Returning to Social Media

Okay, so you’ll need to bear with me. This is my first blog. I’m sure years from now, I’ll look back at this and wonder, who wrote this? At least, I hope I have that insight and chance years from now. I have to admit. I’m a little intimidated by social media. I pretty much shut down from it about six years ago with a plan to focus all of my writing time on finishing my book. Well, now that I’ve finished it, (HALLELUJAH!) I realized, and I’ve also been advised by some very wise people, a really great way to let people know about the book (and that it’s being published - Snoopy dance!) and for readers to know more about me, is to go back to social media. Writing a blog. Hmm, not too daunting right? Of course, social media has changed more than a little bit in the six years I’ve been away. I probably should have stayed on so I would have a better clue of what I’m doing. (Insert an old saying here about hindsight being 20/20.) Yeah, well, I’m learning. Slowly, but I’m getting there.

I’ve been having a hard time deciding just what to blog about. What can I possibly say that’s remotely interesting to anyone? There are millions of blogs out there. Millions of subjects and topics and people who are probably a lot more interesting than me. Then the lightbulb went off, or out depending on my brain. My blog doesn’t have to reach 486 million people in a day (even though that would be spectacular). It just has to be something that comes from my heart and in the off chance it strikes a chord with someone else, then it has served its purpose. Kinda like any book you read. There are different genres for a reason people. Romance may be your thing, while alien zombie fairies riding on the backs of mutant frogs taking over the world don’t quite move ya. It’s a matter of preference.

Anyway, I got even more confirmation of this same premise at lunch today. A wise man told me to remember not to compare myself to others. He said we all have a different path. Different experiences. Different lives. No two lives are the same. What I may deem normal probably isn’t for someone else. And this seems to apply to everything. Writing for me has been a totally different experience than it has for others. I’m a pantser, where many are plotters. (Do you know how long it took me to figure out those terms?) It seems every time I try to plot out a story, I can never finish it. But when I just sit down and fly by the seams of my Levis, the story writes itself.

So, if you are a writer, and you are reading this (I hope someone is) remember, don’t compare yourself to others. Just write what feels right to you, keep searching for inspiration and for goodness sake, keep writing. Keep hoping and keep dreaming. I did and now six years later my debut novel, The Christmas Tree Guy, will be published just in time for the holidays (NOVEMBER 2014). I’m back social media. Let’s get reacquainted.

Railyn