Fisherman’s Gone? Write a Book like POCF Kristi Moore
“I honestly get more writing done when he’s gone. It’s easier to get up or sit down after the kids go to bed. When he’s home, I want to curl up with him and watch TV.” – Kristi Moore.
If there’s one type of POCF that I really connect with, it’s a writer. (As a childless woman, writing is my baby.) The constant struggle of feeling like you’re not writing enough or writing good enough, and knowing that the only way out is to sit your butt in the chair and get those dang words on the page is so easy yet can be SO HARD TO DO!
Yet a writer has no choice but to go down that road. It’s your calling. I joke that we’re masochists, wandering through the tortured artist life. And writing is slow torture at times, but with a HUGE reward if you keep at it. And this POCF has reached the pinnacle andĀ published a freaking book! But how did Kristi write the book of her dreams while raising a family and managing the home when her fisherman’s away? Kristi tells all in this candid interview!
Fisherman’s Gone? Write a Book like POCF Kristi Moore
How did you meet your partner, and what does he do/what is his position on the boat?
We actually met when I joined a private yacht in Antigua. He was already a deckhand on the boat and my aunt, a chief stewardess, hired me on as her second stew. She had shown me a photo of him before joining, and I knew then I was in trouble. Ha!
He kind of swung far left in his boat career, going from a sailing school in England to oil and gas, now captaining a 265′, 2700 ton supply boat in the gulf.Ā Sailing and small boats will always be in his heart, but he loves what he does. He belongs on the water, and he’s good at it.
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Did you have experience in this lifestyle before you married?
Not necessarily the lifestyle of being away from my partner, but I had worked on yachts for about 4 years. I had actually told him I wouldn’t be with someone who would be gone for months at a time (thinking of some of the men on our boat who had families), but after a short stint trying to be shore-based, I could see the ocean calling him back, and I wasn’t going to stand in the way. After a brief struggle trying to go from a job on yachts to working in the oil field (apparently, people think yachties are bougie), he had a really good opportunity that he pursued and has been in for 8 years.
How long is he gone at a time?
We’ve done a number of hitch lengths, but right now, we hold steady at 28 days on and 28 days off. It’s the perfect amount. When I start really missing him, he comes home, and when he starts to grind my gears, he leaves. Haha.
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Please tell us about your writing! How did you get into writing, and how does it help you (if at all) when your man is on the job?
Why thank you for asking š„°. I currently have one published novel,
The Pecan Trees. It’s a contemporary fiction set in Hill Country, Texas.
I also write a
bi-weekly blog about obscure events and things in history that people might not have heard of.
Writing is something I’ve always enjoyed. I always told myself that I would publish at least one novel, even if it were just for me. I love writing and putting my imagination on paper for other people to read, too. I honestly get more writing done when he’s gone. It’s easier to get up or sit down after the kids go to bed. When he’s home, I want to curl up with him and watch TV.
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What are you currently working on?
I recently pushed a project to the back-burner when a new idea barged in and took over, practically writing itself. So, in the very near future, I will start outlining and plotting that one. I’m really excited. Until then, I’ll keep writing my blog to keep my imagination and writing sharp. *Check out this funny video of Kriti that all writers can relate to! š
What advice would you give a new POCF just starting in this lifestyle?
- I would say: You are tougher than you think; you can do more than you think; you can handle more than you think, but don’t be afraid to ask for help.
- Find your people. I am an introvert at heart, so I find solace in an amazing group of women in a Facebook group I’m in. They are great to bounce ideas off of and have words of comfort when needed. (Join our private FB group for POCFs here!)
- And hobbies help. If you have something you enjoy doing in your spare time, feed into that (kids count too).Ā
WhatĀ writing advice do you have?
Find people on Instagram or Youtube, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. After I wrote The Pecan Trees, I had zero clue what I was supposed to do; I have no writer-friends. I found a handful of people I had been following from
NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). I trusted and scoured their YouTubes and Instagram for help. There’s lots of great advice out there, and most people are receptive to questions.
Also, don’t compare yourself to others. Every writer’s journey is different. Something I once heard and has stuck with me is: Finished is better than perfect. You can always edit a finished product, but if you have no project, you have nothing to edit.š āš¼
Do you write, or are you interested in writing? What hobbies do you focus on when your fisherman is away? How do you relate to Kristi’s interview? Please share in the comments below!
