Time on the Couch: #IWSG and ROW80
It's the first Wednesday of the month and time for my first Insecure Writer's Support Group post. A huge thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh for putting together this group. I'll consider this post my official time on the #IWSG therapy couch.
I am so thankful for my writing community. Whenever I feel alone and afraid, I share it here. Without fail, one of my writer friends manages to find my post that day and give me the encouragement I need to move forward. A few suggested joining Alex's group. I finally did it!
My insecurity is always lurking; it rears its ugly head when I least expect or want it. But it's always there. In the past month, I wrote a post about it: My Monster Rises. In it, I talked about my joy, and tad bit of jealousy, when my writer friends get agents, publishing deals, etc.
One of the commenters made an excellent point... we tend to compare ourselves to the most successful authors. It's like deciding to run your first 10K race and comparing yourself to the winner, instead of looking at another same-age, first-time racer to see how you did. Even then, are they taller? More muscular? There are so many variables, and comparing yourself to others is a path full of potential pitfalls.
Lately, I am easily distracted. I seem to have ideas popping in and out of my head. Too many to capture. When I sit down to work on my WIP, I end up writing a bit of a short story or a blog post instead. I feel less insecure with short pieces. The longer a project takes, the more opportunity there is for my insecurity monster to creep in.
It brings me comfort to know I can post to this group monthly with my fears and trepidations. Thanks in advance for the support!
And now for a quick A Round of Words in 80 Days (ROW80), another one of my wonderful writing support groups.
ROW80 Update
Round 3 is off to a great start, although we are only two days in. I simplified my goals for this round (check them out here), and so far it's working.
Writing: I spent 30 minutes Monday and Tuesday working on my WIPs. One day was rewriting a scene and one was researching. It felt like progress.
Editing: I'm working on a piece that I hope to finish this week.
Blogging: I'm now on my new schedule, so I posted Monday (ROW80 goals) and today. I'll post a Fun Facts Friday to round out the week. Then it's Sunday ROW80 check in and repeat.
Social Media: Doing better. My goal is to hit 5-10 IWSG blogs tonight and 5-10 ROW80.
Reading: I finished Book Thief finally. Best. Book. This. Year. I highly recommend it. I hope to have a review on Mom in Love with Fiction by Friday.
I'm looking forward to visiting my ROW80 friends and making some new IWSG friends.
I am so thankful for my writing community. Whenever I feel alone and afraid, I share it here. Without fail, one of my writer friends manages to find my post that day and give me the encouragement I need to move forward. A few suggested joining Alex's group. I finally did it!My insecurity is always lurking; it rears its ugly head when I least expect or want it. But it's always there. In the past month, I wrote a post about it: My Monster Rises. In it, I talked about my joy, and tad bit of jealousy, when my writer friends get agents, publishing deals, etc.
One of the commenters made an excellent point... we tend to compare ourselves to the most successful authors. It's like deciding to run your first 10K race and comparing yourself to the winner, instead of looking at another same-age, first-time racer to see how you did. Even then, are they taller? More muscular? There are so many variables, and comparing yourself to others is a path full of potential pitfalls.
Lately, I am easily distracted. I seem to have ideas popping in and out of my head. Too many to capture. When I sit down to work on my WIP, I end up writing a bit of a short story or a blog post instead. I feel less insecure with short pieces. The longer a project takes, the more opportunity there is for my insecurity monster to creep in.
It brings me comfort to know I can post to this group monthly with my fears and trepidations. Thanks in advance for the support!
And now for a quick A Round of Words in 80 Days (ROW80), another one of my wonderful writing support groups.
ROW80 Update
Round 3 is off to a great start, although we are only two days in. I simplified my goals for this round (check them out here), and so far it's working.
Writing: I spent 30 minutes Monday and Tuesday working on my WIPs. One day was rewriting a scene and one was researching. It felt like progress.
Editing: I'm working on a piece that I hope to finish this week.
Blogging: I'm now on my new schedule, so I posted Monday (ROW80 goals) and today. I'll post a Fun Facts Friday to round out the week. Then it's Sunday ROW80 check in and repeat.
Social Media: Doing better. My goal is to hit 5-10 IWSG blogs tonight and 5-10 ROW80.
Reading: I finished Book Thief finally. Best. Book. This. Year. I highly recommend it. I hope to have a review on Mom in Love with Fiction by Friday.
I'm looking forward to visiting my ROW80 friends and making some new IWSG friends.
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