Greetings, everyone. This month I’ve got some recent appearances as well as some upcoming ones to share.
First, here’s a sermon I gave at Nichols-Bethel United Methodist Church in which I discuss my journey, personally and in writing, with social media, as I have mentioned gradually in past posts, as well as with physical clutter, with references to The Social Dilemma and The Minimalists. Even if you aren’t Christian or religious, I hope you’ll be inspired to consider placing more value on the people in your lives than in your physical possessions and digital presence. If you have trouble with the volume, there is closed captioning.
Be sure to check out Minimalism, and, if you have Netflix, The Social Dilemma and Less Is Now.
I am scheduled to appear on a new episode of the Hidden Gems Author Podcast. Stay tuned. I will be sure to share a link.
Also, I will also be giving a presentation at the Annapolis chapter of the Maryland Writers’ Association next month on manuscript formatting. You can promote it on Facebook too. You can attend either in person or via Zoom. Hope to see you there!
Even before I had published my first novel, I was told by at least one friend at a Maryland Writers’ Association meeting that I should have a website first. Some followers of my Facebook page, which came first, wondered whether I had one. Now it’s approaching eight years of being up on the web. So how did I build it? If you are an aspiring writer looking to build your online presence, perhaps you’re wondering where to start? Well, I’m no architect, but I’ll help you lay a few solid foundations.
Here are some steps you can follow:
Look at what other writers have done.
See what you can do differently.
Do what’s best for you and don’t be afraid to experiment.
Be open to change.
It’s a good idea to do research. See what other writers have done. If you know any writers, ask them about their experiences, especially with their platforms. A few I knew through my connections had used WordPress and said good things about it, and at the time, it felt like a good platform to use. But there are others out there. So I looked at other sites to get a feel of what my own could include.
I should mention also that sometimes blog and website are used interchangeably, though there is a difference (like with memoir vs. autobiography). Websites, when you first visit them, place more emphasis on the pages, while a blog is all about the posts that come. That’s not to say a website can’t have a blog incorporated in it, but how you wish to market and share information helps you classify what your site/blog is.
Even though you should research other writers, don’t copy what they do exactly. Every writer’s site needs to be their own, in terms of content, display, and layout. I knew from the start that I had my own ideas even with what I had observed, and so I tried to merge them together. And it gradually evolved over time. I set myself a blog post a month because it worked and still works for me. I learned new things, and when WordPress made changes, such as moving from classic to block editor, I learned to evolve with them.
Websites and blogs are always changing (sort of like the Winchester Mystery House). What works one day may not work later on. That is not to say there should be some consistently and familiarity so people can return knowing what to expect. But mine has gone through several changes, including a change of domain name as well as two facelifts—I changed the theme twice, first after I wanted a theme that wasn’t like one site I’d observed in my research, and second (back in June) after learning the previous one had been retired and others that I follow had bugs with classic themes as opposed to hybrid ones. I even changed my color scheme so to ensure the site was readable. And in experimenting with different widgets, I chose to discontinue those labeled as “legacy” widgets when I discovered they sometimes disappeared in private browser mode or on a different browser.
Two final thoughts on building a website:
Aim for clarity and readability so visitors can easily understand what they find and navigate through it. This can be done with menu arrangement and color schemes.
Get feedback. You don’t always have to accept others’ thoughts on improving your site, but it never hurts to listen if they genuinely want to help improve it. That’s why I created my Happy Customers page.
Writing Update: My essay “Rivers Flowing with History” is featured in the new issue of the MWA‘s Pen in Hand. Don’t forget to sign up for their annual conference!
Last week, on Independence Day, I appeared on the podcast The Chapter Goddess Chat, hosted by author and editor Madilynn Dale. If you didn’t get to watch it, here it is:
You can also listen to it on Spotify and read an interview I did with Madilynn on her blog. I had a wonderful time, and if you are a writer looking for a podcast to appear on, I highly recommend you check out this one!
And yes, like I said on the podcast, I’m no longer on Twitter and Tumblr, and I’ve chosen not to feature links to my LinkedIn profile on this site anymore.
Yes. Even more stuff has happened since last month. First off, the online magazine Words of the Lamb has published not only my micro memoir / testimony but also three of my poems:
During the last week of April, I chose to take a hiatus from most of my social media sites. Despite all my efforts to cut back on how many times I logged in, I was still feeling anxious and stressed about them. I feel now that it was because it wasn’t only time I should’ve been focusing on, but my actual activities/habits on them as well.
I’ve watched a lot of TED talks lately, including on social media, and some of the speakers discussed something known as FOMO, or the fear of missing out. Some of my shares/posts/tweets online were kind of like that; they had become more of a compulsive obligation. That is something I will need to change.
So, I’m once again examining and reconsidering my social media habits and how I can make them feel more productive and positive. For the time being, I do not think I will be as active as I was before. It’s also in the back of my mind that I might eventually quit a couple of social media sites, but that hasn’t been decided yet.
A few things have been happening over the past month. To start, many thanks to author and blogger Sally Cronin for featuring a blog post I did last year in her archive series:
The holiday anthology featuring my short story isn’t out yet. However, my sonnet “Knights in Shining Armor” was featured by Southern Arizona Press in their new poetry anthology Castles and Courtyards.
I hope you’ll read and review it, along with my other published work! If you’re a poet looking to get your poems featured, be sure to check out SAP’s current submissions!
Additionally, I recently learned that a micro memoir piece that I wrote has been accepted by an online religious literary magazine, WOTL!
