Writing While Needed By Others

Brooke Warner reflects on the challenges writers face in prioritizing their craft, especially when balancing the needs of others. Using Julie Fingersh's memoir Stay as an example, she discusses how Julie had to physically distance herself from her family to write, battling feelings of guilt for not being available to them. Warner highlights the impact of "Bright Shiny Object Syndrome" (BSOS), where distractions—both people and everyday tasks—prevent writers from focusing. She emphasizes how societal conditioning, particularly for women, creates additional barriers, framing creative work as selfish or secondary. Warner encourages writers to assert their needs, manage guilt, and protect their writing time, asking her readers to share their own strategies for balancing writing with life’s demands.