First off, this is most likely neither and both work avoidance, and dedication.
What do I mean?
Well, this is work avoidance in that although I am only presently commuting to work I should really be studying my ITIL V3 prep coursework.
This is also dedication because it is about writing (mine and in general).
While getting ready for the (lovely) commute to work this ‘brisk’ English morning (meaning quite cold, a bit windy, but dry), I found the time to read Jeanne Veillette Bowerman’s guest blog post on the Writer’s Digest website regarding the benefits to her as a writer of becoming a twitter addict Confessions of a Tweetaholic.
While finding the post insightful and illuminating, two words in particluar jumped out at from the page (or Blackberry screen, to be precise).
What were those two words? “Two Hours”.
Now, on their own these words do not hold much sway over my life. In any other context they may have had little or no impact.
However, as an aspiring self-published author they rang the “oh my god” bell deep in my chest.
Why is that? I hear you ask.
Well, simples, really.
The maximum time I have to write in any given day is about two hours (if I am lucky, am willing to forego sleeping a full night, and don’t mind looking rough the next day).
Jean spent two hours a day on twitter alone, working her way up to several hundred followers.
This is a successful playwright with accolades and shows under her belt, writing full time, tweeting with fellow writers intelligebly and articulately about her passion (two hours a day!).
On the other end of the tweet spectrum is our dear friend 50 cent, with umpty-thousand followers, tweeting requests for groupies to plunder in the local vicinity. (This presuming we have a clue where in the world he is – I see a new Facebook game – Where in the world is 50 cent? With points for how close you can guess he may be. More on that later.)
Where was I? Oh yes, ‘two hours’.
So, although I fully appreciate the need to ‘get yourself out there’ for us aspiring writers, if all I have to give is two hours of writing a day then I am not sure I will be able to invest the ‘right’ amount of time tweeting to build up a sizable twitter following.
Fingers crossed what takes one two hours a day can be done in 15 minutes instead!
Speaking of rewriting (we were, weren’t we?) I did manage to lose a good few hours’ sleep working on rewriting killer application last night.
Whilst tempted to right-off (or is that ‘write-off’?) several of the characters, fundamentally change the story arc and basically rewrite the whole story from a third of the way in, I recognised the exhaustion levels seeping into my writing decisions and held myself to less drastic changes, forcing my typing fingers to make notes where drastic changes may be required and enforcing the existing and new world rules and regulations within the story itself to drive the narrative.
Last night I either completely chickened out of a ‘proper’ rewrite, or I saved the heart and soul of the tale. Only time (and readers!) will tell.
As for twitter, I’ll do what I can and hope for a miracle. Slow burn media not-so-frenzy here we come! 😉
Back to the scintillating ITIL V3 world of study.
Til next time, this is mE
Em