It’s a Writer’s Life for Me

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This is pretty much how I look when I’m working.

This week on the Ball we’re talking about the writing lifestyle as introverts or extroverts — what our personality types are, and the pros and cons of that type as it pertains to our occupation.

But here’s the thing: I’m a Gemini. Which means on any given day I can be an introvert or an extrovert — or a crazy person who starts sobbing about a tragic news story one second and then is laughing hysterically over something else the next. I’m really fun to live with. Just ask my husband.

Anywho, as I was saying, due to my astrology/genetics/post-partum hormones, the writer’s life works really well for me, most of the time. I really enjoy having long stretches of time alone with my thoughts and my computer. But then there are days where I think I’ll go insane if I don’t hear another adult’s voice at some point (this is also known as “being a mother”). And that’s where book tours/promotion comes in. I get to travel and Skype and talk up my book to other people and I really enjoy that side of book-writing, as well.

This lifestyle certainly isn’t for everyone. If you like structure and money and showering — you probably shouldn’t be a writer. But if you can go long periods of time without speaking to anyone or using a bar of soap, it’s an occupation you should consider.

What are your favorite parts of the writing life? What do you dislike the most?

 

Author: Colleen Oakley

Colleen Oakley is the author of BEFORE I GO (Simon & Schuster/Gallery, Jan. 2015), a love story. A former editor for Marie Claire and Women's Health & Fitness, she's now an Atlanta-based freelance writer. Find out more at colleenoakley.com.

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