Just another Magic Monday! Well not exactly Magic— you see I decided not to go ahead with either of the blog posts I’ve written this week because they aren’t ringing true. As I was writing them, I felt like I was filling out a form letter. Two different topics, two topics I enjoy. Flat as a pancake. No heartbeat. Blah. DOA.
Blogging is fun work for me. I thoroughly enjoy the comments I receive, the twittering, my special new friends and blogging buddies. I enjoy visiting all of you, learning from you. Why the blah?
I actually had to search for an answer. Writing has been front and center of my day for years now. But something different was afoot this week. I found myself putting in many extra hours into my manuscript. Just about every minute of the day last week was spent either working or thinking about it. I’d look up at the clock and realize an hour or two had passed instead of a minute. I found myself scrawling notes to myself on every hunk of paper I passed by, including hubby’s to-do list. Can you imagine what he would have thought had he seen “death star to the forehead”? Poor hubby! Ideas for the next book in the series are flying out of the present work and I’m writing those snippets down too. I’m totally immersed and happy. My laptop is on fire!
That’s when it hit me. I knew what was wrong with the struggling blog posts. I just didn’t have the oomph or creative juice to push through and write a decent post this week.
Of course, immediately after this thought came guilt with a capital G, which felt pretty much like a death star to the forehead. I’m used to deadlines thanks to my paying writing gigs. I want to keep my blog schedule, to be responsible. I only post once a week for Pete’s Sake! Most of my blogging friends post two, three, four times a week!”
Then I had to remind myself that we all lead different lives, we all have different priorities and we all have to do what works for us. I can’t compare myself to my super blogger buds who post several times a week, it’s not fair to me and it’s not fair to them.
Removing the pointy instrument of death from my head, I went back to the reason I’m blogging and using social media in the first place. I’m here to create a community and establish an author presence. I want my blog posts to have value and be fun for my readers.
What’s the first rule of blogging for authors? Donald Maass, Jonathan Franzen, Jane Friedman, Kristin Lamb, Bob Mayer, Larry Brooks and a host of writers, agents and editors all say it, over and over again. Write a darn/damn good book. I have to write the darn thing to the best of my ability and work my butt off to get it in my editor’s hands before anyone can decide whether it’s good or not, right?
Rule Number 2? The book has to come first. FIRST. I have a deadline. I have my goals broken down into manageable bites. Writing my novel has to come before blogging, Facebook, Twitter and reciprocating to others. So, I’m going to hang onto this state of immersion or obsession and go with it. I don’t want to break the spell. I want to keep all my creative juices flowing towards this story and not divvy it up.
Book. Me. Laptop. Today. Guilt-free.
I’d still like to hear from you though:) I will come up for air at some point during the day. *insert big grin* Have you been totally immersed by a creative endeavor such as writing, blogging, photography or visual art and you didn’t want to be distracted by other creative tasks? With that question in mind, I think I have an idea for my next post:) So dish!
Have a happy, healthy day!
Kate~
