During each season of writing, writers live two lives; their
own and whatever characters they’re writing about at the time.
Life, as we all know, is busy. And when you’re a writer, living your own
life while writing about someone else’s, you tend to feel pulled in different
directions pretty much all the time. In
addition, there is all that extra work involved with author branding, the
business of publishing, and the time you spend marketing what you’ve been able
to create. For writers who blog, or are
constantly using some form of social media or other means of staying in contact
with their readers, everyday life can be very hectic.
I’ve been working on my own book series for four years
now…having published the first book in the series, No Mother of Mine, towards the end of 2012. During this time, I’ve almost religiously
followed certain authors and bloggers, always looking for help, researching
about writing, searching for tips about publishing, soaking up ideas relating
to marketing, or just hoping for some extra inspiration and motivation to get
me through the week.
But lately what I’ve noticed is that many of my favorite
bloggers and authors have tapered off from regular posts, or only write about
one thing (their latest book), or they’ve lost steam altogether.
I recently reviewed the list of all the blogs I’ve been
following, and I came to the realization that about half of them haven’t posted
very often this year, if at all, while others haven’t posted for over a year or
more. This really surprised me. I had wondered at the lack of content from some
of my favorites, or the lack of variety, but I just had no idea so many had
actually dropped off from posting at all.
My take on this is that some of the authors and bloggers who
I had been following gave too much of
themselves, at least professionally, if not personally. They were always quick to share their advice,
offer a free class, provide helpful tips and tricks of the trade, or whatever
it took to keep people like me coming back for more.
And I will always
appreciate them for it.
But in providing so much to others, my thought is how long
were they able to keep up that pace while they lived their own lives and put
whatever energy they had left into the next book they hoped to get out
there?
Being a writer isn’t easy – and sometimes living your own life,
while writing about your characters’ lives, can be overwhelming, which is
definitely something to keep in mind when you’re trying to stay on task. But
based on what I’ve discovered with regard to some of the bloggers I’ve been
following, it would appear it’s what you do in the middle of those two lives…blogging,
other social media, newsletters, offering seminars or online classes…that can
actually increase the possibility of burnout.
Times change, people move on, and what we need or what
others can offer doesn’t always remain the same. What writers have to figure out is when to
give, when to hold back to allow some breathing room, and when to move on if
necessary. No apologies needed. Regardless of the season they’re in, writers
have to find that balance in order to avoid losing the passion that kept them
going for so long.
It’s just another lesson learned from those who I have
respected for the past few years. While some
of my favorite bloggers are no longer with us, or possibly just on a very long
break, I appreciate the fact that I’ve gained knowledge that will help me as I
continue on my own journey as a writer.
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