Self publishing and...pregnant?

sugarhit · Sep 17, 2013

I finished my first novella 3 weeks ago and am halfway through novella 2 when found out I was pregnant recently.

Since then, I've been feeling allllll the fatigue and none of the drive I had a few weeks ago. I've not done more than 1-2 pages a day of morning pages because I've been sleeping in so late that I barely have time to get showered and dressed for work. I haven't even finished revising novella 1 so I can at least get it out to betas.

My goal is to publish both by Dec 15th but given that I've lost 1.5 weeks to just symptoms, I'm not sure if this is still feasible.

I don't know if I'm looking for advice or support but I'd love to know what others have done in this situation.

Maryn · Sep 17, 2013

Those pregnancies certainly shift things around, from your hips to your priorities.

If you can keep to your self-imposed deadline, great--but all you can do is your best. Your body is facing serious demands on its energies, and you can't stop it to use those energies yourself. If the works didn't get self-pubbed until a later date, that would still be okay, right? Maybe not ideal, but still okay.

You may find, as many expectant mothers do, that the early-pregnancy queasiness and exhaustion are soon replaced with energy beyond your usual. Maybe that's when you'll catch up, or maybe not.

Either way, a healthy pregnancy is the higher priority. Eat smart, get your rest, and write when you're able.*

Maryn, who will resist feeling your tummy until you're much bigger

*I know at least one AWer who writes on her lunch hour every day--and finishes entire novels.

Tezzirax · Sep 17, 2013

I sense your frustration at not meeting your own timeline. My suggestion is to shake it off, take care of yourself. The words won't go away. Reschedule your tasks with a priority on maintaining the vital portions of your life. Sitting down to write with the stressful thought that you have a time limit, may get you to write faster, but you won't be doing yourself any favors in my opinion.

One of the benefits of self publishing is flexibility, you can write, promote, and manage your work at your own rate.

Congratulations on completing your first novella.

merrihiatt · Sep 17, 2013

My father died in September and I just couldn't find any energy for writing. my mantra is "Bend like a tree." If we aren't flexible, we'll break. Take good care.

sugarhit · Sep 17, 2013

Tezzirax said:
The words won't go away.

That's so true, as that's my fear. I know you all are correct that I need to refocus my energy on baby and not on writing as much. I do hope that an energy surge will at least get me close to back on track, if not back on track completely.

Thanks for the loving wisdom

sugarhit · Sep 17, 2013

Maryn said:
Maryn, who will resist feeling your tummy until you're much bigger

*I know at least one AWer who writes on her lunch hour every day--and finishes entire novels.

I might have to try that out. I can do 1200 wph and that is enough to get me thousands of words closer than none at all.

Literateparakeet · Sep 17, 2013

I agree with what the others have said.

Is this your first pregnancy? Some women just seem to glide through pregnancy with no real problems other than being a little tired and uncomfortable. Others really struggle for all kinds of reasons from nausea, to hemorrhoids (TMI, right? LOL!) to hormones. If this is your first pregnancy it is hard to know for sure...and even if it is not your first pregnancies can each be very different.

I wasn't writing when I was pregnant, but if I had been, an issue for me would have been the hormones. It was like PMS x 10, for about 5 months and I would not have been able to weather the ups and downs of either the rejections, or what can be the slow beginning of self-publishing. That might not be the case for you but something to keep in mind.

I love what Merri said about "Bend like a tree." That's advice I can use right now...thanks Merri.

merrihiatt · Sep 17, 2013

Literateparakeet said:
I love what Merri said about "Bend like a tree." That's advice I can use right now...thanks Merri.

You're welcome!

Tienci · Sep 18, 2013

Congratulations!

Katrina S. Forest · Sep 18, 2013

First off, congrats.

The first trimester of both my healthy pregnancies I was so, so tired. I couldn't make a day without an afternoon rest even though I slept well at night. (I worked half days at the time.) Then on top of that, I couldn't even have my coffee!

Your body is building a life support system for another human being right now. Give yourself permission to not be Super Mom and give yourself time to get past the tired phase. (The second trimester for me was a wonderful sweet spot where I wasn't sick or tired, but I wasn't being kicked all the time either.)

Hang in there. You can still go for your goals, but be forgiving of yourself when things don't go like you want.

Self publishing and...pregnant?

sugarhit

Writing a novel on my lunchbreaks

Maryn

Baaa!

Tezzirax

merrihiatt

Writing! Writing! Writing!

sugarhit

Writing a novel on my lunchbreaks

sugarhit

Writing a novel on my lunchbreaks

Literateparakeet

Nerdy Budgie

merrihiatt

Writing! Writing! Writing!

Tienci

Lost in the Land of Giants

Katrina S. Forest