Emails, Drafting, Editing, And Ending What Doesn't Work For Me
Hello, readers!
It's now past mid-April, and we're only over a week before I share the cover of "Bloody Fantasia," my upcoming murder mystery book and the third book in the Harlow Mystery series!
I'm super excited to share it with all of you on May 1st, 2024, and I hope you are too. I've also been busy writing and editing other works too.
The Email Dilemma
Recently I read "Stolen Focus" by Johann Hari. It's about how we're constantly distracted in society, various causes of distraction, and what we can do to get our focus back. One of the things he discussed in the book was how emails and notifications are engineered so that you'll have your eyes on social media, email, etc. more often. This gives the corporations in charge of those services more profit based on AdSense (aka all the ads you see on said platforms), platform use in general, etc.
I have a terrible habit of checking email multiple times a day. I'm talking at least 15-20 times a day, and that's only if I'm consciously taking notice of it. If I don't, I'm sure I check my email far more than that (30-45 times, I bet).
I also realized that many of those 'emails' I check are really just notifications from other sites that I'm part of. These are both from social media and other professional networks. To reduce notifications and over-checking emails, I've spent the past two weeks reducing any notifications and subscriptions possible.
I'm also trying to be more aware of how often I check emails. Sometimes I would check emails, only to check again maybe five minutes later despite there being no changes. This leads to a lot of wasted time on my end that I could spend writing.
For me, reducing email checks is convenient and makes me feel less like rushing through the day. Sure, I'll have more emails to look through each time I check my email. But I think it's important to slow down and see what works for you.
I think this email situation I went through was a good example of teaching me to end what doesn’t work for me. It’s easy to cling onto doing a particular activity because that’s how you’ve always done it. But if it doesn’t work for your current needs, you need to find something better for you.
What Have I Been Writing Lately?
I finished writing Draft 1 of "Immortalz!"
I honestly didn't expect to finish writing the whole draft, given how much longer it is compared to my other novels. This first draft is about 34 chapters. I expect those chapters in later drafts/revisions to increase.
I also finished Draft 2 of my short story collection, "Stay Magical!" Editing took way less time than I thought it would, so I'm glad that I got it done.
While reading through some of my older, drafted work, I also found a poetry chapbook that I drafted two years ago and then completely forgot about until now, which I titled “24 Hours.” I did some editing/writing of Draft 2, and sent it to some beta readers to see what they think of it so far! So far, the feedback is overall positive - and that’s a good sign.
I'm also getting back into writing individual poems. It's been a while since I wrote anything shorter than a novel other than poetry chapbooks, so this is really nice.
What Have I Heard Lately?
For my audiobook and/or podcast rec this time around, I recommend listening to the Rainbow Fairy series by Daisy Meadows.
...Yes, I realize I'm biased since I enjoy reading the series as is. However, the audiobook versions are quite good, from the narration to the voice acting. I've only listened to the first several audiobooks in the series (they're very short, about thirty minutes each), but they're really nice to listen to.
What Have I Been Reading Lately?
As I mentioned earlier in this newsletter, I read "Stolen Focus" by Johann Hari and I absolutely recommend reading it. It's unlike any of the productivity/how-to-pay-attention books I've read before in a good way. The author argues that though there is some individual responsibility for focusing and paying attention, there are also larger societal and technological factors for why we're less focused as well.
I'm also trying to pare down my to-be-read list. I have many unread books sitting on my shelves that NEED to be read, or else they'll gather dust forever. I also have many ebooks that need to be read on my e-reader, too, but first I’ll focus on the physical books!
Recent reads include:
"Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked" by Adam Alter
"The Fifth Season" by N.K. Jemisin
“The Obelisk Gate” by N.K. Jemisin
“Clockwork Boys” by T. Kingfisher
“Earth Is Hiring” by Peta Kelly
Thank you for following my writing journey!
I hope you look forward to seeing more of my writing process and work. I also look forward to giving all of you more frequent updates as well, so stay tuned for more!
If you have any questions, feel free to email me at clarislamauthor@gmail.com! I’ll respond within 48 hours (except on weekends and holidays).
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Thank you for following my writing journey!
I hope you look forward to seeing more of my writing process and work. I also look forward to giving all of you more frequent updates as well, so stay tuned for more!
If you have any questions, feel free to email me at clarislamauthor@gmail.com! I’ll respond within 48 hours (except on weekends and holidays).