By C.L. Beck
© 2007
E-mail. It’s an e-vil necessity. And sometimes an enjoyable one—it’s one of those things you can’t live with and can’t live without. Many times, however, it chews up our writing hours. Since networking is important for writers, we can’t just quit reading and sending the stuff. We need the contacts. We need the moral support. Most of all we need the opportunity to vent when we’re all rejected, in the same week, by the biggest LDS publishing house … otherwise known as it-who-must-not-be-named.
Another thing that chews into our writing time is blogging sites. Reading my e-pals’ blogs is fun and I pick up a multitude of writing tips. If I stopped visiting, my skills would stagnate. (Not to mention the fact that it would hurt my friends’ feelings.) However, I can also spend hours reading and commenting … and then moving on to the next blog, and reading and commenting.
Should we give up those things? Definitely not—but we do need moderation. Think of them as study or research time, but limit it to what seems reasonable. Then take down your browser, bring up your word processor and write.
Or use them as a reward for getting x number of pages written. Then they won’t be e-vil, they’ll be e-ncouragement.
What C.L.’s been reading recently:
Publishing Secrets by LDS Storymakers (BJ Rowley and others)
Writing for Story: Craft Secrets of Dramatic Nonfiction by Jon Franklin
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Rennie Browne & Dave King
The Art of Photographing Nature by Martha Hill with photographs by Art Wolfe
View C.L.’s other work:
Newspaper Column
Photography Website
Life is Like Riding a Unicycle by Shirley Bahlmann (Story on pg. 70)
4 comments:
Excellent idea. All those things are necessary, but I try to limit them to two hours a day, maximum, that gives me time to get everything else done.
By the way, can I tell all of you how proud LDS Storymakers is of Authors Incognito? You guys do us proud!
Believe me, I know how addictive blogs can be. I may have to go into some sort of recovery program.
Candace,
Good idea, limiting them to two hours a day.
I try to read on Sundays--hopefully telling someone else they did a good job on their writing is in keeping with the Sabbath.
Thanks for commenting.
Tristi,
A blogger reader's recovery program--we could do that. I'm sure there are millions to be made in that one! :)
Thanks for reading and commenting.
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