“What happened to your twenty books you
had published?” someone once teased me (all in good fun).
“Yeah, I wish,” was my response.
Don’t you wish you could just be able to
sit down and put out a book a month? Or maybe even every three months? Not
trying to be cynical, yet it seems the stereotypical idea of an author’s life
is the ability to just sit in front of a computer, or even a typewriter, and
let the creativity flow unhindered. Yeah, that’d be really sweet, but
unfortunately for us, life gets in the way. I’ll be interviewing five different
authors to get their take on the truth about an author’s life. And today's author is Picture Book Author Beth Consugar.
1 1)
Tell us a little
about yourself. What genre(s) do you write?
Right now, it's mostly picture books, but I also have a teen/YA
Christian Fiction novel in progress.
2) Out of all the careers, why did you pick writing? What drew
you to it?
I have always enjoyed reading. I feel like a book can pull me away
from my reality for a short time. I wanted to be able to do that for others.
3 ) Do you have a ‘day’ job?
Yes, I do. I am an accountant by day. I wrestle with nasty numbers!
4) Did you ever once consider that writing might interfere
with your family time, personal life or even your other job?
I have, and writing does sometimes cut into other things in life.
The hardest part for me is choosing between two things that I love - my family
and my writing. I have found that I can have balance, but I can't have it all.
And I am okay with that!
When I became an author, I thought that cranking out books would be no problem; the money would start coming in right away and getting book signings and promotions would be a snap. You know kind of how it’s portrayed on television and the movies. However, life hasn’t let me live up to those expectations.
When I became an author, I thought that cranking out books would be no problem; the money would start coming in right away and getting book signings and promotions would be a snap. You know kind of how it’s portrayed on television and the movies. However, life hasn’t let me live up to those expectations.
5) What do you think is the truth about an author’s life? Is
it as easy as portrayed on screen?
I enjoy watching the TV show "Castle". His life seems so
glamorous, but that is far from my life! I think TV tends to portray life in
dramatic or exaggerated way. I think the truth is that authors have the same
struggles that all other working folks have - trying to balance life and work,
and trying to balance passion with getting paid for the work they do.
6) Have you developed a technique for juggling life, family
and writing? And how long did it take you to master this skill?
I'm still working on that! I tend to write on my lunch breaks at
work. The only problem there is that I need to write by hand - I can't use
flash drives or file storage sites like Google Docs or Dropbox at work. For
security reasons, my employer has those things blocked on all of our computers.
I also write early in the morning or later in the evening when everyone at home
is sleeping and I try to sneak it in when I have a few minutes during the day.
I have an app for my phone called "A Novel Idea". I use this to jot
down quick notes about my stories if something comes to me and I don't have a
notebook handy. I also tend to carry small notebooks to keep track of ideas
that float into my head. At this stage of my life, it’s all about getting in
the writing whenever I can.
7) Are there any secrets you’d like to share for other writers who need help juggling life and writing?
If you have the passion, you can do it. Remember that everyone’s
life is different. Don’t compare your life to anyone else’s. If you need to
work a “day job”, then writing can be done when it’s convenient (and it often
isn’t!). Just do the best you can, and don’t give up – if you really want to do
it, you will find a way!
8 ) And last but not least, can you let us in on what your next book is going to be about and when can we expect it to be available for purchase?
At this point, I don’t have any contracts – a real bummer! I have a
few picture books written, and a new one in progress. I plan to start querying
agents later this year. I think this will be a good route for me to try. If I
don’t have success this way, I will begin submitting to publishers later this
year or early next year. I have one PB about a smelly gym sock – he has an
adventure when he is left in the bottom of the gym bag by a young boy named
Zach! I think he will have plenty of other adventures, too! I also have a sweet
but short PB about a Dad’s love for his young child.
Thank you so much for your time, Beth, and good luck finding an agent. Be sure to do two things: 1) Check out Beth's Book 'Swanee Day' and come back tomorrow for another interview with a third author.
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