Monday, December 03, 2012

Tiny Steps

Decided to take some tiny steps back into the social networking scene, and see if I can keep the time investment to a reasonable level.  I have a birthday coming up, and don't want to miss all the messages--and frankly, too few of my friends read and respond to these blog posts.  Big thanks to the ones who do, but I'm greedy.

***

On the morning walk last Friday, I think it was, R suggested that I try spending the morning off Outlook, not responding to emails, and not editing thing, either.  Just reading and writing my own stuff.

I have a book manuscript I'm supposed to read and respond to this week. Does that count as "reading," or as "editing"?

***

Decided it was "reading," which might have been a mistake.  Spent most of my working hours on that project, and since the manuscript was (is) very problematic, that was distracting, leaving me no mental energy for my own writing project, a new grant proposal for paid leave to write about romance.  On the other hand, it's very important to me that problematic material on romance not get published as-is, and I consider that sort of quality control to be "my own stuff."  Centrally so.

A good day's work, in short.  And Facebook / Twitter didn't seem to distract me much, so far.

4 comments:

Laura Vivanco said...

"frankly, too few of my friends read and respond to these blog posts"

Maybe quite a lot of them are reading but not responding?

it's very important to me that problematic material on romance not get published as-is, and I consider that sort of quality control to be "my own stuff." Centrally so.

I'm extremely grateful to you for acting as a quality control: it's not very visible work in terms of your contribution being recognised, but it's extremely necessary.

E. M. Selinger said...

"Maybe quite a lot of them are reading but not responding?"

Some are, I'm sure, Laura--I don't assume otherwise. But others have told me, a bit abashed, that they don't keep an eye on things here or at the other blogs. They mostly keep up with people on their phones, etc., using social media apps, I guess. Old fashioned blogging just doesn't make the cut!

I did feel quite virtuous working on this project today. Quite the senior scholar, keeping an eye on things, periodically harumphing and looking over the tops of my glasses in a disapproving way. Off to sip some sherry for a reward!

Laura Vivanco said...

"Old fashioned blogging just doesn't make the cut!"

Oh. Not sure what to say to that. I suppose I'm old-fashioned.

E. M. Selinger said...

That makes two of us, Laura. :)