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Monday, April 23, 2007Internet: The Bane of WritersI'm a long-time fan of Miss Snark's blog. She's sharp-tongued, savvy, quick, and has a heart of gold. (But beware: She is not for the faint of heart.) Recently, Miss Snark wrote a piece that included advice to writers to, basically, just shut down their Internet connection and WRITE, for goodness' sake. I felt myself prickling defensively on the inside because...well, because I think she's been peeking in my office window. My work habits are more akin to a divergent squirrel than a diligent writer. It's embarrassing. Not that I'm not devoted to my craft -- I am. It's just that it's far too easy to "click out" of my Word document in order to check email, my favorite agent and publisher blogs, my latest visitor stats...you get the idea. And I know I'm not alone. What's a distracted writer to do? Reverting to a typewriter is out of the question, and my computer is always connected to the Internet, unlike the olden days of dial-up. So it's either buck up and get some major self-discipline -- or bug Eric to buy me a laptop with nothing on it but a Word Processor and a Thesaurus/Dictionary. That should do it. To be fair to myself, I'm not a web-surfer-time-waster sort. I'm more of an information-gatherer-check-for-good-deals-on-Ebay sort. And the Ebay thing is seasonal, such as shopping for Christmas or the perfect summer maternity wear. As for the information -- well, I'm checking my writers' boards for information on agent response times, editors who've switched houses, etc. I'm checking my email to see if I've heard back from my sister or if my latest query has garnered a response. I'm checking my blog stats to see if I've picked up any interesting, regular readers. Like, anyone from NYC. 'Cuz, you know, that's where It All Happens, right? And wouldn't you know it. Miss Snark wrote, "Checking site meter stats to see if anyone from NYC is reading your blog is not writing." Ur...um...right. I knew that. Sometimes I really do redefine "dork." Thing is, I'm far too savvy to believe that agents and publishers actually scour the blog-o-sphere looking for the next bestselling author. They don't. (Did you all writer-types out there catch that?) Getting "noticed" is all about writing a darn good story and a first-rate query letter and sending it to the right people. I just like that warm, fuzzy feeling of knowing "someone in the Big Apple" or "someone on the West Coast" or "someone in the same state as the publisher who currently has several chapters of my novel on her desk" is reading my blog. Because I take my blog seriously (meaning, I strive to write well, not that I stick some sort of immeasurable worth on it). I don't blog to vent my pent-up emotions or to share the mundane minutiae of every hour of my life or to entice hapless agents to call me on my cell phone begging for more. Still, I really do need to adjust the timing of my blogging. Because, you see, any type of "serious" writing expends energy. And I tend to "blog first, work on books second," which is admittedly backward. So. I've got Miss Snark to thank for the kick upside the head. And I'm passing that kick along to all of my writing readers. The message: WRITE. You've got other responsibilities in life, whether it's raising your children or working a fulltime job or running your household or taking the car in for an oil change. When you do have your golden hour or thirty minutes on the computer, don't squander it. WRITE. And now I'm going to go take my own advice. Labels: writing |
About Me
I am: Mother to five stunningly individualistic children... Writer of young adult fantasy... Passionate advocate for Women At Home... Madly in love with my husband... In need of Organic Gourmet Chocolate on a regular basis. I've got a Paypal account if you'd like to contribute to the cause....
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6of my readers are feeling chatty:
You are absolutely right commenting that the internet is a time waster for writers. Maybe someone should put up a blog where others could post a short story or topical article and everyone reading the blog could comment as an entry fee for posting their own piece of literature.
Does this mean no email? :o(
boy... guilt trip
>> leaves comment box to go write <<
Boy...I'm glad I'm not a writer!!! I can blog all I want !!! Yeee Hawwww!
Dang! And just when you'd started actually answering my emails!
:-D
I admit I read blogs - like yours! - before doing my work (which is writing reading comprehension questions, vocabulary exercises, grammar drills, etc.). But I read the blogs to get me in the positive mood I need to get through my work! =)
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