Wednesday, September 6, 2017

The Insecure Writer's Support Group: September 2017



It's the first Wednesday of the month!  That means it's time to convene another meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group.  Our leader Alex J. Cavanaugh has once again recruited a fine group of co-hosts: Tyrean Martinson, Tara Tyler, Raimey Gallant, and Beverly Stowe McClure.

Be sure to visit the IWSG website.  Not only is it a great source of support and information, information on the next IWSG Anthology Contest will be revealed.  You don't want to miss out!

As far as insecurities go, I always feel anxious when I have stories out on submission.  The second I hit send, I start to second guess myself.  I begin to wonder if the premise of the story is weak.  I worry that I might have an embarrassing misspelling.  I question whether I met all of the submission guidelines.  To get past these insecurities, I'm trying to focus on the feeling of accomplishment I get from finishing a story and sending it out.

I'm also concerned with getting back into the swing of things when it comes to writing.  We took a road trip out of state to visit family over the weekend.  We left early Thursday afternoon and got back late Monday night.  It was a lot of fun, but it shouldn't come as a surprise that I did little in the way of writing while we were gone.  I want to get back into a routine so I can still meet my goals for this month.  I think I can.  At least, I hope I can.

The question for this month is:  Have you ever surprised yourself with your writing?  For example, by trying a new genre you didn't think you'd be comfortable in?

I love the feeling of being surprised when I'm writing.  That's part of what makes writing so enjoyable.  When I start a new project, I like to have an idea of where it's going to go. That helps get me started.  I don't always stick to those plans, though, and sometimes those surprises make the story even stronger than before.

I've talked before about how important it is to try new genres and find out what you're really capable of (which can lead to many wonderful surprises), so I won't rehash that here. Instead I'd like to talk a little about the importance of looking at your past writings and comparing those to what you're currently writing.  When I've done this, I found myself absolutely stunned by how far I've come as a writer.

Don't get me wrong.  I still have a lot to learn, but looking at where I started shows me how much is possible when you keep writing and refuse to give up.  If you're ever feeling down about your writing, I suggest you pull out something you wrote years ago and compare it to something more recent. There's a good chance you'll be pleasantly surprised too.


15 comments:

  1. I love looking back at things I wrote years ago, and seeing the difference in my writing now. I also love surprises when I'm writing; there's nothing better than a story taking off in a completely unexpected direction.

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  2. Sometimes we need to be reminded that we've made progress along the way.
    You're home and school is back in session, so I bet you'll get back into your writing groove.

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  3. I was gone for a week and got zero writing done during that time. I don't think we're allowed to write on vacations.

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  4. I was surprised to see the new anthology! I forgot that was coming up...

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  5. Good luck with your submissions. Being surprised by how far we've come is the best!

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  6. I so agree with you. I blame that sort of stuff on my muse. I rarely know where the story is going until she gets involved.

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  7. There's always bound to be a mixture of emotions when sending out submissions, but you're right to focus on it being an achievement. It's great to be surprised by the direction a story can head in, so I never plan too much.

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  8. That's an excellent point--looking at past stories provides surprises. Sometimes I'm surprised at the the sparkly nuggets of good writing embedded in the mush of my earliest attempts. I'm finding lots of inspiration lately in old journals, where I used to sketch out story ideas while waiting in airports, doctors' offices, etc.

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  9. How about if you read something you wrote in the past and it is better than some of what you are writing now. Ha, ha. I was reading some of my old blogs the other day. Good luck with your submissions. :)

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  10. Good advice...not sure I really want to look back, though. LOL!

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  11. I know what you mean about sending out a manuscript. Even just sending out my manuscript to critique partners can set me on edge. :-D

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  12. It can be rather embarrassing looking over some older works, remembering how good I thought they were at the time. Instead, it was the ideas, rather than the writing itself! Best of luck with your submissions. :)

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  13. I think we all have severe doubts once we've sent something out, so you're in good company. I, too, love the surprises that come while writing. Good luck with the submissions.

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  14. I think focusing on the accomplishment of getting something done and out really helps with that submission anxiety, but sometimes I force myself to just focus on something new or a different project - trying not to check the e-mail five times a day.
    I love your suggesting on finding the joyful surprise of seeing old and new work together. :)

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  15. Getting back into the swing of thing, even after a short while, is always rough. It kinda sucks that that's the case.

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