The Dark Days: V Has a Bit of a Whinge.

The past few days, I've been in a low mood where my writing's concerned. Most of the time I try to focus on what I'm doing and not look too far ahead. Over the bank holiday weekend, though, I let my mistakes bring on an almost crippling self-doubt. Even now, I'm trying to shake off the remnants of a defeatist attitude.

It feels like various different sources of negativity are attached to me like weights, dragging me down. One of the weights is all the time I wasted not writing when I was younger. There were so many reasons why I didn't bother with it then, but the main reason was I genuinely thought all my creativity had left me, never to return. In the end, it was my own priorities that wiped it out of my life when I could have been laying the foundations of my career. I just let myself give up far too easily.

Another weight is the mistakes in my writing. All the exposition I'm coming across. It's very discouraging when you can't see the good stuff for the bad. At times, it has seriously made me question whether I'm capable of making anything good enough to be published.

Then there's the fact that I messed up with the images I've been using for posts on my social media accounts. I was (wrongly) under the impression that all stock photos were free to use but, after doing some overdue research, I found it depends on which website you get them from. So, thanks to my ignorance, my Facebook page is mostly devoid of pictures because it won't let me swap an image without deleting the post altogether. I accidentally deleted one of my posts, which had some really lovely comments I've now lost forever. I deleted and re-posted everything on my Twitter and Instagram accounts in one big unprofessional flood, and some of my Twitter posts had already been retweeted anyway, so my illegally sought images are still out there on the web. Fantastic.

The final weight is about the extra fraught schedule I'll have when I go back to work and the societal expectations on a mother to spin loads of plates without letting any of them fall (unless, of course, it's something only she cares about. Then she should absolutely let it fall without question.)

I've always felt there's this double standard. If the father of a young child works a lot, many people say "What a dedicated dad, saving for his child's future." If a woman does the same, she's vilified  for "not spending enough time with the kids."

Now, I'm not going to pretend my writing is the same as overtime, because it's not making money yet. Nor am I going to pretend I don't do it for me. But, if I'm successful as an author, my son could still be receiving little bits of royalties from my books long after I'm dead, and that's my ultimate goal; to make a proper career and income out of my books. I love spending time with my child. I've said in a previous post, that's not the plate that will ever be allowed to fall. But I don't think it's at all unreasonable to have my own aspirations as well as being present for him.

Inevitably, the pressure to succeed while avoiding being seen as a terrible mum is going to be tough. (I know it's a pressure of my own making, but there are both internal and external factors I find so difficult to ignore, I'd probably be more stressed out if I didn't attempt this juggling act.) And this, dear readers, brings us back to the first "weight." If I'd started this before becoming a parent I wouldn't be in this rush to publish a book, because I'd probably have already done it. I'd feel at peace, then, with slowing down a bit. Thanks, Younger Me. You really messed up.

So, I've been plodding on, feeling sorry for myself but trying not to let it hinder my work too much. I don't like whingeing in my posts. I prefer them to have a positive energy but, when I first started out, I promised authenticity and here it is.

We can't feel good all the time. There'll be days for all of us when we doubt ourselves or our work; days when we're just not in the mood to produce our best. It passes, though. Day by day, I'm feeling better. The weights get lighter and the outlook more positive, but only because I've kept going.

If you need to take a short break, there's nothing wrong with that. But often, when there's a crisis on confidence, the best way to overcome it is to prove to yourself that you can do it by just doing it. "Fake it 'til you make it" is kind of my motto.

To anyone who's struggling with any kind of negativity right now, keep pushing through the storm. We're all going to come out the other side.

V.

Story Telling vs. Story Showing.

Over the past week or so of editing, I've developed a real bee in my bonnet about exposition. The feedback I have received on my first attempt at the novel was about how I "tell" too much and don't "show" enough. Now it's been called to my attention, it's really obvious and it drives me insane.

I'm about a third of the way through the story now and I'm beginning to wonder if I've missed any instances of this earlier on. This isn't a big deal because I will be going through it again with a fine-tooth comb after this round of editing is done, but being someone who can't stand a job half done, I've developed a bit of a brain itch about it and I'm fighting myself not to go back to beginning until I've finished this round. If I kept going back the the beginning every time I thought, "I wonder if I've missed anything like this earlier on," I'd never get anything done beyond the first few chapters.

I think story telling rather than story showing is an easy trap to fall into, particularly when you're carried away with getting the ideas down on the page. Sometimes the plot runs away with us before we even think about the little touches that help the reader get into the character's head and experience their feelings and surroundings. I often come back to descriptions after outlining what's happening.

