IWSG Blog Post - May the Fourth

The first Wednesday of every month is officially  Insecure Writer’s Support Group  day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writers. This group is all about connecting!

The awesome co-hosts for the May 4 posting of the IWSG are Kim Elliott, Melissa Maygrove, Chemist Ken, Lee Lowery, and Nancy Gideon!

May 4 question - It's the best of times; it's the worst of times. What are your writer highs (the good times)? And what are your writer lows (the crappy times)?
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The best times are when I receive positive feedback. After a contest win or glowing comment from a reader, I could take on the world. My highest high came from the first flash fiction contest I won. Competition was fierce thanks to the prize pack that included $500 cash and a $100 Tim Hortons gift card. It seemed impossible to win, but I entered anyway. An irresistible idea had popped into my mind when I saw the writing prompt.
Like a barista blends dairy and coffee, I blended a meet-cute with Tim Hortons new cold brew beverages. I hit the 500-word limit precisely, making each choice count. After submitting, I daydreamed about the piles of apple fritters the gift card could buy, then I went back to loading laundry into the washer.
The entry period was long enough I forgot about the contest. All my attention was on editing my first novel. When I received the congratulatory email, I jumped and squealed and ran circles around the kitchen island (silently, because my kids were napping). I CAN write! They like me; they really like me! Apple Fritters! Thankfully, no one was there to see it.

Aaand the lows… 

I feel low when I read something amazing that I could never have written: How did this author make me cry over the death of a character I hated when first introduced? I'll never be that good...I'm a fraud!
I get discouraged when circumstances conspire to keep me from writing: One chapter took a whole month...I'll never finish these edits!
My lowest low comes when I feel trapped. When I feel I have no influence over my life or career and I’ll die a bitter old woman filled with regret for all the dreams I never accomplished.
So emo.
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I combat the lowness by escaping to write in my head for a bit. Even on the busiest days, I can do that for a few minutes. The episode of DS9 I watched last week sparked an idea. What if I combine the Orion Syndicate, a cool bad guy inspired by a movie poster I saw at the theater, and a main character with a personality unique enough to be memorable but generic enough to be relatable… If I like the scene I conjure, I jot down an outline. It might make a good book someday.

Let me close with one final thing.

A few moments ago in a blog post right exactly here...
It's May the Fourth!!!​ As a proud nerd, I can’t ignore a date like this. In honor of this auspicious day, I've prepared the following memes for your enjoyment.
(I'm using the gallery feature for the first time, so I hope they show up okay!)

​May the Fourth be with you, always. *All Star Wars images from Pinterest