The Good Thing about Self-Publishing Number #1001

Yup, now that summer's here posts are definitely going to get more sporadic. Can't help it: kids are home, there's no schedule...and NO PRIVACY. I still need to put up that Playboy Ad post that was due on Saturday, I know, I know.

The truth is, though, that writing my Bentmoore stories have to come before writing for this blog, and I'm not even getting enough time to do that. It sucks. During the day when I'm busy, I can push all my characters and scenes and background stories to the back of my brain where I don't have to really think about them, but at night when I'm exhausted and trying to get some sleep, all of it, all of them, come stampeding out of the creative part of my head like a herd of buffalos ravaging a dusty plain, and who can sleep through that?

I just had to interrupt writing this post for over an hour because my kids' orthodontist called and told me I forgot about an appointment they were supposed to have this morning. We drove over there fast, but even so, the office staff had to wait for us. They were very nice about it, though. I'm telling you, summer time is cray-zee.

Where was I? Oh yeah, no time to write.

The good thing about self-publishing your work is that it's on your schedule. There is no such thing as being "late," except what you decide in your own head. I make my own deadlines, and when I miss those deadlines I have to deal with the consequences of breaking a "deal" with myself. But there's nobody else mad at me, no agent or editor or publisher breathing down my neck. This is both good and bad: I don't have any outside influences pushing me to get the stories done by a certain day or time. The thing is, a third-party influence might push me to work harder, like when I'm procrastinating or afraid or just plain lazy, but other times, it would be a problem.

Take last week, when I was sick beyond belief. I now know of a few other people in the community who caught the same bug I had, and did have to be admitted to the hospital for IV meds. Would having had someone waiting for me to meet a deadline been any help? No, not at all. It would have made me feel guilty, and like a terrible person for making them wait, but that's about it.

So I'll have a great, albeit crazy, summer with my kids and my family, and I'll write as much as I can, and I'll blog as much as I can, and of course, I'll read as many other blogs as much as I can. I'll make a schedule I can live with.

P.S. Remember: if you have a blog, or if you know of a blog, that should be included in the "check them out" list, let me know. I love linky-love.