I sit here and realize how much of my time is eaten up by things that have little to do with writing. Like Passionate Ink, where I am presently President, PAN Liaison, and webmistress. And the other chapters I am a member of and participate in. And the e-mail… good grief the daily e-mail deluge. Blog postings here and on RTB and on the new PASIC blog. And promo. Not just for Misled, which just came out, but also for Bad Boys Ahoy!
Yes, I hire the coordinating of my promo out, but I still worry about it. Selling enough copies of BBA really scares the crap out of me. Do enough readers know about it? Do they know what it looks like, what it’s about, when it’s coming out, etc. etc.? People tell me, “Do what you can and then forget about it.” But I can’t. I know I’ll be kicking myself for not doing something I should/could have done.
And tonight, I sat here writing a scene that I enjoyed immensely, and tomorrow I have another scene to write that I will enjoy immensely, and I think, “When did everything veer so far away from just writing, which I absolutely love? Why is all of this other stuff intruding on what matters most? Why am I worried about who is buying what, and who is and isn’t linking to me, and whether or not I’ve got enough exposure for BBA and myself? Why do I have so many commitments now that have nothing to do with writing?”
I don’t know. 
I go through periods where I overcommit to stuff too. Then eventually I pull out of some of the things that aren’t 1)my family 2)my writing 3)my day job. Everything else has to take a back seat. Which means saying no. I used to suck at saying no. But I’m getting really good at it these days. I cut way back on email lists, and writers groups, and how involved I am with them.
Writer’s write. And I need as much time as possible to do that…
on October 10th, 2005 at 11:04 am
Don’t beat your head against the wall–do what you can and let the rest go. Life is to short not to enjoy it.:yay:
on October 10th, 2005 at 6:27 am