Sona Is Inflicted With Overwhelmed Author Syndrome

to-do-listTwo weeks now, my Deb Ball post has been late. And I blame one thing: Overwhelmed Author Syndrome.

Last week, TINY PRETTY THINGS officially hit bookshelves. It was also the week of Teen Author Carnival, Dhonielle’s birthday, BEA, and a big #WeNeedDiverseBooks book signing at the fabulous La Casa Azul. Plus, Kavya’s school picnic, and Navdeep and I celebrated our tenth Vegas wedding anniversary (by going to see Wicked!). It was amazing. It was hell.

This week — today, in fact — is our long-awaited (by me and D, at least) book launch at Books of Wonder. So naturally, I’ve got the sniffles and a sore throat, and a gazillion things on my to-do list that I’ve yet to touch. What’s a girl to do? A few strategies that are keeping me afloat:

1. Make a To-Do List — and Prioritize It. I’ve long sworn by the magic of Wunderlist, this fabulous APP that let’s you create multiple to to-do lists, share and assign tasks, send reminders, and makes a lovely little ping when you check something off as done. Within the APP, there’s also a list for Today and This Week and even one for Fun. It’s so handy dandy. It can’t be beat. Plus, it coordinates your to-do across multiple devices, which is awesome.

2. Delegate Tasks. This, obviously, is easier said than done. Luckily, D and I can usually divide and conquer stuff, and we each have our strengths, so we split accordingly. And then this week, Navdeep’s parents — in town for the big day — have been hanging with the kids (and Mum’s been quietly reorganizing the apartment), and my mom is on cupcake and drinks duty for the party. That way, I can get some of my to-do list done without worrying about those things.

3. Push Things Off. Some things will just have to wait. And we’ll all survive.

4. Get Sick. Okay, not really. But the effect of waking up with a cold today was a blessing in disguise: I slept in. (Hence the late post today.) And I’ve decided to take it (relatively) easy today, instead of scrambling all day and driving myself crazy and being a frazzled wreck by this evening. It’s our launch party day. We’re published authors! YAY! This is supposed to be fun. So let’s make it fun!

Author: Sona Charaipotra

An entertainment and lifestyle journalist published by The New York Times, People, ABC News, MSN, Cosmopolitan and other major national media, SONA CHARAIPOTRA currently curates a kickass column on YA books and teen culture for Parade.com. A collector of presumably useless degrees, she double-majored in journalism and American Studies at Rutgers before getting her masters in screenwriting from New York University (where her thesis project was developed for the screen by MTV Films) and her MFA from the New School. When she's not hanging out with her writer husband and two chatter-boxy kids, she can be found poking plot holes in teen shows like Twisted and Vampire Diaries. But call it research: Sona is the co-founder of CAKE Literary, a boutique book development company with a decidedly diverse bent. Her debut, the YA dance drama Tiny Pretty Things (co-written with Dhonielle Clayton), is due May 26 from HarperTeen. Find her on the web at SonaCharaipotra.com or CAKELiterary.com.

2 Replies to “Sona Is Inflicted With Overwhelmed Author Syndrome”

  1. I’m so happy you’re taking time to enjoy it all (and sleep in!). Can’t wait to see pictures of the launch party!

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