Discipline

As I have posted before, there is more to writing than telling a good story. After actually getting that story onto the page and into a passable manuscript, you have to convince a publisher that it is the best thing since sliced bread and they really must publish it. Then you have to do your best to help them sell it. If no one knows about the book, then how can they buy it. I am fortunate to have a publisher with a great reputation, Mercer University Press. But they publish 40 books a year. I realize how easy it could be to get lost in the shuffle there. So I employed a publicist, Marjory Wentworth, at the recommendation of my dear friend Kathie Bennett.

The past couple of days I have been teaching myself how to Tweet and have redone my website. (http://www.southern-style and http://www.sharmanbursonramsey.com). In addition to that we had the pleasure of seeing some old friends who brought their 64 foot Alaskan Yacht to Bay Point in Panama City and accompanied us to the St. Andrew Bay Yacht Club (15 Friday night at our table). We had fun doing karaoke at 30 Degree Blue Thursday night with Mike Alford and on Friday night at the Yacht Club. We were all impressed with the crowd at 30 Degree Blue. There were some quite talented singers and everyone was encouraging and supportive so we all had fun.

We took our boat (24 foot Chapparal) out for awhile to go down to Beach Drive to see where they had razed Bubba Nelson's old house. Two sisters lived side by side and connected their houses with a breezeway on what was 10 lots. His grandsons decided the lots would sell better without the house on it so they demolished the house to sell the lots. That is such a beautiful area.

So, I just finished the redesign of my website. We plan to go to a movie later. The discipline that I refer to in the title has to do with delegating the precious time I have so that I can actually write and not neglect that which makes life worth living -- family and friends. Life is fleeting. Making the most of the time we are given takes focus. We cannot do everything.

It takes discipline.

My friend, Richard McCuistian sent me his novel to read. I know he thinks I do not like it because I haven't finished reading it. But that is certainly not true.  He is a gifted writer and I found myself immediately involved in his story from the get go. But, time is of a premium, and I just have not had the chance to chill and read.