tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post4951535142035056419..comments2024-03-27T02:56:19.634-06:00Comments on Melissa Amateis: It's Not Always About the WritingUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-42873836274381897962013-09-03T08:35:03.207-06:002013-09-03T08:35:03.207-06:00Thanks for the kind words! I'm glad you enjoye...Thanks for the kind words! I'm glad you enjoyed the post - and that you can totally relate to having an 8th grade daughter. =D (And I love your screen name, too!).Melissa Amateishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16086267508858187716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-52609352238003022842013-09-02T22:24:16.645-06:002013-09-02T22:24:16.645-06:00I love this post. I feel the same way and I have a...I love this post. I feel the same way and I have a daughter in 8th grade, too! You are an inspiration. It's kind of the old conundrum, if a building was burning and you could only save one thing, and one was a cat and one was a priceless piece of art, which one would you save. I'd pick the cat every time. I too, pick my kids and husband every time. Wonderful post. Thank you!Tam Francishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18288925164591030505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-7185464402871184232013-08-20T07:51:00.143-06:002013-08-20T07:51:00.143-06:00Flower, I think you're absolutely right. It DO...Flower, I think you're absolutely right. It DOES make a difference when you earn your living from it. Keeping it all in balance is what life is all about, I suppose. :)Melissa Amateishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16086267508858187716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-48210717638624684482013-08-20T04:08:38.162-06:002013-08-20T04:08:38.162-06:00It's different when you earn money from it as ...It's different when you earn money from it as well, but either way you have to keep a balance. I have a dog who needs walking, I sing in a choir and I'm also a keen sailor - and write about that too, and all those activities keep me away from my desk!Flowerpothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14102679179201725732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-69964283936233977532013-08-19T08:56:10.866-06:002013-08-19T08:56:10.866-06:00I have felt that way so many times, Heidi - guilt ...I have felt that way so many times, Heidi - guilt over not writing enough, guilt over not spending enough time with my family because I'm writing. It's so hard. Striking a balance isn't easy, either, but I also think that if your family sees that you are trying to spend time with them AND write, they will respect you for it and understand. If you were ignoring them all the time in favor of writing, I would think they'd naturally start to resent you and the writing. So having them involved in the process of trying to make time for both is a good thing.Melissa Amateishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16086267508858187716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-84270333321848674132013-08-19T06:47:19.633-06:002013-08-19T06:47:19.633-06:00This is so close to my heart right now - this bala...This is so close to my heart right now - this balance of seeing writing as a job, and knowing mothering is still my main priority. Working (writing) from home makes this all the harder, because it means I have to literally say no if I need to get something done, rather than having the distance of a road between us to do that saying. Being in the house is like saying I'm available, but if I never said, "I really need a little time alone," I'd never, ever get anything done. I face a constant shift of guilt from not taking my writing seriously enough to not paying enough attention to my kids. Each hour is like choosing which I want to live with. <br /><br />Like you said, they won't be around forever, so for now, I'm tending towards being with them, and being much less productive as a writer. It's still crazy how hard that is to say, though. Like it makes me less serious a writer.Heidi Willishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18420802651029097379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-37307812560853383562013-08-18T12:58:40.218-06:002013-08-18T12:58:40.218-06:00So agree with you, DK! There is definitely enough ...So agree with you, DK! There is definitely enough time for both, even though there are days it feels like there isn't. I'm all about the balance thing. Melissa Amateishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16086267508858187716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-37134078134066271142013-08-18T12:56:30.705-06:002013-08-18T12:56:30.705-06:00Faith, I loved reading your reply. I think you'...Faith, I loved reading your reply. I think you're absolutely right that we MUST step away from the writing at times. It's imperative. I think writing can become an idol just like so many other things in life that overtake our time. Thanks for sharing a slice of your life. And how cool that you and your husband keep each other on track! :-) That is a wonderful partnership.Melissa Amateishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16086267508858187716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-79475424512634305752013-08-18T11:10:46.198-06:002013-08-18T11:10:46.198-06:00I'm right with you, family and LIFE come first...I'm right with you, family and LIFE come first for me. There's actually plenty of time for both to co-exist... and where I think the discipline comes in is managing time so both can happen. But if I'm writing and my 5-year-old nephew comes over and wants to play with me, it won't matter how well the writing's going, or if I have just a bit to go to finish the scene... he's only going to be five once, and I can finish the scene later that night after he's gone to bed, even if it cuts into my sleeptime. That's an easy choice.DKorenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05819702518388146971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12150605.post-53651969681600086072013-08-17T19:36:31.139-06:002013-08-17T19:36:31.139-06:00I loved this post, Melissa--beautifully articulate...I loved this post, Melissa--beautifully articulated. <br />My husband and I are both writers, which means there are twice the opportunities for distractions during our day (even though it is nice to sit side by side and work together). But we also firmly believe that writing is a way of using gifts that God gave us--and thus he is a part of our writing as well. It takes a little effort sometimes, but we've made the decision to step away from the writing gladly whenever life demands it--because that is a sign that God needs us to step back. There have been weeks when neither of us wrote because our toddler daughters were sick with colds and needed us to wipe their noses every minute or so...or a dozen other similar instances. But we've usually been able to see that our writing benefited from the break...that it came at just the perfect time, when we never would have imagined that we needed to reassess our writing decisions, but the books were obviously stronger as a result.<br />That said, one of the best things about being married to another writer is that he won't let me get away with distracting myself with things like scrubbing the kitchen floor (or organizing my yarn...or alphabetizing my spice cupboard...) when I just don't FEEL like writing! :)Faith E. Houghhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03823750019164801104noreply@blogger.com