The trouble is I've used a lot of phrases like, "She saw," "He felt," "They thought," rather than describing their physical and emotional reactions. The reader will feel far more engaged with the story if, instead of saying "She felt anxious," we say "Her heart raced, her chest tightened and her palms began to sweat." It helps people to experience what the character is feeling rather than just taking the author's word for it.

My work, being so largely character driven, should be full of these touches from beginning to end. It's not that I haven't used them at all, but there are plenty of times when I have "told" when it's been possible to "show," creating barriers between reader and character. I want my readers to become totally immersed in by book. I want them to feel like they're right there with the character and like they can be a part of them. There is still a fair bit of work to do.

I've found, because of my heightened awareness of this, I'm seeing examples of "telling" everywhere. I'm reading the Poldark novels by Winston Graham, which was written in very different times. Novel writing has evolved a lot since then. I love the plot, which is why I have been enjoying the books so much, but I have always been aware of my lack of engagement with the characters. Having seen the TV series, I can imagine more than I may have been able to from the writing alone because everything is "told." There is very little "showing" in there at all. Now I'm so acutely aware of it, it's making me feel less engaged. For me, the characters are one of the two most important parts of a story, the other one being plot. If I can't empathise or connect with them, it takes away a lot of the feeling. How can I feel the emotions of the characters if I haven't been allowed to connect with them?

In "Demelza," the second book of the series, the death of her first child was glossed over. The reader is not allowed anywhere near her emotions in this significant moment. When I saw it on TV, I cried because the screenplay had been written so beautifully and Eleanor Tomlinson played it so well. When reading the book, I felt nothing.

This is precisely the kind of thing I want to avoid in my own work. If there are barriers between reader and character, I need to break them all down before anyone else reads it. It should engage all the senses where they are appropriate. I want the reader to be able to see the views, hear the sounds, taste the food and smell their surroundings. I want them to feel the fabrics of the characters' clothing on their skin and the handle of a sword in their hands.

I've a way to go, but I will crack this, because it's the most important part for me. Reading, as far as I'm concerned, is a form of escapism. A person can't escape reality if they're not drawn into the story or they feel there's a wall between them and the world the writer has created.

So, off I go with my bulldozer, ready to smash down some walls. It's going to be great!

Happy writing!

V.

Why a Rejection Can Be a Good Thing.

Yesterday, I was struggling for a topic to post about. There were a couple of vague ideas knocking about in my brain, but none of them felt quite right. I either didn't feel I could write enough about the subject or it just didn't have the right "mood" about it. I wanted to put something positive on my blog to counterbalance the dark poetry I've been posting on my social media pages this week, but the best tone I could come up with was indifferent. I went to bed last night with no good ideas.

This morning, inspiration came in the form of a rejection e-mail from a literary agency. "A rejection e-mail? What happened to writing something positive?" I hear you ask. Bear with me. I promise this is far from a bad thing. I mean, for one thing it gave me something to blog about.

The work in question was a children's book which I submitted eight months ago to three different literary agents. Each of the agents' websites said they would not respond to submissions that didn't show promise, and to assume you were unsuccessful if there was no response within four to eight weeks.

A couple of weeks after submission, I got a response from one of the agencies. Although it was a rejection, it was what I call a "positive rejection." It was encouraging that they even considered my work worthy of a response in any case, but the e-mail said that they enjoyed it and I should keep trying elsewhere. However, being a small agency of only two people, they don't take on many new clients. That was the only response I received until now.

After the first six weeks I thought it was unlikely I'd receive any more responses. My plan was to tweak it, write a few more somewhere down the line and submit them together. (Many agencies that deal with manuscripts for children's picture books like you to send a few at a time.) This project was put to one side while I worked on my novel.

This morning, when I looked at my inbox to check the details of a Zoom meeting I have tomorrow. (Crap! I still haven't looked at that!) and there was my second response out of three, telling me my story had potential. Again, they cited being a small agency and not feeling they were the right people to take it on. But the word "potential" is music to a beginner's ears. I mean, that was the one and only children's book I'd ever written.

While I am getting there with editing the novel, it's a long process to polish a 100 000 word piece and it sometimes feels like publication is an eternity away. So, in a strange way, that e-mail gave me a lift. It's exciting to think my children's book might just be a few tweaks away from being accepted by an agent!

