I’ve been struggling with my roles in life since Christmastime. When I first started this whole indie publishing journey, I thought my goals were very clear cut. Write, publish, and hope that some readers would love my stuff (yes, ‘stuff’ is a weak weasel word, but when those moments of rebellion hit, you just kind of have to go with the flow).
It hit me in December that, for all intents and purposes, I’d ceased to be a writer. Yes, it’s true. But I just released Enza, you might argue. I did, didn’t I? But Enza was seventy-five percent written four years ago. All I did was finish it. Finally.
The rest of my time I’ve spent blogging…and visiting blogs, marketing…and learning about marketing. And while none of those activities are bad, I’ve been neglecting my first love. Almost entirely.
I have two partially finished manuscripts, a third book I need to finish around the first of the year, a sequel to write…and a list of close to thirty other stories I’ve plotted out to some degree…all waiting for me to remember that I am a writer. Waiting for me to give them some of my limited time.
So that’s exactly what I’m going to start doing. I won’t give up the other things, but I am going to devote less time to them. I love blogging, but will be cutting down to twice a week (most weeks). It may get to the point where I cut back to once weekly. I’m not sure yet. I love visiting other blogs…and will continue to do that, too. Everything else will be on an ‘as there is time for it’ basis.
I am a writer!
Therefore I will….write. I will begin breathing life into the people and worlds that only exist in my head right now. Thanks to Jeff Goins for reminding me of what it is I do.
I do not read Stephen King…he scares the heck out of me. But there’s no denying that he’s a talented writer…and full of great writing advice. But you wouldn’t know who Stephen King if had he spent all of his time marketing Carrie.
What a great epiphany. Blogging and reading other people’s blogs takes a lot of time. When they take too much space from writing, it’s time to scale back. I’m really looking forward to more stories from you.
Hi, Reetta…it’s nice to meet you. And you are so right. It’s hard to ‘do it all,’ and I’ve figured out that I can’t. So from now on, all I can do is my best. After I write. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
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Hi, Monique!
Over the past few days I’ve actually come up with what I hope is a great plan for my blogging. I’ll be posting in about 45 minutes about that. But after this week, I’m dropping down to once a week, on Fridays. I’m actually pretty excited about it. I figure I’ll visit other blogs for a couple of hours every other day, and that’s pretty much going to be it for my social networking activity for a while.
Because I AM a writer…and I’m just feeling such a pull to start getting these stories done. I hope everyone will stick with me, because I’ve gotten pretty attached to everyone. 🙂
Thanks so much for your support and prayers.
Kristy
Kristy –
I agree with Marcy. Do what you need to do to complete your WIPs – even if that means you will have to stop blogging for a season. I don’t think your readers will go anywhere if you let them know why you need to take a break. If some readers do leave, you will get new readers when you start marketing your book. If you don’t want to stop blogging then blog about writing your book, have interviews w/your characters, etc. But this is your decision and your readers, family, friends can give you all the advice in the world. You are the one who has to make the decision and live with the effects.
You are a writer and writers, along with everyone else, have to make difficult decisions along the way. I pray you will have peace of mind to do what YOU want to do, no matter what.
All my best to you –
Monique
My mouth is hanging open that you have 30 stories outlined to some degree. Do you have any idea how impressive that is on its own? You have to do what you have to do to get those written 🙂
Well, it’s somewhere around 30. I don’t know the exact count. Thanks for thinking it’s impressive. It’s just when an idea comes, I explore it a little and, if it seems like it might work, I just start taking notes. The darnedest things can start the whole process. One picture of a guy set in motion this one story I’m looking forward to writing. It’s like ideas are everywhere. I just wish I could write as fast as the ideas do. 🙂
Love this post! You already know how I feel about this, don’t you? 😉 I am following suit.
Thanks, Debra! And I do know. I’m glad you’re cutting back…for selfish reasons. I want to read more about your characters…in your book. 🙂
You go, girl! Writing should always come first. Go reconnect with your first love. We’ll be here for you whenever you have the time to stop in.
Thanks, Tameri! I’ll be making time for visiting blogs every week…it’s just that ‘my’ blogging has got to be cut down, along with some of the other stuff that just sucks away at my time. I’m actually getting excited about the changes I’m making. 🙂
Once or twice a week is fine for your blog, Kristy. There are some bloggers who maintain once a month, and still ADD followers. Did you happen to catch Jeff Goins webinar with Derek Halpern? It was on building a platform. Very interesting. Now Derek teased us with some great tips. He also was selling how to turn your blog into an awesome platform.
