So when I started this blog I was actually thinking I’d be posting to it more often. All the ideas! Can’t keep up!
But you know what? There are still only twenty-four hours in a day. A day in which I need to commute to a day job, do work at said day job, get in some exercise, cook myself some food, invest some time with the people I love so they don’t write me off as an antisocial selfish misanthrope with delusional writing aspirations, shower, sleep, and oh yes, write books. (And I don’t even have children yet, but that’s a panic attack for another day.)
“If you want to be a good writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”
So says Stephen King. Notice he does not add “blog a lot”. (Then again, “On Writing” was published in 2000, when blogging was not yet a thing.)
When I get to my writing time and the choice is between working on a blog and working on my manuscript, what do I do? I generally choose to work on my manuscript.
Another good nugget from King:
“The hours we spend talking about writing is time we don’t spend actually doing it.”
He actually advises against reading too much writing advice. (He is aware of the irony of writing this in a writing advice book, just as I am aware of the irony of posting this in my writing advice blog.)
He’s absolutely right. There is SO MUCH writing advice out there. There are days when I get overwhelmed by it all (but wait, have I read every article on the pros and cons of first person versus third person? and do I really know every nuance of YA versus NA? And this blogger has actually published a book, clearly I must read every blog post she’s ever written!) and I’m just like, how do I INTERNET?
Then there are other days—the days when I just find the online writing community to be so incredibly valuable. From stumbling upon some really insightful or helpful post, to just knowing that there are so many other people struggling right along with me. Which is why I ultimately decided to start doing this blogging thing.
So my goal is one post a week, and if this doesn’t get me the hugest following ever, I will deal. I’d rather have a huge reader following, and I will only deserve that if I take the time to hone my craft. (And, you know, find and agent and a publisher and all that … but that’s the subject of another post).
Other bloggers, how often do you post? And how do you balance it with writing (especially if you have a day job or tiny people to look after?)
P.S. “On Writing” is one of the best books I’ve ever read. Full review coming later.
MK Pagano 
Yes!! Finally someone else who reads “On Writing”!! It’s by far the best book on writing I’ve come across, and I follow King’s advice in almost everything. I consider blogging a type of writing though, because no matter what you write about, you’re getting those 1000 words/day out of your system and it’s still practice. I wish I could blog more often, but I prefer to blog only when I have something to blog about, something exciting. Then again, for a while I would write my blog post almost as fiction, which made it more interesting ^^ Try that! Make your blog a practice-area for short stories
LikeLike
Yes, can you tell from my beaten battered copy that I refer to it pretty much once a week?
I’ve considered posting bits from my own writing, but everything I write is novel-in-progress. I figured out a long time ago I am not the strongest short story writer. Do you know of any other blogs that do this?
Do you have any other must-have writing books? I’ve read a few others but nothing’s come close to “On Writing”.
LikeLike
Hm, maybe not post bits of your novel, but rather “novel-ise” your blogging? Experiment with writing about your day in 3rd person? Or just be overly dramatic and poetic when describing something? I’ve made myself guilty of that in some earlier posts from when I just moved to LA. I’m actually really bad at reading other blogs, sadly…
The only other must-have writing book I like is called “Save The Cat” by Blake Snyder, but it’s about writing screenplays; although a lot of it can be applied to novel-writing as well, like answering the question “What is it?” -because if you can’t explain your story in 3 sentences, you have no clue what you’re writing about. Other than that, I enjoy buying the magazine “Writer’s Digest” another one that I can’t remember, for tips&tricks, as well as contests and advice on publishers.
Still, “On Writing” is my bible
LikeLike