Hedlund

Many of us struggle to find that balance of job, family and writing time. Author Jody Hedlund is no different, unless you realize the depth of her commitment to all three endeavors. The award-winning historical romance novelist is a stay-at-home mother who home schools all five of her children while maintaining a full time writing career.

She now writes for both adult and YA. Her fifteenth book will release in September 2016.

Here is a small portion of that interview: 

As a homeschooling mom of five children, how do you manage to find time to write? It’s definitely not easy to manage my busy household of five children and squeeze in time for writing. But fortunately my husband is very helpful and pitches in to help wherever possible. We really work together as a team to support each other in our pursuits and work. For example, when he's home he often takes over the household responsibilities, runs kids to activities, and pitches in with homeschooling so that I can have concentrated blocks of time to write. We've also simplified our home life and outside commitments as much as possible. We expect our children to shoulder responsibilities around the home. In fact, my three oldest kids are each responsible for cooking one evening meal a week! And last but certainly not least, I rely upon my mom for lots of help too. She helps homeschool, cook meals, and even takes my youngest two children to choir.

What do you think is the most important quality it takes to be a successful author? One of the key qualities in becoming a successful author is learning to be an enthralling and captivating storyteller. Writers can (and should!) work on improving their techniques—how to write good dialog, how to write tightly, how to develop their characters, etc. But first and foremost, I think readers are looking for stories that blow them away. At least as a reader, that’s what I long for!

What advice do you have for anyone interested in writing and pursuing publication? Write a couple of books first and unleash your creativity. Then start reading books that explain how to write. Study techniques, practice them, and keep writing. When you begin reaching a level in your writing where you think you’re ready to start querying, get a critique partner to read your work, vamp up your online presence, and immerse yourself in the writing industry.

Where can readers find you?

I hang out on Facebook here: Author Jody Hedlund

I also love to chat on Twitter: @JodyHedlund

My home base is at my website: jodyhedlund.com

Or you're welcome to email me at: jodyhedlund@jodyhedlund.com

Hedlund also has a great blog which offers loads of advice for aspiring and struggling writers. While she does not post as frequently as she once did, there is still a lot of useful information at: http://www.jodyhedlund.blogspot.com/