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Cori Schwabe's avatar

As a new mom who's writing brain has turned back on during my maternity leave, this resonates hard. My brain is blown that you've written 20 books while raising your daughter (plus still working for those first ones!). Thank you for sharing not only tips and tricks, but that it is possible.

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Darcey Rojas's avatar

Thank you for sharing some of your story on how you became a successful writer while also juggling motherhood, Evelyn! I think many mother-writers need to hear more stories like this! (Mother-writer is a term I first heard from Laura Pashby here on Substack 🤍.)

I spent many, many spare moments while raising my two kids writing, working through messy rough drafts of manuscripts that I’m not sure I’ll show anyone. I’ve also explored my life experiences in a fictionalized format and wrote a healing memoir (that is unpublished) after my mothers suicide. And, deeply reflective journaling has become a life-long habit.

I suppose I’ve written a few “books before the book”. 😊 It’s also encouraging to read about your 50% success rate. This tells me to keep going, even in the face of potential rejection.

Writing has always been a life-line that has helped me process difficult and amazing experiences and emotions. I’ve just never been able to really figure out that next step - to put my work in front of others or get published. The reality of living a successful writers’ life seems illusive and somewhat mysterious! Instead I’ve tried many life paths, but I always return to the writing!

I’m inspired to revisit that book, Deep Work. And looking forward to reading your post “How I wrote 4 novels in 365 days”. Wow.

And I’m determined to keep writing here on Substack in the hopes of building an author platform as I move into the role of “writer-mother”, now that my children are grown.

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