I’m back! Yes, I took the past week off (hence the lack of updates) and I wanted to talk about my reasons, because it’s something I’ve been struggling with a lot recently.

In case you don’t know, Secrets and Skin is a novel that I’ve already written and which I’m editing as I post. And promoting. And cross-posting.

Anyway… what this means is that, while I am frequently posting “new content,” I am doing very little actual writing. Which, as a writer, is obviously not a desirable situation. I WANT to write. Instead I’ve been spending a lot of time editing and focusing on building a platform. And let me tell you something, building a platform takes a lot of time and energy (building a website, creating a twitter audience, chumming it up on Wattpad). Particularly if you’re an introvert that struggles with anxiety and depression. Cause nothin’ gets you down like social media.

Don’t get me wrong, I love connecting with other writers and reading their work – there’s seriously some amazing content out there and I wish I had time to read it all – but I’m also struggling to find a balance. Connecting and sharing while also giving myself space to enjoy the act of just writing a story. Taking time to read and be creative so that I can foster inspiration and learn. Not to mention taking care of my mental health.

So what does this mean for me? The truth is that I don’t know. And that’s pretty much what I’m here to say. Yes, I am building a platform. Yes, I am aiming for professionalism. But I’m also a human being who is floundering about, trying to find their place in this crazy world. And I don’t want to hide that part. It’s disorienting and intimidating sharing your work (art, writing, gluten-free paleo dessert recipes, whatever) and it takes some figuring out. Some trial and error.

So here I am. For now, I’m pulling back a bit on social media. As nice as it is to see my reads rise from Wattpad book clubs and to find really neat titles I’d like to read some day, I’m done with them for now. I don’t have time to read the titles I have on hold right now, let alone adding more. Hopefully that will change as time goes on, but for now it would be an injustice to add to my “To Read” list.

Secrets will still release on Wednesdays and Fridays, for the time being. I will be somewhat active on Twitter and definitely respond to comments and such on Wattpad. But from now on, I want to put a concerted effort toward taking time to write or just be creative.

And seeing as my 2 year old just woke up a couple hours after going to bed… I’m out. Let me know in the comments how you balance your writing and promotion (not to mention your responsibilities). Or let me know what you like to see from the writers/ artists you follow online.