I made a comment the other day that I was far too busy working on my writing career to be bothered to write.
Are ya with me? If I read one more article about how important it is to get my name out, build my platform, or develop a following, I may go on a one-man crusade to convince Congress that writers should be banned from using electronic devices because they cause global warming. Nothing but typewriters for you people.
I know folks like Michaeal Hyatt mean well, but I’m feeling an awful lot of pressure to twee, post, and pin for at least four hours per day. Otherwise, when I finally do write something that an editor might find salvagable, I will have no one waiting in line to buy it. As it stands, I’m proud to say that I have 832 facebook followers. Every one of them, I’m certain, is chomping at the bit to get the first copy of my soon to be completed first draft of Amish Bachelor Zombies.
My two cats, by the way, have over one-thousand facebook friends. I don’t know what they’re writing, but I’m sure it contains a lot of foul language and hissing.
Mind you, I feel fortunate to live in a day when we can do 90% of our marketing in our pajamas. However, it’s a bit putting-the-cart-before-horse-ish to insist that a new writer maintain five different social media sites, a blog, and a podcast when the poor slob hasn’t even learned the difference between show and tell.
Here’s Ron’s advice of the day: write your 250, 500, or 1000 words today. Learn something new about the craft. Read something well written (this counts). Talk to a human type person face to face (no, there’s no app for that…I think). Then, in the five minutes you have remaining before midnight, feel free to tweet, post, pin, or blog.
If any of you get a rejection letter with a little hand-written note that says, “Wow! This is the most amazing piece of literature I’ve ever read! You will own the best-seller list for at least five years! However…only 612 tweets last month? I’m sorry, this doesn’t quite fit our needs,” then you may track me down and inflict great personal injury.
Until then, just WRITE. Use a notebook (the kind with paper) if necessary.
