Being Seen to Be Writing, or Actually Writing

I feel like the trickiest balance to strike is between being seen to be writing, and actually writing. I don’t know about you, but it is very, very easy for me to be drawn into writerly tasks that ultimately don’t contribute much to my actual written work.

You know the stuff. Tweeting a clever writing quote (who doesn’t love those?). Popping a cute photo of an organized desk up on Instagram. Scanning for the next great way to organize your plot. Researching author branding and community building.

This stuff is awesome. It isn’t necessarily pointless. But, if you’re doing all of the above, and not writing, as in, getting words on paper or actively researching the next words you’re going to put on paper, you may have a problem.

The Allure of Being Seen to be Writing

Being a writer, in terms of identity, is a tricky thing. For a lot of us, there is already the weird, constant questioning of “am I a real writer,” whatever that means. It can be so, so easy to drift away from the thing that actually makes you a writer (um, writing) and toward the things that make you feel like other people see you as a writer.

The Importance of Being Seen

And there is some necessity in being seen to be a writer. If your goal is to be traditionally published, it helps to have some visibility within the writing community. And if your goal is to self-publish, you absolutely need an online presence and at least the skeleton of something business plan-like in order to sell your work.

If your ultimate goal is sharing your work, you do need to be seen. But, being seen as a writer, especially on social media, shouldn’t distract you from producing your art.

This can take some soul searching. Maybe those things that make you feel seen to be a writer actually are more important to you than the writing itself. And that is perfectly fine! You can even still be a writer when you focus on social media, blogging, planning, and organizing rather than producing prose or poetry.

Those activities can even be lucrative, if you want them to be. Or maybe you want to be more of a hobby-writer. You write for your own enjoyment, for your eyes and gratification, and part of the joy of the hobby for you is the community side. These are definitely positive reasons to prioritize non-writing writer behavior.

But, if what you want is to share your creative work as a professional author, these activities usually take precious time away from the down and dirty work of producing written work.

The Pitfalls

We have all heard about the ways that social media sets the hook and reels you in. Quick dopamine hits with likes and shares, instant gratification and attention. Our brains are, to a degree, wired to seek this stuff out.

The problem is that these things can so effectively distract us from what we really want. They have the illusion of emergence, they seem to our auto-piloting brains like they are important.

The trick to avoiding these pitfalls is to get intentional about your priorities. Is your priority your Twitter following? Or is it to bring a book to market? For me, bringing a story to market would really be something to tweet about.

Make Before You Manage

This phrase, this idea of “make before you manage” has leaped out at me from a few different angles over the past few weeks. Which is usually a good indicator that I need to pay attention. Sometimes the universe tells us things.

In the time that each of us have allotted to us each day, are you using it to be the thing that you are uniquely capable of being? Or are you disproportionately using your time trying to be seen as a doer of the thing, or actually doing the thing?

At its heart, the idea is that we should do the thing that is uniquely us first. Anyone* can manage; share the quote on Twitter, posting the desk shot on Instagram, check the website pageviews, listen to the latest podcast on creativity and process. But only You can create the Thing. The story, the art is in You and only in You the way that You can create it.

The way that I have incorporated this into my process is to always start with getting words on paper. That is the first thing in my day, before I open email, Twitter, Instagram. It’s part of my 500 Word Promise to Me, something that I actively prioritize ahead of the other dramatics that tend to take over any given day.

Don’t get bogged down in “management” tasks. Yes, they have their place, even one of importance when it comes to networking and marketing. But it would be a shame to spend all the bandwidth on it when you have a story to tell.

Don’t Be Afraid to Put Your Head Down

Visibility is huge for writers. It’s how we get the word out about our work. Our visibility puts bread on the table, if we’re very lucky.

The problem is, the act of writing is inherently quiet, and invisible. Most artistic or creative work is solitary, and time consuming. The creative path is not necessarily the most social. And you shouldn’t be afraid of that. It isn’t unusual for creatives take retreats when they recognize that they need to refocus on what they uniquely bring. As important as it is to have a voice and a platform for your work, engagement needs to actually be balanced with the value that you’re bringing.

Don’t be afraid to be quiet on social media, to prioritize creating instead of sharing. Don’t be afraid to ask the question. Is being seen serving you? Or distracting you?

Writer writing instead of being seen to be writing — Creating is hard work. Sometimes you just need to put your head down and do the thing.

How Do You Find Balance?

What works for you?

Do you regularly schedule time specifically to create and allocate other time to build and engage with your community? Or do you plan longer-term structured retreats throughout your calendar?

What are some signs that you are overprioritizing your visibility, at the expense of your creative work? Or, on the other side of the coin, when might you realize that the visibility and the social media itself really is your creative niche?

Share your thoughts in the comments, or (in full realization of the topic of this post…) shoot me a message on Twitter, Instagram, or regular old email! I’d love to hear your thoughts and perspective! And for monthly musings on the writing life and updates on my journey, don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter, Writing On Spec!

Until next time, may your coffee be strong and the Muse be with you!