Tags
books, focus, procrastination, protect the work, psychology, social networking, timing, writers, writing
Even writing mentors have their own mentor and I saw mine on the weekend. She cares about me and she also completely understands the fact that marketing books has changed enormously in the fifteen years I’ve been published, but the one piece of advice she gave me was the same thing she’s been saying to me for twenty years, “Louise, protect the work.”
What she means by this is do the book first, then everything else second. I’m an intelligent woman so you’d think I’d be able to do that. I’ve run my own business and also run businesses for other people. I’ve had a variety of jobs before I came to writing and time management has been easy. So I’m not sure whether it’s procrastination that sees me Tweeting when I could be writing, or simply the fact that there are some days when I can’t stick to my “No Internet until 2pm” rule because I’m expecting an email from someone. So at 7am I’m on the Internet downloading emails and invariably one will link to a website and before I know it I’m tweeting or blogging or linking to other people’s blogs or Retweeting. An hour or two can pass before I realise what’s happening. An hour or two when I could have been writing or editing. My friend Lisa at Twine Marketing has told me I need a timer beside my computer, set to 20 minutes. I think she’s right.
At the Romance Writers of Australia conference in August there were a variety of panels and workshops on how to promote your writing, and some authors said the only way they could be productive was to severely limit their Internet time. I remember US paranormal author Kelley Armstrong saying she didn’t blog. It was 600 words she could use in a story. She Tweeted instead and had Forums on her website where her readers could interact.
Successful authors need to find a way to “protect the work” by prioritising it. Because if there’s one thing everyone agrees on, it’s that the best form of promotion is to write a good book. And the next best form of promotion is to write another good book. Everyone from agents to publishers to publicists will tell us that the work itself has to be what sells us, and that all the bells and whistles in the world won’t help you have a long and successful career if you can’t write well. So I know the book is paramount, but I also know that I can’t hide in a cave. So it’s easy to get distracted by people’s recommendations to Hootsuite or Tweetdeck or Paper.it because these things might eventually lessen the amount of time needed to manage social networking. But the trouble is that it takes time to check them out, time to set them up, and time to manage them. Then before you know it, something even better comes along (as well as more social networking media) and you’re off and running again.
It feels like that. Running. As if you have to catch something. When what I’d really prefer is to write an awesome book and have it act like a magnet, drawing people to me. So this is an ongoing dilemma for me. Not something I can readily solve. But I hear my mentor, and I try. Would love to hear other writers comments on how they work, what they do and what they don’t do to protect their work. I know I’m not alone.
This is so true. A wake-up call for me.
Elaine
I’m so glad, Elaine. I feel like I need to “wake up” every time I go on the ‘net!
Yes, Lou, I couldn’t agree more. 🙂
Hi Louise,
I learnt a great technique from John Birmingham and as I call him the King of Twitter, I know this technique works well for him when he has book and article deadlines as it does for me since I adopted it.
It is called the Pomodoro Technique which utilises a timer in 25 minute blocks followed by a 5 minute break and so on. There is more to it of course but that is the general gist.
http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/
Happy Pomodoro peeps 🙂
L
Thx Lindy – the link looks great. I might have to look into that a bit more 🙂
I was going to mention John. I thought he also utilised software that locked him out from accessing the internet.
Thanks Lindy. Have downloaded Pomodoro and there’s a clock website: http://www.pomodoro.me/ but it only works when you’re connected to the Internet. I could use that to restrict online time. Would love to know what software John’s using. Let me know if you find out, Sean. It’s a bit extreme, but on a deadline it might keep you honest!
Thanks for that post… as I sit here about to open my WIP … reading just one more blog… just one more… maybe I need that timer too!
xx
A timer might be the go, Lou. Great article and something I relate to so well and don’t know the answer to. I do find if I write very late at night to the early hours of the morning I’m less distracted by social media and more inclined to switch off the internet and email.
I work night shift in my other job, so I finally have some writing time away from internet distractions unlike when I was doing the day job. So yeah, it’s a constant dilemma. Build an author platform vs write a book? We have to find the happy medium because we’re all know that as authors we have to do both, so somehow we have to juggle the two and still protect the work!
Hey Louise (spelt right for a change…)
A few years back I was trying to write, trying to do a lot of charity work ( with writing involved) and it was another RWA member, author and friend Robyn Grady who told me just that – if I wanted to get ahead and get a full length novel published I must protect the work, and that mean putting my writing first. Saying NO, to those grants different organisations wanted (done free of course). It took me a while, but when I did take her advice, my novel began to look like something that was getting better, looking more professional. My writing began to matter more and was not the last thing on my list to do – but my first thing.
I, like you, find I get side tracked on different things during the day, and suddenly, its time to collect my kids from school and I have done: NOTHING on my novel. It frustrates me, and makes me mad that I have waisted that writing time.
My solution…and this is probably totally not viable for others as there is a HUGE trust factor here…. my hubby can see whats on my screen, every now and again, he takes control of my screen (it started as a fun thing where he would take control and I would be going, Oh no oh no what have I done…. and then realise it was him and tell him to get off etc etc it was really funny when it happens, makes me smile…) Now I don’t want to ‘get caught’ not writing as he can see any time….( he works away ) so I tend to stay more on track ( even though he doesn’t spy on me,) I want him to see I am working while he is – not playing on the net.
I am a procrastinator and always will be, but having him close all the apps open on my desktop a silent no word message that means – STOP PLAYING WRITE!!! Sure helps me…
Great post by the way. Waving madly.
Bye 4 now
Tina
Hi Louise
Great post. I absolutely agree that every author should ‘protect the work’. Life though, often gets in the way. Day jobs, spouses, little kids, big kids, pets, parents . . . and of course the new kid on the block, social networking. There’s a whole swag of things to distract us from the job of writing. Finding a balance is the key. I love the idea of a timer to set aside a block of time to attend to Twitter and Facebook. Even creating blogs, which I still consider writing to avoid the guilt of leaving the current MS for too long, could be given an allocated amount of time.
Some good advice in this blog!
Cheers 🙂
Interesting comments, guys. Not sure I’d be okay with someone controlling my computer, Tina, but you guys obviously have the whole trust thing happening, which is SO romantic – go you! Have spoken to Lisa at http://www.twinemarketing.com again today and she’s sending me a timer! So will let you know how it pans out.
I’ve emailed John B and asked him about the software, so will let you know if he finds my email among his other millions..lol..
Thanks Lindy! Much appreciated.
I’m the opposite, Louise. I could happily write all day and never go near social media (I’m very much a face to face person). If only we could all find a happy medium!
Thanks for your blogs by the way – I really love them!
Sharon
Heard back from John B..
His response..”There’s a Mac program called Freedom which cuts off yr net access for amounts of time. But I use will power.” lol..
He does love Pomodoro though 🙂
Thanks for checking that Lindy. I’m loving Pomodoro so far! And great to hear from you Sharon! Yes, the elusive happy medium. I’m sure it’s out there somewhere 🙂
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