Guest Post - Amy Engel (The Book of Ivy & The Revolution of Ivy) Balancing Writing and Life

I am really pleased to be able to welcome the amazing Amy Engel to my blog today to share a guest post with us on how she Balances Writing and Life.

Amy Engel is the author of The Book of Ivy duology published by Entangled Teen, the second book in the series The Revolution of Ivy is due to be released on the 3^rd November! It is amazing.

The Revolution of Ivy

Author: Amy Engel

Series: The Book of Ivy

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Pages: 400

Release date: 3^rd November 2015

Synopsis (Goodreads) Ivy Westfall is beyond the fence and she is alone. Abandoned by her family and separated from Bishop Lattimer, Ivy must find a way to survive on her own in a land filled with countless dangers, both human and natural. She has traded a more civilized type of cruelty--forced marriages and murder plots--for the bare-knuckled brutality required to survive outside Westfall's borders.

But there is hope beyond the fence, as well. And when Bishop reappears in Ivy's life, she must decide if returning to Westfall to take a final stand for what she believes is right is worth losing everything she's fought for.

Balancing Writing and Life

Balancing writing and life can be tricky, but I am luckier than many because writing is my full time job. It would be much more difficult to achieve the necessary balance if I also had another career. Having said that, I do have a family (husband and two kids) and there are only so many hours in a day. What works for me is to try and get my writing done while my kids are at school, but there are times that’s just not possible and on those days (or months during the summer), I fit in the writing when and where I can. I’m not too particular about noise levels, etc. when I’m writing. If I always waited for a quiet, peaceful house, I’d rarely get any writing done.

I think, for me, the biggest challenge in balancing writing and life is that there is rarely a moment in the day when my brain isn’t churning, thinking about what I’m writing or about to write. I sometimes feel guilty about this when my kids are talking to me and I realize I haven’t been actively listening because I’m lost inside my own head. At those moments I have to make a conscious effort to pull myself back and really be present. Sometimes it feels like I’m living two lives: my actual one and then the one that goes on inside my head and often feels just as real.

People sometimes say to me that they would like to write a book if only they could find the time. The truth is if writing is important enough to you, you’ll find the time. I wrote my first YA novel (trunked) when my children were very small and needed almost constant attention. It required sacrificing sleep, my favorite television shows, time with friends, and sometimes even showers, but I managed to get it done. I make my writing a priority, along with spending time with and taking care of my family, going for a run most days of the week, and reading in the late evening. Those four activities are the ones I won’t give up or compromise on; everything else has to be worked in around them. That’s my secret to balance: figure out what’s most important to you and go from there. You can’t necessarily have it all, but you can find a way to have what’s necessary for you.

About the author: 

Amy Engel is the author of THE BOOK OF IVY (out now) and its sequel, THE REVOLUTION OF IVY, which will be available on November 3, 2015. In addition, her debut adult novel (gothic suspense), THE ROANOKE GIRLS, is forthcoming from Crown in early 2017. Amy lives in Missouri with her husband and two children.

All images/blurb/author details etc. have been copied from GoodReads