Connie Mann | A Captain’s Life for Me!

Many of my writer friends long for the day they can quit their
day jobs to write full time. When people ask if that’s my plan, too, they’re often surprised
when I say, “Oh, no. I love my ‘other’ job!”

I’m a USCG-licensed boat captain and have been working for
our local school system for almost 11 years. Several days a week, I take 5th graders out on Central
Florida’s Silver River in a 33-foot pontoon boat and get to show many of them their very first
alligator. It is such a fun job! (Well, except when it’s 38 degrees out and misty and windy.
Then, not so much.)

Is it a challenge to juggle two very different careers? No
question. But over the years, I’ve realized that my captaining brings a balance to my life that
would be missing if I was home all the time. Here’s what I mean:

It Forces me Out of my Writing Cave Writers often tend toward introversion. Somehow, I’m a hybrid--an extroverted introvert, meaning, I need my alone time, but I also crave time with people. If I’m alone in my house for too long…well, let’s just say the places my unsupervised brain goes if left unattended are not pretty. Having a set work schedule forces me out of the house AND gives me the added benefit of providing my people fix. After several days with 5th graders, I’m ready to get back to my quiet cave. It Resets my Perspective I haven’t met a writer yet who doesn’t battle the “doubt gremlins” on a regular basis. At some point in every story, we’re convinced it’s the worst thing anyone has ever written and we should really go get a job digging ditches or selling real estate or anything else because we’re the world’s worst writers. At other times, we deal with the ever-popular rejection letters and emails, when an editor or agent rejects our most recent story idea. My answer to all that doubt? A day on the water with students, watching their eyes light up as they spot alligators in the wild or get their first glimpse of a manatee. Being around their unbridled excitement always resets my perspective. It Fills the Creative Well When it’s cold outside, we’re especially tempted to huddle inside in our caves, ideally, all alone with a good book. But too much of that without any outside stimuli and my creativity packs up and takes a vacation to Hawaii. Over time, I’ve learned that spending time outside and getting out of my own head for a while does wonders for my creativity. So when I’m not hunched over my computer keyboard, delighting in the twists and turns of my next romantic suspense, you’ll find Captain Connie at the helm, enjoying the sunshine and plotting my next story. Wishing you smooth sailing and happy reading, Friends!