As I sit in my Long Beach, CA hotel room on a business trip for my ‘day’ job, I’m struggling with reality. As a writer – a writer with two children, a full time job, a significant other (make that three kids) and a multitude of responsibilities – there may be obstacles in your path that don’t allow you to write on a full time, consistent basis.
At times, it can take me up to three or four days to finish a chapter because I was waiting for the opportune moment. Not to mention things that absolutely must be completed, like taking your asthmatic son to the ER because he is having an episode.
Mine is not an uncommon story and as fellow writers, I’m sure that I am preaching to the choir. A personal writing goal may go on neglected for days, weeks, even months.
So, what is there to keep us going with the great number of barriers working to prevent us from being productive as an author? I think it’s the sheer need to write in order to maintain our happiness. If I can manage at least a half hour a day to dedicate to my art, then I should be happy. It’s not much, but surely, it will get me to my goal of completing my outstanding project.
Maybe you’re wondering how, with so much going on, I can manage to write a half hour a day. Or maybe you’re wondering how I only find that much time. Whichever the case may be, I’ll share with you the things that I pledge to my craft.
The first is suffocating procrastination. When I have a thought or idea about my WIP (work in progress), I always write it down. The momentary sparks of inspiration, whether they stay in your story or not, help to keep you excited about your story. It also contributes your daily word count or time commitment.
The next is ensuring that I ‘create’ a space in my day for writing. I’m not a morning person, so that isn’t the best time of day for me. I prefer to wait until evening and start a half hour before I plan on going to bed. Some days, I write more than that, some a few less, but the important thing is to continue striving to meet your goal. Even if you don’t meet your goal, the act contributes to forming a habit. I can think of a lot worse habits to have than writing.
Finally, I treat my writing job as seriously, if not more, than my day job. One of the greatest failures of small business is the inability to remain focused on the end result. In the case of a writer, we must remember that there is a product which we must create for the customer. As hard as it may be, writers must come up with a writing plan and stick with it
Just like anything that we desire, most are accompanied by hard work, and at times some minor discomfort that we must battle. Remember that as long as you are moving forward towards your goal, one day, the end will be in sight.
Until next time, stay focused.

I’m not sure why it’s so painful. Perhaps it’s the tension that comes from trying to realistically portray mutually satisfying sex without turning it into a sexual blueprint (“Item A should connect with a snap into item B. Then, holding it at a 24-degree angle, place item C alongside item D until item E comes into play.”). Add in our sexually repressive culture that leads to the fetishization of, well, everything, and even talking about sex means shouldering a heavy cultural burden. Just within the story, sex is supposed to move my protagonists’ relationship to a new romantic level, provide a space for exploring the dynamics of their interactions, straddle the line between tenderness and empowerment, and introduce my characters to tons of pleasure, or at least meaning. No pressure!


Doing the Linky Link
So when another instructor asked for my help because her agent told her she needed a social media presence, I gave her my standard disclaimer and the following tips:
Social media is still developing, so it doesn’t have standard practices like advertising and PR. Even in advertising and PR, success isn’t a formula, but a unique combination of message, medium, and audience, derived at through careful trial and error. Experimenting is the order of the day! Try it and see what works, and yes, I’m say this in full acknowledgement of the screaming meltdown I had over the recent changes in Google+.
As writers, our messages are our books and our audience is our readers. Simple, right? Well no, because everyone else has a book and wants readers too. What makes you special? How will you explain that? Here’s a great article on determining your positioning.
There are dozens of social media sites. Which ones are best for you? – The ones you’re comfortable with! Here’s a great video on some of the more popular. Getting your message out is more about saying something on a regular basis than being in the right place at the right time.
Terms like ‘authentic content‘ or ‘value-added content’ imply that you need to talk. Actually, social media is more like conversation than speech. Just like at a cocktail party, the best guest isn’t the one in the lampshade, but the person who checks in with everyone else in the room. Check out this backlash against posting and retweet, reply, post comments, like pages, and interact as much as you post. Just make sure you limit your time online. It’s easy to get distracted from your writing.
The most important thing to share? – The link! Look for the share buttons to easily post that great article or review to your Twitter, Facebook, or whatever. If you can’t find a share button, cut and paste the URL into the post. Readers love it when you hand them the story instead of directions. And, according to the computer professor who guest lectures at this point in class, Google algorithms will love you too!
Now, I don’t have bestseller numbers yet, but I have a decent Twitter following. So I know you can build an audience if you’re persistent and patient. What I’d like to know is what is everyone else is doing? What have you seen that you really like and want to try?
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