I'm close. I'm so close to finishing Homecoming that I can feel it. The climactic scene is all that remains, and less than a week, at 2,000 words per day, would finish it. And yet today I didn't do anything with it.
That's because it's Sunday late afternoon/evening, and one of my Sunday tasks is to update this blog. I sat in my chair, staring at the screen, and thought, Do I blog or do I write?
In the end, I decided to blog. "But Russ," you might say, "a writer must write. You've always said you need a stash of novels before you start bringing them out, so why have you eschewed the genuine article for this blog?" Well, because I recognize that the books are but one part of this business as a whole, and I need to do things besides write my latest novel in order to have a chance at success.
Of course the writing is important, but there is so much more. One of those parts is that I've promised both my readers that I would update this blog three times a week. I know, I know...I could skip a post or two and few people would notice. However, consistency is important, as is keeping my word as to how this blog would run. I need people to know that I keep my word, and if I just started skipping posts, what would that say? People would begin to doubt other things like my release date and reader discounts for early ordering. There are more than enough writers out there who they know will deliver that I can be easily brushed aside for those they can rely on.
It would also help if I could stay focused. Sunday is football day, and even though my Carolina Panthers stink this year, Sundays are devoted to them in the fall. Further, I got a new game for my birthday, and I made the mistake of playing it this weekend, thus adding to my distractions. I need to set it aside until the end of September, by which time I can be certain Homecoming will be done(at least the first draft).
Yup, all of this is whining and excuse-making, but I'll bet I'm not the only writer who hits this dilemma. Balancing this out and having priorities is the key to maintaining the right focus...but we all slip sometimes.
Blogging is writing, I know you know that I use a great deal to help get my juices flowing. I just think any time you can be putting words on a piece of paper, or computer screen as it were, is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteThat's true. Maybe the finer distinction is on whether to blog or work on your book. Blogging helps refine writing skills, but it's not bringing a novel to completion.
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