Setting Limits

I tweeted yesterday about something and got thinking it would make a good blog post. (Of course, I could just be avoiding the WIP...)

For some of us, our job isn't a 9-5 thing. Especially when we freelance or work from home. There's always work to be done and even if you set yourself certain times to work, it's easy to break that. And being writers? Well, we can't ever not be writers, right? It's one of those things like breathing. You can work as a sales clerk from 9-5 and don't define yourself as a sales clerk for the rest of the day, but if you're a writer, you're always a writer.

Okay, but. But. That's not necessarily the case for everyone a writer works with. Most editors try not to be editors 24/7. Cover artists try not to be...okay, so they're like a writer and always an artist, but they don't work on cover art 24/7. And agents aren't agents 24/7.

Limits. That's what people in these kinds of weird hour jobs have to impose for themselves. It's why we get cranky if you come over and pitch your book while we're out for dinner or in an elevator or walking down the street. I've had people bitch to my boss because I tweeted, late a night, about a book I was writing...rather than, you know, working as senior editor. Um, surprise surprise, I'm allowed to NOT be a senior editor for a few hours a day. I'm allowed to *gasp* take a Christmas vacation and visit family for a few days (another complaint was that somehow me taking a three day holiday would lead to massive book delays).

Do we all still think about work on our time off? Of course we do. It's a battle not to. But here's the thing: I've seen the people who live their jobs 24/7. The people who answer email all hours of the night and work all weekend. I've seen those people burn out and come to hate their jobs. And I don't want to be that person.

So I have limits. I don't, for example, answer work questions on Facebook. It's tough because some people do use FB for the work-related networking aspects, but I'm not one of them. I only accept friend requests from people I know. I never, ever accept slush authors as friends (it's just TOO weird). If me and the staff make jokes about work, that's one thing, but I've had messages with friend requests that say, "Did you read my submission yet?" *clicks ignore* Folks, asking a staff member a work question on FB, MySpace, another forum, etc, is kinda like following them to the bar after work. Would you follow me and the art director to a club at 11pm, come up to our table while we're laughing and relaxing, and then ask us your submission status? Or about book production? Or royalties? I really, really hope you wouldn't, and if you would, you're kinda a douche. (A douche who is living dangerously, because at this point in my metaphor, we'd probably be drunk on cocktails and the AD is likely armed.)

Okay, tangent.

Anyways, you do what you have to to save your sanity, bunnies. I leave time in the evening when I only write and nothing else, save for if the boss or my coworker has a question/emergency. I spend time out with family and friends (okay, I don't have new friends yet, but the principle holds true) where I relax and don't talk about my job. I'm militant about people going through my assistant because she saves me from having violent thoughts. I put repetitive, stupid, or naggy questions to the bottom of the list to answer. I prioritize my sanity now.

Sometimes it means separating myself into two different people in my head. Which might make me seem crazier, but, ya do what ya gotta do.

If you don't set yourself limits, you'll go insane. No email after a certain time at night, no editing while you want a certain show, no thinking or talking about work over dinner--it doesn't matter what limits you set. Just as long as you set something and are firm about it.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have donuts to make on my lunch break.