It's the best of times -- having a book or two or more out in the world, for people to read. It's the worst of times -- feeling the constant pressure to get books into readers' hands and Be An Author, publicly.
I'm feeling the best and worst times right now, as I prepare to have two new books launched in 2018. What to do today? That's the first thing I think of, not the new novel or poem I'm working on. And since I've pledged to write two hours first thing in the morning, the question now is, do I blog or tweet or Facebook about a book already out -- or do I close the curtains and the doors, pretend I'm a mushroom hidden under the forest floor, and plunge into the solitary delight of creation.
The truth is, the creative process can get lost in the marketing part of Being An Author. And that's a shame. Writing should be the core thing.
I need to not know what comes next in my writing, so I don't outline. I just set aside two hours first thing every morning to find inspiration. I can paint my nails, watch the leaves stir in the trees, tend my roses, but I have to be thinking creatively and feeling the creative wind blowing. For me, this is the magic spell. Make the time, and things come. Your time might be midnight or dinner hour or noon, but see if a schedule works for you.
Of course blogging and posting on social media is also writing. Sometimes the muse inclines her head toward one or another platform and says, "Go talk to them." And then you can be both Author and Writer and maybe mention your book while you're at it. (The Renaissance Club, forthcoming in January 2018 from Fiery Seas Publishing.)
Labels: #amwriting, #poetry, author, fiction, poetry, women's fiction, Writing, writing schedule
