Spend Your Social Time Wisely

Okay, so if you haven't been over to Shelli Johannes-Wells' blog, you haven't lived. Srsly. Go. Follow. She's got some advice about querying today, and I've got some marketing advice from her.

Without further ado...

Spend your Social Time Wisely

Before you jump into a social media channel, ask yourself:
1. What do you want to get out of it?
2. What are the best 1 or 2 ways you can do this? What channel?
3. Will you participate and how often?
4. How much time do you want to spend?

Twitter

• Use tweetdeck to organize tweets – You can also add in a column from Facebook News Feed!
• Set up groups
• Keep it open
• Retweet posts
• Respond to DMs
• Auto feed to FB and Blog

Facebook

• Glance through Newsfeed periodically
• Check wall for comments
• Respond to direct messages

Blog

• Prepare posts in advance
• Create short posts
• Choose which days you will post – 3 days is good (Mon / Wed / Fri)
• Respond to commenters
• Schedule guests posts or a day for questions
• Plan an allotted time to visit other blogs. Or you can set # of blogs I will visit and comment on 10 blogs a day)

Other tips

• Set an alarm and do it all in an allotted time before you stop. Do this a few times a day.
• Focus on one application a day – twitter Tuesdays, Facebook Fridays, etc
• Tackle one at a time. Get established on one before you start another
• Be creative
• Establish a routine
• Use your mobile devices to check in - while in line or waiting in carpool

Excellent advice, Shelli! These sound like simple things that anyone can do at any stage of their career. Thanks for stopping by!

So what do you guys think? Do you use all these social mediums? Which ones do you like best? Why?

And here's just me being nosy. Or inquiring. Or whatever. How much time do you think you spend in social networking each week? Just wondering...

Query Letter Writing - The Dreaded Middle

First we interrupt this blog to say "Holy brown cows, Batman!! Over 100 comments yesterday?"

There will be prizes for that. Like 100 prizes, don't you think? There's a couple problems with this idea. 1. I'm not what you would call a millionaire. 2. What could I give away to say I love you with all my heart without landing me in the poor house? Thoughts? Cuz you guys so deserve something.

And onto the real post for today.

Okay, so we've gone over the first and last sentence. The first and last paragraphs. Now all you need to do is flesh out the middle.

This is where some of you wedge yourself in a swamp, so take heed. I mean, nobody wants more fat in their middle, right? Right.

Some tips to keep your query lean and mean.

1. Limit the number of characters you name. I think a good number is 1-2 more, if necessary. You've got your MC, and probably a secondary MC. I name both of those in mine. I might or might not name the villain and that's it. We don't need the full cast, it simply takes up too much room and weighs us down with unneeded proper nouns.

2. Get to the conflict and the consequence. Don't bog us down in the unnecessary. We don't need to know everything in the query. Just the bare bones, the main plot to the major consequence (which is why I recommend writing the query before the book). So stick with that.

Use a sentence or two for the setup. Then lay out the major conflict. Note how I said major. What does your MC have to lose? Give me that, and really give it to me.

Then answer: What happens if your MC doesn't overcome the conflict? That's called a consequence. Leave me hanging off a cliff, salivating to read more. Oh yeah. Like that. (Some of you don't ever get to the consequence. It's omitted for some reason. What that reason is, I have no idea. You've got to lay out the consequence, okay? Okay.)

3. I swear I had three bullet points when I was in the shower, but now I can't think of it. Like, at all. Dangitall.

Here's my full query blurb (181 words - Janet Reid would be proud). I made the middle bold.

In a world where Thinkers brainwash the population and Rules are not meant to be broken, fifteen-year-old Violet Schoenfeld does a hell of a job shattering them to pieces.

After committing her eighth crime (walking in the park after dark with a boy, gasp!), Vi is taken to the Green, a group of Thinkers who control the Goodgrounds. She’s found unrehabilitatable (yeah, she doesn’t think it’s a word either) and exiled to the Badlands—until she demonstrates her brainwashing abilities. That earns her a one-way trip to appear before the Association of Directors.

Yeah, right. Like that’s gonna happen. She busts out of prison with sexy Bad boy Jag Barque, who also has no intention of fulfilling his lame sentence.