Hi, MJ. I don’t know if I could drop back to once a month, though sometimes that would be nice.
Actually I did catch part of that webinar. But the link came with a time limit and I only got about 40 minutes into it before I had to run some errands. I have emailed Mr. Halpern to see if I can get a transcript. Hopefully it’s available somewhere because it was very interesting. Enough so that I hated to leave, but it didn’t look like I was even a full third of the way through. It would have helped if I hadn’t taken so many notes, but there were places where I felt like I was taking dictation. 🙂
By the way, if I run across a pocket flame thrower, I’ll let you know. 🙂
I know what it’s like – I’ve been doing so much promotion, my WIP is languishing. We need to learn to focus on writing.
That’s exactly what it feels like I’ve been doing, Scott. That’s my goal from now on. It took me awhile to figure out what was missing, and it’s the writing. Two of my WIPs have been languishing so long I’m going to hire an excavation crew to free them from all the dust they’ve accumulated.
Thanks for stopping by! It was nice to meet you, too. 🙂
I am 100% behind you Kristy! Yes, you are a writer! As you probably noticed, I stopped blogging umpteen times a week because I just couldn’t juggle it all. I want to write my novels. Yes, blogging is a form of writing, but really, like you said, Stephen King didn’t fill his days writing posts! And I too do not read his novels. The scare me half to death. But point well made Kristy. I also find it difficult to visit all the blogs three to five times a week also. I try to come by once a week and space everyone out. I do want to support you and others. And I hope that others feel the same. Keep writing Kristy! Finish those novels. They are what drives you and makes you happy! 🙂
Thanks, Karen! And I did notice. It seems like cutting back is working out well for you. Glad I’m not the only chicken around here. I’ve said it before, I know but…I couldn’t dry off in the bathtub after a shower for months after watching It. I had to jump out on the rug. That was the last really scary movie I watched. And I threw the book away about five pages into it.
As for the visiting schedule, I’ll probably be cutting back to one visit a week, too. Because you’re right. Writing IS what drives me and makes me happy. There are too many stories I need to tell. Whether anyone reads them or not isn’t important. I have to write them….and that takes time. 🙂
Very true. I do read Stephen King, and he is a talented writer. But you’re right. His writing has probably allowed him to spend very little time marketing. His name does that now. When he started there were no blogs, or tweets, and yet he still managed to sell millions of books. I think we writers have to re-discover what let him do that – the quality and entertainment value of the writing.
Hi, Daniel. It’s nice to meet you, too.
I think publishers helped with marketing a little more when King got started than they do now. Even traditionally published authors have to spend a lot of time selling themselves and their books. I’m just not sure I’m willing to invest a huge amount of time doing those things anymore.
And I agree with you…it’s time to rediscover writing. 🙂
I blog twice a week and I find that hard going sometimes 🙂
You put a lot of effort into your posts, Emma. I look at the reviews and I admire the work you do to put them out. Not to mention reading them. I can see where it would be very time consuming for you. 🙂
Thanks Kristy!
good for you – i’m considering once a week as well – it’s just all too much and I’m not writing the way I want to.
thanks for sharing with us.
I think it’s getting to be too much for most of us, Louise. The only way I’ll manage twice a week right now is to keep up with the Wednesday thing, and it’s starting to feel like that’s got to go. I’m just really feeling the need to get back to what it is I really do.
Hope you find a blogging schedule that works for you. I’ll bet you’ll feel like a weight has been lifted when you figure it out. 🙂
I’m off work this week and i”m taking 2 weeks off blogging. hopefully I can get some control of my life and this work and get some writing done. I’m just falling further and further behind.
Sometimes that’s the best thing we can do, Louise. Just step away from something for a short while, regroup, and figure out what changes we can make. Have a really great vacation…and catch up on a lot of your writing please. I’m looking forward to your next book. 🙂
right back at you Kristy. it’s time to get some of these words on the page.
Great post. Thanks for the remainder that, we need to prioritize things to the necessity. Best wishes to you on your books.
Hi, Arindam…nice to meet you. We do need to prioritize, don’t we? Hopefully there’s a balance out there somewhere. And thanks! 🙂