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Wednesday, September 3, 2014

IWSG - Highs & Lows




 It’s the first Wednesday of the month and time for the Insecure Writers Support Group. The purpose is to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! A big THANKS to Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh for starting this group and keeping it going. And thanks to this month's awesome hosts Laura at My Baffling Brain, mark Koopmans, Shah Wharton, and Sheena-Kay Graham.

Also, this is the 3rd Anniversary of this group. I haven’t been a member that long, but I can’t give enough praise for the wonderful members of this supportive group. Thanks, guys!

The past two months have been filled with highs and lows. Apologies for my absence last month. Our regularly scheduled program was smack dab in the middle of the high—my son’s wedding. Since the event (and surrounding ones) took place here and the bride and groom live in Arizona, our house became Event Central. We even had house guests for a week. Suffice it to say, the end of July/beginning of August was crazy. A good kind of crazy. The high point, of course, was watching two people who are madly in love pledge their lives to each other.

In the midst of all that crazy, it was impossible to concentrate on anything else—like writing. After everything returned to normal (sort of), I was too tired to write. Then the I SUCK Fairy arrived and took up residence. Now she’s been here before, but I didn’t know her name until I read about her at the Spacefreighters Lounge’s 5th Annual Burning of Bad Juju.

So why did she come in the midst of such joy? I let her in after receiving the edits for my PI mystery. Obviously, those edits were totally unexpected. (BTW, I don’t do criticism well. After twenty years in the business, you’d think I would’ve developed a thicker psyche.) Consequently, I did my usual. First, I played Scarlett O’Hara and told myself I’d think about it tomorrow (or after the wedding). Then I played the ostrich. When I wanted to get back to writing, I went to two other WIPs instead. Guess what? That darn fairy had taken over them, too. Nothing I wrote (what little I did write) was any good. The delete key got a lot of use. Even if I couldn’t work on my WIPs, I had obligations. I wrote blogs for Paranormal Romantics and The Roses of Prose. I hosted visitors to my blog. I read. I watched a lot of TV, especially movies. (If you want to read more about this, scroll down for this past Monday Morning’s Moaning.)

Then yesterday, first day of school here in Michigan, I opened one of my WIPs and started writing again. Maybe there is something to burning the bad stuff in your writing life—even if figuratively. I kicked that I SUCK Fairy’s butt and wrote pages and pages on my Outer Rim story. Yay!

Now I have to figure out how to kick her out of the PI mystery. If you see large flames near Lake Michigan, don’t worry. It’s me burning the I SUCK Fairy in effigy.

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today.

45 comments:

  1. Agh, hang in there, Diane! That I SUCK Fairy is in for a beat down, I can tell. :)

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  2. Kick that fairy's butt! I'm glad you started writing again. It's always good to make some progress.

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  3. Excellent. Keep kickin' that fairy *$$! Be the owner of your own creative power.
    Also, congrats on the wedding celebration. What a blast!
    Play off the Page

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    1. Love your line "Be the owner of your own creative power." Thanks. The wedding was a blast. On the Lake Michigan beach. Great weather!

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  4. you know, sometimes taking a break is a good thing. Don't think of her as the I SUCK Fairy, think of her as the "time to take a break" Fairy. Usually, after that Fairy comes a new, reinvigorated Muse :-)

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  5. Hope the wedding went off smoothly!
    I think the IWSG group should plan a mass "burning-the-I-SUCK-Fairy-in-effigy" event!
    Imagine that bonfire?
    Happy IWSG Day!

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  6. Ha, ha; the I Suck Fairy. Hadn't heard that one before. Send her packing! Sounds like the wedding prep and nuptials were awesome though! All that love coursing through your house should have kept that I Suck Fairy at bay!

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  7. Hi, Diane! Great to know you've got pages and pages of your Outer Rim story. I think that I Suck Fairy helped you a lot even though that had to be burned for the Outer Rim story to come to life. A new tale from the ashes of something else... just like a phoenix, but in a different form. :-)

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    1. Oooh, Sittie. That's great. A phoenix, indeed. Thanks for stopping by.

