Write at Home: Gina Conroy

Welcome to Write At Home, a monthly feature here at HOTM. Marybeth Whalen will be introducing you to homeschool moms who write: curriculum authors, novelists, nonfiction writers, and popular bloggers and more. Many of us are deeply inspired by these moms who seem to “do it all.” This feature will provide you with a glimpse into their everyday lives.

Today we have Gina Conroy joining us. She is the mastermind behind the popular writing website Writer… Interrupted and an inspiration to many writing mamas!

Hi Gina– thanks so much for joining us today! We are delighted to have you here. Tell us about your homeschooling experience. What led you to it? How long have you homeschooled, etc?

I always loved the idea of homeschooling but told myself I would never homeschool because of a personality clash between me and my oldest. Ironically, he’s the reason I decided to homeschool. Although a very bright boy (and extremely inquisitive) he had trouble with self control and calling out in school. He often corrected the teacher and didn’t seem to have the self control to sit still in a private school setting. We tried two different schools before we had him tested for everything from learning disabilities to giftedness. He scored gifted with impulsive ADHD tendencies. It was then that I knew a private school setting wasn’t the best place for him. I wasn’t sure homeschooling was either, but I was willing to give it a shot. His younger brother was excelling in the private school but I couldn’t see juggling a school schedule with a homeschool schedule so I brought them both home and homeschooled them from 2nd and 4th grade for the next three years.

I’d love to tell you homeschool was the answer, and everything was bliss. Unfortunately homeschooling raised a million more questions and at least three times a week I “threatened” to send them back to school. I still wonder if it was all a part of God’s plan, but either way, we learned and cried and grew as a family. Now they are both thriving in a small classical Christian school and my oldest is a model student. Maybe he just needed a few more years to mature, maybe homeschooling taught him what he needed to learn for going back to school. All I know is that God worked all things out for good.

Currently I’m homeschooling my two youngest with intentions of putting them in the same school in a couple of years. The second time around is going so much better. These two are easier to homeschool and I’m wiser and not as militant about their education as I was with the first two. We’re on a more relaxed schedule and they’re still learning, plus they now attend classes two days a week at the classical Christian school where I teach creative writing to 2-5th graders. Yet, with having them in school I am realizing that they are behind in a few areas and if I want to get them up to speed for sending them to school we need to work harder.

You have an active website, Writer… Interrupted. Can you tell us how that got started and what the site is all about?

Writer… Interrupted began out of my own need to connect with writing moms and homeschoolers to figure out how in the world they balanced it all. I started a small blog and then invited others to blog with me. In the course of a few years it grew into a group blog and then an online community. Currently the site is under construction and I hope one day to convert it to a monthly magazine with columns devoted to balancing life, work, homeschooling as well as columns on craft and marketing. Basically, I want it to be a one-stop place for busy, interrupted writers to find all they need to keep them informed, educated and motivated in their writing life. I have all the writers lined up, all I need is the time and money to move forward with the project. Not sure when that will be but the NING community is alive and active!

You clearly have a passion to encourage other writers. How have you been encouraged by other writers?

My interviews with over 100 moms and dads have been extremely encouraging and given me what I need to keep going. Their candid accounts of balancing life and writing has also been convicting to me at times. Especially during the times my life has been out of balance whether spiritually or relationally. The biggest encouragement I’ve found through these interviews is that most of them acknowledged that, when their priorities begin to slip, they just redirect their focus, ask the Lord to set them straight and start fresh.

What are some of your best tips for moms who want to balance homeschooling and writing?

Make a plan that works for you. Every year my homeschool schedule changes, so does my writing schedule. Just because it worked last year doesn’t mean it will work this year. Last year I woke up early to write, but found that I’d go past my allotted time because my kids would sleep in and then our homeschool time would be cut short. This year, I’m determined to homeschool in the morning and find other times to get the writing in. Not sure when that will be, but I’m looking for opportunities!

Where are you on your publishing journey?

Somewhere between Egypt and the Promised Land! I’ve had two completed manuscripts make the rounds and though I’ve received positive feedback from editors on my writing, the stories weren’t fits. My agent Chip MacGregor has been a huge source of encouragement. One thing that keeps me writing are his words, “you’re too good not to have something out there.” It keeps me focused on the writing and not the rejections. Currently I have two story ideas he’s excited about and the editors I’ve spoken with so far have been positive.

You are a member of ACFW, the American Christian Fiction Writers. How has joining that group and attending their conference been helpful to you?

I’ve learned so much from the annual conferences and from talking with people on the email loop, but it’s the relationships with other writers that have been most valuable. I’ve meet others in similar life circumstances and have seen many friends published. This is also bittersweet, but through it all God’s been bringing me to a place of contentment in my writing life and I’m truly at peace with what he was planned in my publishing journey. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t like the pace God’s set for me, but He knows best and I trust His plan.

Without the people I’ve met through ACFW I wouldn’t be as far along in my writing journey as I am. They’re not only encouraging, but give of their time and knowledge freely. I’m currently president of the local chapter and the members of ACFW have been so generous with their time, coming to speak to our group for little or no compensation.

To learn more about ACFW, go to www.acfw.com.

Finally, what would you say to that mom out there who has the dream of writing a book tucked in her heart?

Be patient!! God’s got a plan for your writing and even though you might not be able to devote all the time you want to writing, you can still be doing other things like learning and attending writers conferences. And most of all, don’t make the mistake I did and put all your energy into your writing so that there’s nothing left for your family. I’m still trying to learn the balance between family and writing and know I don’t have to give it up completely, but when it becomes the most important thing in my life, I do know it has to take a back seat to what IS really important. Family, people and relationships!

Marybeth Whalen is homeschooling mom to six children ranging in age from teen to toddler, as well as a speaker for Proverbs 31 Ministries. In her writings, she addresses things like burnout, dealing with interruptions, and handling homeschooling from a very practical perspective. Be sure to visit her blog, Cheaper by the Half Dozen.

Tags: ADHD, American Christian Fiction Writers, Author Interview, blogging, christian living, Gina Conroy, homeschool family, Marybeth Whalen, Writer...Interrupted

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