Happy 2012!
Happy New Year to everyone and all the best for 2012!
I hope that everyone had a great Christmas and New Year’s Eve. We went for a walk on Christmas day and passed a group of people coming out of the sea in their underwear! Brrr – rather them than me (but they were very brave). There were a surprising number of folks on the beach who had the same idea as us; blowing away the cobwebs after a manic morning spent opening presents (and perhaps preparing for an afternoon spent stuffing themselves with roast dinner?!)
Sandbanks Beach, Christmas Day
Okay, so it’s a few weeks past the 1 January and perhaps a little late to wish you a happy and healthy 2012, and I haven’t posted in a while, but it’s because I’ve been writing alongside the day job and the kids and Christmas etc…And yes, I know that this blog is writing, but … My Name is Nikki and I am a Social Media Addict.
I got so caught up in tweeting, and blogging and posting messages to Facebook (and reading loads of posts in the aforementioned platforms) in the Autumn that I was in danger of running out of time to actually WRITE the things that I want to get published, namely short stories and books.
I do appreciate that social media is really important in terms of networking and building a brand name, and establishing a platform seems to be a necessity these days, given the rise of the e-book and the increased accessibility that readers want to authors … and I really enjoy it (part of the problem). I know it’s also important to seek advice from other unpublished writers and published authors and I do appreciate the support of others (*big wave* to all of you lovely people in the Romantic Novelists Association, New Writers Scheme or otherwise). But I’ve learnt a valuable lesson recently, and that is that there has to be a balance. I have realised that:-
- If I check my email at the start of the allocated time I set aside for writing in the evening, the minutes magically disappear and I end up doing little or no work on my WIP’s. I – must check – my – email – afterwards.
- It’s okay to leave a little (or a lot) of housework to other people / for other days!
- I really can tape all the catch up episodes of Criminal Minds and watch them back to back two or three nights’ a week so that I can write on the other nights (Oh, Derek … and Spencer and Hotch … actually, don’t get me started).
- Most importantly, if I never finish one of my three manuscripts that are works in progress, or polish my short stories, I will never send them out and there is zero (rather than a slim) chance of being published
Does anyone else struggle with the balance of writing vs. social media vs. the day job and other aspects of daily life? Maybe it’s just me …
Happy Writing, Nikki.
Tagged: blogging, building a brand, criminal minds, facebook, making time for writing, romantic novelists association, twitter, unpublished writers, writing
Social media can take over your life. It has mine!
It is a fine line between getting the work done that you want to and getting distracted by other things. Though a Criminal Minds marathon sounds good to me
Hi Pete,
thanks for the comment and the ‘Like.’ I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who finds it’s a challenge to write rather than be distracted by social media! I guess that part of the issue is that writers are great procrastinators!
Happy writing, Nikki.
No problem. I class thinking about writing as part of the process, its all necessary right?
Nice to read you again! Yes, I totally struggle with the ballance…mostly between writing my book and writing my blog. I love the blogging…but it definitely takes up TIME!!