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  8. It's hard to receive criticism on our labor. But it helps a lot when it has merit. GL with your work!

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    1. Thanks, Lucinda. I know the edits will make the story stronger., Buckling down and attacking them is tough.

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  9. I may make a trip over to Lake Michigan with my own I SUCK fairy and burn her/him too. Fresh eyes, Diane. You have to trust fresh eyes.

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    1. Let me know when you come, Margo, & we'll make it a fun time!

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  10. I think that's definitely a good enough reason to miss one IWSG post! Sounds like you had a busy time.
    Glad you've started writing again! Good luck with your PI mystery :)

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  11. Burn, baby, burn!!! LOL Love it! :D

    IWSG #179 until Alex culls the list again.

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    1. Thanks, Melissa. And thanks for including your number on the list so I can find you.

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  12. The I SUCK fairy must have minions, because she sure gets around. My mom used to say if you keep believing something wonderful is about to happen, you'll get through the rough spots. I made fun of her, but you know, she was right. Not only will you jump the hurdles, but the mindset will take you to the next wonderful thing. Yes, I know: easier said than done.

    Keeping an eye West for those flames!

    VR Barkowski

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    1. Your mom was right! I lost my perspective for a while.

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  13. I think the I SUCK fairy has been working overtime this summer.

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    1. Yes, indeedy. And she has minions, too, according to VR. That is going to be one big bonfire once we round them up.

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  14. Way to clean creative house! Wanna come over and work on my edits with me?

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  15. Kick her butt!!! Although I always count movie watching as inspiration and research.

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  16. I'm glad you kicked the Fairy out... I hope she stays away. We have a saying in my class this year... no Stinking Thinking! :)

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    1. LOL, Melissa. No Stinking Thinking? Is that like not needing no stinking badges? :)

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  17. I think after we've had a big high (like the wedding) we suddenly get thrust back into regular life and it's had to think straight. I'm hoping that doesn't happen to me when I get home from this trip. Right now I'm eager to get writing again (because it sure doesn't happen on a road trip) but once home I know everyday life will become a roadblock. Well, good luck to you on tackling the edits and I'll watch for the smoke as I head back into Michigan!

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    1. Safe trip home, Lucy. Yeah, watch for the smoke. :)

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  18. Diane, I'll watch for the smoke, too. That I Suck Fairy needs to be obliterated permanently! Thanks for starting the bonfire. It helps to know we are not alone in our highs and lows.

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    1. What would we do without the support of fellow writers, Loralee? It's so great to have people who know what we're going through holding our hands--or kicking our butts. :)

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  19. Diane, glad you're back in the saddle again. Don't let anyone get you down, even blasted faeries. You are very talented, so just believe in yourself always. You did the right thing, now keep it up and hang around the "I'm awesome" faeries for awhile instead!

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    1. Thanks so much, Liz. I'm grabbing the hand of that "I'm Awesome" fairy.

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  20. LOL! The I SUCK fairy. That's hilarious. Unfortunately, she knows the way to my house all to well. Perhaps I should move. That may throw her off for a time.
    As long as you don't feed her she'll have to go away! Especially if you sit down and write anyway. That usually ticks her off!
    Cheers,
    Jen

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    1. LOL, Jennifer. I never thought about not feeding her. Off to write away. :)

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  21. Gah, I despise the I Suck Fairy! She's been visiting me an awful lot lately. Congratulations to your family on the marriage, and good luck with edits.

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    1. Thanks, Shannon. Want me to add that fairy to our bonfire.

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  22. First of all, congrats on your son's wedding.

    Sorry to hear about the I Suck Fairy. I knew her all too well, and the only way I've ever been able to get rid of her is to write her away. Write until she gives up and leaves you alone. She'll be back, but each time she loses power. Or, I like the bonfire idea, too.

    My IWSG Post

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    1. Thanks,, Tia. I think she's losing power since I'm writing again--and not feeding her. :)

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