Five Things I've Learned as a Bi-vocational Writer
It was an incredible honor to join this group at the Wild Goose Festival. From left to right: Me with Micky ScottBey Jones; Rev. Barbara Brown Taylor; Brian Allain; and Dana Trent.
Last summer I had the incredible honor of being invited to present during a day-long workshop for new writers at the Wild Goose Festival. The session was hosted by New York Times best-selling author and Episcopal priest, Barbara Brown Taylor and Brian Allain, founding director of Writing for Your Life. I participated in a panel that included author J. Dana Trent, and activist and writer, Micky ScottBey Jones.
Reverend Taylor began by acknowledging how much things have changed since she began writing in the 1980s. At that time, her job was to “write good words and throw them over the fence.” The publisher took care of the rest. But now, authors are required to contribute substantially to marketing their own books. Brian – who coaches writers at all different stages of the writing journey – explained that in a world where we are inundated with free content, part of a writer’s job is to “cut through the noise.” New writers have to work hard to maximize their “discoverability.”
Ugh. In my experience, trying to build a “platform” is both overwhelming and unsavory. What writers love to do is write! Marketing ourselves makes us feel queasy. While there aren’t easy solutions, Brian pointed out that we can learn from and support one another. As such, he and Barbara invited Dana, Micky, and me to reflect on the lessons we’ve learned over the past several years as new writers.
In the months before the conference, I mulled over the question: what have I learned since my first book was published in 2017? What mistakes have I made? What will I do differently as I get ready to launch my second book in mid-2020?
Juggling a Day Job and a Side Hustle
For me, the question of how to be a writer in the current environment is complicated by questions I have about what it means to be bi-vocational. For the past twenty years, I have had a busy and rewarding career in public health. When I unexpectedly found myself writing a book about my quirky faith journey, I was concerned about the potential risks involved. I worried that publishing a self-revealing memoir about my spiritual life might threaten my professional legitimacy.
Thankfully, it turned out that my colleagues have been incredibly supportive. Yet despite this, I still struggle to make sense of the two seemingly disparate parts of myself. Can I integrate my professional work and my writing life? Should I strive to create a cohesive public identity? Or should I try to maintain a firewall between the different parts of myself including online?
This all remained incredibly confusing until I was introduced to the concept of being bi-vocational. Before then, I had only been aware of the distinction between one’s “vocation” (which I thought was synonymous with a professional career) and one’s “avocation” (which is often defined as a hobby). But the truth is, both my day job and my writing feel like God-infused, God-led callings. Therefore, having the vocabulary to recognize myself as “bi-vocational” has helped me legitimize and prioritize both parts of my life.
What I’ve Learned as a Bi-vocational Writer
During the workshop at Wild Goose, I tried to distill some of the key lessons I’ve learned since I started working on my first book. Here’s a summary of what I shared:
Write in both the “cracks” and the “caverns” of time
The most frequent question people ask me about my writing is, “how do you have time for it all?” On one hand, I feel like the answer is simple: I have no choice. The books had to be written. As my writer friend Liz explained recently, it felt like the baby was coming and there was no stopping it. That said, there are still many practical questions about how and when one fits writing into one’s life while also juggling family, work, and community responsibilities.
My daughter Lila doodled this on her hand during Wild Goose. Living into our vocations can feel like sweet, wild bliss!
In this struggle, I’ve been helped by guidance I received from Hope*Writers, an online community which advises that — realistically — we often have to write in the “cracks” of time. This means taking advantage of short, opportunistic, often un-glamorous moments to write. For me, this means scribbling a sentence or two on the back of a grocery list while I am stopped at a red light on the way to work. I wrote a lot of Following the Red Bird this way.
At the same time, I know from experience that we also need to carve out “caverns” of time. For me, this means making intentional time to get away from family and work responsibilities to write. During Wild Goose, I mentioned that I would sometimes get an inexpensive motel room near my house just so that I could get away to focus. Priceline.com has some great last minute deals!
2. Understand if you’re an expert vs. encourager (or both!)
Before Following the Red Bird was released, I had a coaching session with literary agent Rachelle Gardner that was invaluable. Rachelle explained something that should have been obvious to me: different writers serve different purposes. A writer can be an expert, inspiration, entertainer and/or encourager.
In my day job, I’m paid to be an expert. With my book, I don’t have “expertise” in the same way. But by sharing my story, I can perhaps provide encouragement to others. (And I can also embrace the expertise I have!)
This framework helped me relax. I no longer expect my writing to be more – or less – than God intends for it to be.
3. It’s okay to have a boundaries!
In my life, I prioritize authenticity. So how do I integrate the seemingly disparate parts of my life? If I keep certain parts of myself separate from others, does that mean I’m being inauthentic? In very concrete terms, how do I create an online “platform” for myself as a bi-vocational person?
Rachelle also advised me regarding this question. She pointed out that we all play many different roles in our lives. For example, when I’m picking up my child at school, I don’t typically talk about my career. In that setting, I am a parent. That doesn’t make me inauthentic. In reality, all of the parts of me ARE integrated into a single whole. But in different settings, we focus on and share different parts of ourselves. This is normal and okay.
So, for now, my online “platforms” are not integrated. I generally use Twitter and LinkedIn for work and Instagram and Facebook for my writing. In the future, I might do more to explore the linkages between my writing and my professional work, but that doesn’t have to happen right away. I can trust God’s timing, and in the meantime be grateful for the diversity I have in my life.
4. Seek Sabbath!
To be honest, having a multi-vocational life can be exhausting, and many of us are worn out!
In my experience, a regular Sabbath observance can help us navigate the challenges of modern life as we juggle our various vocational callings and responsibilities. More importantly, the Sabbath reminds us that we are not little gods, and the world will not stop if we do. We must remember that we are not just called to work; we are also called to rest.
(As an aside, Dana Trent has written a great book on the topic! I encourage you to check it out!)
5. Embrace “downward mobility”
Henri Nouwen, the popular Christian writer and Catholic priest, wrote, “Too often I looked at being relevant, popular and powerful as ingredients for effective ministry. The truth, however, is that these are not vocations but temptations.” As we work diligently and creatively on all the things we are passionate about, we must not turn our back on Jesus’ most fundamental call to servanthood. As new writers, this can feel tricky. If we seek to increase our “discoverability” and build robust platforms, do we inevitably slide into self-aggrandizement?
Brian’s coaching has helped me with this. He keeps reminding me that fundamentally, building a “platform” is not about cutesy, self-promotional tactics. Instead, is about being a thought leader. Our job as writers is to find and use our authentic voice in ways that helps move the collective discussion forward.
But, as Henri Nouwen points out, the temptation to chase after power and popularity is always there. Yet the Christian path - as exemplified by Jesus - is to embrace a life of “downward mobility.” As such, Nouwen’s advises that we always stay grounded in contemplative prayer and in communal and mutual ministry. In doing so, we can carefully seek to discern where God is calling us next – including in our vocational work and service.
Building community
I went to Wild Goose wondering if there were others who struggle with similar questions about how to juggle a bi-vocational life. My experience during the festival suggested that I am not alone. During the workshop, I met an attorney who is working on her first novel. I spoke to a scientist who is working on a spiritual memoir and who shares concerns about what publishing a book could mean for her career. I also met Kathy Izard who works as a advocate for the homeless community and has written an fabulous book, The Hundred Story Home. So many amazing bi-vocational people doing incredible things!
I felt encouraged to learn about others’ stories and would love to hear yours as well. What vocational calling(s) are you responding to in your life? What have you learned as you’ve juggled multiple identities? Please share your comments below and/or write me to share your thoughts.