Dodging Greenies and hovercopters, dealing with absent-father issues, and coming to terms with feelings for an ex-boyfriend—and Jag as a possible new one—leave Vi little time for much else. Which is too damn bad, because she’s more important than she realizes. When secrets about her “dead” sister and not-so-missing father hit the fan, Vi must make a choice: control or be controlled.

Next week: Capturing the voice in your query. Seriously, if you can craft a good first and last sentence, nail your opening and closing paragraphs, and keep the middle slim, all you need is the voice and your query will be a winner!

Confessions

First off, I should stop writing my blog posts when I'm angry/depressed/revising/hungry/working/up too late. Wait. That's all the time. So yeah. I apologize to you, my dearest readers, for taking out my...whatevers here on the blog.

Anyway, today is confession day here at the Elana Johnson blog.

Mine?

I hate (hate hate) how Twitter makes me feel like an utter and complete loser/outsider.

There, I said it.

Twitter is by far my least-favorite social medium. Because there's all these people that you "know" and they're all having these exclusive conversations with each other. Not you. Oh, no. You're not funny/smart/famous enough. You haven't been to NYC. You haven't been to SCBWI-LA. You don't vlog. You're a loser!

So there. There's my confession. I don't like Twitter. And as irrational as my feelings may be, I hate how I feel like a freaky sixteen-year-old who doesn't fit in with the cool crowd on Twitter.

I adore the #kidlitchat and the #YAlitchat on Twitter. And last week, we dished about social media. One of the big things that I swear I knew, but don't do, is that you should do what you love. Love blogging? (Yes.) Do that. Twitter? (No.) Don't do that.

So I'm going to be taking that advice. I might still lurk on Twitter, but as soon as I feel the I'm-a-loser vibe coming on, I'm closing it down. Sound good?

What about you? Do you like Twitter? Hate it? In between? What else do you feel like you need to get off your chest today?

Confess.

They're Just Words

Full credit for this topic goes to my crit buddy and personal oxygen tank, Christine Fonseca.

We were chatting last week. Basically, I was freaking out, as per my usual, and...well, I'll just copy and paste the transcript of the chat. I'd just gotten a critique and my wall had gone up. Remember that wall? Yeah, I'm breaking that down brick by painful, heavy brick.

me: Things I can probably do in a few hours.
Christine: way to move past the "funk"....
:D
me: And she wants part two, which I guess is good, right?
Christine: Very good!!
No major suckage!
me: Part three is a train wreck, so...
Christine: I love your confidence....
all fixable...
they are just words!
right?
me: They are just words!!
Holy crap!
I never realized that!
Christine: LOL!
me: Ah, my chest is expanding the right way now.
Toldja you're like oxygen.
Christine: very very good......
me: <3
Christine: and you are very sweet to say so....
okay -
so 20/5?
me: Yes. 20/5
go!

And then we work for 20 minutes on our MSs and then chat for 5. Okay, maybe like 15, but whatev. I could breathe again.

So srsly, they're just words. You can move them around. Change them. Delete them. Manipulate them until you have them in just the right order and saying exactly what you want.

So don't be afraid of those words! After all, they're just inanimate objects. Don't get attached to them. And don't worry if they suck! You can change them.

And that's how I broke down my wall. What has powered you through your writing? How are those words flowing for you?

You Know You Need A Break When...

You get mad for no discernable reason, other than Blockbuster called with a "friendly reminder" that your movie rental is now three days late.

One second everything's fine, and the next you're about to cry.

You eat out 3 nights in a row.

You have so many emails, the new ones go onto the next page.

You can't watch American Idol because you can't stand to watch the heartbreak of rejection.

You've been wearing the headphones for three hours and haven't heard a single song--because you forgot to turn on iTunes.

Your MS is in pieces and you're about to throw the laptop through the sliding glass door. Oh, and you're over your word count. Again.

The sun hasn't been shining in a week. Srsly, winter. END.

Your daughter has inherited your unibrow. Dang genetics dooming her to a life of Bert-dom and/or painful hot wax treatments.

You actually care that your daughter has inherited your unibrow. In fact, this is cry-worthy.

You lay in bed reading at all hours of the day. In your pajamas.

You buy a can of those "garnish" French-fried onion things and eat them for a meal.


