Shari Mauer

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  • March Madness, Tenners Tell All and the Juggle

    Posted on March 10th, 2010 Shari 8 comments

    Currently reading: THE DARK DAYS OF HAMBURGER HALPIN by Josh Berk (fellow Tenner)

    One of the biggest challenges I’m facing as a debut author is the juggle between promoting Change of Heart and pushing forward on the next one. When I work on promotion stuff, I feel guilty that I’m not making better progress on my WIP and when I write, I feel like I’m blowing off important promotion stuff. Basically, I can’t win.

    One thing I’m trying to do to inspire me to move forward is the March Madness challenge that Denise Jaden, Shana Silver, Elle Strauss and Jen Hayley have put together. You check in each day on one of their websites (the site of the day is listed on the site link I gave) and report your progress. They are even giving away prizes for those that post their daily accomplishments.  Accountability is a wonderful motivator and I’ve put my butt in the chair to write more than I might have without it. So thanks to these four writers for coordinating this. It’s not too late to join, if you can use some companionship and motivation.

    I’m very excited about my Tenners Tell All post. Each week or so, the Tenners take turns putting up a post where they tell a little bit about something that’s happened in the road to publication and then the rest of the Tenners can pipe in with their experiences. I was able to make a confession (you’ll have to read it to see what it is) and to pay tribute to a friend of the family, Harry Falk, who passed away too young, but had a tiny bit of him immortalized in Change of Heart.  Hint:

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    It’s been a great month for reading. My fellow Class of 2k10 member, Swati Avashti celebrated the release of Split.

    Sp10_Avas_9780345863400

    This amazing book, about the effects of domestic violence on a family, was so inspiring to me as a writer. It made me want to dig deeper into my characters. A good friend of mine is an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn in the Domestic Violence unit. Reading Swati’s book made it really hit home to me what my friend deals with every day (and amazes me that she’s able to come home and still smile).

    Another book that debuted this week was Escaping the Tiger by Laura Manivong, a fellow Tenner.

    Final Cover Art Tiger

    Telling the story of twelve year old Vonlai’s escape from Communist Laos, this book should be required reading in every middle school in the country. Laura based the book on her husband Troy’s experiences and it was a moving read that made me appreciate how lucky we are here in the U.S.

    Congrats to both Swati and Laura on these amazing books.

    Okay, I better go back to Change of Heart promotion and/or writing my WIP. And anyone who’d like to tell me how they deal with the juggle, please comment–I’m eager for advice.

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    8 responses to “March Madness, Tenners Tell All and the Juggle” RSS icon

    • I’m feeling it too, Shari. I figure I’ll push really hard on the promotional stuff right now since the book launched this week, and then the little bird will have to fly on its own. Book #2 won’t write itself, no matter how many times I sleep with the manuscript under my pillow!

    • Pretty funny, Laura–I’m kind of hoping that if I sleep with my ms under my pillow the plot will work itself out in my dreams. Do you mean it doesn’t happen that way?!

    • Yes, my computer has made it under my pillow once in while. :-) I was just saying that it’s like having two kids. Each book seems to need more attention than I can give it. That, and of course, the two actual kids I have. And, of course, our real jobs, right? But the one thing that keeps me hopeful is that the WIP must come out or else I’ll explode and that keeps me coming back to the computer, even if it is not all the time.

    • I love your website, Shari!

      But aside from that…my method (which I stick to once in a while) is to schedule a couple of “promo hours” per week. That’s when I fill in interviews, reply to bloggers, learn about promotion. I have about an hour of serious writing time per day, and I don’t let ANYTHING get in the way of that. It makes me feel like a happier and more balanced person to know I’m making progress, even if just a little bit, on my WIP.

      I check emails and do no-brainer stuff (like Tweet or comment on blogs :) while my son is around and when I happen to have a few minutes here and there. There are many days taht I don’t get around to doing any of this, but oh well.

      It’s great to have you along for March Madness, and I’m glad to hear that it’s been helping at least a little.

      Denise

    • I’ve been battling the same issue for the past month! Thank you for posting on this because it makes me feel less alone. One thing I’m trying for the next 2 days is to work on a lecture that I’m giving next month. For one thing, it’s using the left side of the brain and for another it’s acting as a bit of reverse psychology – I can’t work on my WIP until the lecture’s done.

    • Thank heaven I’m not alone. I’ve accomplished nothing but promtional stuff in the last few months. The only actual new words-on-the-page writing I’ve done is to answer interview questions or plan my blog. It’s getting so that I’m not sure I remember how to cover a blank page, and I still have to edit book number two before I can return to number three. I must get a handle on this. Thanks for the comfort. It’s a good start. So Shari, I’ve no advice, yet. Not what you wanted to hear, I know.

    • You always hear that warning to beware of the author stuff taking over your writing time and energy after a first book. My book isn’t even out yet and I have felt like I’m losing the battle. I definitely wish I was writing several hours a day, but I feel somewhat better with my 2k9 mentor’s plan of action: writing before you even get out of bed in the morning. It helps if someone brings you coffee. If I can get down two pages, I’m thrilled, but I just generally feel happier when I start the day with writing as a priority.

    • Shari, this juggling act has plagued me for years. I’ve tried a number of different methods, schedules, lists, etc., and nothing ever gets rid of that nagging feeling that whatever I’m doing right now (writing vs. promotion), it should be the other thing.

      It sounds lame, but just do what you can and remember that you’re only one person. Oh, and if you do find that magic formula for balancing the writer/author lives, be sure to publish it–it’ll be an instant bestseller! :)


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