But I Write Fiction!

How Blogging Helped Me Develop My Fiction Writing

                       

I’m a story person. I read some non-fiction books, but not many. I need story in my life.

Those of us who write novels know it is a delayed-reward process, since it may take a year or more to write a novel, followed by editing, then the publication process, whether that’s royalty or indie. It’s a long-term work that can seem endless and muddled at times.

What can a fiction writer do to combat this problem? Write non-fiction.

Say what?

After the release of my first books, I decided I needed a website for visibility. If someone wanted to google me, I wanted them to find me. With the help of a friend I set up a website. It’s simple, but it’s out there. 

I blogged a couple times the first year, then realized it was an all or nothing venture. No one would visit my blog a second time if there was nothing new to read. The next year I created a schedule for myself and committed to it.

- Week One:  devotional/inspirational piece

- Week Two:  interview a fellow writer

- Week Three:  book review (if possible, a book by this month’s interviewee)

- Week Four:  my own series of posts titled Fiction 101

This year I’ve changed it up, but I still plan to post one blog per week. Besides this, I guest blog on several other sites.

What did I gain by breaking into the blogging world?

1. I learned to write for a deadline – doesn’t matter if it’s self-imposed or not

2. I learned to write more tightly – blogs tend to be about 300 words, give or take

3. I learned to appreciate the sense of accomplishment when I posted a blog every week

4. I learned how to use WordPress (well, enough to post my blogs)

5. I learned to be more decisive – there’s a time and space deadline

6. I learned to do my best and then let it go – the key is communication

7. I learned to broaden my horizons – choosing topics makes me pay attention to life

8. I learned that varying the type of writing I do adds interest both for me and my readers

9. I learned that blogs make me write more regularly

10. I learned that blogs can help and encourage others, as I’ve been encouraged over the years

11. I learned that although these blogs are not books, they can be combined and published

* Note: For an example of this, check out these books by Kristen Eckstein

12. I learned that researching and writing blogs can feed my fiction

Through my connection with my current publisher, I was encouraged to branch out into various social media, and these efforts were also beneficial in many ways:

— They helped me establish a network of friends and readers

— They helped me learn to write concisely (Only 140 characters for Twitter)

The important thing is to schedule in time to work on my novels. After all, I'll always be a fiction writer first.