How do you unwind/find yourself/achieve balance/etc. when you have days/weeks/months like this? And this totally wasn't my week, in case any of you were wondering. I know this other girl who has a unibrow. It's sexy. *wink*

But I will be taking a break gone until Monday. Have a loverly weekend!

Query Letter Writing - First and Last

Last week, I went over how to write your first and last sentences in your query blurb. In a bare bones query, with the first and last paragraph, you could send your query out later this afternoon. So the next step in the query letter writing process is crafting the first and last paragraph.

Let's examine.

First paragraph: Opinions vary on this, but I opened with a sentence about why I was writing the agent. Anything from basic: "I think you'd be interested in my young adult dystopian novel."

to more personalized:

"I read on your website that you're looking for "young adult fiction with strong female leads." Because of this, I believe you'd be interested in my young adult novel."

That's all you need for the opener.**

Closing paragraph: After the blurb, I give the title, the genre, and the word count. (I also compare my novel to similar titles. I've heard some say NOT to do this, but I went George and did it.) Include a brief bio. And an invitation to request more.

Like this:

"A dystopian novel for young adults [genre], CONTROL ISSUES [title] is complete at 75,000 words [word count]. Fans of Lois Lowry’s THE GIVER and Suzanne Collins’ THE HUNGER GAMES will enjoy similar dystopian elements, and a strong teen voice. [comparison]

I am an elementary school teacher by day and a contributing author of the QueryTracker blog by night [brief bio]. If you would like to consider CONTROL ISSUES, I’d be happy to forward the complete manuscript to you. [invitation for more]
Thank you for your time and consideration,

Elana Johnson
[all contact info, including address and telephone number]"

They'll have your email address. And I use a signature on my email that has my personal blog address, my website address, and the QT blog address. (****I totally recommend the whole signature thing over pasting your blog stuff in the email.)

So with my two sentences [that sum up my book from beginning to end] this is what my potential query looks like:

Dear Personalized-to-Agent,

I recently read on the Markson Thoma website where you say you’re looking for “beautiful writing that immediately draws you in, and stories that stick with you long after you’re finished reading.” Because of this, I believe you would be interested in my young adult novel, CONTROL ISSUES.

In a world where Thinkers brainwash the population and Rules are not meant to be broken, fifteen-year-old Violet Schoenfeld does a hell of a job shattering them to pieces. When secrets about her “dead” sister and not-so-missing father hit the fan, Vi must make a choice: control or be controlled.

A dystopian novel for young adults, CONTROL ISSUES is complete at 75,000 words. Fans of Lois Lowry’s THE GIVER and Suzanne Collins’ THE HUNGER GAMES will enjoy similar dystopian elements, and a strong teen voice.

I am an elementary school teacher by day and a contributing author of the QueryTracker blog by night. If you would like to consider CONTROL ISSUES, I’d be happy to forward the complete manuscript to you.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

I seriously sent this query letter out to literary agents. I had multiple fulls requested from just those two sentences, an opening graf and a closing graf.

So no matter where you are in the novel-writing process add these pieces to your query! (Cuz you're crafting the query as you write the book, right? Right?? Right.) Next week I'll go over the dreaded middle. But by then, you'll have everything in place, and it'll be a piece of cake. Cake, baby!

What do you think? For a more in-depth look at "Everything Else" that should be in a query, I wrote a post for the QT blog way last year, and just recently The Author Bio.


**Special note: Some agents say to open with the title and word count. I cannot emphasize enough to do your research and arrange your paragraphs accordingly.

Motivation

Yeah, okay, I don't have any. Basically here's the low-down.

1. I've been rewriting my book.
2. Finished (yay!)
3. Had a weird moment where I thought the first 2/3 were actually good.
4. Maniacal laughing.
5. Sent it off to betas. (just the first 100 pages)
6. Two crits come back.
7. Status: Not bad. Fixable. Embarrassing slips/mistakes. No problemo. Cut, reword, done.
8. Send the first 100 to gammas.
9. Get opinions before they're done reading on the beginning.
10. Get third beta read back.
11. Now have three opinions that basically say the same thing.

*insert WALL here*

*stone*

*mortar*

*twenty feet high*

*with guards*

*guards with guns*

I see what they're saying. My problem? I have absolutely no motivation to do it.

