Carmen DeSousa

Me, ummm ... well, not too much. I managed to lose five of the fifteen pounds I wanted to lose, but those are always the easiest. If I could keep losing the first five pounds two to three times, I'd make my goal. Why doesn't that happen??? Writing... NADA! But in my defense, hubby and son have been home this week, so I hope to hit the writing hard starting tomorrow. I even wrote down a schedule, which includes everything I do in a day except bathroom breaks. LOL! Really, I even wrote down how long I was allowed to play on Twitter and Facebook. Editing... Pretty good. I can't write when hubby and son are home, so I worked on formatting two of my books for print. I didn't even yell or scream at the computer either, so that means I nailed one of my other goals: no complaining. And if any of you have ever tried to format a book for print, you know that was a huge accomplishment. What's next?  Hmm ... not sure, but I've been feeling overwhelmed lat...

I know we’ve heard this before, but I wasn’t sure if anyone had put it in social media and writing vernacular, so here goes: Make Friends:  I don’t follow everyone, but if we share a common interest—this usually means writing, reading, thinking about writing or reading, or know someone who writes or reads and supports them—I usually follow people back on Twitter and Facebook. Do Onto Others : Again, I don’t share everything, but if I read something I think my friends would have interest in, I retweet and share posts, especially when it’s from someone who shares my posts.  J If you can’t say Anything Nice… :  Really, this  should go without saying, but I still see it. Nothing wrong with having your opinion, but that’s exactly what that is: your opinion. Don’t get in a fighting match; that’s what the ‘ unfollow ’ button is for. Remember ... it takes two. Say  You’re  Sorry : If you do offend someone, say you’re sorry. Play Fair ...

Kids, day job, pets, errands, cooking, cleaning, socializing—I mean marketing on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, and on, and on, and on. Oh, wait a minute! I forgot writing . How in the world am I ever going to find time to write? Not to mention, editing and READING! You have to beta read in return for all the wonderful people who read your rough drafts—God help my wonderful beta readers. The answer is you can’t find time ; you must make time . It’s as simple as that. If you’re a writer, it is imperative that you make time to write. As  with anything you do, you must keep your mind sharp or your craft will diminish. My college professor told me Hemmingway would read every word of his manuscript each day before he even attempted adding another word to his work in progress. Can you imagine? No, I can't either. But I do know this; when a story is in my head, I need to get it out. The longer it sits there, the weaker it becomes. So, no matter what you have...

I know we’ve heard this before, but I wasn’t sure if anyone had put it in social media and writing vernacular, so here goes: Make Friends: I don’t follow everyone, but if we share a common interest—this usually means writing, reading, thinking about writing or reading, or know someone who writes or reads and supports them—I usually follow people back on Twitter and Facebook. Do Onto Others : Again, I don’t share everything, but if I read something I think my friends would have interest in, I retweet and share posts, especially when it’s from someone who shares my posts. J If you can’t say Anything Nice… : Really, this should go without saying, but I still see it. Nothing wrong with having your opinion, but that’s exactly what that is: your opinion. Don’t get in a fighting match; that’s what the ‘ unfollow ’ button is for. Remember ... it takes two. Say You’re Sorry : If you do offend someone, say you’re sorry. Play Fair : Play by the rules. Unscrupulous activiti...