I really didn't want to do this, and I've put it off as long as I could.Writing About Writing is going to be taking Monday's off for the rest of the year (and a few weeks into 2020).
I'll keep the reasons short and to the point.
1) Because our current writing schedule is so busy and overcommitted as to be barely maintainable right already, I typically cannibalize a post when I am writing something extra like a newsletter or Inside Scoop email. But I've also been cannibalizing posts for admin days when I need time to clean up menus, tag posts, answer emails, do admin over at WAW's Facebook page, and the like. I've also trying to give myself one day a month, plus one ADDITIONAL day each subsequent month, to focus on the egregiously-behind-schedule novel I'm writing. Right now that's actually four days off a month. It's probably going to be easier if I just make them the same day for now and try to reevaluate when my childcare/nanny schedule has changed for the new year.
2) I have an extra hour of my second job on Mondays. I have to be there at 1pm instead of 2. And I'm usually sleeping in a bit from whatever weekend plans I overdid, so I'm usually looking at two hours and change of actual writing time––not really enough to make a solid post.
3) Mostly though, I'm currently working too hard on the childcare/nanny gig. While 21 hours on paper, I've provided a sixth day of help basically every weekend, stayed late on the regular, and it's really a lot closer to 30+ hours. While I would love, and sometimes try, to be the kind of person who can take on a few hours here or there without giving anything up, my schedule is pretty Tetrised, and that nine extra hours is going to come from sleep and me-time if I don't officially find somewhere else from which to pull that time.
For now that means a small post on Tuesday, M/W off, mailbox on Thursday and a "meaty" post on Friday. I'm loathe to have an update schedule that feels so empty (even just for eight to ten weeks), but for the time being, I'm a bit stuck. I think this may help ensure that the posts on Th/F are a bit higher quality, as well as giving me more opportunity to write posts in NOT Writing About Writing.
As soon as possible, I will reinstate Mondays (along with as robust an update schedule as I can reasonably manage).
And for the record, since this post is Monday, this week I'll be taking TUESDAY off.
And to keep this from being a separate post later in the week....
Hi everyone,
If you've noticed, the running motif in the above announcement is how busy I am. I'm RIGHT on the edge of all those spinning plates crashing to the floor. If you'd like to be able to help me (especially as we head into next year and I have a new financial reality), I humbly ask you to help me keep food on the table and the health insurance premiumed. Right now, I can't quite make all the ends meet with just writing alone (I won't die, but things like insurance, my cell phone, and meal kits instead of Top Raman take a little extra)
I work as a nanny to make ends meet. Right now it's a bit too much (hence the Mondays off). Next year, many of my nanny hours will be going away. That will be a mixed blessing. More time to write, but I will have to dip a little into savings each month to get by. That means I'll probably take any passing freelance job or side gig that comes along. And THAT takes me away from writing––at least the writing that you folks can see and appreciate.
Remember, you don't just get Writing About Writing. There are some personal and political thoughts along with media reviews over at NOT Writing About Writing, and I often use my personal Facebook page for bite-sized thoughts and proto-versions of things I'm thinking about. And there's "the show" on the Writing About Writing Facebook Page––where I share memes, humor, articles about everything writing, and puns all day. Anything else I write for other venues will end up here as well––if not directly, at least a link. Plus this blog is always free, as well as ad free (I hope to KEEP it ad free), but it takes 20+ hours a week to keep it from falling apart and is really a full time job if I want to do it right.
At this time, I depend completely on donations and patrons for my writing income. As with most donation-based media, the tiniest handful of folks (less than .1%) are creating the experience the other 99.9% get to enjoy. I know it's a tough time right now. We're heading into a recession and everywhere you look someone's trying to crowdfund some unexpected expense. However, if even 1% of everyone who stopped by gave a dollar, I would be able to write full time without a side gig for years to come. If a couple dozen people pledged at the $3 level, I'd be heading into 2020 to give writing an even more robust full-time schedule without needing to worry about recessions, nanny hours being cut, or dipping into my savings to make ends meet. I know that most people will ignore these appeals. But if you like my work and want it to keep seeing it (and more OF it), please take a moment and see if you can't spare a couple of dollars.
There are two ways to help.
I prefer if you become a Patron through Patreon. Even a small donation goes a long way, and with Patreon, I can budget and plan for the future based on your commitments. Plus, it doesn't take much to get in on some of the most active and robust reward tiers. The monthly newsletter is the reward for only the $3 level as a way of saying thank you to the ever-vital bedrock of my smaller donors.
Or if an ongoing donation is not in your cards, of course you can always make the one-time kind through Paypal. Or Venmo (at chris.brecheen@gmail.com)
Lastly, these posts will never do particularly well organically, and it is the nature of social media that I cannot reach everyone who wants to see my content. If you don't have the financial means to support us financially, but still want to help (or would like to help doubly), please engage with this post. (Shares and GIF comments are particularly good for the algorithm.)
Thank you all so much,
Chris
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