Day 10 of 40, in the epic quest to survive without Facebook.

In which our hero suffers withdrawal, and subjects himself to all manner of demeaning alternatives.

“C’mon, bro, I know you’re holding. Gimme a taste.”

My “opponent” on Goodreads responded “WTF? You OK?”

That’s right.  I’m trolling Goodreads book reviews now.  I browse Twitter, stare at my online Scrabble waiting for it to reload to see if someone has played.  I’m tweaking and – I’m almost too ashamed to admit this – I read a couple of posts on LinkedIn, about synergy and upcoming tech conferences, as if they were Facebook threads.

If Twitter and Scrabble are the methodone of social media, LinkedIn is the bath salts (snorted, not bathed in.)

This is your brain on Facebook…

I have hit rock bottom.

Actually, I’m thrilled to have made 10 consecutive days of posts here.  A daily practice is tough for me to muster.  A friend of mine says it takes 21 days to make a habit stick.

I either have 11 more days to cement a habit, OR I have 9 more days to figure out what habit I’m going to achieve in the last 21 days.  It’s so confusing.

Query Letters —
It seems that the publishing industry seeks a consistent form of approach, for them to wade through the mountains of book proposals they (as agents, or publishing houses) receive every day.  Part of it involves distilling a 250 page memoir down to a 2 paragraph pitch/hook.  This is a nightmare.

Of course, one of the last responses I saw on Facebook before I left told me in vague terms how easy it is.   “All you have to do is say it’s about a boy growing up, discovering his past, his father’s history in Germany… and, well, you know. Stuff like that.”

I’m surprised that book isn’t already published with such a stellar pitch!  That commenter must be the writer for the underwear gnomes. “Phase 1:  Steal underwear.  Phase 3: Profit.”  Easy.  Why aren’t you rich yet?