By Rachel Scott McDaniel, @rachelsmcdaniel
My husband is a self-taught juggler. He even does that popular trick where someone off to the side tosses a ball into the mix, and he spins it into the rotation with ease. While I don’t have the literal skill of juggling, I’m learning to become decent at juggling everything life throws at me.
While writing my last story In Spotlight and Shadow, everything that could go wrong during a deadline did. I got sick with that icky global epidemic thing, and it took me out for a bit. Then it morphed into an ugly cough so fierce that I fractured a rib. (Which was more painful than the plague) Thank the Lord for heating pads and Ibuprofen. Needless to say, I was down for two months. Then when I thought I’d be able to start chipping away at my story, my daughter went through a cycle where she only slept three to four hours a night. I turned into a mombie. It was quite brutal. Once that subsided, our house got infested by stubborn insects we had to exterminate. Then sadly, we had a death of a dear family member, which occurred right when my story was due.
It was literally one thing after another after another. Looking back, I scratch my head and wonder how on earth did I write a novel during those crazy months? Firstly, the grace of God. Friends, when we are called to write, He equips us. All those circumstances that came as a surprise to me, God knew about beforehand. I could spend the rest of this post emphasizing His amazing grace.
Next piece of advice? Write even when you don’t feel like it. It’s so much easier to ignore the laptop and opt for a Netflix binge, but don’t succumb. If you have to wait for inspiration to write, I guarantee you will fall behind. Ask me how I know this. Like anything that’s worth anything, consistency is vital. When life throws things at us, our writing schedule may need to adjust, but make certain to put that backside in the chair and those fingers to the keyboard.
Another way to create more pockets of time is to cut out the time-suckers. What do I mean? Get rid of the things that unnecessarily steal our time. For instance, do we really need to spend hours scrolling social media? It’s oddly alarming how much time we waste on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. And yet, those are key platforms where we need to be present, right? So my suggestion is to allow yourself only so many minutes a day in which to scroll. By limiting this, you’d be surprised at how much extra time you have.
Life’s road has many bumps, detours, and winding curves that prevent us from looking too far ahead, but if you daily seek God’s grace and wisdom, as well as continually take advantage of the pockets of writing time allotted you, then you will rock that story!
Two women, a century apart, are bound by a haunting secret aboard a legendary steamboat.
Walk through Doors to the Past via a new series of historical stories of romance and adventure.
As wedding coordinator for the 100-year-old steamboat The Belle of Louisville, Devyn Asbury takes pride in seeing others’ dreams come true, even though her engagement had sunk like a diamond ring to the bottom of the Ohio River. When the Belle becomes a finalist in the Timeless Wedding Venue contest, Devyn endeavors to secure the prestigious title with hopes to reclaim some of her professional dreams. What she hadn’t planned on was Chase Jones showing up with a mysterious photo from the 1920s.
A century earlier, Hattie Louis is as untamable as the rivers that raised her. As the adopted daughter of a steamboat captain, her duties range from the entertainment to cook. When strange incidents occur aboard the boat, Hattie’s determined to discover the truth. Even if that means getting under First Mate Jack Marshall’s handsome skin.
Rachel Scott McDaniel is an award-winning author of historical romance. Winner of the ACFW Genesis Award and the RWA Touched By Love award, Rachel infuses faith and heart into each story. Rachel can be found online at www.RachelScottMcDaniel.com and on all social media platforms. Her work is represented by Julie Gwinn of the Seymour Agency. Rachel resides in Ohio with her husband and two children. She enjoys life in Ohio with her husband and two kids.