(Warning: trigger image – mouse skelaton.)
Blog regularly. Post to Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Patreon. Don’t forget to Tweet, Like, Shout… And at some point in all that, write… novels… with a distinctive brand… and regularity.
Large quantities of coffee can help with some of those things, (especially the regularity) but something’s gotta give. So I decided my best bet was to hone a brand that would allow me the leisure to do the single most important thing – to write – and to remove myself from all the rest. I would re-brand as the Reclusive Writing Crone… and write, southern gothic mysteries.
Recluses don’t have to worry about those things that would otherwise distract from the business of writing. The Crone part just comes naturally to me, because I am just naturally drawn to things that most normal people find creepy.
Case in point:
So toward building my brand as the reclusive writer, I’ve spent my time removing myself from society. Easy Peasy. There’s a flippin’ pandemic on-going. It’s called social distancing.
And something that lends itself to all these things has been my pandemic project of creating my outdoor office, away from the house, away from people, away from… distraction (although, in all honesty, renovating a shed as a writing office is a pretty big distraction from the business of writing.)
I just finished insulating and paneling the walls. (Yep. Did it myself, although I had a professional install the electrics which, given my history and sketchy skill set, seemed like a good idea.)
The next phase is paint. I know, I know, the wood paneling is pretty, but doesn’t match and that sort of thing bothers me. And I want light and bright and airy. (Hey, I can be a reclusive writing crone and still embrace pretty things.)
Next up, finishing the trim/paneling in the loft, insulating the ceiling, and some sort of ceiling treatment.
So if you’re interested, you can follow the on-going renovations of the writing shed. I’m a recluse! A writin’ reclusive crone!… with a writing shed.
