing at a time!
For now, I’ll focus on the one thing I can control: writing. And of course my hobbies, but gaming may take the backseat for now.
