I've learned over the years that writing a book is a play in three acts.
The curtain goes up on Act One, the birth of an idea that grows and develops in several scenes as the plot unfolds and characters enter and exit.
Act Two involves multiple scenes: writing, revising, rewriting, revising, editing, submitting, acceptance (eventually) and publication (finally).
Act Three may seem anti-climactic because the book is done, but for me that last act has been the most difficult. I've resisted the demands on my time and energy. I wanted to get on with my writing; the next book had already taken shape in my imagination and I longed to get it going. I've resisted jumping into the social media scene, but now I know I need to learn it all so I can give my latest book, WHISPER ISLAND, a good send-off. I've come to realize that, if a book was important enough to work on for several months, it deserves my efforts to get it before the public eye.
When I planned the WHISPER ISLAND launch at the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Historic Site in Rodanthe, NC, I knew that just traveling there and signing books wouldn't be enough to give my book the debut it deserved.
So several weeks before the launch I took some baby steps onto Social Media Street. Now I stroll along slowly but surely. I'm on Twitter and Pinterest and Facebook and LinkedIn. I own a smart phone. I tweet and pin and post. I have circles and pages. I've learned how to link and like.
And you know what? After the initial stress of learning something new, I'm beginning to enjoy it. I have a long way to go, but I'm getting there.
The curtain goes up on Act One, the birth of an idea that grows and develops in several scenes as the plot unfolds and characters enter and exit.
Act Two involves multiple scenes: writing, revising, rewriting, revising, editing, submitting, acceptance (eventually) and publication (finally).
Act Three may seem anti-climactic because the book is done, but for me that last act has been the most difficult. I've resisted the demands on my time and energy. I wanted to get on with my writing; the next book had already taken shape in my imagination and I longed to get it going. I've resisted jumping into the social media scene, but now I know I need to learn it all so I can give my latest book, WHISPER ISLAND, a good send-off. I've come to realize that, if a book was important enough to work on for several months, it deserves my efforts to get it before the public eye.
When I planned the WHISPER ISLAND launch at the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Historic Site in Rodanthe, NC, I knew that just traveling there and signing books wouldn't be enough to give my book the debut it deserved.
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| Rodanthe Beach,Outer Banks, North Carolina--another great place to stroll! |
And you know what? After the initial stress of learning something new, I'm beginning to enjoy it. I have a long way to go, but I'm getting there.
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