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Social Media Meltdown: Tackling Burnout (for Writers)

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WEBB

Being accessible online has become a mainstay for writers today (or author-preneurs, as I like to call us). Sometimes it’s a lot of fun chatting with people, seeing their pictures of their travels or their children, hearing about good news from our colleagues. Getting to know our readers. But it can also be a thorn in the paw and cause some serious issues, like these:

  1. Serious disruption to our creative brains when we need to be living in our protagonist’s world
  2. Become a major time-suck
  3. Increase our anxiety levels

Speaking of anxiety, I have to admit, I’ve been finding myself increasingly anxious after spending time on social media, though in general, I enjoy using it. This anxiety is probably because, oh, a few things in the world are “in flux,” shall we say, like these: [Read more…]

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On Getting It and Showing Up

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There’s a popular quote floating around on the interwebs, stating that “comparison is the thief of joy.” I've never found a rock-solid origin for that quote, although it is most frequently attributed to Theodore Roosevelt. Frankly, I think it sounds a little too touchy-feely to have come from the uber-manly 26th US president, who likely would have said something more along the lines of "Comparison is the enemy, and I have whipped its sorry butt with a really big stick." Regardless of its … [Read more...]

Writing on a Boat, with a Goat: Navigating an Evolving Writing Process

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As I sit in the Chicago airport during a layover on my way to the Sundance Film Festival (headed to meet up with our very own Queen of Writer Unboxed, Therese Walsh!), I’m pondering the way my writing routine has changed. If you’d asked me a few years ago if I could write at a stand-up counter in the airport with hoards of people streaming on either side of me, I would have laughed. If you had asked me where and how my most important writing takes place, I would have said quietly, at my desk, or … [Read more...]

Wherein We Resume Our Discussion Regarding Evil

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Any quasi-sentient being who’s been paying attention to recent news has encountered frequent if not exuberant usage of that uniquely evocative word, “evil.” The assassination of Qesem Suleimani alone has brought forth the word with impressive regularity, ironically not just to describe the decedent but also those responsible for his death. The fact the word can be employed in such diametrically opposing ways suggests more than just moral relativism or ethical facility. It points out that, … [Read more...]

A New Year Brings Fresh Author Envy

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“Okay, I’m a little, teeny bit jealous of a few writers,” I admitted to another debut author via the anonymity of Facebook Messenger. “I am SOOOO jealous,” she typed back. Behind the confessional curtain of social media, we could whisper that ugly truth. We even conceded we’d been jealous of each other from time to time. Once I began opening up to more of my writer friends, many revealed mild annoyances, burning secret resentments, and even crippling envy. Still, everyone stressed they … [Read more...]

Become a Good Literary Citizen

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I recently shared a post on Twitter about a friend who won a writing contest. I was excited for him. Sharing his news seemed like an obvious move. Author Cai Emmons responded to my post with a simple comment: "You are a great literary citizen." I got a bit choked up when I read her comment, which seemed silly, even to me. Why did her response matter so much to me? I thought about Cai’s comment a lot over the next few days. It mattered because I cannot control what people think of my … [Read more...]

Things I Forget to Remember: Writing Can Be Uncomfortable

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My sixteen-year-old, 5'7" 105-pound son has found his sport: Cross Country. And holy singlets and short-shorts, are XC meets ever fun! We parents stake out our viewing spots at the starting line, then at the crack of the gun, we hold our breath as the mob bursts forth. We cheer and scream, searching for our own fast-skinny sons amid the herd, such a knobby-kneed-and-elbowed wave of boys. The moment our sons sprint past, we beeline for viewing point #2 for our next glimpse of the runners, after … [Read more...]

Tips for Writing a Great Love Story 

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Romance novels get a bad rap, and yet, at the very core of human existence is the need to be loved, to belong, and to find a mate. What is it about romance that makes some sneer? Even Nicholas Sparks has said he doesn't write romance, he writes love stories, or so I've heard. We can sneer all we like, but romance or romantic stories have an enormous readership and are often some of the most poignant books on the market. Personally, I find romances (especially twisty, angsty ones) to be some of … [Read more...]

Things I Forget to Remember: Writing Is an Act of Faith

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I have an idea! Let’s play a game of Word Association. You give me a random word or phrase, and I’ll say the first thing that comes to mind. Ready? Go. Snail: mobile home  Simone Biles: dynamite Jumping jacks: I pee my pants just a little Royalty: Toni Morrison Chocolate: yes Red lipstick: Grandma Jackie Grandma Marge: Coors Light Armadillo: Steel Magnolias Work-in-progress: nightmare-bitchslapped-torture-surrender-abandon-despair-HELP! I know. That’s a long … [Read more...]

My Boss is a Pushover

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I’ve been a little stressed at work lately because there's a big project due. There’s no firm deadline, but it’s clearly my top priority to finish it, and there’s a lot riding on its successful completion. Yet every day I end up working on secondary tasks, not the big project. They're easier. And it's rewarding to cross several concrete items off the to-do list not just inch a millimeter down an enormous task list for a single project. The lower priority projects also have less at stake. The … [Read more...]

Creation Is Messy–And That’s Okay

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Late last summer I ran down to the basement to throw on a load of laundry before meeting a friend for coffee…and stepped, ankle-deep, into my own private paddling pool. I jumped back up onto the bottom step and tried to absorb everything at once: the odd, reflected light in the room; the way my basement carpet rose and fell like the rolling hills of my Scottish childhood landscape; and—oh no!—the roar of cold water gushing out of the main pipe. The next few days were filled with a rush of … [Read more...]

Soothing Words for Bad Reviews

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Please welcome bestselling author Randy Susan Meyers to Writer Unboxed today! Randy's latest novel, WAISTED, tackles the hot and important topic of body image. More about Randy from her bio. Randy Susan Meyers' novels are informed by over twenty years working with criminal offenders and families impacted by emotional and physical violence. With Waisted she tackles an issue both personal and political: body image. Reviewing Waisted, Booklist wrote "Meyers exquisitely explores body image, … [Read more...]

The Power of Writerly Kindness

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Pull up a chair, pour a cup of tea, and get comfy. I'd like to talk about kindness in the writing community. I don't mean retweeting to give each other a boost or following a stranger back to be courteous. I'm talking about profound kindness that settles in your chest and warms you on cold, lonely days. As writers, we are accustomed to hearing stories of crushed hopes, long shots, and tales of glorious success. We lean in to listen to them all. Stories of rejection make us feel less alone. We … [Read more...]

I Don’t Believe in Diabetes

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Please help me perform an experiment. Re-read the title of this post, and ask yourself: What if somebody said those five words - "I don't believe in diabetes" - to you? What if they followed it up with something like this? "People should just eat less sugar." I suspect you might consider that remark insensitive, or stupid, or uninformed, or simply wrong. I also suspect that none of you would ever actually say something like that - particularly to a person diagnosed as being diabetic. After … [Read more...]