“I make a project and I panic. Which is good, it can be a method. First, panic.
Second, conquer panic by working.
Third, find ways to solve your doubts.”
-Eduardo Souto de Moura
I haven’t been blogging much (though surely barely noticed by anyone save my beleaguered husband.) My absence from the blogosphere has had purpose. I’ve been writing and re-writing and editing and re-editing and editing-again the next novel. And actually also starting the third, but let’s not worry about that right now.
I stopped blogging so I could spend my writing hours trying to put Standing With Buffalo to bed. If I told you how long ago I actually started this book you’d shake your head and roll your eyes. Suffice to say it was a long time ago and it’s been something of a monkey on my back. But there comes a point where all monkeys should be set free to roam the forest and throw poop at other monkeys. I’m hoping SWB is finally close to that point. Or at least close enough for a professional editor to take a look. Which is as terrifying as it is exhilarating. So first step: Panic. Done.
Second, conquer panic by working. Which in this case means I have to get back to beefing up my “electronic presence.” I find blogging and tweeting quite a bit more challenging than book writing. But it’s the nature of the new millennia for independent authors like me with a marketing budget consisting of negative numbers. An alluring online presence can/should attract readers and followers. Having readers and followers can/should attract publishers. Having a publisher can/should attract buyers. So it’s back to the blog board I go. Back to the tweeting and retweeting and posting and commenting. Tell all your friends and I promise I’ll do my best to be interesting.
Now, about this “find ways to solve your doubts” business…. I haven’t yet pinned this one down, but my gut tells me it will involve some combination of chocolate and whiskey. These may not legitimately solve my doubts, but they should at least distract me from doubts.
You can bet I’ll post the results in my next blog….