Why? (imagine that in my best whiny voice) Why don't I want to dive right back in and fix this? Do I agree? Does that matter? Do I go with my gut? What is my gut even saying? Maybe I'll just go watch High School Musical 3 again. For the fourth time this week.

What do you do when you don't have the motivation to work on your novel?

Book Blog Discussion

This month's book: The Dark Divine by Bree Despain. First, I'm going to open the discussion on the book. Anyone is welcome to comment on what I said or add their feelings about the book, sort of like we're all sitting around my lavish living room with mugs of steaming liquid while a snowstorm rages outside. Okay? Okay.

Also, I don't think there's too many spoilers if you haven't read it, so you can safely scan my review.

I'm all about exuding positivity, so I'm going to name what I liked first and then say a few things I wish were slightly different. Not bad, mind you. Not that I disliked. Just wish were different.

What I liked:

1. The cover. Too bad it has absolutely nothing to do with the words inside. But it intrigued me from the day I saw it, and I would've bought the book based on the cover alone.

2. The MC. She mostly stayed with her character. There was only one time she went gallivanting off doing things I didn't feel like were in her character. Overall, she was well-portrayed.

3. The MC's family. She had a "whole" family, with a mom and a dad and siblings. And that's pretty rare in YA these days. I enjoyed both her mom and dad, and the realism in their relationship. I liked the older brother a lot.

What I wish were slightly different:

1. The romance. Since I'm a character-driven reader, I like my characters to be believable and do realistic things. And the whole time I was being set up for the bad guy to be the male love interest. And he was too bad. He'd done unspeakable things. To her family. To her. To others.

And then...the girl is declaring her undying love for him. It didn't feel real to me. It felt rushed and convenient, with little reasoning.

2. The villain. I wasn't sure who it was -- except for the love interest. And then it turned out to be--get this--this other guy in the book! Um, no. I couldn't go there. The story didn't unfold in a way to lead me to that. And it just made me...unsettled.

3. I'll admit that I almost quit reading this book about 75 pages from the end. Here's why: The MC puts away this book that will tell her all the answers and says she doesn't want to know.

Well, if she doesn't, why should I?? I closed the book, a little peeved, and refused to pick it up again for 24 hours. Then I got over my petty fight with myself and finished it. But seriously? If the MC doesn't care about solving the mystery, why should the reader?

But overall, I would give The Dark Divine 3.5 stars out of 5. I did read it fairly fast, I was intrigued by the mystery surrounding the bad guy, and I loved the background of the MC.

If you've read this book, what did you think? If you haven't, you should, my "dislikes" notwithstanding.

Things to Celebrate

Okay, so today's the first day of my monthly newsletter. I hope you got it. It will go out on the last Friday of every month at 9 AM EST (some of you thought I was kidding with the schedule thing, didn't you? Um, nope). And every first Monday of the month will be a book discussion. I think this will really bring us together as blogging buddies. Or maybe it'll bomb and I'll quietly fade into the great black abyss...

Anyway, February's book is The Dark Divine by Bree Despain, so meet me back here on Monday to discuss.

March's book choice is...announced in the newsletter. I really hope you got it. Oh! And the contest details were revealed in painstaking detail. Painstaking. Sort of.

Celebratory point two: as of today, my ebook is 25% off. The sale will go through February 28. Discount code: 25percentoff. Order here.

Numero Tres: I won some blog awards.

Thanks to Corra McFeydon for this one.

I'm giving it to: Elle, Carolyn, Kerri and Brandon.

And then I got this one from a few different people that I'm embarrassed to say I can't remember. (Hey, if you went to such lengths to stuff your inbox, you'd understand why I can't find the emails. I think Emma was the most recent.) I'm supposed to list 10 things that make me happy.

1. Eating out.
2. Reading good books.
3. My kidlets.
4. Listening to the rain fall.
5. Long showers.
6. Loud music.
7. Driving fast.
8. Peanut butter cookies.
9. Stroking YA covers at Barnes & Noble.
10. Blogging.

I'm passing it on to: my critique buddies. Ali, Jenn, Stacy, Christine, Suzy, Bethany, Danyelle, Beth, Mandy, Windy


And I got this one from Lorel Clayton. Thanks!

