The gorgeous Sara Foster agreed to do a guest post today talking about that tricky balance that writers (who also happen to be mothers) have to find between honouring their craft and being a mother who honours her child(ren) by being present and available.
There is a delicate, precious balance to being a mother and a working writer, and finding that line, never mind walking it, is a daily challenge. I had dreamed of being both for most of my life, and so 2008 was a huge year for me, as I was four months pregnant when I went over to Sydney to meet publishers who had made offers for my first novel, Come Back to Me. Since then, there has been an enormous amount of hard work, and plenty of ups and downs, as I’ve made the huge emotional and practical adjustments that come with having a child, and also experienced the reality of life as a published writer.
In practical terms, I work when my daughter Hannah sleeps, whether in the day or at night, so I have a consistent routine, which can be restrictive but is necessary. I also have a childminder for five hours a week, and my husband gives me as much help as he can around his own work. It’s a never-ending juggle, but we deal with it day by day, like everyone else. Sometimes I have a great week where everything goes to plan and I get lots done. At other times the wheels fall off! But through it all I try to keep focused on my overall intentions and goals, and to me this matters more than how many words I get down in a day. It gives me some security that underneath it all I understand what I am aiming for (at least most of the time!).
At times I just want to stop everything else, including the clock, and take in everything I can about Hannah, because tomorrow she will suddenly be bigger, and more independent. Since she arrived I have had this overwhelming desire to try to catch life completely within my hands and hug it to myself; but it is also enthralling watching her blossom each day. And at times it’s terrifying too – a boy made her cry in the library the other day by squeezing her neck when he wanted a toy, and she recovered much faster than I did! There’s so much yet to come, but meanwhile all these new experiences join old ones, where they swirl in my imagination and encourage new stories to be born.
Sara Foster lives in Western Australia with her husband and young daughter. She divides her time between writing, book editing and being a mum. Her passions include the natural world, photography and travel. Her newest novel Beneath the Shadows (Random House) was released 1 February 2011.
You can follow her on Twitter @SaraJFoster or read her blog at www.SaraFoster.com.au
