Welcome to Flashback Fridays! For the summer and beyond, I’m going to run some nostalgic posts on parenting and writing from writing wannabes, newbies, and published authors. Many of these prepublished writing interviews are now published. So I encourage you to visit their sites and see what they’re up to today.
2007 Interview
Christy Barrit is a speaker and freelance writer. The author of many books and articles, she is also worship leader at her chruch. Christy lives in Virginia with her husband and son. Welcome Christy!
Tell us a little about your family and your call to write.
I’ve been married to my wonderful husband for six years. This past June, our first baby was born—Eli Samuel. He’s been a real blessing, and by far my best “creation” yet. I started writing seriously about the time my husband and I got married. Though I love writing books, I realized that I also needed some stability in my income, so I began freelancing for various publications. Today, I have over 300 articles published, four books already out and two books slated for future publication.
Hazardous Duty a cozy chick-lit about a crime scene cleaner who likes to stick her nose into police business. The heroine, Gabby St. Claire, is sassy and determined. She wants to be a forensic pathologist, but was sidelined by family issues while in college. That’s what led her to crime scene cleaning. She finds a clue that the police missed while cleaning a senatorial candidate’s house after his wife has died. It then becomes a race to find the bad guy before the bad guy silences her forever. She has the help of two handsome men along the way.
The second book, The Grim Sweeper, continues following Gabby St. Claire’s journey. This time she’s taken on a mold remediation job since crime has been slow in the city. While under a house, she finds Elvis—dead. The rest of the story goes from there.
I just loved the first book and can’t wait until the second!
How did you get your first “writing break?”
After college I worked at a Christian publishing house. This has really helped me in my freelancing career. After I left the company, I continued to write for them, mostly doing interviews with Christian music artists. An editor at the publishing house wanted to do a book project centering on Christian music. Several people recommended me for the project. He sent me a book proposal (a dream come true!) and I accepted. That was my first big book contract.
What do you write and why this genre?
I love writing chick-lit mystery/suspense. I love to style of chick-lit—the confessional, first-person tone. I really feel like I found my voice when I started writing in first-person. But I also love mystery and suspense. So I combined the two genres. I like to call it “genre fusion.”
What do you hope to accomplish through your novels?
I always feel a little shallow when I say this, but really I want to entertain my readers. That’s why I read—I want to be sucked into another world, into another person’s life. So, first and foremost, I want to tell a good story. I hope that readers might take away a thing or two from the book besides being entertained, of course. But that’s my primary goal.
Life with a new baby has to be hectic. How has your writing life changed since you became a mom?
Wow, has it ever changed! Someone asked me what my schedule is like now and I told them it was something like this: settle to the computer, pull up my document, glance at my son, think about how cute he is, tickle his feet until he giggles, turn back to the computer, write one sentence, hear my son cooing, turn back to him, think about how cute he is, decide to take a picture, take the picture, remind myself that I have deadlines to meet, etc., etc. LOL! Not the most effective method for writing.
Are you finding it harder to manage your time with a baby who doesn’t understand the meaning of deadlines?
Very much so. At first, I tried to write during the day when Eli was with me. That was okay for awhile when he was only a few months old. But not anymore. Now, I try to work when he takes naps (which is rarely), when his dad is home, early in the morning, or whenever my mom watches him! Thankfully, my mom lives close by and she’s offered to watch him on Tuesdays and Thursdays. That’s when I get the bulk of my writing done.How do you handle interruptions in your writing life?
I try to handle them with grace. I also try to be wise when scheduling my time. When my mother is watching Eli, I block off time for my novel writing. This means that I don’t answer the phone, I don’t check email, and I don’t think about anything else except my book. I’ve found that good communication with my family saves me a lot of frustration.
How do you get back into the flow of writing after you’ve been interrupted?
I need concentration to write. I can’t write in five-minute spurts. I’ve tried and been miserable. So I just try to find time when I know I won’t be interrupted—or that I’m the least likely to be interrupted. Sometimes I grab my laptop and drive to a local park. I sit in my car and write. I actually get quite a bit done on those days.
