Forty-one days we’ve been here and it feels like we’re starting to hit our stride.
We’ve been working pretty steadily on a daily basis making improvements to the campground and performing general daily maintenance. Some days this means clearing brush, some days it’s chopping wood, other days it’s moving furniture. One consistency is that, at the end of the day, we all feel like we’ve accomplished something. We all earn our supper and rest comes easily because of the work we put in, with is both satisfying and validating.
I’ve yet to figure out a consistent writing time and routine but I’m back to hitting my daily word quota, which is what really counts.
The big challenge is making time for the things I’m less excited about, mainly the whole marketing and publishing process for my upcoming novel. Don’t get me wrong, I am, of course, very excited for the release of my first-ever novel. Like a lot of writers, though, I’m not super comfortable with self-promotion. Nor am I very enthusiastic about maintaining a presence on social media. Blog posts are a different story, probably because they require less finesse, less sculpting of the message. I can just let me brain go on this platform and post what comes out with relatively little editing.
Social media on the other hand, well you know how that can be. Just the word “algorithm” makes me anxious. There are so many things to consider when posting for a platform, it can be overwhelming to the point of exhaustion. Thinking of something worth posting is tough enough without having to worry about how it’s phrased, the placement of keywords, hashtags, the time of bloody day that is most conducive to receiving an optimal amount of views. It’s the way of the world, I know. But I’m allowed to whine a little bit here.
These things are integral to the process though, especially since I’m going the indie publishing route. And the rewards are rich. This past week has been full of little achievements that contribute to the whole: The Boy in the Canvas has been sent to the printers and I’ve ordered proof copies, the first of which I received this afternoon! I also received word that I’ve been approved as a Goodreads Author, something that feels almost as good as the upcoming publication of my book. And I became a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors - my very first alliance!
As they say, nothing worthwhile comes easily. I think they say that. Do they? Someone should.
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Talk soon,
-Chris