Staying Afloat in a Writing Ocean

What's true with the rest of life/hobbies/interests is true with writing. So many facts and details to keep
track of. I really want to keep up with what's going on in the writing industry, so I read blog posts and 
tweets and articles and books and newsletters. You know what? It's too much information to absorb. 
You can read too much about how to do things and it can be paralyzing as all the advice you read rolls
through your head when primarily there should be the story, or poem up there. 

Or at least that's how I want it to be. The information also paralyzes by raising doubts. Do I have story 
beats, plot structure, character arcs, action, a catchy opening? That can lead to obsession and 
reworking things over and over again until the piece is informationed into a hot mess. Then you say 
Argh, I can't do this, I'm going to take up knitting. (Knitting is a lovely hobby. Highly recommend.)

Social Media Overload

It's also intimidating to read breezy posts about how someone tweeted something and had an agent the
next day. Or has 20,000 followers and aren't even published yet. It's exhausting to think of social media
and the time sink of promoting yourself. It doesn't stop me from gritting my teeth and posting cheery
—okay, okay, mostly sarcastic—stuff. Maybe I'm too old for social media. But it's probably because
I'm way too private a person to hang my laundry out for the world to see. I was told cultivated glimpses
were the answer to that. A thought worth exploring. I think I can do that and still be my sarcastic self. 
That's definitely me, too. 

Reading agent blogs/websites/tweets is a whirl of conflicting information. Query like this, no, like this. 
Start your novel like this, no, like this. Same with writer's forums. So much chaff to sift through to get 
to the nuggets. The time sink can swallow you whole. Of course, what it all comes down to is, do the 
best you can. If it's not good enough for one person/publication, shrug and move on to the next. 
I gave up taking it personally a long time ago. I have skin of mithril. It leaves bruises, 
but they heal quickly. 

And what's up with all these contests? The lists to find places to submit have more contests than 
regular spots. I just want to submit some poems or a book/chapbook, not pay $20-30 for the privilege 
of doing so each and every time. It's like The Hunger Games of writing, but the odds are never in your 
favor. The slow grind of society is monetizing everything and offering shortcuts, advice, and 
motivation—for a price. I need to be able to afford yarn and dog food also. 

Throw Me a Rope

There are so many places to send poems and novels it's overwhelming. Research can cut the odds 
considerably but suspiciously feels like sending a message out in a bottle—the same time frame for 
a response also. The writing industry is an ocean and I'm out there on a paddleboard. But I really like 
the ocean so I stay and play. Information can be your life preserver or boots filled with water. It's up 
to you to choose your own adventure.

What do you do to combat the tsunami of writing advice?