I am a writer. I should be writing. I have two people to kill off in my next novel (spoiler alert). Although I think I’m a pretty good writer, I’m an even better procrastinator.
Here are ten ways I waste time instead of working on my novel:
- Facebook. I belong to a number of Facebook groups. I have more virtual friends than physical friends. So, first thing I do is check my notifications. Did someone mention me in a comment? Did they comment on a post that I am following? Did they share a link? I have a profile page as well as an author page. Lots of activity.
Of course, then I check the newest comments and posts. Then I leave comments. Now it’s time to check my notifications again to see if anyone commented on my comments. Then I have to comment on their comments. (I don’t want to be rude.) The cycle continues on and off all day. Every day.
- Amazon Dashboard. This is an awesome way to waste time. This is where authors can check how many books they’ve sold that day and how many pages have been read by people who ordered their books through Kindle Unlimited. Amazon updates the information every hour or so. Yes, I have to check it multiple times a day. Wouldn’t you?
- Reviews. Authors have a love-hate relationship with reviews. We desperately want them, yet getting a new one scares the pants off us. I check several times a day to see if anyone has left a new one. That means checking on Amazon and Goodreads. The clock is ticking.
- Email. This is not just particular to authors; we all do this. I have two email accounts. One is for business. This is where I get notifications of comments left on my website, information from companies who promote books, etc. You know how email is. Must. Check. Often.
- Website. Obviously, I have to check my website every day. Sometimes, I’ll actually post something new there. Posting means writing. What’s next?
- Twitter. I’m almost spending as much time on Twitter these days as I do on Facebook. I retweet tweets from my fellow authors and create my own tweets. I post my tweets on Facebook for other authors to re-tweet. Sometimes I actually read tweets. Not often.
- Pinterest. This site is a giant rabbit hole. First, I check my activity. Who re-pinned my pins? Who sent me a pin? Then I look at pins that Pinterest thought I might like. (Pinterest is another virtual friend. *hugs.) The danger comes when you actually click on a pin. What starts as “25 Make Ahead Thanksgiving Casseroles” ends up with “54 Crafts to Make With an Old Car Battery.” You’ve been there; you get it.
- Advertising. This is my latest addiction. Besides taking time to apply to sites that advertise books, I’ve now started creating teaser ads to post on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. These take time. Too much time. But I enjoy making them.
- Doggy Duty. I have to stop my “work” to let the dog out at least a few times during the day. Then I have to let her back in. Good thing she’s cute.
(Sorry. I planned to make a list of ten things, but I got distracted. You know how it is.)
