Making Time and Learning Things

I have now been back to work for five days, and have yet to run crying to the bathroom and hide with the lights off – yay me! Things are going pretty well lately, despite being so busy with people and things that I haven’t made time to write the preferred amount. The important thing is that I’ve found time to write at something every single day, and that sounds like a little victory.

But soon my parents (currently visiting) will go home, and there are no more travel plans on the horizon, so there will be no more excuses to put off this new, detailed schedule I’ve made for myself, and it’s going to be so important that abide by it. With short stories, online series, second draft and outline to work on, if I don’t write when I’m supposed to, I will fall behind on everything.

With all that, naturally it’s entirely logical to add even more stuff onto my already piled high plate. Because who doesn’t like to bite off more than they can potentially chew without choking? I usually avoid that, but this is my writing, and there’s pretty much nothing I wouldn’t do for that. So here is the new thing I’m adding onto the to-do-list;

It’s about time to start educating myself on marketing. Specifically, how to market my blog, writing, myself, and eventually my novel. Technically there’s still time enough to put this off, but in my book there is no such thing as being too prepared or beginning preparations too early. For example, I already know what I’m going to give my niece for her 16^th birthday, and she’s not going to be born until June.

What can I say, I love to plan!

So I’m starting to read about marketing, about promoting myself on social media, etc. Making lists of articles and books to read, courses to take, and so on. Admittedly, I’m not exactly thrilled at the prospect of learning and doing all these things. As an introvert and a girl who’s actively tried to avoid attention her whole life, it seems indescribably unnatural to start shouting “LOOK AT ME!” all over the internet.

I keep reminding myself that if people are going to look at my stories, they first need to glance in my direction, and if they don’t, all my wonderful characters will never get the attention they deserve. I simply have to do it for them, and I do believe they’re worth it, as are all the people out there they could potentially become friends with.

This is why “Learn about marketing” has been added to my to-do-list, and of course that is a broad term that involves educating myself on a many different things, while not letting it encroach on writing time.

Remember that thing about biting off more than you can chew? Guess I must be hungry. And this is just the beginning. But I signed up for this when I looked in the mirror and said “I am going to write for a living some day.” That means doing it right and doing it all the way, which is what I intend to do.

And when it feels like I just don’t have what it takes to do all these things well and right, I remember one of the many writing quotes from my “Quotes” folder:

Better get some work done on Valentine & Maxwell so I don’t miss another Wednesday of posting again next week! Happy working, writing and living to everybody.

Rain S.