Kick Ass Girls!

If you’re not aware, my debut novel The Doors was published by Fire and Ice, an imprint of Melange (you can find the link below if you’re interested in taking a look at a YA with a twist!)

Today marks the promotion of the new project by Fire and Ice #kickassgirlsofya. We’re celebrating the strengths of our female heroines and you can get involved too! Check out the calender below and hold steady for more info. I’m running the Instagram event from 8th April and it’s one that you won’t want to miss!

If you want to take part, here’s the link for my Instagram account and I hope to see you there: https://www.instagram.com/alicejblack/

 

 

Writing is a Lonely Profession

Writing can be a lonely profession. Most of my days (when I’m writing anyway) are spent on my sofa, usually in my pajamas with my laptop on my knees working on something or other with various internet windows open for research or procrastination purposes. I’m always content when I’m like that. I do what I love and that’s what’s important. However, there are times when I realise that I might have spent an entire two days (my two days off work) doing this and that I haven’t been anywhere or seen anyone or done anything. Sometimes I’m fine with that but sometimes I’m not.

I have to remind myself that there is a life outside of both work and writing and that I need to take time to explore it and have fun. It’s important to do that.

Inside of the writing world, when I’m spending days in front of my computer, I realise the importance for contact with other writers. When I first started out I had a couple of people I talked to, who knew what it was like to be a writer and how lonely it could be. As my work has expanded and my social circles within the writing community developed, I realise that I have friends all over the globe. Most of them are in America and I know one very special couple that always keep me going from Carolina. We talk daily and it means the world to me, not only to have someone who understands what I do and who I can talk to about writing, but someone I can just talk to as a friend.

I signed up to do an author signing down the line but has led me to make friends with those authors who I’ll be sharing a room with for twelve hours and more recently, I began talking to a man in my very own UK who I’m going to be sharing an anthology with. After some general chit-chatting and realising how similar we were in some aspects, we’ve decided to do a collaboration on a short story. That’s something I’m really looking forward to.

I guess what I’m trying to say is embrace the people you talk to, get yourself out there and don’t be shy. Although we all have times when we have our introvert selves come into play, we have to have a strong social network of other writers and authors to prevent the loneliness creeping in.

What are some of the things you do to prevent isolation when writing?