VS Grenier ~ Award-Winning Author, Speaker & Podcaster

     As writers, we are responsible for creating our own work structure.   No one makes us write.   No one tells us how much to write or when to do it.   If we are to be productive writers, we have to monitor ourselves.   Goals are one way to do that.      The goals we set should be measurable and attainable.   Measurable goals are goals that require some kind of output.   It might be to write a certain number of pages per day.   Or it might be to send out a certain number of query letters per month.   Whatever the goal is, it should be quantifiable.      Goals should also be attainable.   For a goal to be attainable, we have to be honest with ourselves.   So ask yourself, do you really have the time to crank out a five-hundred-page novel in six months?   Are you really going to earn $40,000 a year as a writer?   Our goals should be realistic, recognizing what is possible in our own lives and what is possible in the world of writing.      It is a good idea, when setting goals, t

I get to introduce you to one amazing woman. I say this because she is not only a professional musician, but has also self published two books and is a mother. Sherry is one woman who knows how to balance her life and see her dreams come true. Sherry Ellis is a freelance writer who writes articles for parenting magazines and children’s publications. Her first book, That Baby Woke Me Up, AGAIN , was published in 2005. Her second, That Mama is a Grouch , was published in May of 2010. It was honored as a finalist in the Parenting/Family category of the 2010 USA Book News Awards.  Sherry is also a professional musician who plays and teaches violin, viola, and piano. Ms. Ellis lives in Loveland, Ohio with her husband and two children.   VS: I want to thank you for being my guest here on The Writing Mama today, Sherry. To get things started, what do you do to help balance your writing life with your family life? Sherry: One of my biggest challenges is finding time to write. I have