Writing, Critiquing and Blogging — Oh My!

Whew! Well, I’m falling a bit behind in my blogging schedule, but it’s certainly not for lack of topics. My head is always swimming with a million things I want to write about. Since I’m on Twitter all day (for work), I see a gazillion links, articles, photos, blog posts, youTube videos, trending topics, and twitpics that tempt me each day … it’s a veritable information overload. Meanwhile, my brother-in-law is sending me health and news clips, my editor-in-chief is sending me links, my husband is sending me interesting food and diet articles, my coworker Amanda has this long list of interesting news bytes … ayeeee … Sometimes I drive home and just blast the radio and try to turn my brain off.

But sometimes … I don’t.

Sometimes I write in the car.

And sometimes I write on my lunch break.

And I’m writing like crazy every night. I’m still making tweaks to the manuscript that’s supposed to be done (and that I’m not supposed to be messing with right now). I’m still opening the file of the next book every day and wondering if I should jump in. Meanwhile, I’m critiquing my friend Patti’s novel for at least an hour every night, and then I need to take a look at another friend’s outline. Then I’m blogging once a week for Health Bistro while I’m blogging for the Mizwrite blog here, plus blogging once a month at Popculturedivas. …

I think I’m actually, officially, in over my head. And I’m starting to feel a tad overwhelmed. (Which is a lot for a former newspaper girl to admit!)

But maybe that’s just me today. …

So I’ll quit complaining and just tell you that I still want to do the Mad Men post, and still want to do the Time Traveler’s Wife post, and still want to write about the beta read, and still want to write about going to the Pageant of the Masters this weekend, and still want to talk about spouses who are patient over their loved ones’ writing obsessions …

But tonight? Deep sigh … Need to work on a deadline post. …

Tell me, those of you who are blogger-writer-critiquer-reader-reviewers … how do you keep up with everything?

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0 thoughts on “Writing, Critiquing and Blogging — Oh My!

  1. It’s really hard. Like you, there seems to be so much to do and so much to write about that sometimes I just don’t write about any of it. It’s just too much so I put up a video. I’m feeling overwhelmed too. I think I need a mini-break.

  2. Ok well I don’t wear that many hats, but I do have a dayjob and I write and I have two kids and pets, and I twitter and there’s two group blogs I’m involved in.

    Honest to God, I’m one of those peeps who will freak the heck out all over the place if I get too overwhelmed so when it starts, I tend to try and pull back away from the “extras” so I can concentrate on the important stuff–with this summer, it was my kids. I told a friend of mine the other day that you’d think, with them being teenagers (IE self-sufficient/able to cook a pizza), it’d be easier but it’s not. If anything it’s harder now than it was when they were watching Barney and coloring on the walls. Blogging, for me, is usually one of the first things to go…that and Twitter. I have NO trouble taking time off from both. And again, I know some peeps who THRIVE on stretching themselves thin but I sure as hell ain’t one of ’em 😀

  3. wow. you captured my day, too! (except the critiquing a friend’s novel part). I have pages in my books on links, trends, analytics, ideas and thoughts to follow up on, and by Friday night, I wonder if I should just start all over. Twitter does offer so much great info, but it does become information overload, too. And following them, plus blogs and forums, makes the day insane. Maybe, just maybe I’ll get back to my blog, lol. I can hope 🙂

  4. That made my brain hurt.

    I’ll never know how you juggle it all, Laurie! You always manage to get it all done, even with a smile on your face.

    And I’ll be waiting for your post about the Time Traveler’s Wife. 🙂

  5. Oh hun,

    I don’t. My method is to never be behind in the same area. If I fell behind on my blog last week, I do that first.

    Does it work? Sometimes. : ) Sometimes I’m behind in the housework for weeks and weeks (and counting).

    Today I need to email several people, work on a cover letter for a partial, blog, write, resist opening the file for the new book because then I’ll never finish the one I’m writing now…. you get the idea.

    Prioritize and then do what you can and remember to rotate. : )

  6. Oh, wow, thank you, ladies! These all actually made me feel better because they made me feel like I’m not the only crazy person trying to do everything.

    Kwana — I can practically hear the exhaustion in your voice. If you end up taking a mini-break, we will understand. Have you ever thought of having a week or two of guest bloggers (your commenters or some of your blogroll folks)? You seem to have a loyal following that might make that happen.

    Amie — Welcome. Your line about “self-sufficient, i.e., able to cook a pizza” made me laugh for some reason. But I think that’s an awesome decision that you gave up things to spend more summer time with your kids. You’ll definitely never regret that! Excellent advice.

    lhw — Yes, I see you on Twitter, and I can tell you’re busy, too, gathering all that health info and sharing it with people who need it. The health community is neat on Twitter, though, huh? But information overload, yes …

  7. Amanda! Hello! Did you come here to share MORE information with me??? ha, ha … the very coworker I mentioned with all the health bytes. … Thanks, though, for your compliment, and yes, we’ll have to discuss TTW. …

    Crystal — Yes, another busy girl. I saw you say on Twitter recently that you were catching up with your blog reading and down to the last 667 blogs! : ) Funny. But I hear ya’. So many good posts to read, so little time. …

    Shawna — Your day sounds exactly like mine! (Especially the part about resisting the new book file — abso-LUTE-ly what I did today.) Your advice is great, though — thanks. I like the concept of “rotating.” 🙂 At least then I wouldn’t feel like I’m completely abandoning an area that feels important.

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