Balancing Writing with Life

By georgelthomas on 27 May 2025 • ( 0 )

Hi everyone! I hope you’re all well. Today, I’m talking about balance—specifically, balancing writing with that annoying, perennial and persistent thing called “your life”.

Balancing Writing with Life

Writing alongside family, work, and other obligations often feels like a chaotic juggling act. Some days, it all seems to click into place—a productive writing session before breakfast, work tasks ticked off by lunch, and family time in the evening. Other days? Well, the balls hit the ground with an unceremonious thud.

If you’re a writer or creative, this probably sounds familiar. Writing can feel like a calling, but life, demanding as it is, doesn’t often roll out the red carpet for creativity, allowing it to fit perfectly amongst everything else you have to do. The good news? Balance isn’t about perfection—it’s about fitting your writing into the natural rhythm of your daily life.

So, with that in mind, here are some practical ways to make that balance a little easier:

1 Set Clear Boundaries (Even If They’re Flexible)
Clear boundaries, like “writing between 8 pm and 9 pm each evening”, may sound simple, but implementing them can often feel like an Olympic challenge. Kids need attention, work emails ping consistently, and then there are days when there’s no fuel left in the tank.

What’s worked for me, however, is finding consistency amidst flexibility. If evenings are chaotic, carve out some time in the early morning or weekends when distractions are fewer.

2 Replace Perfection with Progress
Oh, perfectionism. It loves to creep into creative work, whispering, “If it isn’t flawless, it’s not worth doing.” But the truth is, just “starting” is always more important than getting it perfect.

Set small, achievable goals—like writing 200 words a day or revising one page. Even tiny efforts add up over time, and consistently showing up transforms ideas into completed projects.

3 Be Honest About Your Creative Energy
Not every day is brimming with inspiration—and that’s okay. On days you find particularly demanding, allow yourself permission to skip working on your project. Instead, have a lighter writing day; jot an idea or two in your journal, edit lightly, or even read for pleasure.

4 Practice Micro-Writing
Waiting to think up “the perfect first line” or “the perfect chapter” can be a big waste of time. Instead, experiment with writing fragments. Jot down sensory details during a walk or describe the stranger at the café queuing ahead of you. These micro-moments hone observation and flex your storytelling muscles without requiring enormous time investments.

5 Try Audio Notes for Creative Bursts
There’s a certain beauty to recording ideas spoken aloud—especially when stuck in traffic or folding laundry. Many writers have shared how recording story snippets while walking or commuting saved them when physical writing wasn’t feasible.

6 Try to Ignore the Guilt
One of the biggest roadblocks to balancing writing and life is guilt. You might feel bad for prioritising your creative goals over family and work commitments. But here’s the truth—writing is part of your life. It’s not selfish to carve out space for something that brings you enjoyment and fulfilment.

7 Remember Writing and Life Aren’t Opponents—They’re Allies
We often think of life as something that gets in the way of writing, but what if we flipped that perspective? What if everything you experience in your everyday life—the endless errands, the difficult conversations, the quiet joy of a family dinner—can fuel your stories?

That argument you had with your partner could spark raw, relatable dialogue. The stranger you passed on your commute might inspire a character. Even the frustration of folding socks for the hundredth time might work its way into a scene. Life and writing are deeply connected, not competing forces.

Find Your Unique Rhythm
Overall, there’s no all-encompassing answer for balancing your writing and life. What works for some people might not be right for you, and that’s okay. The key is to experiment, adapt, and change things as needed.

Your rhythm might look like early morning bursts of creativity. It might mean writing on weekends while the kids have playdates. It might involve long stretches where ideas gestate before finally blooming onto the page. Whatever balance you find, it’s yours.

How about you? What’s helped you balance writing with everything else in your life? Share your thoughts below!

Thank you, as ever, for spending time here with me today.

Until next time,

George