How do you position yourself to HEAR God’s voice when all the noises of life are swirling around you?
By having alone time. I go crazy without it, so I have to fit it in somehow. Sometimes, I have to wake up early to get it. Sometimes, I have to let my husband have an evening alone with Eli. My quiet time isn’t just selfish—it allows me to clear my head, to focus my priorities, and to chat with God. When my life gets too busy and hectic, everything goes downhill. I owe it to myself—and to God—to carve out quiet time.If you ever feel your priorities slipping, what do you do to get back on track?
I step back. Like I was talking about in the previous question, I need my quiet time. I think when I’m really in tune with God, my heart will tell me if my priorities are out of order. I don’t have peace if my priorities are messed up. If I’m in tune with the spirit’s leading in my life, then I can refocus and get back on track more easily. I get in tune with God through prayer, reading the Bible, worship, and being with believers who inspire me to grow closer to God.
Has there ever been a time God told you to set aside your writing to focus on other areas of your life? If so, how did you handle that?
Not yet. I used to be a workaholic—and I still struggle with that tendency. Until Eli was born, I was the worship leader at my church. After Eli was born I really felt like God telling me to let go of that ministry. And he raised someone else up to fill the position. I’m at total peace about it, though I do miss doing it. I realize that I can’t do everything and do it well.
I know Eli is going to grow up so fast. I don’t want to miss a moment of his life. If I have a writing agenda during my time with Eli, then I usually end up just being miserable. When Eli is playing by himself, I try to work on the house, on things that don’t require my concentration. I’m just going to take that step by step as he gets older. I definitely haven’t figured out balance yet, especially since Eli is changing all the time and my schedule right along with him.Hey—maybe you could offer me some advice! J
Did you ever feel like you’ve “missed” God in regards to writing, that maybe you should be doing something else?
I’d have to say that writing is one of the few things that I feel pretty confident about. I struggle with insecurity in many areas. But six years ago, I really felt that God put it on my heart to write. I felt his calling in a way I’d never felt before. Of course there were times when I felt like giving up on writing because publication wasn’t coming quickly and I questioned my abilities. But regardless of that, I’ve persisted, really feeling like this is where I should be.
What advice would you give to writing moms?
I was really nervous before Eli was born that I wouldn’t be able to be a “good” mom and be a writer at the same time. A lot of women at my church don’t work (nor would they dream about working), they homeschool, they cook for their husbands every night, and their houses always seem to sparkle. They’re happy little homemakers! I thought I’d be a bad mom if I wasn’t like them, if I held on to my own non-family related ambitions.A godly friend of mine sat me down and told me that it doesn’t have to be either/or. Just because I wanted to work, that didn’t mean I’d be a bad mom. I could be a great mom and follow God’s calling in my life to be a writer. Her words gave me tremendous peace. Now I realize that God has made us each individuals and we need to listen to his voice and his plan for our lives—not his plan for other people’s lives. Comparison will just make us miserable.Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Sometimes I think that as mothers, we need to give each other a break, and realize that God has a plan for each of our lives. Mothers are the worst at judging other moms! Have you noticed that? I’m learning not to care, but it’s hard.
I went to a writers conference three months after my son was born. When people found out that I’d left my baby at home, some were horrified—and they let me know about it. But I knew my baby was being taken care of. I wouldn’t have left him otherwise. That didn’t change the fact that I felt totally judged. I’ve heard countless other stories similar to this.Sometimes, other people’s opinions about our lives can be a hindrance to hearing God’s voice. Trust in God’s calling for your life. Listen to other people’s advice, but let God be your ultimate authority. God will speak to your heart if your life gets off balance. And remember that God has great plans for your life—whether that’s being a mom, being a writer or both.Thanks so much for the interview, Gina! It gave me a chance to do some soul-searching before answering. God bless you, your family and your writing!Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and wisdom with me. May God bless you as you write, raise your baby and pursue His calling in your life.