The Writer's Block

by Alyssa Ast

As technology continues to change, we have to adjust our skills to adapt to the new technological waves. It seems that being a writer involves so much more than simply being a writer. You have to constantly develop your skills to meet the online demands in order to become successful. Before, being a writer involved a pen, paper and a typewriter. But now, it involves so much more, including the ability to utilize social networking sites and other online tools to maintain a lucrative writing career. So, can we really classify ourselves as simply writers when we are so much more?

Keeping up with technology
Keeping up with technology is difficult as it's always changing. It seems like very little has changed in the four years since I began my writing career, but when I sit and think about it, a lot has changed. I've had to change many aspects of my day to day tasks to keep up with the technology changes.

When I began writing, my days mainly focused on writing, with the exception of 30 or 40 minutes dedicated to social networking. But now, my time is just about equally divided between writing and social networking/marketing as an online presence is absolutely essential and my clients pay me to do so.

I've made numerous changes to keep up with technology as far as my career is concerned. My cell phone for example. Before, I was perfectly content with a phone that was, well, just a phone. But overtime, I had to upgrade my phone to be able to check emails, communicate in other ways with clients, keep up with marketing and basically stay connected with the online world in more ways than before. My phone is no longer just a phone. It has become a vital tool needed in my day to day writing activities.

Before I used to keep a pen and note pad in my purse, and now it's a net-book, which will be obsolete in another six months. A book was just a book, but now I have to rely on my ereader more and more to be able to review books for people. It seems like every where I look, I've had to make changes to make my life easier as far as my career is concerned. I no longer have a calender hanging on my wall. Instead it's on my computer and linked to my phone, even set up to alert me when deadlines and conference calls are drawing near.

It's become such second nature to adapt in order to keep up with technology. It's kind of funny to think about what our life and career would be like if we only used a pen, paper and typewriter. Would it be easier? Would we be more successful? I don't know. I think technology has made it easier for writers to catch a break, but yet life would be so much simpler if we didn't have to rely on technology so much.

How do you keep up with technology? How do you deal with having to constantly change your abilities to keep up with it? Do you think you could survive in the writing world without technology?

Happy Writing!

Keeping Up with Technology

by Alyssa Ast

Don't you just hate it when you're asked to review something, and you don't like it? Then, you're stuck in the position to bend the review one way to try not to offend the person, or tell the truth and anger the person. This task becomes even harder if you happen to know the person. Personally, I want people to tell me their honest opinion when they review my books. I'm ready for it--whether they love it or hate it. But, it's still hard for me to do the same for others. Maybe it's because my parents taught me, "If I don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

Yes, I know this phrase shouldn't apply in the case of reviews, but I still struggle with it. It's one thing if I bought the product myself and review it. I have no problem stating my honest opinion, despite if it's a good or bad opinion. However, when I'm asked to review products, it does cause me to hesitate.

I usually end up writing the review honestly anyway, but usually feel horrible after publishing it. After it's published, I always wait for the email telling me what a horrible monster I am, but those emails never come.

Usually, if I have to write a bad review, I try to include a few aspects of the product that I did like. Very rarely will I come across something I truly don't like at all. I think you should write reviews honestly no matter what. Even bad reviews can be good reviews if you focus on all aspects of the product. You want to highlight the good and bad, and not just write a one sided review. But, even when doing reviews this way, I still feel a little guilty if I say I didn't like some thing about the product.

How do you feel about bad reviews? Do you usually write a bad review even if you know you might hurt some one's feelings? Is honesty the best policy?

Happy writing!

If you don't have anything nice to say....

by Alyssa Ast

There's a downside to being self employed that's rarely discussed openly-- the fear of whether or not you can really rely on your income to maintain the lifestyle you would like. I'm lucky because my husband works full-time so we have his income guaranteed. When I began writing, my income was just a little extra to cover the "wants" in life, while my husband's income covered all of the "needs." But now, my income matches and sometimes surpasses my husband's income, which leaves us with a difficult decision. While I do consider my income to be stable to a certain extent, do we really want to live outside of my husband's income and rely on my income to cover a better lifestyle?

I know many people wouldn't struggle with this choice. The money is there, so why not use it for a nicer house or another car, right? Well, it's hard for me because I grew up in a self employed household. Some months the money was there and it was great, but other months someone would decide not to pay and the struggle began. Do I really want to leave my family in the position to have to struggle if I should happen to lose a high paying client?

I do consider my clients to be long term, at least for the next few months, and all of my clients have paid on time. I don't have all of my eggs in one basket, so why not start using my income to lavish our lifestyle a little bit? It seems logical and everything should be fine, but then there's this little voice in my head yelling, "what if this happens?"

I just can't bring myself to start relying on my income heavily, although it could drastically change the way we live. So now I'm left trying to figure out how to get past this. How can I release my fear of relying on my income and actually begin using it on something other than extra groceries?

I had always hoped to reach this point in my writing career where I could change the way we live for the better, yet I'm too hesitant to actually do so. It's just one more thing they don't tell you about when you begin writing. Basically, I just don't want to get in over my head if my income should suddenly decrease. But, at the same time, it sure would be nice to upgrade some of the every day "needs" we have and not just cover the "wants."
Have you been in this position? Can you rely on your income? Do you have this fear too?

Happy writing!

Can you rely on your income?