If you’ve been keeping up with my blogs, you know it’s been one hell of a year for me. A lot has changed this year, and things are only going to get crazier from here on out.
With the upcoming arrival of a new baby in the family, it’s time to make some changes to my platform/writing. Changes to my blog schedule will be the most noticeable, as I take a break from my blog over the next few months and reassess my posting schedule in the new year.
You’ll have already noticed that my social media presence has already been a lot less this year too. That won’t change over the break period. Basically, I want to make time for bub, first and foremost, and then try to incorporate writing/social media/etc into my free time.
I WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP WRITING DURING THIS PERIOD.
Please don’t think that I am stepping away from my dream. Rather, what I’m doing is telling you that you may not see much of my dream online, but that I will slowly chip away at it behind the screen. I am removing the guilt associated with feeling indebted to the internet. I’m removing that nagging feeling that tells you that you need to be in the faces/screens of your audience at all times to be noticed. I’m removing that sense that you have to be noticed for your work to amount to something.
Basically, I’m eliminating- or at least lessening- the anxiety that comes with doing too much- or feeling like you’re not doing enough.
In all honesty, I’d initially planned to stop all writing projects at the start of October and use December to prepare a plan that would have me back in the swing of things by January.
Upon some reflection, I realised two horrible mistakes with this plan.
1. It made it too easy to walk away from writing, based on time, inspiration, lack of motivation, FEAR, and blame it on bub: “I’m too busy/tired/etc”
2. It made the assumption that in a couple of months I would have EVERYTHING figured out and would be eager and willing (not to mention organised) enough to get going, putting unnecessary pressure on myself if it turned out I wasn’t.
So now my plan is this:
Blog posts: Today, Wednesday 25th October will be my last post for the rest of 2019.
Newsletters: I will be skipping my October newsletter in order to focus on any last-minute baby prep. That said, not much has been going on behind the scenes (that I haven’t shared on social media or in blog posts) that I would put in the next newsletter anyway.
Writing: I have begun outlining a new contemporary series. This, and revisions/rewrites for my YA Contemp, will be my focus IF/WHEN I decide to write. This will take time, and I will not be pushing myself to meet any particular deadlines over the next few months.
Social media: I will post occasionally if I have something important to share, but I have no desire to stick to a schedule for the sake of being “seen”.
My return: I have no PLAN for my “return” at this stage, except to say that I will put out a newsletter at the start of next year with more info. If you want to stay informed, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter by scrolling to the bottom of my home page here. I currently post just four times a year and NEVER send out junk. My newsletter is a behind-the-scenes and covers all the stuff that doesn’t go on social media- so YOU WANT TO BE SUBSCRIBED.
My goal is to keep SOME kind of momentum going. To not lose sight of the fact that this has been my dream for so long, and now that I’m doing it- not matter how intensely- I shouldn’t give up on it, or let it slide from focus. Yes, re-evaluation is necessary. Yes, my priorities will shift. Yes, it will be a new juggling act I have never tried before.
But there is no sense in having a books worth of poems just sitting there unpublished. There was no point in finishing my first novel draft if I’m not going to do revisions. There’s no way my stories will be out in the world if I don’t do the work and write them. I just need to take my time and do so when I’m ready.
I spent 2018 focused solely on writing. 2019 has been focused on family and health. I am super excited to bring in 2020 as a year full of balance between family and career, dream and demand, head and heart, health and hustle and so much more.
Thank you all for keeping up with my journey so far. I look forward to seeing what the future brings.
Until next year.
Oxox
Jacinta
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