How We Do It

Readers and writers alike have asked me, “How do you do it all?” Well, I don’t. Our homeschooling, writing, working, parenting…our breathing are blessings from God. Outpourings of our faith. And the end of our day never looks like its beginning. Yet, there is a method to our madness. But enough about me. This is about YOU.

This month, we’re talking to: Susie Finkbeiner!

Describe “a day in the home life.” (family size, routine, etc.)

During the school year I get up early to taxi the kids to school, guzzling coffee all the while to keep the car on the road. Once they’re off, I take a little time to work out before sitting down to my day’s work. I don’t typically set word goals for myself, but I like to get a solid scene down before I break for lunch. In the afternoons I work on social media and other writing work. Then it’s time to go get the kids and make dinner. I try not to work in the evenings, but I often fail.

Describe your work schedule.

This actually seems to have changed over the last few months. Typically, I’d write a first draft with breaks in the process to edit the book I have coming out within a few months. Also taking time from the first draft has been writing essays for publications in order to market the soon-to-release book, record podcast interviews, and all manner of other publicity work.

But these days I have secured unexpected time to work on writing without all the other things pulling my attention away from the story. This pace is more conducive to my creative process, and I’m grateful for it. I don’t know that I’ll always be afforded the gift of time, and I refuse to take it for granted.

How do your family and work life affect each other?

In the days of writing/editing/marketing all at once I found that I struggled to balance work and family life. My husband, the wonderful man that he is, took our kids on many adventures so that I could write. Honestly, I’m sad that I missed out. But if you asked my kids, they’d tell you how glad they are that they’ve had so much fun with their dad. Silver linings, huh?

Regarding what you do and how you get it done, what makes you bite your nails? What makes you shout hallelujah?

You know, there’s always the anxiety when the manuscript goes to the editor. I think that’s when I doubt my abilities as an author the most. I entertain all sorts of nightmares until I hear back that the book isn’t as bad as I fear it is.

What makes my soul soar? When a reader sends me a message to let me know how one of my stories blessed him or her. It is my greatest desire to encourage and offer hope in every novel I write. It’s all to God’s glory when it actually does!

Any final takeaways for the reader?

Thank you, thank you, and thank you again for buying and reading and reviewing our books! Without your interest in the stories we write we would be lonely little authors! I so appreciate YOU!

Share a scripture that encourages or inspires you.

The past few years I keep coming back to Zephaniah 3:17. There’s just something about knowing that God is a protective God and that, despite all our slip-ups and doubts, He still delights over His children. What a Father!

Susie Finkbeiner’s Bio

Susie Finkbeiner is the CBA bestselling author of All Manner of Things, which was selected as a 2020 Michigan Notable Book, and Stories That Bind Us, as well as A Cup of Dust, A Trail of Crumbs, and A Song of Home. The Nature of Small Birds released in July, 2021.

She serves on the Fiction Readers Summit planning committee, volunteers her time at Ada Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and speaks at retreats and women’s events across the country. Susie and her husband have three children and live in West Michigan.