The project I'd put on the back burner is now in the forefront of my mind again. It won't hijack my novel; I won't let it because I'm committed to getting it finished. Still, I feel encouraged to see if I can allocate some time each week to the children's stuff. Who knows? Maybe I can make something of it.

In most fields it would probably seem strange to take a rejection as cause for celebration. There will even be a fair few writers who feel deflated by it. I imagine I'll feel far less enthusiastic when I've received loads of them, which I will. Every writer does and it's unrealistic to expect otherwise. But I'd like to remind everyone in this position that even a rejection can be a really good sign. Agents and publishers are busy people. If they've made the effort to contact you, your work must be on the right track and that is definitely a reason to smile.

To all my fellow rejects, keep going. One day our work will land on just the right person's desk.

V.

Writing as a Mental Health Tool.

Today marks the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK, so I'm dedicating today's blog post to the function of writing as an aid to mental health.

There are parts of the novel I'm writing where I've used characters to get something out of my system, whether getting some sort of symbolic revenge on people who have been hurtful in the past, or building some characters up to be the role models I need. There's no doubt it's a cathartic process.

But, for me, the real purging of my soul, the stuff that helps heal some real mental anguish, comes through writing poetry. This is only a recent thing for me. I never used to write poetry because I didn't think I was any good at it. Maybe I'm not; poetry is such a subjective thing. In the past, I could never even summon the words needed to create a poem. If I did, it all sounded like I was trying too hard and it was a bit cringy.

Then, a few months ago, I found my poetic sweet-spot on the theme of mental health. I came to a point when I was at such a low and didn't know what to do with those difficult feelings. They needed to come out. I couldn't just ride the wave any more, moping about the house, shutting out the world and lying in bed until noon any more. It was the first low of its kind since before I had a child. This time I had responsibilities and I was determined not to let my melancholy rub off on my son. So, out came the notebook.

My poetry doesn't rhyme, except for the occasional well-placed couple of lines here and there. Its verses tend not to have a regular pattern as such. Traditionalists would probably scoff and say, "I don't know what that is, but it's not poetry." I've surprised myself, though. Even though many have been written in the throes of psychological crisis, when I read them back I don't hate them. In fact, I quite like them. They're raw and real and they reflect the darkness I feel at times. Writing them also helps dissipate the intensity of the feelings, so it definitely works for me as a therapeutic process.

They're not all like that, mind you. Most of the darkest ones are retrospective because my very darkest times are behind me (I hope.) Some of them have to do with the road to recovery and the light times amongst the numerous relapses. I think it's important not to lose sight of the times when I'm winning and things are on the up. It's definitely not all doom and gloom.

When I first started writing poetry, I had no intention of sharing it with anyone ever. It's all so personal and a lot of the feelings have never been shared, not even with my nearest and dearest. But, as another Mental Health Awareness Week comes around, I think the dialogue is still very much needed. We talk about mental health more in society now. It's not as taboo as it has been in the past and it is more widely and deeply understood. There is more support available than there once was and a lot of people are much more compassionate. But, we still have a way to go.

I think many of us still feel that we're skiving, or would be seen to be skiving, if we took a day off work citing mental illness. We'd feel much more comfortable telling the boss that we had the flu or food poisoning or a sickness bug. A lot of people feel they are expected to plough through the most debilitating anxiety and depression. They wouldn't be expected to do so if they were suffering a physical illness. Until this is no longer the case, there is still work to do towards destigmatising mental illness.

In the spirit of making mental health warriors feel seen and heard, (Yes, I said "warriors" because that's what you are when you battle your own mind every day, you wonderful badasses!) I have decided to post one of my poems on my social media pages every day this week. The links are in my profile. If you like what you read, please like and share.

Some of the work you see, because of the nature of it, might be a little upsetting. I've tried to select pieces that shouldn't trigger people, but if you find any of the poems speaks to you in a way that makes you feel distressed, I would encourage you to talk about your feelings with someone you trust or with a professional/ voluntary service. The most important thing I can say about all the poems I post this week is that the feelings have passed. Some of them come and go every so often, but none are ever permanent.

It's definitely okay to talk if you're struggling, in fact, it's encouraged. If you feel like you're on the edge, please please please seek help. In the UK, you can call The Samaritans for free on 116 123 any time of the day or night. You can also contact them by e-mail or by letter. Check out their website for details: www.samaritans.org. If you're in another country, there will be similar services where you are. Please reach out to them.

Wishing you all good mental health.

V.

My Self-Censorship Struggles.

