How to Handle the Pressure of Social Media

Day 12 of Robert Lee Brewer's Platform Challenge and  the social media pressure just keeps on building.

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon, URL shortening, Linking websites...well, you get the idea.

As I mentioned in my last post, The Perils of Social Media, the time spent can be overwhelming although I'll admit I'm learning useful skills.

Check this out! This is the URL for the post I just mentioned:   

 http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3452135858490893237#editor/target=post;postID=3976601648716689391

I learned how to shorten it using bit.ly.   The URL now looks like this:

 http://bit.ly/IMUurO

As cool as that is I found that keeping up with the techno Jones' was putting a crimp in my novel writing style.

For me, it is important to stick to Elizabeth George's strict rule. Get cracking first thing in the morning and don't come up for air until you've completed your word count for that day. If that takes two hours - great. If it takes six hours - then so be it.

In school I always felt less guilty if I got my work done before I made time for friends and I guess this is the same thing.

The less guilt the better strategy works for me.  Only when I complete my word count  can I can dig into the platform challenge, check my FB, peek in on Twitter, etc.

If my solution seems too 'goody two shoes' for you check out the links below. Three totally different sites giving three totally different takes on how to manage social media time.

http://bit.ly/HBrwwL  The Three T's of Social Time Management by Robert Larson

http://bit.ly/HP8vlb 18 minutes a day to Social Time Management by Lisa Buyer

http://bit.ly/HDZVft   Robert Lee Brewer's Time Management Ideas.

The Perils of Social Media

I am participating in Robert Lee Brewer's April Platform Challenge.   http://robertleebrewer.blogspot.ca/2012/04/april-platform-challenge-day-7.html

It is really pretty cool. The object is to develop your own platform. (Ya - I didn't know what that was, either) The best way I can describe it is as a physical platform like a soap box, on which you stand loud and proud and declare yourself to the world.

Developing a platform means joining social media sites like Facebook and Twiiter and LinkedIn. It means sharing your writing through online media sites like blogs.

All that is well and good. After some technical glitches (what the heck is html code?)  I was able to figure out how to get myself out there using all these resources. So far, so good.

But, the next step is a LOT harder. It involves surfing the web, seeking out other writers, reading their blogs, Twitters, Facebooks, Linkendns, etc, etc., then making comments and sharing what you like on your own blog, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, etc. 

On the plus side, I have hooked up via all these sites with some pretty awesome writers and that is amazing! No doubt about it - the networking and the sharing of ideas is helpful. It is exciting to know that there are other writers out there toiling away in the wilderness.

But, as Pinteresting as all this is, it is also nerve-wracking. On Twitter you are expected to compose short, pithy statements several times a day then send them out for all to read. And even though you are pretty sure no one is going to read your 'hilarious' observations, you worry that you sound stupid. (Actually, you KNOW you sound stupid)

And finding the time to keep up? Impossible!

The tweets just keep pecking and pecking and pecking. (I had to disable the new tweet alert on my phone. Whenever that little bell trilled I was starting to salivate and that just felt wrong.)

And, when I read one blog I just had to read more... and more... and more. They are so good - I learn so much from great writing.

And the pics? Aaaahhhhh....so many cute pussy cats and ponies and babies. You'd have to be a psychopath to resist.

What to do? 

What to do? 

Any thoughts??

Bingo

After struggling with that damned inciting incident for weeks I have finally come to a resolution. I am comfortable with the crack in Signy's world that is going to send her on her next adventure. How she deals with her new found responsibility will be interesting to watch. Where she makes effective choices and where she falls flat have all become clear in my mind. Yay!

For some mysterious reason, today was the day that ALL the voices started coming through loud and clear. Maitland is back in her full glory, Grace and Kim's tentative first meeting after four months apart came off exactly as it should and even Signy has coalesced once again into a real person.I am approximately one third of the way complete (perhaps even closer to one half) and it is interesting how long it has taken for me to feel 'in the groove.'

I'm sure that will change but for now I just want to celebrate the success. What's a good moment if you don't take the time to appreciate it?