Staying Sane

My online writer friends and I have been talking about the perils of social media lately. Writers have to build a social platform because so much of what happens in business these days depends on social media outlets. I know a lot of authors who feel pressured to show up on every site and they feel overwhelmed with the job. I hate to tell you this, Facebook, but a lot of people don’t like you. They say the reason FB works regardless is because it’s bred into us to like to tell stories and jokes and entertain, as it provides us social proof of our value.

A few years ago, when I started to think about building my 'brand' (based on the author branding plan, Primal Branding by Patrick Hanlon), I was running around like a headless chicken. I stuck a finger in every social media pie until I ran out of fingers. I found it impossible to keep up with them all. My writer friends over at Writing for Children and I decided that the only way to stay sane was to cut down to the social media options we most enjoyed.

It’s a simple principle, one in which my eleven-year-old heartily agrees. Sam has Down Syndrome. We have a monthly calendar for him of what he’s doing each day with moveable sticky words. Sam likes to take all the ‘school’ stickers off his calendar and change them for those marked ‘holidays’!

 

 

Taking a leaf from Sam’s book, I quit a bunch of author sites, deleted certain updates, unsubscribed from other things, and I whittled my social media presence down to a top three sites I knew I could consistently enjoy. Works much better, and I feel it's got to be more sustainable in the long run. Sam likes to encourage me with the words, "Mama happy." Words to live by. 

 

The wonderful author and blogger, Joe Bunting wrote a great post this week about how much we authors need each other. From the post, I tweeted:

@yvettecarol1

Great writing creates a deep connection with others. But you can't connect if you're afraid. ctt.ec/N1xdd+

If I may, Joe, I’d hasten to add another line:

And you can’t connect if you don’t genuinely want to be there.

Being our authentic selves online is the way we represent who we are.
I think the idea of being able to ‘do it all’ is a modern myth.  I say, do what you like to do, so that you have enough time left in the day to write (or do whatever your joy is). And don’t worry if your absence disturbs/upsets some people.

Remember, "If you intend to write as truthfully as you can, your days as a member of polite society are numbered, anyway.” ~ Stephen King

 

 

 

Talk to you later,

 

Yvette K. Carol