OMG, I've contracted a disease!

I really haven’t, but the title of the post captured your attention, right? Yeah, that’s what I thought. Also, in the interest of no hard feelings, I’ve recently adopted one of Julia Child’s sayings as my own “No explanations, no excuses and no apologies”. This is exactly how I see things--how I've always operated--so if I offend anyone with subject matter in this post, it’s not intentional, just my blogging opinion.

So diseases. Not suffering, I am, however, in something of a pickle. I’m dealing with a huge case of writer’s block—not block exactly, it’s more like brain fatigue. I know where I want this book to go. I’ve even got it outlined. I just can’t get my brain fired enough to propel my fingers to actually type the words.

Oh jeez, words. Where do they come from? How do I know they’re gonna be the right choice?

Do you see how it is?

In this situation, I would tell myself to take my own advice and work on a new short piece. Fat chance! Yes, I’ve got ideas for stories that should get me through 2011, but my brain refuses to unstick itself from the giant suck of the Molasses Swamp. Some people will say go read a book and that’ll get my pistons firing. Been there, tried that. Nope. Others will say get out of the house, go see a movie, etc. Yeah, did that too. Nothing. Still searching for that miracle cure for this disease.

How did I even get to this pass? This sort of thing just does not happen to me. I’m always busy with writing. I never stop, right? Well, hello brick wall. I’ve smacked into it so hard you can see the impressions on my forehead. Sigh.

I think there are a number of things that have contributed to brain fatigue. Constantly thinking up topics for blogs, doing promotions for releasing books, dealing with edits, getting together submission packets, blah, blah, blah. Some of the promotional stuff I really like. Some, not so much. You may not think these types of things sap a writer’s strength, but have them build up over time and baby, they’re deadly. A writer is pulled in hundreds of directions and eventually, there will be no more energy.

Add on top of that housework, laundry, cooking countless dinners, cleaning up the kitchen, yada, yada, yada, and it’s a wonder I’m not dead every night.

And don’t even get me started on the social networking aspect of life. If I don’t log on, my fans don’t feel connected. If I post too much, then some people get annoyed. Where’s the happy medium? What am I supposed to be doing?

I still don’t understand the concept of Twitter. Is this site supposed to be for promotions or what? If not and I don’t have the followers, what’s the point of putting anything in the status line? In this, I’m so glad there’s a limit of 140 characters. Any more than that and I might have to stab out my eyes with a pen.

Quite frankly, I have found Twitter to be very pro-print author books and not a whole lot of chatter about e-published ones. I mean, while I hear every once in awhile about e-published books buzz, the great bulk of it is about New York authors. While that’s great and everything, it’s frustrating for us in the e-publishing (or “minor league”) world.

And while, I’ll admit, I find it supremely funny when agents make fun of submissions (because, let’s face it, we’ve all done the same stupid stuff they’re making fun of—actually, I just did one of those things last week and I’m snarky like that too) I’m not sure it’s professional to put it out there in a social networking forum.

Not to mention I really think Twitter is serving book pirates more than anyone else.

Then there are the Yahoo loops, email, on and on it goes—all time sucks. To infinity—except I’ve dropped out of a lot of Yahoo groups because I don’t have the time and I really don’t think they make that big a difference…

…and Yahoo blows. I had to change my email address because of them.

Do the big authors in the literary world ever deal with this? Maybe, maybe not. The biggest ones have their ghost writers, promotional companies, events planners, assistants, etc., so I personally think the jury is out on that one. Of course, maybe they do have time what with writing the same book over and over, just changing the location and names of the characters… (Yeah, I went there and you know you’ve read authors who do exactly that)

But I digress from my original statement that I have a disease. My brain’s apparently tired and I really need my muse to kick in and tell me where to go—in my writing that is. Of course, there’s always the chance I’ve intimidated myself with this super cool outline of what will be an awesome book—if I can just write it…

Sigh. Having multiple books contracted is great, don’t get me wrong, but I’m looking forward to the next few months because I won’t have a book releasing then. Maybe I can finally relax and the words will flow again.

Of course, I’ve never been really productive in the winter months anyway. Stupid groundhog. When is open hunting season for that rodent, anyway?

So, that’s where I am. Stuck in the quicksand and needing someone, anyone, to pull me out and get me going. Hint, hint. Friends, anyone, are you reading this?

I honestly think that being a writer is a bit like being a contestant on Survivor. Outwit, Outlast, Outplay. Is it more a concept of writing the best, writing in a popular, trendy genre, kissing the most butt, talking to the right people, having a better voice, a better publisher, the best idea? Who has the ins and outs of the writing game? The endurance to continue? Who will be the last writer standing?

While we’re on the subject, isn’t it interesting that everyone thinks they can write a book? And what’s even sadder is this dreck sells. Oh, my husband cheated on me with a woman from South America so I divorced him and now I wrote a book. Oh, I’m a quirky former governor who did questionable things and can see foreign countries from my backyard, I think I’ll write a book. Oh, I’m a celebrity who has kids, I think it qualifies me to write children’s books. Oh, I’m married to a popular 1990’s comedian so I think I’ll write a cookbook. I could go on (and so could you I’m sure)

Seriously? I wish I had that kind of luck and not have to work at getting a book published with New York.

Ugh. See, my brain’s working, but that power’s not being funneled to where it needs to be. Suffice it to say, being part of the publishing world is still a mystery and I don’t understand a lot of it, don’t know if I ever will. I just try to keep my head down and write—except it’s not working for me right now LOL

While you’re waiting for me to get my act writing together, let me share this good news with you. This past Monday, I had a new book release. Unraveled Souls is my historical/paranormal book and is near and dear to my heart. Honestly, I think I love writing historical more than any other genre, so add a bit of the paranormal to it and I’m golden.

I hope you’ll consider adding it to your electronic library. It’s one of the best things I’ve written so far.

Blurb: Noelle Radliffe can communicate with ghosts. They haunt her nights and show her dreams of things that haven’t yet occurred. When she has a vision of a dead lion and sees the name of a man, she searches the city to find him only to become sidetracked by an addiction she can’t fight.

Enter Nicholas Pemberton. Although charming and charismatic, he hides a secret, one that is deadly as well as mysterious. He’s a shape shifter and the urge to change into a lion is a battle he constantly wages with himself, second to the recently discovered obsession he feels for Noelle.

As the two fight their mutual attraction to each other, Nicholas attempts to elude the local police force intent on linking recent murders to his name, while Noelle continues to seek peace in her life and to understand her purpose. Their connection is too strong to ignore. As passion ignites, so does the danger. Lives are threatened and destinies collide, but will love be enough to save their souls?

Buy Link: http://tinyurl.com/yhs7jp4

Author website: http://www.sandrasookoo.com

Book video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K54iCYvt_A