I’ve taken a few months off of social media (sort of) to work on my second novel, Stay of Execution. I say “sort of” because I’m still a scroller and see many of the blogs I follow, glance at the twitter feed, and peruse pictures of loved ones on Instagram and FB. However, I have refrained from commenting, writing, or anything that has required time – something that always seems to be in short supply. Has my withdrawal been a success? Yes and no. I have made some significant progress on my second novel but I am still not finished. This is my own fault. I allowed myself to fully enjoy the summer with my children and went on an extended vacation with my husband at the end of September. I’ve been very lucky and grateful for this time but now it’s time to really get back to work. 
As I said, progress on Stay of Execution continues. During the last several weeks, selected readers have received large sections of the draft. I’ve already received some early feedback but I’m looking forward to even more. I wish I could say I have a deadline in mind. I was hoping to publish before the end of the year but I would rather it be right than rushed. This is one of the advantages of being self-published. However, I’m pushing ahead to get Stay of Execution out to readers sooner rather than later.
Also high on the agenda this month is a revamped (new & improved) version of this blog. I’d really like to focus on this site as both a source for writers AND readers. Many of the sites I follow tend to be one or the other but I like the idea of being both. Although I’m still figuring out how this will work, I’m excited about the prospect.
Streamlining social media time is also a goal. While I will no longer be a “drop-out”, I’m going to schedule my social media time. I LOVE the writing community and all it has to offer but I often find myself going from one site to another. Although I have learned a great deal, I also find that time slips away. My approach needs to be more structured. This will also include how often I post unless there is an announcement or important issue that I want to address. Because I personally don’t have the time to read every blog and tweet of the friends I follow, I am positive my followers don’t either. I want to improve my use of social media as a writer, advertiser, marketer, reader, and friend.
As I head into this fall, I am looking to write more while creating a new and improved version of this blog/site. More to come!