This is something I've been thinking of putting out there for some time. It's a subject that's a little out of my comfort zone because it involves very personal feelings I'm not altogether sure I won't regret sharing. But, it's a big part of my writing "journey" (I know, please forgive the cliché) and a bit of an obstacle at times.

I've always been a people pleaser and, as embarrassing as it is for someone my age to admit, I'm still very conscious of what certain people might think about the things I write. I'm not talking about quality here; I'm talking about content.

I can give a few examples of this, starting with a sex scene in my novel. I come from a family that doesn't openly discuss things of this nature. That's not something I'd necessarily change, it's just how we roll and that's fine. The trouble is, it's obviously a natural part of the intimate relationship, so when you have couples in your stories, it's very hard to avoid- and who would want to avoid it anyway? That would be cheating the reader out of a crucial moment in character/ relationship development. The story wouldn't feel real any more and, if there's one thing I'm not willing to compromise, it's the quality and depth of my story. So, I'm having to push uncomfortably past the initial feeling of, "Fuck. My parents might read this when it's published."

And that use of expletive leads me neatly to my next example. I also grew up in a household where we were very careful about our language. In conversation, I'm still generally mindful not to swear in front of people who might find it offensive. That would include my parents. But, I decided early on that this blog was going to be my authentic voice, so here it is, even though I know my mum reads it. If my dad reads it, heaven help me. (Although I may have once dropped an F-bomb in his presence towards some random guy making weird comments to me when his car was next to mine at a roundabout. There was no reprisal.)

I'm regretting posting this already. I'm deeply ashamed that I still worry about what my parents think of my work (and my language) when I'm in my 30s. Yes, I'm aware this makes me seem very much like a child, but I'm not quite sure how to combat this anxiety other than just fighting my way past it and writing exactly what I want anyway. I really hope I'm not alone in this and that it provides some solidarity with people, otherwise, I'm just sharing all this embarrassing stuff for nothing.

Maybe other people don't struggle against self-censorship in exactly the same way I do, but I wonder if some people battle with something that holds them back from writing some of the stuff they want to. Maybe they're scared of how things will come across to the reader, or agents and publishers. Maybe they're scared that something is way too personal to be out in the public domain, like this post, for example. Or maybe not. Maybe other people are far more confident in who they are and think "Bollocks to everyone who doesn't accept me the way I am." That's a sentiment I'm striving towards.

There's a reason I've chosen today to finally bite the bullet and write about this particular struggle. Tomorrow is the start of Mental Health Awareness Week here in the UK. While the content of this post is its own brand of cuckoo, that's not strictly why it's related. I'm not here to discuss my need not to upset people and how it relates to my mental health; only how it impacts my writing. What has prompted this outpouring of weird psychological mess is a project I'm planning to do for MHAW.

I'm going to post a piece of my mental health poetry on my social media pages every day throughout the week. Some will be positive and uplifting, some will be dark and disturbing. Some pieces were written at times when I was in the thick of it, others were retrospective. What they all have in common is that I wrote them just for me. They were a tool for catharsis, not to be published or shared. But, I think sometimes we have to put a bit of our pain and struggle out there for others to see; to know they're not alone. That's what this blog is all about too.

My main concern about sharing this stuff isn't what people think of me or my mental health issues. It's about how carefully I've tried to shield the people who love me from the darkest parts of what I sometimes face. Even that statement will upset some people, I'm sure. Nobody wants their loved ones to hide it when they're going through a really difficult time, but it makes us feel worse to know our pain is a source of distress to other people, even if they don't show it. You can see how laying some of the worst parts out there in black and white might be upsetting and shocking to friends and relatives. What I want to reassure those people of is that I'm okay. There'll be more on this tomorrow when I launch my MHAW project with a post about writing as a mental health tool. Please see my profile for links to my social media pages.

So, as I prepare to march into another week in which I suppress the voice that says, "Are you sure you really want to share this?"  I'd just like to reach out to anyone else who's working outside their comfort zone. It's hard and, yeah, some people will hate it. But that's not because it's bad, or because it's not important; it's because you can't please everyone all the time. It's good to push our boundaries because that's when we show ourselves what we can really do. If we censor ourselves in our creativity, if we hold some of ourselves back, we cheat our audience out of something really authentic and special. Keep going. Your work won't be for everyone, but it will speak to just the right people.

V.

Running With Scissors: Cutting the crap out of my novel.

