I haven't lost pounds, but I've gained words. Thousands of them, in fact. Perhaps not as many as I'd hoped, but still - a lot more than I've produced in a single week since the start of this year. Result!
And as a side product I'm feeling much less stressed by writing generally. Let's face it, the publishing industry is all over the place at the moment and no one knows where it's going to end up or when it's going to stabilise. What I've realised is that industry-ignorant writers who produce novels are better placed than industry informed writers who don't produce novels.
I've come off the wagon once. I went to a launch party for a friend, the fabulous Liz Kessler, author of the Emily Windsnapp series and there were several YA, teenage and children's writers there to gossip with. It was a fun evening, but I definitely had industry indigestion the next day.
Like any crash diet, you can't sustain it for ever so I'm back on the social media, but this time it's going to be controlled. No more endless reading of blogs and articles. From now on, my writing comes before others.
5 comments:
Oh I am in exactly the same position - and totally agree with you. The current turmoil re digital self publishing, the current London Book Fair and the kind of rights deals being made at the moment is endlessly fascinating... and a great excuse for totally time sucking procrastination. And then of course there is the need to have a 'Platform.'
Time to pull on the big girl pants and get the words down, even if most of them will not see the final submission.
Thanks for the reminder!
Nina
I've only had patchy internet access all week and I've written more. The internet is such a good excuse for not writing – so many things to read. And often to get depressed about ... state of publishing industry, celeb 'novelists', slush pile, etc, etc.
However, I'd miss reading your blog if I didn't have the internet here at work!
ATB
Lizzie
twitter is my weakness. I sign in, do the business, scan the recent stream and log out. If I don't log out, I get nothing else done.
Nina, my day has been brightened by the thought of pulling on those big girl pants and getting the words down. I hate the word 'platform'. You've 'got' to have one, so we're told, but it's never clear exactly what, how much, when etc.
Lizzie, thanks for the compliment! An acquaintance of mine works in crisis management, spends all day thinking up worst case scenarios, and worrying - but at least he's paid to worry. We're not!
Fiona, Twitter is helping me at the moment by not working, so I can't idle away the hours there. It's horribly addictive - and horribly not productive.
I admire your commitment, and definitely need to try the Internet diet!
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