Procrastinating Central

I can't believe I've nearly had this blog for a year now. And have I done anything to move myself forward to getting published? The short answer is 'No.'

Has anyone seen that Simpsons episode where Lisa Simpson is trying to write a book? She keeps finding other things that she feels she ought to be doing first, or she finds things that generally distract her in every way from writing even one sentence. That is exactly how it is for me! My husband and I got a good laugh out of that episode.

On one hand, I got a job last April that kept me employed and super busy for 9 whole months. I'm terrible in that I didn't even blog much during that time. If I wasn't writing my books, I certainly wasn't writing in my blog either. *sigh*

On the other hand, I'm scared. I spend a lot of time looking at people who are successful and trying to see what they do. There is a huge emphasis on social sites on the web and, for some reason, I've never been good at that. I get very few followers on every social site I join. Perhaps that has to do with my lack of updating? Oh yes, I'm sure that has something to do with it, LOL. Perhaps I should make a concerted effort to update my blog and send out at least one tweet a day.

I have a facebook account, but it's under my cat's name. I need to make one for my Kyndra Hatch penname. I've always been curious, though. Has anyone figured out the difference between facebook and twitter? It just seems I'd be writing the same stuff on facebook as I do (or should be doing) on twitter.

I'm getting off track from the subject of being scared, though. Anyway, I keep going over my book ideas and the events they contain and psyching myself out that no one would be interested. I'm not sure how to shake this feeling. I have to, though, or I'll never know if people are truly interested or not.

I think a lot of authors feel this way. It's a scary prospect, getting a first book out there. There are so many unknowns and we, as humans, are afraid of the unknown.

There is also the fact that I want to use my fanfiction plot for my original work. I've created my own world, taken everything out that isn't universal, taken the obvious copyrighted stuff out. It was a Transformers fanfiction, so basically I've taken the Transformers universe out of it. What I'm left with is the plot that has always been my own. I really like this plot and I'm having loads of fun playing with it now that it is in my own world. I'm not restricted by it being fanfiction anymore and it's amazing how it has changed and evolved.

Am I even allowed to do this, though? I've asked a lawyer and he said it would be fine. An editor friend of mine in Canada has been encouraging me to write it as my own original work for a couple years now. However, I'm still uncertain.

Another unknown with it is that the first book has an event that might be too tragic for many readers. I've tried to get around it, but that part of the plot hasn't changed, especially since it drives the entire storyline. Everything works out for everyone by the end of the series, but getting through and past that first book might kill it before it even gets started. It was received well in the fanfiction version, though...

I'm psyching myself out again, aren't I? My husband keeps telling me to write my book however I want to write it. The first thing I need is a manuscript...and then I go from there. One step at a time and quit psyching myself out.

Basically, it's procrastinating central over here and I need to quit finding reasons to procrastinate. LOL!