When I first got my feedback on Prophecy from one of my beta readers, I felt a little disheartened. She wasn't unkind or unfair. She delivered her feedback with sensitivity and I took everything she said on board. She's been where I am and assured me she made all the same writing mistakes a year ago. But it did take me a while to have the guts to read what she'd written in the document after receiving the e-mail feedback, mostly because I was surprised at how far I still had to go with my writing.

I was scared to even start the editing process and embarrassed to be so far off the mark. But, now I'm doing it, it's actually proving quite enjoyable, even the parts I thought I'd hate. I remember taking a very deep breath when my beta reader told me I needed to cut a lot of stuff out. I'd worked so hard on everything I'd put in there, and who doesn't tend to think every word is essential at first? I panicked, thinking I was going to lose half my story by the time I'd made the necessary cuts. Most of all, I couldn't help thinking, "Am I really that bad at writing?"

In any case, receiving detailed feedback has helped me see my writing more clearly. Now, as I read my work, I can almost guess what the notes are going to say because I'm starting to pick out the problematic bits myself. The metaphorical scissors have come out and I am running with them, cutting chunks of text all over the place, and it doesn't break my heart to do it. Not even a little bit. In fact, it feels liberating not to be so precious about every single word. I can look at it now and think, "This bit's too rambly and repetitive" or "This word isn't necessary". I'm making every word work hard for its place on the page.

I cut a huge section out of my first chapter. I thought was important, but it slowed the pace too much; not the best way to open a story. Before I started I thought, "How the Hell am I going to do this?" but, by the time I'd finished, I felt like I could do anything. I thought I was going to lose a lot of the readers' empathy for one of the main characters through cutting an emotional flashback scene. My feedback on the revision was that their empathy actually increased and the readers found it easier to follow.

It's funny, when we first start out, we don't realise the importance of being concise. We think our purple prose makes us sound clever, but it doesn't. It makes us sound really boring and pretentious. We need to save our flowery language for poetry.

If, like me, you've been writing your first book, you might feel a bit daunted by the prospect of editing. I guess some people will like it and others will loathe it. I always thought I'd fall into the second category, but the joy I get from tightening up a chapter, getting rid of all the crap that doesn't need to be there, has surprised me. It's actually bordering on fun, and I can see my own progress. I am becoming a better writer. I know I can get this novel up to scratch, despite my previous misgivings.

So, if you get some feedback that disappoints you or you get told you need to cut a great deal of your work, don't panic. It's definitely not the end of the world and you can still make it work if you can learn from those mistakes. I wish you the best of luck, whatever stage you're at, and I'd love to hear from you about your works in progress in the comments.

For me, it's time to get the scissors back out!

V.

Editing, Editing, Editing.

May is here and, as promised, I have resumed editing my first book. And what a mess it is, too. I'm so embarrassed to have sent it to beta readers in its current state.

We all know how easy it is to overlook mistakes when we've been looking at our own work for too long. I think, because we know what it's supposed to say, our brains skip over the obvious errors and they're left unnoticed. It takes fresh eyes to pick them out.

 I did not have even remotely fresh eyes when racing against the clock to get my story finished by the new year. In hindsight, making myself rush was not a good idea. If there's one takeaway from this post, let it be this: Have a "holiday" from your work before you give it the final check. You'll be surprised what you've missed the first few hundred times you looked at it. Also, every time you change something, double and triple-check that too. There's an embarrassing number of instances where I've changed something and put in an extra full stop and other such silliness.

It's not a beta reader's job to pick up on these daft little errors. It's not their job to spot typos or shoddy writing. Their job is to tell you how the story reads as a whole. Their feedback should be about stuff like reader engagement levels, if any characters don't seem believable or if some areas of the plot are lacking something.

I've "beta read" (pretty much rewritten) a piece of work for someone before. It's really easy to get drawn into giving detailed notes on something that's nowhere near ready for the publisher's desk. I couldn't help it. I just couldn't bear to let someone attempt to publish something with so many fundamental flaws. Also, as a matter of pride, I couldn't pretend I didn't notice them because what would that have said about my level of expertise?

The work we hand over to beta readers is supposed to be just one small step away from being submitted for publishing. It's supposed to be polished. I knew that, but I still managed to inadvertently turn over a piece that wasn't. There's no way I can let that happen again.

So, now I'm putting things right with some very helpful feedback from beta readers and my own insights, having taken a break from this project for a while.

