I’ve seen some blog posts flying around lately about the business of writing. About all the things that aren’t good or aren’t glamorous about penning novels for a living. Or some of a living, as the case may be.

Here’s my contribution.

I am happy. Want to know why? Because I trained (trained being the operative word) myself to stop obsessing over the things I don’t control about publishing. Before THE MOCKINGBIRDS released, I was a woman obsessed. I googled myself and my book constantly. I checked my Amazon rank every day, several times a day. I kept a search open for my book’s name on Tweetdeck. And I visited GoodReads religiously.

I WAS MISERABLE.

Because it’s no fun taking out the yardstick every day to see where you fall short.

When my book released, I still checked Amazon ALL THE TIME. And I had access to BookScan numbers too, thanks to Amazon’s deal with the crack-dealer. (Yes, BookScan numbers are crack, fellow writers. You will get hooked and it will make you feel awful). So I put myself on an Internet diet in December and I haven’t looked back once.

What does this Internet diet consist of? I uninstalled Tweetdeck, vowed not to search for myself or my book on Twitter, blocked GoodReads from all browsers, blocked Amazon from all browsers (except on my rarely-used PC and ONLY for buying stuff, not for book stalking) and promised to stop searching for myself on Google blogs and Google Real Time search. Then I robbed Peter to pay Paul to pull this off. I paid myself $5 a day for every day I stopped searching for stuff about the book for one month. And I bought shoes with the funds! And a Hello Kitty purse! And a dinner out!

But most of all, I was happy! And I still am. Because I broke the habit.

I have no clue what my Amazon number is. (Don’t tell me). I have no idea how many people have read or want to read my books on GoodReads. And unless you wrote a bang-up review on your blog and told me you loved my book, I don’t have any idea what bloggers are saying about my books. I don’t know what BookScan says I have sold. (I’ll find out the ACCURATE numbers anyway when I get my first royalty statement, so why bother with a number widely regarded as wildly wrong?). I do, however, respond to emails from readers and librarians. I do interact with Facebook friends daily. I do Skype visits with libraries and schools.

And I am happy. And I am happy. And I am happy.

Because I don’t have performance anxiety anymore. Because I can just write. I have an amazing, out-of-this-world incredible agent who handles the business side. I have a fantastic editor and wonderful publicist who both advocate for my books. And so, in my blissfully ignorant state, I have revised and edited two novels this year, and written and edited another one. And I’ll probably write one more, and edit two more this year.

And I am happy.

So the bottom line for writers is this – just write. Don’t worry about things out of your control. I DID that. I worried. I obsessed. I went crazy. And I bottomed out.

Find a way to stop whatever madness you have contracted. It’ll be the best thing you can do for your writing and your mental health. I’ll be here to root you on and hold your hand, if you need it, as you break the habit.