Sunday, February 13, 2022

Losing the oompfh

Well, Wales won (20-17) but it was a tense match with the lead going to and fro. And England won today so we're two happy bunnies.

To celebrate -  not really but just because I was in the village and it seemed a good idea - we're having an M&S Valentine Dinner for Two tonight: leek and cheese tartlets, followed by duck with plum sauce and dauphinoise potatoes, with billionaire's pots for pudding. Diet starts tomorrow definitely.

We don't celebrate Valentine's Day. We did once upon a time but then decided it was unnecessary.

* * * * *

This morning I did a pile of ironing, had a headache, and then had to deal with some comments on a post I'd put on Facebook. It was a perfectly innocent post that was deliberately misread. I had to bite my tongue, or in this case, my typing fingers, and not say what the poster could do if unhappy.

Perhaps 'deliberately misread' is not right. Maybe it was more a case of reading it from an already biased/injured place. Someone with issues shall we say?

* * * * *

In better news I wrote a thousand or so words of my new novel. And reminded myself I'm supposed to be promoting and marketing my others. It's so hard to self-promote, and boring when I see others constantly plugging their books. But how else will people know? 

During lockdown and when I published the sequel to my first novel, I was on it. I even did an online marketing course and followed it to the letter, but without the success it promised. Then I got bored and stopped doing my newsletter and rarely updated my website. Must try harder if I want to justify the time I spend writing. Then again do I need to? 

The answer to that is no but I was brought up, I suppose, to feel I must be doing something useful with my time. As I stare at the dust and George hairs on the floors I can almost hear my Granny tutting. But not loud enough to do something about that either!

5 comments:

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Congrats on your two team wins and enjoy your Valentines Dinner tonight!

Self-publishing is great for authors but the self-promotion part of it sucks. How to capture the public's attention? You could take Boris Johnson hostage and threaten to off him unless everyone in Britain buys your book, but that may not work. Hmmmm. Maybe threaten NOT to off him unless everyone buys your book. Yeah, that'll do it! And then you'll have all that lovely time in prison for writing!

Sometimes my own brilliance astonishes me.

Boud said...

I can't top Debra's marketing advice. But I agree, marketing is the most tedious part of a life in art.
A friend of mine years ago said I wasn't active enough in promoting my art, would I like to take her on as my agent? I said fine, commission set and off she went. After three months and no success she quit saying this is too hard! You can't make people fall in in love with an artwork. Which I could have told her but oh well. It's why all the serious artists, and writers, I know have either an affluent spouse or a day job!

Liz Hinds said...

Amazing advice, Debra! I don't think they'd even send me to prison for that.

True, Boud. And the sad fact that art is undervalued. The price set doesn't even compensate for the time let alone the skill and artistry, dedication and blood, sweat and tears.

PipeTobacco said...

Congratulations on the strong return of your novel writing muse!!!!! That is great news!

PipeTobacco

pam nash said...

Hard to respond to idiots. Glad your writing is back in gear. You iron? On purpose? Without someone making you? Wow.