Tag Archives: Creative writing

A blog about the topics of writing, Working on your writing craft

Procrastination: How Many Authors Struggle with It?

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I often found myself saying I would write a blog post next week. However, when I looked at my website, I realized it had been longer than a week—no, it had been months since my last update. Has it been too long?

Is procrastination beneficial for authors? Are there both pros and cons?

The answer is no when promoting your brand on social media,

You are only as good as your last buzz in our fast-paced environment.

It doesn’t take long for people to move on to other topics or personalities, and I can be just as guilty of doing this. Maintaining an active presence on your platform is essential to being an author.

When I get stuck on a particular project, rather than banging my head against the wall, I shift my focus to another project. Many writers juggle multiple projects at various stages of completion.

I’ve noticed that when I procrastinate on one project and revisit it later, new ideas often emerge to help me overcome the hurdles I faced earlier.

That said, I tend to feel a twinge of guilt when I procrastinate. I feel like I’m not putting enough time into my craft.

While not all procrastination is detrimental, it’s also not always beneficial.

However, as long as I am engaged in some way, I try not to beat myself up too much about it.

A blog about the topics of writing, Writers and Support

Why do you write as an author?

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Why do you write?

When I started, I was told by others they had been writing for years, some as early as their teens. I didn’t start until my early 40s.

Why did I start? My husband told a good friend of ours that he felt I wrote well. She told me. I mean, what better way to tell your wife than to a friend, right? I mulled that over, wondering if I had anything in me to write a book of any length.

I had two surgeries within six weeks of each other and was going to be stuck recovering more or less. So, I took on the task of writing something, anything that would work. I had heard for a while that you write on what you know.

So, what did I know? What could I possibly know that I could translate into a book? I literally looked around my house to see if there was something I knew that I could turn into a book.

My eyes landed on our rescued Amazon parrot, Jasper. He looked at me, and that was all it took. At that point, he had been with us for ten years.

From that, four books written. Three are published, one is in a queue from my publisher. It has been a joy to write.

Writing is freedom for me. Anything can be going around me, but if I am locked in a scene or plot, you really have to shout if you want my attention.

Why I write is hard to explain, I feel, to people who don’t write, but fellow writers get me. They understand being lost in the words and pages that they are creating. It is a joy that is priceless and a joy that I didn’t know I needed until I started doing it.

I know I am not explaining it well. Maybe, perhaps, if you write a short story and the words fill up page after page, the utter joy that I feel might be found by you.

A blog on writing, Promoting your works

Planning every day of a calendar to work on your brand: People do that?

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My friend James told me that he was done with his planning his calendar for 2020. He had written out what he would do daily for his brand which is being an author.

Wow I am sure was the first words out of my mouth. Our friend Sandra was equally impressed saying with her full time job she would not be able to do this.

The thought of doing this that far in advance was overwhelming. But not just that not practical. Why? Life. Life always has a way of interrupting us especially when things are going smoothly and we are on a roll.

I know right off the bat there would be the time I would miss while I go back home to Maine to check on my mom. That is always a month long venture at least. I have to include my doctor visits, some that are out of town, my procedures and other stuff doctors throw at me. I have to factor in the days I am not feeling well. There are the trips down to my in-laws for various occasions.

These are just the few things that popped into my head. I am quite confident I left a lot out. And as my mom use to tell me, “This house doesn’t clean itself.” While her house didn’t my house doesn’t either.

So I knew I was not going to approach my planning like James did. I came up with a different outlook for 2020. In my calendar I placed a sheet stapled to each month. On that sheet I wrote what I want to accomplish for that month. It could be looking for reviews, interviews and conferences to researching my current WIP, going back to my writer’s groups and writing. When I did January my list was long but not long enough to be discouraging. I figured if I can get a certain percentage of it I will be okay with that. I wrote up my sheets for January and February. One item on February will be to do March and April and so on.

This is what will work for me. To plan every single day that far is illogical for me. But not just that I could be setting up myself up for failure and disappointment. Who wants that? No, not me.