"Write a Damn Good Book"

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The above-noted advice came from a traditionally-published author who was a panel at the Bouchercon Convention. As writers, that's our goal, is it not?  We want to write, not just an okay novel, but a "damn good" one.  But, it might not be as easy as it sounds. After all, we have a lot to balance--a personal life, domestic responsibilities, secular obligations, and the list goes on. With all of this encroaching in on us, how are we supposed to find the time to dedicate to our next great novel?

As career-minded writers, from the beginning it is impressed upon us that we need to have an active Twitter account, a blog, a website, an online presence that extends to Facebook, Linkedin, Google+, Pinterest...am I missing any?

But the advice received from this panel was to focus, first, on the writing. Other comments added were, 'if you're not a blogger, don't blog', 'if you don't like Twitter, don't tweet'.  You get the point. The ultimate focus of an author should be his or her writing.

Tough advice when we've been inundated with the need to build an online platform. Where do we find the balance?  We let the title of this post guide our time choices--"Write a damn good book."

When organizing our time, our writing comes first and the rest follows. This is mainly why I've been so negligent with my blog lately. I decided to participate in NaNo and focus on writing the 3rd in the Brandon Fisher FBI series. It's coming together wonderfully and I'm having fun with it and plotting more than ever.

Also, while I'm determined not to become distracted by it, I've realized that I need to allocate time to focus on a personal issue I'm undergoing. Inspired by this, I have created another blog, which I desire to make more of a community. You are also welcome to join me over there. It's basically an online journal of self-discovery and healing. I'm hoping that it will inspire others to know they are not alone in their struggles through life. If this is something that interests you, the blog is called "I'm a Shining Soul" and can be found here.  It is also on Facebook and Twitter. 

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