Babies and young children have short attention spans, but the title of this post doesn’t refer to my kids’ attention spans; it refers to mine. I once read a quote about a mother’s attention span is only as long as that of her youngest child (I tried looking it up to cite it but couldn’t find it and, honestly, didn’t look that long š ). My youngest is 7 months old, so that tells you about how long I can concentrate on any one thing. The shiny hot mess that is social media doesn’t help either!
Hence why I’ve been focusing a lot of my writing time on picture books. Not easier to write than novels, but easier to feel like I’m actually making some progress on it in the shorter work sessions that fit into my current life. I’ve also been reading a ton of picture books with the kids, so I’m naturally inspired by that form.
Yet that old perpetual WIP (work-in-progress) Elixir Saved is weighing on me. I’m at the point where not working on it is always in the back of my mind. It’s different than when I’ve consciously taken a break from it because I needed to. This time I kind of feel like I’m just avoiding it. I’m in the meaty middle of the draft. I know where the story needs to go and I have a solid idea of how to get it there, but it’s gonna take a lot of work. So, yeah, I should probably make it a priority to work on it, instead of finding new things to work on.
Not that I’m going to stop working on my picture books. I just think I need a better balance. Isn’t is that what it always comes down to in pretty much everything in life: finding the right balance.
One last thing. I’m also in the market for a picture book critique partner. I’ve got plenty of writing buddies to exchange novels with, but not so much when it comes to picture books. I’d like someone with a little bit of experience in the area, but you you certainly don’t have to be an expert. Send me a message if you’re interested in seeing if we’re a good match!
When i had kids the ages of yours, even short letters were a challenge. As soon as my youngest was in kindergarten i began writing picture books. Writing such requires abandoning many novelistic tendencies. The first picture books I wrote were really short stories, not true picture books.
Good luck and best wishes!
Thanks for popping back in the comment, Mirka! Picture books are such a different form than novels. I think that’s why I’m enjoying it so much…I need a change in pace right now. Though I’m off to work on my novel right now. š
It can be difficult to find balance. It took me years to be able to balance editing for clients and working on my own writing. I’m happy to say I’ve gotten better at it. Good luck!
Thanks, Kelly! You’re crazy productive, so you’ve seem to be doing something right. I think I’ll be better at the balance thing when the kiddos are a little bit older. They need a lot of my time right now.
Balance, that ever illusive thing! There are days when I wonder if it actually exists, or if it’s more akin to unicorns and fairies. Not that that’s helpful, sorry! I just totally feel what you’re saying. I’m seriously thinking balance may only come if I clone myself…repeatedly š
Yeah, balance is definitely one of those things that may not truly be possible. We should start a petition for there to be more hours in the day!
You amaze me with how much you do accomplish, Katie. I know your children take a lot of your time, yet you seem to work it all out, giving them the attention they need while working with your stories. You are an inspiration.
That’s so sweet of you to say, Beverly! It makes me feel so good to hear that you think I’m an inspiration. It’s so easy to feel like I’m not doing enough. Thank you! š