IWSG: Write the Story You Want to Tell

July 1, 2015
The Insecure Writer’s Support Group http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com
I must confess the Insecure Writer's Support Group has had me perplexed for a while. Author Melissa Bradley mentioned this on her blog several years ago and I’ve lurked around the edges and read the IWSG posts from time-to-time. I finally decided to hop on the train, at least for the remainder of 2015, and see if I have any pearls of wisdom for other writers.
Insecurity is not unique to writers. We all own our fair share whether we like it or not. Personally, I get annoyed with myself when I feel insecure for no good reason. I’ve lived long enough to know there will always, and I mean ALWAYS, be someone smarter, prettier, wittier, thinner, more talented, richer and more successful than me.
There will always be those less successful, less talented, chubbier, uglier, dumber, poorer and who are severely lacking of a sense of humor, too. And no, I don’t get cocky over that fact and use it to pump myself up. That would be tacky.
I think it’s important for every writer to remember what it was that called them to write. That “something” that continues to call them to write even when discouraged or insecure. An old adage states you should write for yourself first because you’re your first reader. I can’t begin tell you how true that is.
The best stories I’ve written were for me and not for a deadline or in hopes of a decent review. In fact, I think most of those stories written to a deadline didn’t turn out all that well, but that’s fodder for another blog.
So here’s my pearl of wisdom for my first IWSG post: Write to please yourself.
Write the story you want to write and don’t worry about anything else until you’ve told it just the way you want to tell it. All the other stuff - proofreading, editing, publishing - it all comes after you write the story, so do the first thing first.
KC Kendricks http://www.kckendricks.com http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks