*** Check out my review of Marked For Life by Emelie Schepp here ***
Emelie Schepp has kindly written an exclusive guest post for Madhouse Family Reviews about how she manages to balance family life now that she has a writing career. It's fascinating that a third of the population in Sweden dream of writing a book - I wonder how that compares to the UK. Maybe in the UK, people are more tempted by writing blogs instead (which sometimes turn into books).
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My two kids were five and three years old when I decided to write a book. Since I still worked full time, I had to make time for writing in the nights. Every day at 8 PM, when my kids had fallen asleep, I sat down in front of my computer and wrote.
In Sweden, every third person dreams of writing a book. But to make the dream come true, you have to find time to write, and that is very challenging, especially having small kids. In order to make time to write, you have to skip doing something else. For me, that meant turning the TV off. It is amazing how many hours we spend watching TV, instead of writing the book we are dreaming of.
So, I skipped the TV and I also turned off my mobile (and all social media) and focused only on writing. I started in May 2012, and in September the very same year, I held the first draft in my hand. No one but my husband knew that I wrote. I didn’t want anybody else to know, because then I would have to put up with questions like: “What is the book about?” and “When is it finished?”. And instead of saying “I am writing a book”, it is a lot more fun to say: “I have written a book”.
I have now sold almost one million copies of my books in 30 countries around the world, so I am lucky to be a writer full time today! And now, I am very grateful that I don’t have to write during nights. My writing is not a secret anymore and yes, now I have to put up with all those questions: “What is the new book about?” and “When is it finished?”. But I love it!
During my writing periods, I always work from home, and that means I am always there for my kids when they come home from school. But being an international bestselling writer also means a lot of travelling and spending some time away from my kids. Me and my husband want all the best for our kids so a year ago, we moved from Norrköping to the small town called Motala where my parents live. They support us and are always there for our kids when we travel for book-fairs, signing tours and my book releases all over the world. Knowing that your kids are safe and that they are having a good time makes you more comfortable as a parent and it also allows me to put more effort into my career as a writer. I think it is very important to ask for help. It is very hard to manage a career otherwise.
I am also very blessed to have my husband supporting me, and today he works with me full time. We are partners in crime, business, and love. And we have always involved our kids in my career - they have helped us carry books and have attended a lot of signings and book festivals around Sweden. Me and my husband are very glad we have shown them that if you work really hard, and believe in yourself, it is possible to make a dream true.
Emelie Schepp’s Marked for Life is out 6th July (HQ, £7.99)
Facebook Emelie Schepp
Instagram @emelieschepp
Twitter @emelieschepp
Disclosure : I received a review copy of the book.
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