You may have noticed it’s been a little quiet around here lately. So it’s time for an update along with some excuses and the latest news!
Progress on my next novel has been slower than anticipated (the sequel to Where Carpets Fly). This is partly because it’s turning out to be more complex than I thought it would, and partly because I’m struggling for time. The day job has really ramped up in the last six months (company merger) and I’ve had to deal with a lack of mental energy from coping with that. However, progress is being made and each draft is closer to the final draft!
I also seem to have been spreading myself rather thinly since publishing my first novel. There is soooo much to take in when you’re an indie author. Marketing, multiple social media accounts, side projects, blogging, etc. It’s frustrating when you know what you want to do (and arguably need to do to improve your market presence etc.) but other aspects of life mean you just don’t have the time to do everything. It’s difficult to work out which activities are the most important (or on the 80/20 principle – which 20% of activities lead to 80% of the progress).
Anyway, it’s the same for all of us, and quite frankly, I need my sleep, so I do the best I can. With that in mind, if you ever want to find me elsewhere, here are the places I’m currently most active online:
Instagram: Follow bits of my everyday life on Instagram. I warn you though, it’s mostly pet pics, nature pics, and the odd interesting British tourist type thing. Plus sometimes books I’m reading or promotions.
Medium: I’ve started posting short fiction on Medium – a sort of blogging/magazine type platform. If you enjoy reading flash fiction (less than 1,000 words) it’s a great place to check out. A lot of Medium content is non-fiction, but there is a growing fiction base and a lot of publications that support fiction submissions. I particularly recommend checking out Lit Up. There is a paywall on Medium, but some posts are ‘public’, and everyone can read three members-only pieces per month. Check out my story Dark Shadow as a starter for ten!
Goodreads: Even when I’m not writing, I’m always reading. I keep lists of all the books I’m reading on Goodreads, and then rate and review a fair proportion of them.
Twitter: I’m semi-active here at the moment, and I’ve been using it to link to Medium quite a lot. But I think it’s a great place for interacting with other writers so I always check at least daily, even if I don’t post very much. When I get time, I play writer games like #1lineWed and #WIPTruthorDare.
JLWriters.com: This is my writing group website. My work here is more behind the scenes, but do check out the blog as there are lots of great guest posts and articles from members of my writing group.
So there you have it. A brief look into what I’m up to at the moment. Do stop by my other internet hangouts and say hi! And I will still be checking into Magic Writer when I can with my news, reviews, and fun new releases from my friends. See you around 🙂