So far, I haven't said much on here about this project. I've mentioned it's a fantasy novel, but nothing much beyond that. It's probably about time I shared a little bit about exactly what it is I'm working on here. It's titled "Prophecy" and is the first part of a series called "The Errthenshore Tales." Here's a little blurb, not necessarily the one I'll submit to literary agents. It's just something I drafted up today:

Errthenshore, home of the elves, has been a place of peace and contentment for centuries until Prince Serel and his human army sail across the Silverkrin Sea to take it as their own. A prophecy foretells that Lady Marienel of Netheril is the key to saving the land from its invaders. She must set aside her uncertainties and rise to the challenge to save her home and her people- but will it cost her life?

Peasant woman, Suzea Truvo, suffers a personal tragedy. At a time when she feels most vulnerable, she must choose between committing treason against the prince and betraying her conscience.

My main objective here is to create some strong female characters who are the heroes of their own stories. It's something that's likely to become a feature of all my future projects. The characters are the most important part of my story. The plot is very character-driven and, like most authors, I am pouring a great deal of myself into it.

Strength is one virtue which I've often felt I lack, though some people tell me different. I've created some role models for myself in this book. These ladies have felt weak and unable to face the tasks ahead of them, but allow themselves to grow and acquire a power they never realised they had.

I'm still inspired when I read about such women in books and see them in films. They are there, but we have some way to go before we're portrayed evenly with men as heroes. I hope, in the future, my work will help tip those scales, even just a little bit closer to equilibrium.

But first, let's get this thing polished. Properly, this time.

V.

The Scariness of the Social Media Platform.

So, at long last, I've got around to setting up social media accounts for my writing. I now have Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages up and running. It took me long enough!

Although time was a barrier, particularly with trying to hit my target for NaNoWriMo in April, there's been a great deal of fear holding me back too. The social media side of things can be a huge undertaking for a blogger who wants to stay well-connected with their readers, and I seriously wonder whether I'm up to that task. I suppose time will tell.

My biggest fear is of failing for all to see. Now I can't pretend my blog (and, therefore, my writing progress) is only seen by two people at most. That's a scary prospect, but maybe it's just the kind of accountability I need to get shit done.

On Monday, I also found the courage to advertise my blog on a couple of writers' groups on Facebook. One person commented that she loved it and was saving the address to visit regularly. That absolutely made my day because I almost didn't advertise it at all, scared that a blog all about my inexperience and general lack of direction would seem laughable to other writers.

I do have this tendency to be quite self-deprecating, as you've probably noticed. My default setting is to assume I'm the inferior one of the bunch. Going into these writers' groups, I convinced myself they'd be full of published and self-published authors, seasoned and accomplished in the game. There are loads of those, I'm not going to lie, but there are also lots of beginners. This mixture of different levels is great, making for a fantastic support network for all.

In case you're curious, the two groups are called 'The Writer's Link' and 'The Inner Circle Writers' Group.' From what I've seen so far, most people seem pretty kind and constructive with their feedback towards others. There has been only one occasion over the past week or so when I've seen someone slag off another person's work without offering any useful pointers. Yes, it needed a lot of work, but to say something is terrible without any further comment or advice on how to improve isn't helpful; it's just unkind.

I'm always of the opinion that feedback on work should be constructive or not given at all. I've left a group before after standing up against this kind of thing. I realised the anger I was feeling on someone else's behalf was taking up headspace I just didn't have, so I walked. This time, I'll have to watch myself and make sure my sense of fair play doesn't interfere with my inner peace. Whatever we do, some people are always going to be dickheads over social media; it's the nature of the beast. The last thing I want is to be drawn into a keyboard war. I had enough of that to last me a lifetime when I was younger.

I don't live for social media. Granted, I can't see myself ever giving it up entirely, nor can I see myself not checking Facebook at least twice a day. But I'm not someone who enjoys putting a running commentary of my life on there either, and I like to limit the amount of time I spend scrolling through my news feed. As such, I think this is going to be a bit of a challenge.

It's not just about taking a couple of minutes a day to post my own stuff, after all. It's about using it as a networking tool for when I finally get my book(s) out there and helping other people do the same. That means connecting with people, reading their posts, clicking their links, joining their discussions etc. I'm quite looking forward to that. I say all the time I love seeing other people's creative stuff. And there has to be some give and take. You can't expect anyone in the business to support your work if you're not willing to support anyone else's.

My one concern is getting the balance right and fitting it all into the schedule without neglecting other important things. I guess it'll be a learning curve and I'll figure it out along the way.

If you're already following me on social media, thank you. If not, please do. Shares of my pages and/or blog posts are also greatly appreciated. And, if you have a page, I'll reciprocate.

You can find links to my social media pages on my profile.
                   

Much love.

V.