Thank you for sharing some of your story on how you became a successful writer while also juggling motherhood, Evelyn! I think many mother-writers need to hear more stories like this! (Mother-writer is a term I first heard from Laura Pashby here on Substack 🤍.)
I spent many, many spare moments while raising my two kids writing, working through messy rough drafts of manuscripts that I’m not sure I’ll show anyone. I’ve also explored my life experiences in a fictionalized format and wrote a healing memoir (that is unpublished) after my mothers suicide. And, deeply reflective journaling has become a life-long habit.
I suppose I’ve written a few “books before the book”. 😊 It’s also encouraging to read about your 50% success rate. This tells me to keep going, even in the face of potential rejection.
Writing has always been a life-line that has helped me process difficult and amazing experiences and emotions. I’ve just never been able to really figure out that next step - to put my work in front of others or get published. The reality of living a successful writers’ life seems illusive and somewhat mysterious! Instead I’ve tried many life paths, but I always return to the writing!
I’m inspired to revisit that book, Deep Work. And looking forward to reading your post “How I wrote 4 novels in 365 days”. Wow.
And I’m determined to keep writing here on Substack in the hopes of building an author platform as I move into the role of “writer-mother”, now that my children are grown.
Are you the Evelyn Skye who judged Bluefire a few years ago? Can I say thank you from the bottom of my lawyer -mom heart for the video you gave my daughter? I am going to pull it out and share with her, with your story - she needs that encouragement about now. So glad this appeared in my Substack feed today. Thank you! And keep writing and encouraging.
Thank you for the lovely mention and also writing this brilliant post for mothers everywhere! Writing for me has been a huge emotional saviour during difficult stages of motherhood—from miscarriages to postpartum trauma during the first covid lockdown. Being able to escape to my fictional world with my characters, and continue to feel like I was learning a new craft, was so necessary and important then and now, and I can see how it will continue to be. I loved reading your journey—and what a beautiful way to celebrate your first launch with the community around your daughter too. Excited for the movie release and the wordplay book club too!
Although not a mother myself, I still really appreciate this! I struggle juggling with writing and studies and love any advice that can come my way. Saying no to volunteering, or any events in general that I would not have joined had it not been for the guilt, has been the most beneficial step I could have taken toward my writing. I'll try the deep work next. Thank you for the advice :)
I'm not a mom but I hope to be one someday - and I've always been a little (or a lot!) scared of how motherhood might impact my writing, especially since writing time is so important for my mental health. So beautiful to see how you (and all the parents who have commented here) juggle creative work with parenting. Gives me hope! xx
Thank you for sharing some of your story on how you became a successful writer while also juggling motherhood, Evelyn! I think many mother-writers need to hear more stories like this! (Mother-writer is a term I first heard from Laura Pashby here on Substack 🤍.)
I spent many, many spare moments while raising my two kids writing, working through messy rough drafts of manuscripts that I’m not sure I’ll show anyone. I’ve also explored my life experiences in a fictionalized format and wrote a healing memoir (that is unpublished) after my mothers suicide. And, deeply reflective journaling has become a life-long habit.
I suppose I’ve written a few “books before the book”. 😊 It’s also encouraging to read about your 50% success rate. This tells me to keep going, even in the face of potential rejection.
Writing has always been a life-line that has helped me process difficult and amazing experiences and emotions. I’ve just never been able to really figure out that next step - to put my work in front of others or get published. The reality of living a successful writers’ life seems illusive and somewhat mysterious! Instead I’ve tried many life paths, but I always return to the writing!
I’m inspired to revisit that book, Deep Work. And looking forward to reading your post “How I wrote 4 novels in 365 days”. Wow.
And I’m determined to keep writing here on Substack in the hopes of building an author platform as I move into the role of “writer-mother”, now that my children are grown.
Are you the Evelyn Skye who judged Bluefire a few years ago? Can I say thank you from the bottom of my lawyer -mom heart for the video you gave my daughter? I am going to pull it out and share with her, with your story - she needs that encouragement about now. So glad this appeared in my Substack feed today. Thank you! And keep writing and encouraging.
Thank you for the lovely mention and also writing this brilliant post for mothers everywhere! Writing for me has been a huge emotional saviour during difficult stages of motherhood—from miscarriages to postpartum trauma during the first covid lockdown. Being able to escape to my fictional world with my characters, and continue to feel like I was learning a new craft, was so necessary and important then and now, and I can see how it will continue to be. I loved reading your journey—and what a beautiful way to celebrate your first launch with the community around your daughter too. Excited for the movie release and the wordplay book club too!
Although not a mother myself, I still really appreciate this! I struggle juggling with writing and studies and love any advice that can come my way. Saying no to volunteering, or any events in general that I would not have joined had it not been for the guilt, has been the most beneficial step I could have taken toward my writing. I'll try the deep work next. Thank you for the advice :)
I'm not a mom but I hope to be one someday - and I've always been a little (or a lot!) scared of how motherhood might impact my writing, especially since writing time is so important for my mental health. So beautiful to see how you (and all the parents who have commented here) juggle creative work with parenting. Gives me hope! xx