In the past, authors have struggled to write their stories by staring at their quill/typewriter/computer monitor and muttering with disdain. They curse the object, offer it holy and unholy (and even more unsavory) items for sacrifice and oftentimes make pacts with persons unmentionable in family settings. They are literary geniuses and write one compelling and tremendous story at a time.

Then there’s the rest of us.

The ideas seem to flow from the brain, don’t they? You have so many different ideas that it’s hard to keep up with them. You often get sidetracked while writing one story with a really cool idea for another. Or even worse, those pesky children who call you “mom” or “dad” are demanding attention for such necessities such as food, water and clothing. Just what are you going to do?

…what, you thought I knew? Ha!

Being a writer means having support. Not financial support (though that is a good thing to have, in hindsight), but the support and love of your family. Not all of us can lock ourselves in a dark and empty room like Edgar Allen Poe and Hunter S. Thompson could. We have children, spouses, girlfriends and boyfriends who want and deserve our attention. In our society, it’s easier than ever to communicate with others while not even leaving our rooms, but the amount of distractions seem to be even greater. So how do you juggle it?

No, put away that shovel. There will be no burying of bodies while reading the blog.

What ways (besides the shovel and shallowly dug grave in the backyard) do you use to juggle the many responsibilities of being both an author and a human being?