Insecure Writer's Support Group

So because of the holiday this week for all the bloggers in the U.S. ISWSG, which is normally on the first Wednesday of the month, can be posted on Tuesday or Wednesday this week.

BUT. I don't normally post on Tuesdays, AND I’ll be hanging with the fam on Wednesday (which means no access to respond to comments in a timely manner), so I decided to cheat a bit more and post my ISWSG post today and leave it up until I’m back on Friday with Friday Fun.

IT HAS BEEN DECIDED!

Anyhoo, so I’ve recently gone back to writing on my stalled WIP All That Remains. It was stalled out after NaNo 2011 because I really wanted to work on Break Free. And I was just NOT feeling Remains at all. It was not fun to write and I was really struggling with it, even after 30K words. I mean, a little struggle at the beginning before you figure things out is expected, but 100 pages of it was just a little ridiculous.

I was afraid I would go back to it and read it and it would be terrible and I would have to start over. Or HORRORS ditch it altogether. Though every time I’d read my query draft (I write a query before I write a rough draft of the novel) I would get totally excited about it.

So I read it, and it wasn't as bad as I feared. Which is also something that happens a lot. Sometimes that feeling that something is terrible is just our Muse being a jackass or something.

So I’m back at it. It's slow going, mostly, I think, because it takes me some warm up time when I switch from revising back to writing, or writing back to revising.

So I think the moral of the story is, trust your instincts. I really felt like I needed a break from Remains, and clearly I did. I know it's a good idea to put your head down and push through things most of the time, but sometimes you may just need to step away and regroup a bit. Work on something else, or revise. The WIP will wait for you. It's not going anywhere.

Insecure Writer's Support Group

Here we are again! The first Wednesday of the month, for the Insecure Writer's Support Group.

Usually I'm heavier on the giving support bit. Because I'm a firm believer in having a positive attitude, even when things are bringing you down. And usually I'm in a good mood and want to spread it around a bit.

And that still holds, but I thought today I'd switch it up a bit and talk about something that is dragging me down.

Rejections, yo.

As you may know, I've started querying Break Free. And it's going well and I'm cautiously optimistic (as usual. Positive attitude and all that). But no matter how confident you are and how great your MS is (or you think it is) you're still in for rejections once you start querying.

And when you query your second MS there's something else that turns a regular query rejection into something slightly worse. When you get a query rejection from an agent who read your previous MS. That hurts extra hard, especially when you know the new MS is so so so better!

Sigh.

I just have to remember that I don't need every agent to love it. I just need one.

How are things with you?

Writer's Support Group

So here we are, another month has gone by and I'm sure we've all had our ups and downs in our writing.

I've been mostly up, which is nice. Because being down sucks.

But we all get down, sooner or later. Which also sucks, but here's the thing, no one stays down forever. Things swing back around. They really do. And if you stay positive, and think good thoughts, then things will be great again, and you'll wonder why you ever felt down in the first place.

Just remember. I believe in you. I really do. Work hard enough and you'll get there. You just have to put one foot in front of the other.

Insecure Writer's Support Group

It's that time again!

I had a nice post all planned out, but then I ran out of time due to work stuff and other things. So then I had some nice motivational pictures to get you all happy and writing but then EFFING Blogger wouldn't let me upload them.

Seriously, Blogger is on my shitlist right now.

Sigh. I'll try again in a bit, on a different PC to see if that makes a difference. Because this is one sad looking post with no pics to spruce it up.

So I guess what this post is getting at is, please check back later for some writerly support.

OR, just remember that you can do it. And I believe in you.

Insecure Writer's Support Group

Today is the Monthly Insecure Writer's Support Group.




Yay!

I've actually been feeling pretty good, lately. NaNo's a big reason why, since it's so much fun you just can't really get stressed out by it. But also some other good things are happening too.

But here's the thing. We can't always rely on things going well to keep us happy. Because we all know there are long stretches on the writing road where things don't go good. Where things actually *gulp* go bad....

Like rejections. Most of us have felt that sting once or twice. Or maybe hundreds of times. And I don't care how thick your skin is (mine's pretty thick) or how laid back you are about it (I'm so laid back, I'm practically sleep writing this...), rejections hurt. Even if it's just for that second where you're disappointed. Even if you're expecting them. Even when they're the best rejection ever, because they told you they love you and think you're amazingsuperawesomeballssmokeonthewater cool, but they're closing shop or some other sort of reason that totally has nothing to do with you. Even those ones, filled with compliments, hurt a little.

But you have to keep going. You know why? Because even the most painful, horrible, make you want to never write again, rejection feeling has nothing, nothing on the feeling you get when something is accepted. Or your MS gets a full request.

That feeling is amazing. And totally worth the pain.

You can do it! I know you can.

Insecure Writer's Support Group

Bam! Look who remembered to participate this month! Me!

Anyway, in case you missed the title, today is Insecure Writer's Support Group where we try and bolster each other up. Because writing is hard, and everyone, EVERYONE who writes occasionally needs help and support. Any professional writer who says they don't have moments of self-doubt are lying to either themselves or to you.

A comic:  (language and partial nudity warning)

So, seriously, everyone has those moments when they're writing, or revising, or whenever, when you think you just suck at it. I do. At least once a MS. Sometimes I can point out other things going on in my life that triggers it, and sometimes it just shows up on its own.

BUT! Luckily for us there are two easy things to remember that help fight the self doubt.

1. As I mentioned above, it happens to everyone. Even Stephen King.
2. IT WILL PASS. This is the most important thing to remember. Even if you have to step away from the writing or revising or whatever for a few days or a week, that's fine. As long as you return once the self-doubt passes.

Don't let your self-doubt trick you into thinking you're no good. That's bullshit. You are effing brilliant. For reals. Go look in the mirror. What do you see besides great hair? Brilliance, that's what.

And even if you don't see it now, keep working. Keep working hard, and one day it'll be there. I'm not saying it's going to be easy. I'm just saying it will be worth it.

Promise.