The Writing Life in Chaos - Christina Suzann Nelson

Hello all!! We have a guest blogger today, and we're pleased to welcome Christina Suzann Nelson of Bethany House Publishers! 

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When I stepped into this writing journey, I was a homeschooling mom of four, and I thought I was busy. I managed to learn and practice the art of storytelling in ten-minute segments in the car as I waited for kids to finish activities. It was tough, but I had a dream, and I was willing to make the time to move toward my goals. 

By the time I signed my first contract, the kids had begun launching into adulthood, and I thought it would be smooth and simple with my focus squarely aimed at my budding career.

That’s just not how life works on the Nelson Farm.

My husband and I soon found ourselves the parents of six as we were blessed by two “unplanned” adoptions. Then Covid filled our house to bursting with four kids doing school from home and my husband working wherever he could set his laptop. My foolish heart continues to believe this was only a season and soon I would be working without interruption again. 

But BRCA.

A diagnosis of the BRCA 1 mutation, the breast cancer gene, quickly turned my plan upside down, renaming 2022 as the year of many surgeries. 

When I began to write, I found myself focusing on King David’s words from 2 Samuel 24:24: “I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” NIV Why had I assumed serving the Lord with my writing wouldn’t include sacrifice? It does. It always will. And, it should.

To follow the path God has designed for our lives, we all must give up things that look tempting. At times, we may struggle with the envy as a friend takes a long cruise through the Mediterranean while we stare at a screen, hoping just one person might be turned toward God through our stories. We might find ourselves tapping away at the keyboard while an eager child rips a brush through our hair to make it “pretty.” And, we may need to change our expectations for how our homes look to others, how often we manage to get a haircut, and how quickly we see to that leaky faucet. 

Life is filled with chaos. It’s messy and full and made to point us toward an eternity where we will no

longer have to make choices between writing time and a homecooked dinner. 

Here are a few things I’ve learned that help me write in the chaos. Take what works for you and ignore what doesn’t.

1. Make your children your first ministry. For me, this means I step out of my office when they arrive home from school. I take time to hear about their days and spend time connecting with them. However, when they are home all day long, this doesn’t mean my writing ceases. My children are served well by learning they are not the center of the universe. I am available to them, but my work is important too, and so is having balance in my life. Now, my little girls are nine and eleven, so they’re old enough to understand that practicing their own creativity and time management is a skill I want them to work on. If they were babies, I’d likely be writing at naptime and after bed.

2. Priorities rule. I heard many years ago that a person can manage three things well. By sorting out my top three, I’m able to make decision for my time with greater ease. When life is busy, I say no to anything that doesn’t fall within my three priorities.

3. Embrace the planner junkie lifestyle. I love my planners, especially detailed paper planners. Whether you’re into the digital scene, or like me, you trend old-fashioned for time management, be sure to keep your commitments marked in one place. It’s so easy to miss deadlines, author events, school commitments, etc. when you don’t have them right in front of you. If you’re a digital planner, set reminders. If you’re a paper person, keep that planner near you with the current day open. 

4. Simplify the menu. This little trick has saved me so many times. When chaos crowds in, we go back to a rotating menu. That means we have the same dinners each week. If spaghetti is on the table on Monday, you can count on seeing it again the next Monday. Not only does this relieve my brain from having to figure out meals, but it also makes our grocery shopping list nearly the same each week. 

5. Take regular breaks. Maybe it’s just me, but I find sometimes the chaos is living inside my own head. When I take breaks to be still, I’m able to see what’s going on around me with better clarity. 

I’ll be finished with my surgeries sometime in the first part of 2023. The little girls will be at school, and my adult children will be managing their own lives. My husband will continue to leave for the office each working day, and I will have long quiet hours to write. At least that’s what appears to be on the horizon. Only God knows what’s really next. 

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Christina loves to read and write stories that touch the heart and change lives. Represented by Cynthia Ruchti of Books & Such Literary. You can learn more about her and her writing at her website, www.christinasuzannnelson.co