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Creating Balance as a Kidlit Writer

3/7/2022

9 Comments

 
By Bonni Goldberg
​

​Do you ever feel overwhelmed as a kidlit writer? Perhaps the better question is, do you ever not feel overwhelmed? It’s not you. It’s the many moving parts to this creative pursuit:
Let’s look at the list:

Percolation Phase (everything you do before and during the writing of your first draft)
  • Reading and studying other author books
  • Getting ideas
  • Researching your idea (even fiction requires research)
  • Writing the first draft
  • Learning: courses (like the Children’s Book Academy), books, workshops, conferences, groups, blog posts

Revision Phase (everything you do from finishing the first draft until you publish)
  • Revising and revising and revising and revising…
  • Participating in critique groups (‘fess up; how many do you belong to?)
  • More learning: courses (did I mention CBA?), books, workshops, conferences, groups, blog posts
​
Going Public Phase (everything you do to share your book with others)
  • Developing relationships with colleagues on social media and in person
  • Keeping up with industry news
  • Submitting your manuscripts or self-publishing
  • Marketing and promoting your books
  • Keeping it all organized

Did I forget anything? If so, please add it in the comments.
The point is that for every manuscript you write, you cycle through most or all of these activities. I wish I could offer you a one-size-fits-all method for creating balance between them. I also wish I had a single solution for enjoying (or not dreading) everything on the list. 
Even though that’s impossible, what I can tell you is that it is possible to do both. To start off, forget two things and remember two others:
  • Forget perfect. You will never find the perfect solution because all of life is a series of adjustments, and the writing life is no exception.
  • Forget equal time. Balance isn’t assigning each activity equal amounts of time. It’s making sure that each activity gets the time necessary during the day, week or month. There will be periods when you will have to give promoting a book more time and energy than writing a new book and vice versa. This is normal in the writing life cycle.
  • Remember what you learn from your journey. The point of experimenting with new writing tools and different writing schedules is to bring what you learn into the next writing project or the next phase of your current writing project.
  • Remember all creativity is a process, not an event. This is hard because we’re trained to focus on achievements as a measure of success and fulfillment: the thrill of a new idea, finishing a manuscript, getting an agent/publisher, publishing the book, winning an award, etc. And yet, every time we achieve any of the above, we find ourselves right back in the process. 
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For more on balancing your writing life including, includes tips, writing exercises and perspectives to embrace your relationship with percolating ideas, revising your manuscripts and going public (publishing), check out my newest writing book, The Write Balance. Feeling balance frees up your creativity, focus and resilience.

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​GIVEAWAY
Please enjoy this free, short ebook full of honest talk: Balancing Writing & Marketing: 8 Authors Reveal Their Secrets (including  our own Melissa Stoller!)


BIO
Bonni Goldberg’s debut picture book, Dona Gracia Saved Worlds is forthcoming from Kar-Ben, Fall 2023. Bonni is an award-winning and bestselling author of numerous non-fiction books for adults and children. She is currently writing and publishing girl-powered historical fiction and about Jewish identity and about belonging in picture books and middle grade novels. Bonni believes everyone has something important to say and to do to help repair the world. Including you. She lives in Portland, Oregon, in the collective conversation of creative possibilities, and online at www.facebook.com/bonnigoldbergbooks
www.twitter.com/bonnigoldberg
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9 Comments
Bonni Goldberg
3/7/2022 08:01:00 am

I'm delighted to be here. Please feel free to ask me anything!

Reply
Shruthi Rao link
3/7/2022 08:28:10 am

Great post, Bonni. I'm reading The Write Balance now. A few pages in and I can already see how valuable it is!

A question about critique groups - how many are too many? :) I recently had to let one go because I felt I'd taken on too much, but I can't help wondering if it was the wrong decision.

Reply
Bonni Goldberg
3/7/2022 03:40:02 pm

Great question Traci! I think the answer is very individual and can also change over time. I'm currently in 3 critique groups. When I type that, it looks like a lot. But I don't feel overwhelmed by the the demands of giving feedback to the other members of my groups, because they're each small. And I value both the feedback and commradarie in each group. There've also been periods of my life when I could barely keep up with one group. And I'll never forget when I was desparate to find a group and I couldn't.I say trust your gut; you made the right choice!

Reply
Traci Huahn
3/7/2022 12:45:45 pm

Wonderful post, Bonni! I especially love the "forget two things and remember two others" - such great perspectives to keep in mind. Just downloaded The Write Balance and can't wait to dig in for more of your valuable insights.

Though this might be in your book already, I'm wondering if you have any tips to help NF writers find a balance between research and writing? Sometimes (ok, really all the time LOL) I find myself going down too many rabbit holes in my quest to ensure accuracy and find the perfect nuggets of information, such that my research gets in the way of finishing the actual writing! ;)

Reply
Bonni Goldberg
3/8/2022 05:05:01 pm

Oh, writing and research! I'm from the school of too much is better than not enough. I research throughout the writing and revising process. I start with doing a lot of research up front and take notes. Once I've answered my main questions and a few I didn't start out with, Istart writing. This of course creates the need for further research.
The way I justify all the time is to remeber to recycle and resuse. In fact, my debut picture book is the result of using some of the reserach for my MG novel. And I have another novel idea from the same batch.
Then there's short articles, activities, poems etc., that I could submit to childen's magazines or use a free resources or blog posts, etc.
I hope that helps!!

Reply
Anna
3/8/2022 01:27:13 pm

Great post! Thank you so much for sharing!

Reply
Bonni Goldberg
3/8/2022 04:59:48 pm

I'm so glad you liked it!

Reply
Andrea
3/8/2022 02:49:18 pm

Thank you for this great post. I look forward to checking out The Write Balance!

Reply
Bonni Goldberg
3/8/2022 04:59:23 pm

Thank you! Please let me know if you have any questions.

Reply



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    We are so excited to be mixing things up at CBA, beginning with some delicious additions to the Blogfish. Meet our  awesome bloggers!!

    Here's our lineup:
    1st Mondays begin with awesome multi-published former student Shirin Shamsi who will be focusing on Muslim and cultural kidlit.

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    Bryan Patrick Avery, published writer, man of mystery, and professional magician among other things.

    4th Mondays will feature STEM, STEAM & SEL obsessed author Kourtney LaFavre sharing delightfully dorky, quirky, and fun info.

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  • Home
  • WRITING
    • Mastering Great Graphic Novels >
      • 2023 Mastering Graphic Novels Registration
    • Craft & Business of Writing Childrens Picture Books
    • The Chapter Book Alchemist
    • New!! Middle Grade Mastery Instant Access
    • 2022 Kidlit Palooza >
      • 2022 Palooza Program
      • 2022 Palooza Faculty
  • ILLUSTRATION
    • NEW!! Craft & Business of Illustrating Children's Books Instant Access
    • Never a Dull Moment Workshop
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  • About Us
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    • Contact Us
  • Blogfish
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  • Community
    • Our Bookshop
    • Come Play With Us!
    • Resources
    • Course Scholarships >
      • Yuyi Morales Picture Book Scholarship
      • Andrea Davis Pinkney MG CB Mastery Scholarship
      • Rafael Lopez Illustrating Childrens Books Scholarships
      • Larissa Marantz Merit & Need Scholarship