Three things you should do online as soon as you fancy yourself to be a writer

I’m a … cough, cough … writer. Why the coughing? Because I have a dry throat, of course! It has nothing to do with my doubts about this whole writing business and the place it should have in my life.

Doubts are a dime a dozen though. Not only are they cheap … and a pain in the neck … they are also everywhere. I’ve read enough these past few months to realize that new writers and seasoned writers alike have them.

There are many ways you can deal with your doubts. Here is a fun one: get yourself a nice, big (or bigger) glass of red wine. Put the song “Supermassive Black Hole” on repeat. Figure out what makes you dizzy first: the drinking, or the dancing? I haven’t personally tried that … of course … but I would be willing to bet that you’d get rid of any pesky doubts for at least three hours and 25 minutes … give or take a couple minutes or so.

Another way to deal with doubts? Have some fun online. No, I’m not talking about the X-rated sites, chats, and what-nots … sorry. What I am talking about is a way of strengthening your online presence while getting some much needed comfort from reading about other writers’ struggles. It’s like killing two birds with one stone. Only, get this: no actual birds are hurt in the making of this movie … or online strategy, or whatever you want to call it.

So, without further ado, here are three things to do online that could help you as a writer:

• One. Set up your blog. Where else are you going to vent your frustrations? Your family and friends can only put up with your whining for so long. Take it from my family and friends.
• Two. Set up a Facebook account and a Twitter account. You’ll be able to find out tons of things about your favorite author:
  • what they had for breakfast;
  • who remodeled their bathroom;
  • who’s wedding party they decided to crash, or
  • what piece of clothing they forgot to put on before a major speech.

You’ll also find out more boring things like the stories they’re working on, writing tips, or their favorite reads in case that’s the way you want to waste your precious I’m-here-for-the-gossip time.

• Three. Find three blogs to follow … and a writing forum if you really must and are not worried about getting lost in a maze of endless threads.

You have to find the blogs though. They will help keep you sane. Just when you feel you hit the bottom of the bottomless pit, and there’s no way for you to get out of it and move forward with your novel, there’s Chuck Wendig reaching out to you with an endless rope of wit to pull you out of the pit and get you back to your writing desk. Thank you, Chuck!

Of course, you could do much more than this when it comes to your online presence. Most writers do. Me? I’m a hardcore minimalist. I’m trying to figure out the least I can do to have a meaningful but manageable online alter ego. Oh, I’m also pretty lazy … but the minimalist excuse sounds better.