I'm giving it to: Lisa, Karen, Scott and Holly.


Tiana gave me this one:

I guess I have to answer these questions with just one word:

Your Cell Phone? Old
Your Hair? Short
Your Mother? Kind
Your Father? Hardworking
Your Favorite Food? Pizza
Your Dream Last Night? Dreams?
Your Favorite Drink? Gingerale
Your Dream/Goal? FinishEH
What Room Are You In? Kitchen
Your Hobby? Writing
Your Fear? Dogs
Where Do You Want to be in Six Years? Here
Where Were You Last Night? Home
Something You Aren't? Alone
Muffins? Okay
Wish List Item? iPad
Where Did You Grow Up? Newton
Last Thing You Did? Blog
What Are You Wearing? Glasses
Your TV? On
Your Pets? Nonexistent
Friends? Chatty
Your Life? Happy
Your Mood? Melancholy
Missing Someone? No
Vehicle? Runs
Something You Aren't Wearing? Socks
Your Favorite Store? Amazon.com
Your Favorite Color? Yellow
When Was The Last Time You Laughed? Critgroup
Last Time You Cried? Lastweek
Your Best Friend? Dr.J
One Place You Go To Over and Over Again? Library
Facebook? Farmville
Favorite Place to Eat? Olivegarden

I'm giving it to: Angie, Nisa and Jaime.

Got any exciting news to share? A promotion? Finish a chapter? Sent a query letter? Let me squee! with you.

The Duration

Okay, so publishing is like this giant roller coaster. And it spans from California (hi Christine!) to Alaska (hey, Paul) to Ohio (hola Lisa and Laura) down to the Carolinas and the deep south (hello Beth and Katie and Sarah and Shelli and Scott). It even crosses oceans (hi Amy).

There's loops. The kind that turn you upside down. Big hills with traction chains. Small hills. Deep drops. Sharp turns. The whole she-bang.

And after you've been on the ride for a while, you realize you're strapped in for the duration. That seatbelt is cinched and you're holding on for dear life.

And there's a lot of screaming.

Some tears.

Some intense chats and flurries of emails.

Lots of anxiety -- especially up those tractioned hills.

But you know what? I've come to learn that the roller coaster isn't always going up or down, but sometimes there's these straight stretches where you're just sitting there, waiting for the next high or the next low.

I hereby declare these straight stretches "The Duration."

And on The Duration, there's screaming. Some tears. Some intense chats and flurries of emails. Sometimes part of the track is missing, and you take a big breath as the car leaps...

And through it all, you're smiling because you're so dang happy to be on the ride at all.

And that is the ride that is publishing.

What do you think? What would you compare publishing to? (And don't say imprisonment. *wink*) How's your journey been so far? So many of you are new here, so take this chance to fill us in.

Query Letter Writing Process

Let it be known: I like writing query letters.

That's right. I won't deny it any longer. And...well, the contest thingy I have coming up right here on this blog channel? Yup, you guessed it. Related to queries. So let's get started on honing yours.

Some of you are new around here. I'm a bit of a freak in the regard that I enjoy writing query letters. Like, a lot. I usually start writing my query when I start writing the book.

Query Letter Writing Sekrit #1: You don't need every single plot point in the query. We just need the skeleton. And writing the query BEFORE the book -- I mean, how much more skeletal can you get?

I'm pretty good at getting the bones down by now (yes, even agented authors must write blurbs or query pitches). But here's a glimpse into how I developed this lunacy, er, query letter writing talent.

1. Write by hand. There's just something different about writing with a pencil. Number one, it forces my brain to sloooww dooowwn, something I really struggle with.

2. Print out successful queries. Mine is here. I wrote a whole eBook that has an entire section devoted to "queries that worked." (But wait till Friday to buy - there's going to be a sale!) Or click here, where most authors who do an interview for Pat provide their winning query letter.

With the printed queries in hand, I highlighted all the first sentences. I read them. Over and over. I came up with a formula for why they worked. Basically, I found this: a one-sentence hook line for the entire novel.

Mine: "In a world where Thinkers control the population and Rules aren't meant to be broken, fifteen-year-old Violet Schoenfeld does a hell of a job shattering them to pieces."

