Pound those keys...

[Sam Reaves]

Here we go: I should, of course, be writing a novel. But I'm writing a blog post instead. Is it crucial promotional work or only an avoidance strategy, like my elaborate coffee rituals? Maybe a little of both. I'm hoping it can serve as a sort of warm-up exercise, a way to get the words flowing. Sometimes writing is easy, and sometimes it's hard, and recently it's been hard. I need to get back into that zone, where you sit down at the keyboard and feel around for the voice, and all of a sudden it's there, and a novel comes out. I've struggled recently with career frustration, doubts about my work, disruptions and distractions and the need to make a living. It's gotten harder just to sit down at the keyboard.
I'm new to the world of blogs and lists and ThisSpace and ThatSpace, having recently become convinced that the online world is my only hope for exposure, as the traditional media continue to maintain an almost total blackout with regard to my work. (Not that I'm complaining-- there's no crying in this business. There's a lot of competition and competition is what makes us better.) The potential is exciting-- I've been convinced for a long time that the traditional grind of driving endlessly around to appearances at deserted bookstores is absolutely not cost-effective in time or money. But I'm also finding that the online world can absorb a lot of time and writing energy. It can become just another distraction.
So I'm going to leave it at that for now. I've got a novel to write. Thanks for taking a look at this, and drop me a line if you have a second. It's good to know I'm not alone...
Sam