Welcome to IWSG Day. The goal of this blog hop is to
share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of
appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer
assistance and guidance. It’s a haven for insecure writers of all kinds. IWSG
is the brainchild of our ninja leader Alex Cavanaugh. Thank
you to May co-hosts: Feather Stone, Janet Alcorn, Rebecca Douglass, Jemima Pett, and Pat
Garcia! For a list and links
to all contributors, click here.
This month’s optional question: Some common fears
writers share are rejection, failure, success, and lack of talent or ability.
What are your greatest fears as a writer? How do you manage them?
My fears? Easy peasy. All of the above. How do I manage them? Well, that question provides some muddy grounds for introspection…
Remember how Dorie from Finding Nemo use to say “Just
keep swimming. Just keep swimming?”
That’s me, I guess. A long time ago an acquaintance, a published
author of fiction and non-fiction, said to me, “As long as you never give up,
you’ll get there.”
I keep that advice front and forward, but sometimes a little
voice inside me suggests it’s time to call the game on account of darkness. It’s time to hang up my typing fingers as it were. But then I think of the
hours I’ve put in, and more importantly, of how much joy the writing has
brought. It would be awful to let it all come to nothing. Besides, if I let
myself drift away from my writing, I have zero doubt that eventually it will call me back. It’s a
kind of addiction. The craving to write always lurks.
At the current time I’m probably in a writing lull, but it’s
OK. Fulfilling a promise to myself, upon retirement I started working on the
lessons from Walking in this World, by Julia Cameron. That means as soon
as I wake up, I’m writing “Morning Pages,” three pages longhand. It’s a brain
dump. Letting whatever is on my mind out. It’s not writing that will ever be
published, but it’s writing. So if on a given day, I miss sitting down to work
on something that’s theoretically publishable, at least I’ve written something.
I’ve kept the neurons firing.
Sometimes I post things on IWSG to hold myself accountable. So here’s a confession. I have (very) slowly begun a list to where I want to query my current novel. It’s slow because Julia Cameron requires that I walk. I’m also having fun working in the garden and getting things done at my own pace. It's beyond marvelous not to have to cram all the “to do’s” into one weekend. Quite frankly, I plan to luxuriate in it for a bit.
But in spite of how much I’m enjoying myself, let’s be truthful
here. You would be correct to call these lovely distractions procrastination. File
them under “Fear of failure.”
What are your writing fears and how do you address them?
18 comments:
I think the important thing is to keep going no matter what. Maybe stubbornness, but maybe you need that. The fear of what I would do if I stopped is significant enough to keep going! And it keeps the brain supple, which is certainly key.
Some make writing fast look easy, but it's not. Certainly not for most of us. Just keep flexing the muscles and keep going.
Hi Liza - adapting to where you're at in life is so important - and as you say .. things will happen, in their due time. Good luck - and enjoy the summer time, gardening and outdoor walks - cheers Hilary
I'm so glad you're doing what you enjoy as you start your retirement. I think it's okay to have a lull in writing fiction while you write and do other things for your course, and do the other things in life you enjoy. You know you'll get back to your writing. And congrats on thinking of querying.
You're in the driver's seat. If you want to spend the day or week, or whatever just enjoying life, that's sounds pretty awesome. I had to put my manuscript on hold for over a year. Bigger challenges needed my attention. I worried I'd lose my writer's voice, the inspirations. Finally, when my life settled down, I opened the manuscript file. It was like I'd never left.
Your time is your own, not someone else's, so enjoy it.
I think those lulls are important. It's how we fill the creative well, even if we don't realize we're doing it. :)
I think it's a great idea to just be writing something every day. I need to try something like that.
It's good to intersperse our writing lives with other passions. Those all feed into our written work in some fashion. Good luck with that querying process. https://substack.com/@cleemckenzie/p-162835681
Wishing you the best with the query list!
That's the same advice I employ -- not just for myself, but for my kids. We keep swimming and eventually we reach our destination, but the waters may get rough along the way.
I need to try "Morning Pages." I used to journal all the time when younger.
Thank you for the encouragement.
Writing everyday is the key...no matter what you're writing.
Good Post. I've also learned it's okay to have a writing lull, which is often lately. Good luck with querying.
I loved her Finding Water book, if you havent read that one yet. Best of luck with querying!
Congrats on your retirement! I don't blame you for luxuriating in your newfound free time.
I'm in a writing slump too, and I think part of the issue is that I moved somewhere where I can grow a large garden, so instead of writing, I'm planting and weeding and puttering around with plants. Now that the hot season is starting, I'll have more time to write, because I'm not gardening in triple-digit heat. But knowing me, I'll probably find some other excuse.
What a thoughtful response that 'digs' into what fear is and how we can cope. I've read Julia Cameron, but not for many years, so thank you for the reminder -- and thank you for visiting my blog! Happy gardening and happy writing.
very good post. Congrats on retirement. It's fine to noodle around. I like that you do write something every day. Keeping up this blog is a connection to writing world. Fear of failure is tough - believe me, I know. You do You! (and you are better than you might think you are and you do have a good product to share with readers. I wouldn't lie to you.) Cheers!
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