Then I read the last sentence of the blurb, skipping everything in between. I think this should give the reader a very good idea of what the book is about, just in two short sentences.

Mine: "When secrets about her "dead" sister and not-so-missing father hit the fan, Vi must make a choice: control or be controlled."

Together, they read: "In a world where Thinkers control the population and Rules aren't meant to be broken, fifteen-year-old Violet Schoenfeld does a hell of a job shattering them to pieces. When secrets about her "dead" sister and not-so-missing father hit the fan, Vi must make a choice: control or be controlled."

Everything in the middle came later. Much later. (So much later, that I'm going to blog about them next week. And then I'm going to talk about the "other" paragraphs in a query -- the ones besides the blurb.)

So if you're writing a query, just start with nailing that first sentence and then the last. It should encapsulate the novel, from a starting point to an ending point, with nothing in between. It seems like a small step, but it's really not. And we all need to start writing query letters in small steps anyway, right? Right.

What do you think? Can you take out the middle of your query and still have an explanation of your book from beginning to end? Try it! Post it in the comments, let us see and help. Even agented authors can do this -- and it might really help someone to see something like this from another query that worked.

So let's see what you've got!

Tell the Truth Tuesday: You're Selling Yourself

Okay, so here we are, throwing our words out into the blogosphere. We comment. We laugh together. We cry. We think. You read my blog. I read yours.

Have you ever stopped to wonder why?

Well, I'm here to distill The Truth: As an author (pre-published or published) you're selling yourself.

And here's the kicker: You have to make yourself something people want to buy. You must make what you say something people will pay (time or money) to read.

How does one do that, exactly? [insert whiny voice, if necessary]

Well, for me, it's the same principles that apply to my relationships in real life. Because aren't blogs just online relationships?

1. Assume good will.
2. Treat others how you want to be treated.
3. If you must, put on your happy face and pretend.
4. Remember that every child blogger has someone that loves them. If in doubt, see #2. And then #3.

Have you ever thought about the purpose for your blog? Do you have goals for your blog? Have you thought of it as selling yourself as an author? And how's that workin' for ya? Do you think people are buying?

That Girl

Okay, so my sis had this pic of her from like, the 90's on Facebook. And I was like, "What. The. Heck is that?" and she schooled me that it was something like throwback picture week or whatever. And I was like, "I will kill you if you put up a pic of me from the 90s."

So front forward (yes, I know that's wrong. My DH laughs every time I say it.) a couple of weeks. I was getting dressed last week, and I'd recently cleaned off my dressertop. Thus, I could see the family pics from about 10 years ago sitting there.

And I looked at that girl.

And I tried to make her into me.

It didn't work.

Because I'm not that girl. Back then, I was a completely different person than I am today. And it felt weird. It felt so totally bizarre to be in my skin, and look at that girl and think about the life she lived in a different skin.

So then I went all nostalgic and pulled out a bunch more pictures.

Me, with a mullet. I look about eight, maybe, and I guess I caught eight fish that day.

How did that girl (↑) become this girl?(↓) The one not afraid to wear socks that don't match, and orange shoes and pose like an idjit for her girl's choice picture? (Yes, I have on a jean vest. 90's baby.)

Or this one? (↓) (That's me and my grandma and my sis. Leather is sooo much better than denim. At least I lost the bangs, right? And yes, that's the Canadian maple leaf with deer antlers behind me. My parents still have panelling. I mean, PANELLING. Yikes! Let the snarfing begin.)

And how did those girls become this one?

I think I know the answer.

Life.

I almost started crying.

And then, as I always do, I began thinking about my MC. See, she's been giving me fits lately. Through all the editing, in the beginning of the book I keep trying to make her someone--she--just--hasn't--become--yet.

And holy blazing light bulb moment.

Just like mine, her life is a character arc. (Yes, those words freak me out.) And just as I'm molded and shaped and changed by things that happen in my life, so is my MC.

And just like me, she is not the same at the beginning of her story as she is at the end.

Now, this isn't the first time I've thought about charcter arcs. It's just not something I pay attention to while I'm writing. Like, at all.

But I will now. Because I've internalized it.

What have you learned about writing from your real life? Am I the only one practically bawling when I see myself from ten years ago? (Okay, fifteen, sheesh.)

