The Struggle...
It's a phrase all writers should have emblazoned on their foreheads, for I don't think a day goes by that a serious wordsmith doesn't struggle with a whole host of issues; from getting words down on their current WIP to offering advice or help to other struggling writers trying to get words down on their own WIPs.
Consequently, I've been rather AWOL on this, my own author site.
Honestly, I thought what was the point of me writing new posts when I was still mired in edits with AIR, my long-standing, epic length WIP? I figured I had nothing of value to offer my readers. Semi-Good News: it looks like my self-edits on AIR will be finished and the manuscript to my editors by summer's end — fingers crossed.
Sure, I could have daily droned on to you about this AIR page line edited and that page ROL'd — Read Out Loud — but then the question begs, how is all this drivel going to help my audience, now or in the future? Why have an author site at all if I can't offer value to my readers or to other writers?
And then I thought, well, maybe it comes down to the human touch we all need to get through our days, the pandemic making that need crystal clear. Maybe we just need to drop in for a virtual cup of coffee with people we've become familiar with — our virtual friends. Maybe we need to follow the ups and downs of people we know, to see if our ups and downs are similar, our struggles universal.
For several years now, I've been following a certain writer's blog for what I thought was that stated purpose, or it was until after years of following him, I realized I had become more interested in the man and how he swims through his life, not just how he meanders through his literary struggles.
So, maybe that's what I'm supposed to do here... let you on my tiny island that floats on this big Blue Marble, to let you see me and how I swim through my life, as you endeavor to swim through yours.
Over two months ago, I took up a self-imposed challenge, to see if I could post every day for 90 days straight on my "STOP Not Writing... Now" writers coaching website and its corresponding FB Page, Group and LinkedIn sites, and in 22 days time, I will have indeed succeeded in completing that 90-day challenge.
It hasn't been as difficult as I'd imaged — as is usually the case with the Fear of the Unknown; you'd think I'd know this by now — other than I started the challenge with no pre-written posts, and so writing a fresh article every day from scratch has stolen time away from completing my AIR edits and from getting draft words down on my three new WIP books. I've tried to lengthen my work day, by getting up earlier or staying up late, but my brain juice slips away in either case. I seem to have only so much writing gas given to me in a day.
And therein lies The [current] Struggle...
Starting with this post, and hopefully well into the future, I will write to you about my tiny world and what affects tiny me. Maybe what I write will help you, or maybe you'll get to know me well enough through my words, you'll want to follow along each day just to peek in to see what's inside my head, what it's like to be me, living on my own tiny island, as you do on yours, as we all float haphazardly out to sea on this big Blue Marble.
You're more than welcome to comment below on any of my posts or just silently lurk like I do with that male writer I follow. Having a silent readership doesn't necessarily mean we writers aren't offering value. Maybe what we say needs only to be quietly read and digested...over a coffee, in a comfy chair, as we all face a brand-new day...
P.S. I'm addicted to typing ellipses. It's my literary way to let you know I'm still thinking, still breathing, still out here, with all of you. You will see them appear in my posts, ad nauseam, all over the web. I will place them wherever I want, whenever I want, and however much I want. It's my literary, passive-aggressive way of sticking it to The Man...whoever he is... ;-)