A Balancing Act

I’ve been feeling a little…restless lately. About my writing. And I think I’ve finally figured out what the problem is: I’m not doing enough of it.

When I started writing again, after college, I was pleasantly surprised to discover how much I (still) loved it. I lived for those few hours I had every day during my son’s naps, that brightly wrapped bundle of time that was just for writing. We didn’t have an internet connection at home back then--and I didn’t know much about writerly blogs and forums and websites, anyway--so every spare minute I had, I wrote. And it was glorious. It was writing for writing’s sake, and I loved it. Loved. It.

But then I finished that book and made my first foray into Queryland--and discovered an entire online universe dedicated to the creation and distribution of the written word. It sucked me right in, starting with my inbox: I wasted so much thought wondering/worrying about what might be going on in there that I had very little brain power left for plotting or creating new characters. Then agent blogs started commandeering not only my thought processes but my time. Then my own blog staked its claim. Before long, I was, well, not writing much. And even when I was--am--writing, I’m thinking more about my e-mail and Blogger accounts than I am about the words I’m putting up on the screen.

A lot of blogging writers come to this realization, I think, and we all have to find the balance that works best for us. The problem is, my balance is no longer working for me. So in an effort to adjust my equilibrium, I’m going on a writing extravaganza over the next week. For the next six or seven days, I’m going to take (almost) all of my internetting time and convert it to writing time.

My goal is to hit Bob’s 46,000-word mark, 5,000 more words than I have now, by the time I give you my next (work-in-) progress report. I’ve actually been meeting the goal I set for myself at the beginning of the year, which is great, but I want to up the stakes. I want all of this internet business to be secondary to my actual writing. I want to be more excited about writing than anything I might be doing online.

Which is not to say I don’t enjoy this whole blog thing and having all you lovely people around. Because I do. I really needed the connections and friendships I’ve made. And I’m still planning to post another agent interview at the end of this week. I just need to find a better balance. I’m sure you understand.