It's time for another Insecure
Writer's Support Group blog posting. IWSG was created by the awesome ninja
captain Alex J. Cavanaugh, and you can find a list of all the other members of
the group here
His awesome co-hosts for the January 7 posting of the IWSG are:
Elizabeth Seckman, Lisa Buie-Collard, Chrys Fey, andMichelle Wallace!
I must confess, Social
Media overwhelmed me.
After joining several sites including Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads, I started blogging to promote my published novels. I interviewed other authors and participated in a variety of blog hops. At some point, I lost traction as the social world moved too fast for me to keep up, especially if I wanted to write more novels.
After joining several sites including Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads, I started blogging to promote my published novels. I interviewed other authors and participated in a variety of blog hops. At some point, I lost traction as the social world moved too fast for me to keep up, especially if I wanted to write more novels.
Writing,
research, and editing are fun for me. Meeting other writers and marketing my
books are also on my list of fun activities. If it was possible to do
everything, I would. Admitting I couldn’t was the breakthrough that rendered instant
relief. My stress level declined once I learned to strike a happy medium by
staying within my abilities.
At
first, I withdrew almost completely from online activities. The withdrawal corresponded
with the year-end holidays. I took time to determine what I enjoyed doing most
in terms of lifetime goals.
If
ambition is the last refuge of
failure, as quoted by Oscar Wilde (and Gil Grissom) then I feel justified in
swapping ambition for happiness by living at my own comfortable pace.
Of
course, my pace varies. I currently have three more novels written and in various
stages of development. These projects were not created as a result of ambition
but from a need to write. This, to me, is the definition of happiness.
Thank you for visiting today! If anyone knows how to remove the "robot" please let me know. I changed the setting several times but that didn't work.
ReplyDeleteSometimes social media is overwhelming to me too. I like taking little breaks from it and just focus on what I love: writing! :) Good luck and happy new year!
ReplyDeleteSocial media can be very overwhelming. It's best to take it one step at a time, one sit at a time. Good luck! And thanks for visiting my blog! :)
ReplyDeleteI've decided myself that social media will just have to take a backseat. Writing comes first.
ReplyDeleteParticipate online if you enjoy it, but when you hit major stress levels, then you know it's too much.
ReplyDeleteCongrats for choosing to live at your own pace and being happier, Gail! I'm focusing on writing my manuscript and my blog. I just can't manage all the social media stuff. Good luck with your new novels!
ReplyDeleteIt's difficult to juggle the creative with the non-creative activities that social media requires. I go back and forth but have found allowing a hour or so several times a week on social media helps me keep up without being overwhelmed.
ReplyDeleteSocial media is time consuming and there are always new social media sites popping up.
ReplyDeleteI think the best thing is to choose one or two that suit you, maybe a blog and twitter/facebook, and then go with it.
Thank you for visiting my blog yesterday.
Hope you have a wonderful and productive 2015!
Writer In transit
We really have to pick and choose what works for us and give that our all. I have a blog and I'm on Goodreads but I'm not on Facebook or Twitter. I'm sure I'm missing out on things but I have to do what works for me at this time in my life.
ReplyDeleteI'm still trying to find a balance with social medias, and part of my difficulty is that I actually enjoy socials. I like connecting with other people :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to set apart hours in the morning for writing and hours in the evening for socialising. Still not working as well as I'd like, but I think I'm getting there :-)
I envy those who have developed a routine to participate in Social Media a certain routine amount of hours per week. Each time I sign onto the Internet, two hours passes by in the blink of an eye. I could spend all day!
ReplyDeleteThank you all for your comments. I look forward to visiting more sites this week.
Oh I agree with you! I feel overwhelmed with it all as well, and miss just writing all day. So, my goal this year is to schedule things better so I have time to write every day. Thanks for commenting on my blog, and, I'm glad you're back!
ReplyDeleteAh, the eternal trauma of striking the right balance. I'm right there with you. I got so wrapped up in the promotion of my last book that I totally burned myself out and am FINALLY getting back to writing. (But don't tell the fans of my current series that. They'd have my head.)
ReplyDeleteI think it takes courage to stop, evaluate and change your course, and I applaud anyone who does.
I'm too slow a writer to spend much time on social media. I dabble at it, but I'm not very proficient.
ReplyDelete