How I Do It

Many of you have asked me how I do everything I do. You know, the farming and virtual cooking. The blogging. The blog reading. The query lettering. The reading. The working. The family stuff. Sleeping. And, oh yeah, don't forget the writing.

Well, strap yourselves in for a math lesson. Hey, I gotta put that math minor to use somehow. I'll be sprinkling in a few things I do along the way.

7 days a week x 24 hours in a day = 168 hours/week.

Sleep: 8 hours x 7 days = 56 hours.

Contrary to popular belief, I sleep 8 hours every night. I'm nothing if not scheduled. And schedules are not broken.

Hours remaining: 112.

Work (including travel time): 6 hours x 4 days = 24 hours.

Special Note: I work a job in front of a computer. I check forums, blogs, etc. and get paid to do it. In fact, I only read blogs while at work. (I blogged about Speed Blogging here.) Thus blogging hours: <24.

And yes, I only work 4 days a week. Don't throw rotten fruit.

Hours remaining: 88.

Writing: 2 hours x 7 days = 14 hours.

I do 95% of my writing between 9 - 11 PM. That's a lot of time if you think about it. Even without my endless three-day weekends, and full summers without employment, I spend a lot of time writing. (And when I say "writing" I mean in all it's forms, i.e. revising.)

My youngest kidlet is 5. She's been potty trained for years. Goes to bed at 8:30 no. matter. what.

My oldest kidlet is 11. He can do almost everything adults can do. Goes to bed at 9:00 no. matter. what. (Take that, super nanny!)

Hours remaining: 74.

Blogging: Posts read at work (see above). I write all my blog posts on the weekend. Sure, I double check the night before, but it's a five-minute thing.

So 5 minutes x 5 days a week = 25 minutes.
Post writing on the weekend: 2 hours. Since I do the once-a-week method for blog writing, I only have to think about blogging once, instead of five separate times. This works for me.

Hours remaining: 71 hours, 35 minutes.

Other kewl facts: I can type 89 words a minute. That's 91.5% faster than everyone else on Facebook, just so you know. *wink*

Twitter/Facebook/Forums: maybe 1-2 hours x 6 days = 6 - 12 hours.

I only tweet at night (or while at work). Here, there, whenever. I try to update Facebook once a day. My FB is organized into "family" "publishing people" and "everyone else". I go through each list, liking and commenting. Time? About 20 minutes. Since FB is blocked by the firewall at work, I do this upon arriving home.

Hours remaining: 60+. 

So there you have it. Some of the things I do in order to get it all done. And even then, I always feel helplessly behind.

What do you do? Schedule your blog reading time? Write while your kids are asleep? Duck into a writing forum during lunch? How do you fit it all in? Whatever "it" may be. Got any tips for me?

I Won't Worry My Life Away

Okay, so I was listening to Pandora at lunch the other day, and this Jason Mraz song came on. (And just for the record, most of the songs I like are by him and I didn't even know who he was until "I'm Yours." How lame am I? Wait. Don't answer that.)

Anyway, this song--I Won't Worry My Life Away--came on. And for some reason, it struck me as profound.

See, I'm a born worrier. I worry that the sun won't shine brightly enough for the picture on Saturday. That we'll be late to lunch. That my son won't make it into this class or that football team. There's this to worry about and then that and oh, yeah, that other thing.

I can worry like no one else.

So of course, I sit and worry about my book. What if no one likes it? What if my agent pitches it and all the editors laugh in her face? What if no one buys it? What will I do then? Will anything I write be good enough to be published? What if someone does like it? What if it gets published and everyone else hates it? See, my worries are not limited to failures. I worry about success too.

The list goes on and on. So I must've been in one of my worrying states when this song came on. And it calmed me down. So, deep breaths, worriers. "Because...

the remedy is the experience. It is a dangerous liaison
I say the comedy is that its serious. Which is a strange enough new play on words
I say the tragedy is how you're gonna spend the rest of your nights with the light on
So shine the light on all of your friends when it all amounts to nothing in the end.

I won't worry my life away."

What about you guys? Do you spend unnecessary time worrying? What do you worry about? How do you make yourself stop the worrying? Do you find yourself worrying more about your real life or your publishing life?