It’s been a few months since I sent out a newsletter, made a full blog post, and had a consistent posting schedule on social media. So I feel like I should answer that question that many of you have been wondering: where have you been?

I’ve been taking an unannounced pause on my writer Instagram for the last month or so, aside from a few occasional posts. I don’t think that anyone owes an explanation when it comes to social media breaks, but I did want to tell you all a little bit about what’s been going on in the time I’ve been away!

The good stuff!

As far as writing goes, I’ve been busy. I wrote a 4,000+ word story in a week for a really awesome anthology that I’m excited to tell you about, I submitted my book to twenty more literary agents, and I organized my writing folder on my computer and found some hidden gems, as well as some… let’s just say older, less refined writing. I also found some new outlets to submit my writing to. I’ve been having so much fun now that I’ve been prioritizing the actual act of writing.

As far as my personal life goes, it is with much joy that I announce my engagement to Clyde, the love of my life. I’ve been getting to spend a lot of time planning my wedding and future, and that’s been a whole new adventure! (E.g. learning that you can put literally anything on a wedding registry, finding the perfect wedding dress that was the opposite of what I thought I wanted, and learning about all sorts of weird wedding traditions that we will not be doing.)

I’ve also had a lot of other fun things going on in my life lately. My music-loving self has gotten to go to three concerts in the last month: Metallica, Bullet For My Valentine, and Sleeping With Sirens & Pierce the Veil. I got to go strawberry picking for the first time every, went to Dollywood for the first time in a few years, and saw Thunderbolts* twice in theaters. I have so many people and things in my life to be grateful for.

The not quite so good stuff.

I also discovered that I’m claustrophobic (yay MRI scans) in order to be told by a doctor that my neck and shoulder problems are… *drum roll* a chronic issue. So there has been a significant amount of effort that has gone into accepting a future of managing symptoms. I have only been able to read one book this year due to the immense strain that most reading positions cause. It’s been hard, and I think that there is a lot of adjusting that I have in my future.

…So what about social media?

I’m not here to say that I’m going to jump back into content creating full-send now that I’ve given you an update. I’ll be continuing to take time over the summer for a semi-hiatus from social media. Does that mean I’m disappearing? Nope! I’ll still post occasional updates, and definitely announce any exciting news I have! It just means I’m not an influencer, a viral internet sensation, or a content output machine. Does it mean I’m giving up on my book? Absolutely not. I worked hard to create something that I am incredibly proud of, and I will not stop working until that book is in your hands.

Here is the root of the problem that I am trying to get at: It was less than ten years ago that a writer could have success without any social media presence at all. Suzanne Collins (author of the bestselling series The Hunger Games) has never been active on social media. I can physically feel the light and excitement fading from me when my attention shifts from my book to my profile. I am unashamed to say that I long for a future where authors will again be recognized for their talent and not their follow count. In that vein, I would encourage you to read Snowfall on Adam’s Church by Kay Suz, which covers many of the problems caused by our lives becoming more and more centered around our technology. My dreams lately have been filled with unplugged societies and EMPs.

I’m afraid that my main message might get overshadowed by the negative tone of some of my words, but my goal is to be honest with you about the fact that I believe social media poses a threat to the things that I love. When I am with my fiancé, my writing, or doing anything else important to me, I will not split my attention between that and my phone. It is very disturbing that that has become an expectation in our society. I am a person full of love, and I sincerely believe that this love is what should be the driving force behind everything that I do. This is why I am choosing to show priority to what I truly love, over something that is… quite frankly, not real. I would like to live a life where if the internet disappeared tomorrow, I would lose nothing.

One final note that I would like to emphasize: I will be posting much more when my book has reached the next step in my journey to publication. I am beyond excited to tell all of you about my book, and look forward to a time where I can continue to fully share that excitement with you.

TL;DR:

• I’m getting married!
• I’ve been working a lot on writing and submissions lately.
• I’ve been pulling back from social media for the sake of my physical and mental health.