As my writing career continues to grow, I have noticed that there are times when I have to be selective about the assignments I accept and pursue. Yes, I want to work, but I also have an obligation to my family. All four kids are still at home, so their needs and the needs of my husband have to come first.

I will only accept jobs I know I can do within a given time frame. My time to write is when the kids are at school or busy with some other activity. Too many jobs with overlapping deadlines lead to a very frustrated wife and mother.

I limit the amount of contracts I pursue. A number of my writing friends are empty-nesters. All their kids are leading their own lives. Since this is not the case for me, I need to make sure that I will have time to work on new projects. Once I accept an assignment, I’m locked in, and because I want to meet all my deadlines, I have to be realistic on how much I can handle.

Some may feel this will limit my growth, but so far it has worked very well for me. It keeps me free to concentrate on the work I do have, bringing in assignments ahead of schedule (which, by the way, has led to editors asking me if I can work on an assignment), and it keeps me from stressing about wearing too many hats. I do want to build my writing career, but not at the expense of my loved ones.

There are times when we need to say “no” to too much writing. Try to determine what works best for you and your family.

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