Tag Archives: author life

Robinson Ramblings, Sarah Stories, Sarah's Thoughts

When You’re Trying To Be Productive But You Have Cats

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Cat Life Meets Author Life

Me at desk trying to write.
 
Whirring noise irritating me. “Shoot, I need to refill the dog fountain before it starts whistling and screeching.”
 
Gets up from desk. Walks toward kitchen.
 
Sees cat with tampons in her mouth.
 
Chases cat down and removes said tampon. Minimal scratches, yet maximum cursing occur.
 
Investigates where tampon came from, because I taped the damn box up yesterday to avoid this exact situation from repeating.
 
Can’t find source of cat chewed tampons. Box is still taped. There’s a mystery source of tampons in my house somewhere.
 
Frustrated. Now needs more coffee. Makes coffee.
 
Walks around house in circles sipping coffee wondering why I got up in the first place and what I’m forgetting.
 
Washes a dish. Wipes the counter. Gives evil eye to cat. Still can’t remember what I was supposed to do.
 
20 min laters, goes to sit back at desk and write because #2booksin2months yall. #thestruggleisreal
 
SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEECHHHHHH.
 
“Oh, shit, I had to refill the dog water fountain.”
 
Gets up and goes to dog water fountain and FINDS A DAMN TAMPON IN IT and now I’m chasing the cat again and the fountain is still screeching and I’m seconds away from switching from coffee to wine.
 
On a separate note, cat for sale.
As in, I’ll pay you to take her.
 
😒
#authorlife #amwriting #amtryingtowrite #RobinsonRamblings

 

[This post was originally published on Sarah’s Facebook profile here. Please follow her there (or on her page) for the most up to date information. For book information, please subscribe to her newsletter here.]

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Robinson Ramblings, Sarah Stories, Sarah's Thoughts

People Are More Important.

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Trigger Warnings: Yay or Nay?

When you choose to be a public figure of any kind, including being an author, you’re choosing to bare a greater responsibility than most. With the privilege, power, and luxuries afforded to you in your position, there’s also an expectation that you’ll use those for the benefit of your followers or readers, or at the very least, not to the readers detriment.
 
This attitude of “I’ll write what I’ll write, no warning, readers be damned” has always shocked me. Write whatever you want–there’s nothing wrong with that. That’s what journals are for, or letters, or private blogs, or whatever you’d like to write to help you purge those stories from your soul.
 
Publishing, however, is an entirely different matter and not as cut and dry. Publishing is not a right. It’s not without its rules, as most retailer’s terms and conditions will attest to. And there’s a reason for that.
 
Your words matter. They affect people. Positive, and negatively. God forbid our words hurt a reader irreparably…would it have been worth it? Or would you wish you’d taken the time to put in a small sentence in your blurb giving those struggling a heads up? Would the potential minuscule spoiler for the masses be worth that one person’s life? To me, the choice seems clear, and yes, I feel that strongly about it.
 
While you can never write to please everyone, there is a basic level of respect and care for your readership that should be bare minimum. Write anything you want, however you want, and go ahead and publish it, if that’s what you want. But keep in mind that by publishing a book, you do have a responsibility to properly identify its content. Television shows, video games, news articles, allergies on foods, and the list can go on and on and on for other medias and fields that already do this, so why should books be exempt? It’s not a perfect system, and people will still fall through the cracks, but that doesn’t mean we don’t try.
 
It doesn’t have to be blatant, or spoil the story–it could just be vague enough to give a nod to those who struggle with triggering topics to make them do further research into exactly how triggering it may be. There are so many different ways to do this based on the author’s preference, like a small sentence disclaimer, a more specific blurb, a properly categorized genre, etc. This doesn’t harm the story, or censor the author, and so there’s no reason not to do it.
 
That may not be the popular opinion on social media today, but it’s certainly my belief.
 
Writing is important. Publishing is important.
People are more important.
 
EDITED TO ADD: This is not targeted at a specific book or author. I genuinely believe this applies to all books with relative content.

[This post was originally published on Sarah’s Facebook profile here. Please follow her there (or on her page) for the most up to date information. For book information, please subscribe to her newsletter here.]

Image Credit: http://soshable.com/its-the-people-behind-the-numbers-on-social-media-that-matter-most/people-matter-in-social-media-4/

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Robinson Ramblings, Sarah Stories, Sarah's Thoughts, Sarahs Favorites, Writers Tip

Writer’s Tip: Set Easy, Random Goals in Vibrant Colors

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For all the writer’s out there:

Set little, random word count goals for yourself with little treats and rewards along the way. I learned this trick from Rachel Hollis’ Snapchat, and it makes me so productive! I love it, and get in so many more words every day because of it! 😀

Also, I got this notebook at Staples or Office Depot, who knows, and it’s the brand Poppin (no, not a paid endorsement). I also have their pens, paperclips, and other random office supplies from them and I love it. Why? Vibrant colors! I need it for my creativity, and it works wonders.

So, go out to your local office supplies store and buy a notebook that speaks to you and makes you feel excited–be vain about it! Then come home and write all the damn words.

EDIT (9/1/16): I still do this today and it’s helped me write 3 books in the last 5 months! I’m unbelievably more productive, and loving it! 

[This post was originally published on Sarah’s Facebook profile here. Please follow her there (or on her page) for the most up to date information. For book information, please subscribe to her newsletter here.]

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