May 1, 2008 | Blogging, Life, Writing |
My hands hurt a bit from all the typing lately (which isn't stopping me from writing this blog, lol). Typically, I don't force myself to write SO much all at once, but I have a lot on the writing plate at the moment.
I'm having SO MUCH fun, even though I'm tired, a bit cranky, and my hands hurt. I'm so in the zone that I committed an email faux pas yesterday — I accidentally sent Person A an email that was supposed to go to Person B where I, you guessed it, said something about person A that I'd prefer she not have seen. It wasn't that bad, but I was a little disgruntled she had made a decision without asking my preference first. (This is not, in any way, writing related.) She made a decision she thought would help me, but I was a little blindsided by it and reacted. I apologized, but her feelings are probably still hurt. My Southern Lady Graciousness gene is certainly lying on a fainting couch, sipping iced tea, and feeling quite horrified.
Yeah, this little faux pas, as mild as it is, reminds me how careful we must be in our communications online. Email can exist forever. Vitriolic blog commentary will come back to haunt you. That time you got upset and vented your spleen on the RWA loops? Yep, it's still there, somewhere, lurking. It's human nature to get irritated. It's human nature to fight back when we feel threatened. But when you get upset about something, take your time to think it through before hitting that reply button. You just might save yourself a lot of headache — and a whole lot of apologizing. If you do say something you regret, apologize. Not an “I'm sorry if” apology, but a real one: “I'm sorry.” No qualifications.
But, really, the thing to do is to always, always remember that words on screen, sent across the Internet, are forever. Don't say anything you wouldn't want to admit you said. Remember that blogs and email loops have lurkers, and you have no idea who those lurkers could be. Don't shoot yourself in the foot by branding yourself as a rabble rouser without a cause or an argumentative so-and-so who always has to jump in and give her 2 cents. And don't think that anonymous comments are anonymous. They never are to the blog or loop owner. 🙂
Have you ever committed an email faux pas? How did you handle it? Have you been on the receiving end of an email faux pas? What did you do?
Apr 4, 2008 | Blogging, Writing |
I'm blogging at I Heart Presents today. Come read about my call story and say hello!
Jun 11, 2007 | Blogging, Writing |
Saturday was the Heart of Dixie RWA meeting. Have I said how much I love HOD? This is a committed, enthusiastic, sharing group of women (and one man). The group boasts more than one NYT bestselling writer as well as some fabulous authors who will get onto that list someday I am certain. And I can't forget the unpublished writers who are dedicated and professional and who will also sell books and have careers because they won't give up on their dreams. A talented, inspiring group to say the least.
Saturday, our guest speaker, a computer professional, talked about websites for writers. Very informative! I learned a lot. (My website, for instance, is in serious need of revamping. I'll have to work on that.)
But you know what he said that had me thinking? He said that blogs are a timesink and not usually worth the trouble (I've talked about this before, but hearing it from a pro made me think about it even more). They can be, when the author has a clear purpose and a goal (such as promoting upcoming releases, holding contests, etc). As daily diaries, not so much. They take away from the writing.
And then I started looking around that room at those NYT bestselling writers. Not one of them has a blog. So I thought about the other published authors in the room. Only one that I know of blogs. The rest do not.
Other NYTBSWs do blog, so that's not necessarily a definitive example. But it's something to think about. Writing comes first. (And I've already spent at least half an hour editing this post. Things that make you go hmmm.)
May 31, 2007 | Blogging, Writing |
As I make the rounds of the blogs I've not been reading for the last few months, I've noticed a disturbing trend. Some have gone dark. Not dark the way I disappeared, but dark as in over. POD-dy Mouth, a fabulous blog about finding good books in the mass of dreck that is self publishing, has closed her doors for good. The fabulous and always entertaining Miss Snark has bid adieu to her adoring masses. Squawk Radio, a popular blog by some NYT bestselling romance writers, has pulled the plug. What, or who, is next?
Is the thrill of the blog gone? I don't mean just for the individual posters, but for the readers as well. Blogging was all the rage two years ago when I began, and it was widely seen as a way for authors to interact with their readers. Is that still going on, or have readers become disenchanted by the ease with which they can contact their favorite writer? Should there be some mystery between an author and her public? I'm just asking the questions. I certainly don't know the answers, and I can't speak as an author with a public. Do I hang out on favorite author blogs? No. Some of the authors I like I discovered as a fellow writer going to writing blogs.
I still enjoy the way blogging makes me feel like I'm part of a community, the way doing the rounds makes me feel like I'm sitting at a table and shooting the breeze with other writers. But I can see how blogging can detract from the real business of writers — writing. Ultimately, we are supposed to be typing words into a file that will hopefully become a book. Any other use of our time is extra-curricular. It's necessary for sanity, perhaps, but not strictly necessary.
The thrill isn't gone for me yet. What about you?
Jan 18, 2007 | Blogging |
I was doing my usual surf from site to site while my brain is percolating my story (yes, really, I'm not avoiding it for once — it's really brewing!) when I ran across two different author explanations for blogging. First, here's Tess Gerritsen:
When I began the blog, I wasn’t really sure what I’d write about. As it turned out, I’ve never been at a loss for topics — my only problem has been finding the time to do it. I also wasn’t quite clear about why I should blog. Since then, I’ve realized that this blog isn’t about self-promotion. It’s not about selling more books or getting my name out there or making people like me.
It’s about catharsis.
The ever entertaining and informative JA Konrath has, naturally, a different take on blogging:
Think about why you blog, and what purpose it's serving. Look at your last fifty entries. Will they be of any interest to someone in 2017? If not, why do you think they are of any interest to anyone now?
That's why I don't do memes. That's why I don't blog about personal stuff. That's why I don't push my own books constantly—no one ever seeks out ads. And that's why, except on rare occassions, I don't blog about events, peers, friends, family, or what I watched on TV last night.
Your blog is a tool. But too many people are using hammers to scratch their asses rather than drive nails. If you blog as a form of entertainment, that's no problem–have fun. If you blog to increase your name recognition, you may be doing more harm than good.
Both writers make good points. Both are worth listening to. And yet there's another lesson here too. The ultimate lesson, maybe: no definitive answer exists that is correct in every circumstance.
You can argue that Tess Gerritsen is so successful that it doesn't matter what she blogs about because people will read her anyway. You could also argue that Joe Konrath is so entertaining and controversial (when he wants to be) that people would read him even if he did memes because he would no doubt make the meme entertaining and controversial.
Maybe it's all about Voice. Joe's blog Voice is businesslike and informative. Tess's blog Voice is like your best friend/sister/trusted family doctor who knows a lot of interesting stuff and wants to tell you about it over a nice cup of tea. Same thing, and not the same thing.
If these two posts taught me anything, though, it's not to worry too much about it. Yeah, you shouldn't say things you'll regret later (like dissing fellow writers or agents, editors, etc) or expose all the deep dark details of your personal life, but don't sweat it otherwise. Write your blog in your Voice. Some will be interested, some won't. Just like writing books, really.
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