It's been a week without TV. The blare of that obnoxious little box has been replaced by better stuff: joking with my teens, luxurious dips into my to-be-read pile, a better organized office, a cleaner house, and a dawning awareness of the possibilities pregnant in time that isn't filled with mind-numbing distractions.
It's also been a week without sodas and the worst of the withdrawal is past. I still want, want, want. But I'm learning to live without. The bouts of sugar-high/sugar-low, false-energy/crippling-fatigue are being replaced by a steadier sense of well-being, the ability to concentrate and see tasks through.
With the internet off limits during the day, there's also been substantial improvement in my writing productivity.
Positive stuff, right? So why did I title this post discouragement?
Because I've been wandering the net (before 9:30 am and after 3:30 pm, of course) getting a feel for how one creates a presence on the web. I've viewed author blogs and websites. I've looked at writer facebook pages and read their twitter tweets. I've listened to interviews and peered with search engines into the comings and goings of bestsellers, mid-listers, and debut authors.
And I am overwhelmed. And discouraged.
Everywhere I see writers with clever blogs, uber professional websites, search list results that go on for pages, and tweet activity to rival a rainforest canopy. I feel like a barefoot hillbilly among all the sophisticated, visually stunning, and intimidatingly prolific marketing.
Something that's helping me write today: a clean, well-organized office and this quote from page 325 of Martha Beck's book Finding Your Own North Star:
"I believe with all my heart that if a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing badly...If you're going through a major transition, your hero's saga is absolutely certain to include unfamiliar situations and new skills. The first few times you try any of these...you're probably going to do it badly. Terrific!...being willing to make a mess is a prerequesite to gaining new skills."
It's also been a week without sodas and the worst of the withdrawal is past. I still want, want, want. But I'm learning to live without. The bouts of sugar-high/sugar-low, false-energy/crippling-fatigue are being replaced by a steadier sense of well-being, the ability to concentrate and see tasks through.
With the internet off limits during the day, there's also been substantial improvement in my writing productivity.
Positive stuff, right? So why did I title this post discouragement?
Because I've been wandering the net (before 9:30 am and after 3:30 pm, of course) getting a feel for how one creates a presence on the web. I've viewed author blogs and websites. I've looked at writer facebook pages and read their twitter tweets. I've listened to interviews and peered with search engines into the comings and goings of bestsellers, mid-listers, and debut authors.
And I am overwhelmed. And discouraged.
Everywhere I see writers with clever blogs, uber professional websites, search list results that go on for pages, and tweet activity to rival a rainforest canopy. I feel like a barefoot hillbilly among all the sophisticated, visually stunning, and intimidatingly prolific marketing.
Something that's helping me write today: a clean, well-organized office and this quote from page 325 of Martha Beck's book Finding Your Own North Star:
"I believe with all my heart that if a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing badly...If you're going through a major transition, your hero's saga is absolutely certain to include unfamiliar situations and new skills. The first few times you try any of these...you're probably going to do it badly. Terrific!...being willing to make a mess is a prerequesite to gaining new skills."
