VS Grenier ~ Award-Winning Author, Speaker & Podcaster

There is nothing like a bit of peace and quiet to focus on your writing. After a busy day of grocery shopping, picking up the house, and getting my hair cut . . . I never thought I would find the time to sit down today at my computer. But I did get the time and I am happy to say I just finished putting together the 41st issue of SFC Newsletter for Writers. It is hard to believe this little newsletter (voted one of the 101 Best Websites for Writers by Writer’s Digest 2009) is going into its fourth year of publication. SFC Newsletter for Writers ( http://storiesforchildrenpublishing.com/SFCNewsletterforWriters.aspx ) is the first publication I started after taking my writing course at The Institute of Children’s Literature (ICL) in 2005. From there I started Stories for Children Magazine ( http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org ) and finally the parent company Stories for Children Publishing, LLC. Besides this blog, SFC Newsletter for Writers is also helping me get back into the sw

We all do it. Sit for hours in front of our computers posting on Facebook, Twitter, My Space, Ning, and other social media networks. Face it; it is the best way to keep tabs on all your friends, family, and fans. But do you find yourself playing the tug-a-war game everyday? I know for me as a writer it is important to have a cyber-face present at all times. Social media is the new way of marketing. I teach this in my workshop, How to Sell Yourself. As a writer, you must have a website, you should join social networks, consider a blog and newsletter. However, finding the time to keep up on it all can be a bit much. The biggest thing I noticed was when I had a few minutes after putting my two month old down I would do the should I clean or should I hop on the computer just to check this or that. I bet you can guess the answer. I, of course, hopped on the computer to just check email and would end up spending more than a few minutes. Let’s say my couple of minutes normally turned into

The time has come to start writing again. I just had child number three back in February this year. I had of course put my writing on hold during the last two months of pregnancy and now it is time to get back into the swing of things three months later. I’m hoping this blog will help me do just that. One of the things you will hear repeatedly in the writing world is, “Write everyday.” As wonderful as this thought is, sometimes-writing everyday just doesn’t happen if you’re a Writing Mama like me with a fourteen year old son, five year old daughter, and new baby girl. Between spending time with my husband, three children, our two pets, and cleaning the house . . . I sometimes wonder how I find the time to write at all. Not to mention maintaining my editing business and company Stories for Children Publishing, LLC. However, somehow I seem to fit it all in each day, week, month, and year. Of course, sometimes I find I do not get as much sleep as I need because of it all.