I figured out how to keep up with my social networking without it taking over my life.
Every morning when I fire up my laptop to read the “paper” I go to email, Twitter and Facebook first, in that order. I subscribe to my friends and colleagues’ blogs so I get updates via email, and I comment to let them know their voice is being heard. I’m using Twitter more, and while everybody has their own preferences, I’m finding it to be more intimate than FB. I guess if you were following a thousand peeps that wouldn’t be the case, but I’ve winnowed my list to the folks who have something to say in relation to my interests (writing, mindfulness, and tech, to name three). I am finding that I learn the most from Twitter (example: Roger Parker wrote today in PersonalBrandingBlog about ten common myths about publishing your novel. Thanks to Joanna Penn at The Creative Penn for that link.)
I’ve been able to do my “netting” in about a half hour morning and evening. Let me know what works for you?
I sympathize with A Broad Abroad. It sounds like my complaints about lack of time. But I’m coming around to Lynn’s point of view. We have to schedule the time to network just as we schedule time to write. Otherwise, when our books come out, no one will know or care.
FrankieRobertson.wordpress.com
Thanks for the comment, Frankie. It’s just a part of the writing life, like doing research or buying supplies.
Hi Lynn, and everyone else who has the “networking” monkey on their back. At times I want to just chuck everything and head for a happy hour that serves “pain killers” in the morning hours. Write? Network? Facebook? Twitter? Quilt? Read? Emails? Phone calls? How in the ^&)^ are we ever to get anything done. I’ve left off the mundane task of house cleaning, grocery shopping, bill paying, because those things are trivial, and I can just keep my doors locked and eat cereal, and toss the bills. But writing is what we have in our DNA and that’s what we have to do..above all else! Right? Well, maybe a few other things in between, but so far I’ve not been able to find the “in between.”
I do my netting during lunch breaks. i don’t let anything eat into my writing time, its an appointment you keep with yourself
I, too, have decided the only way to tame this beast is to put a muzzle around its mouth and refuse to let it gobble up my precious writing time!
When it’s time to write, I FORCE myself to stay off the Internet, to wait until my writing time is spent and then to check e-mail, blogs, etc. It requires a GREAT deal of mind-over-matter, but stretching that resolve makes the next time easier — and it feels so wonderful to come away accomplished (even if the writing part sucks and all I do is the self-discipline part!)
Lynne,
As I am shaking my head in agreement with all your practical suggestions, I am bookmarking and subscribing to your wonderful, useful,”gotta have” links, further adding to my list of things to do…
Actually, I find your suggestions to set a “netting” schedule to be very useful. Will let you know how it works
Thanks for the post.
Kathy