You're Doing Just Fine

Photo credit: that.alastair on Flickr

I've seen a lot of lamenting in my writerly social media circles about how difficult creative-types have been finding it to get back to their creative work since the election. From writers saying they haven't been able to write a word since, or talking about how difficult it's been to revise, or how slow the words have come, or even how much people's reading habits have taken a hit—it's been hard for a lot of us.

I've also seen some people come down pretty hard on themselves about it, so here's a post for you: you're doing just fine.

Look, everything is hellish right now. The last week and a half of our Bully in Chief has been worse than many of us imagined. Between protests, and phone calls, and keeping informed when every hour there's something new, our political climate is really emotionally draining right now. It's not remotely surprising so many of us have been struggling to make progress.

I've written a post already about self-care in these times, so I'm not going to reiterate that, but I will say this: things are hard, and if you're lagging behind your usual output, know you're not alone.

Some things that I've found helpful in terms of boosting my productivity as of late include:

• Not checking Twitter until after I've gotten out of bed and brushed my teeth, etc. 
• Closing Twitter and turning my phone face-down on my desk when I need to focus. 
• Setting concrete tasks I need to accomplish every day and checking them off when I do them. 
• Building in extra time into my expected completion dates/self-determined deadlines. 
• Putting on headphones and listening to lyric-less music (like soundtracks) when working.

But the main point I want to make is this: whether your progress has been stalled, a trickle, or a slog, you're not alone, and you're doing just fine. We're all trying to figure this out together one day at a time. 

Finally, for some encouragement, check out the #WriteYourResistance tag on Twitter. It's beautiful, inspiring, and encouraging—which I think we could all use. 

How have you been handling your creative output since November? 

Twitter-sized bite:

Struggling to get back to your creative work since the election? You're not alone. (Click to tweet)

Changing Social Media Strategies in Changing Times

Photo credit: purity9090 on Flickr

Sometimes I think back to a year or two ago when my Twitter feed was 98% about books and publishing and everything therein. About a year ago as the election revved up, that slowly started shifting, but the real adjustment came just a couple months before the election.

Now my feed is mostly political with a smattering of book and writing stuff thrown in. Because our world is different.

The other day I talked to a Twitter friend and agent sibling about this necessary shift. We agreed that in this dangerous political climate it sometimes felt weird to tweet book, writing, or publishing stuff at all when there was so much going on. I've taken the tactic of tweeting bookish stuff when it comes up without preamble because unfortunately we are now in the days where there's always something going on. But it does still feel like an odd mix sometimes.

The world is changing and it's on us to make our voices heard. That means calling our representatives and senators about issues that are important to us, and encouraging others to do the same. That means educating ourselves every day, sharing information and fighting disinformation. That means marching when you can, donating to organizations doing the work when you can, supporting journalists, remaining vigilant, and speaking up.

So, yeah, my feed has drastically changed over the last year. And while I'm sad that it's necessary, I don't regret the shift for a second. This is too important.

Some journalists, political activists, and publications I've found incredibly enlightening and helpful to follow in these times include (in no particular order):

• Emily Ellsworth (@editoremilye)
• Celeste P. (@Celeste_pewter)
• Judd Legum (@JuddLegum)
• Matt McDermott (@mattmfm)
• Summer Brennan (@summerbrennan)
• Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes)
• Lauren Duca (@laurenduca)
• Teen Vogue (@TeenVogue)
• The Road to 2018 (@Roadto18)

All in all, times are changing and it's up to us to respond appropriately. I'm making a point to stay actively engaged because I can't sit back and do nothing. And it starts with this. 

Have you shifted your social media strategies over the last several months? 

Twitter-sized bite: 

Author @Ava_Jae talks shifting social media feeds in volatile times. Have your social media feeds changed? (Click to tweet)

Vlog: Writing is Political

Some thoughts after last week's US election. Because whether you intend it or not, writing fiction is political.

Twitter-sized bites:

"Writing diverse worlds where love wins & equality is central is a political act." (Click to tweet) 

"Whether [your MS] reflects our reality or...pretend[s] much of our world doesn't exist...it's political." (Click to tweet)