If you’re interested in giving a presentation at the 2023 Maryland Writers’ Conference, the Maryland Writers’ Association is accepting submissions! It’ll be in person in October, so you know.
At the beginning of this year, I made a resolution to be more positive. It hasn’t been easy, but after the Easter holiday, I was resolved to keep faith in myself and continue toward that resolution. Even after Easter, though, I have still found myself feeling low and battling self-doubt, which makes me question my previous accomplishments.
Nevertheless, I know need to keep going, and I may have to reevaluate my Internet and social media habits even further as well. I’ve tried being more productive and mindful of my time, though I’m not sure I’m satisfied yet. But at least I’m aware of this, and I know I need to once again remember to believe in myself.
I’m happy to announce to you all that a short story of mine is appearing in an upcoming Christmas anthology by Mystic Publishers, Inc. this year!
The story is called “The Red House,” and has its origins in my high school years of writing. Like pretty much all of my writing attempts from back then, I’d thought it lost, until one day when I discovered a printed copy of it along with some other pieces (including what would become “Crossing the Estuary” in the Fae Corps anthology Fae Dreams).
For this month, here’s a double feature! Many thanks to Sally Cronin for promoting my published work, and to Robbie Cheadle for allowing me to discuss how poetry has impacted my life. Check out both!
Change happens all the time. As someone who suffers from Asperger syndrome, I can tell you that change to routines and patterns, stepping outside of my comfort zone, has never been easy. Change, especially when it occurs outside of my control, sends my mind spiraling, and I feel trepidation.
But change can lead to benefits. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been making efforts to cut back on social media time, but I’m also seeking to change my online habits, too. During the COVID shutdown I spent more time online, especially Twitter. I did get the word out about my work more and made some new connections, but now the hashtags I followed haven’t helped with book sales. The same’s been happening with tweets asking for book recommendations. These habits and the time spent on them and other sites feel more like a hindrance. To counter them, I’ve tried walking more, and for that, I’m glad.
With most sites, I’ve gotten down to generally 1-2 logins per day. Nevertheless, that is also something that could change in the future. Sometimes, I’ve found myself going up again if I need to do something specific, like website maintenance. I’ve felt if I can limit myself with those moments, I’m fine.
Nevertheless, the temptation is still there, and it can eat time. Plus, I’m aware these efforts could turn into new patterns that could become just as constrictive and worrisome. I need to curb the scrolling, searching, and that addictive, time-eating cycle that can result, but simultaneously, I also shouldn’t try to control everything, because anxiety always comes from not being perfect. It’s been said that with reviews, quantity over quality. With online time and content, it’s the opposite. Now I need to put it into practice.
Likewise, I’ve tried getting back into the writing routine I’ve mentioned before. Sometimes it doesn’t happen, and other times I do not get the word count I’d like, but I need to remind myself that progress is progress, no matter how small. I need to see the fun in writing again, as author Nour Zikra put it. This year, I hope to be more positive about my writing, my online/social media time, my habits, and, most of all, myself.
I realized through prayer that I need to think more positively. Then, at the beginning of Advent, when I was feeling low and anxious again, after an earnest prayer to God, I opened my copy of the Bible without any specific section in mind. It opened to Psalm 77, and as I read it, I knew my prayer had been answered. Even if you’re not Christian or religious, I hope you too will remember all the good that’s been in your life when distressed. If I need to make changes to meet new circumstances, I will have to do so.
P.S. Enjoy these videos of my readings from last year’s open mics!
When a writer’s work is published, it not only goes out into the spotlight, but so does the writer. People who read books are pretty much guaranteed to be interested in learning more about the people who wrote the words, to find out more about the mind behind the stories they become devoted fans of. But the spotlight can be a double-edged sword.
Writers need to use public appearances and speaking in order to help spread the word about their work and build a network with other writers. It’s part of the marketing process. The nice thing about these events and conferences is that a writer can plan ahead to prepare for these events.
On the other hand, sometimes the spotlight can bring about negative feelings. The simple fact is not all people crave or seek the spotlight, especially introverted people like me. It’s especially negative when one hasn’t had the time to prepare, and it feels that everyone’s converging on them. That’s why I haven’t liked it when people unexpectedly start singing on my birthday.
There have certainly been a number of famous writers who haven’t craved the spotlight, such as Harper Lee and Emily Brontë. With the latter, it was her sister Charlotte who got herself, Emily, and Anne on their publishing ventures; had Emily been left to herself, she may not have published anything in her lifetime. J. D. Salinger went so far as to become a recluse and gradually cease publishing (though in his case, it may have also been due to unresolved PTSD from his service in World War II as well as fans of his magnum opus).
And, of course, the spotlight can have negative effects in another way. If people start scrutinizing your life, it can lead to mental trauma and even scandal. Throughout the news there have been numerous headlines about rough patches and downward spirals that many celebrities have gotten into, with gossip about what they are doing, especially in their personal lives. I definitely don’t want that.
It’s good to get away from the spotlight and the Internet sometimes. That’s why I’m taking my efforts to balance scales further by cutting back more on the number of logins per social media site per day, with reassessments of my social media activity.
When publishing, especially these days, it’s no longer possible to avoid the spotlight, but privacy is still something worth guarding. Therefore, it’s a good idea to prepare for public events such as reading, and it may be possible to satisfy the public’s curiosity without giving away too much, regulating what can be shared and what isn’t. They don’t need to know everything. One’s privacy is one’s own and no others.
To my fellow Americans, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. Be thankful for home, family, and privacy.
Andrew McDowell 