It's the 1st Wednesday. Happy Insecure Writers Support Group Day. IWSG is the brainchild Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.
Purpose: 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!
Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. And thanks to this month's awesome hosts: JH Moncrieff, Madeline Mora-Summonte, Jen Chandler, Megan Morgan, and Heather Gardner!
I'm late but here. I’m having a hard time with time, lately. For
one thing, there’s not enough of it. And what there is flies by too quickly. Can
you believe it’s June already? I’m frustrated when I don’t write each day.
Other commitments get in the way—like baby-proofing our house and preparing for
our son and family plus two dogs to arrive at the end of the month for an indefinite
stay (until they find a house). I’m thrilled about them moving here from Arizona. Not so thrilled
about about cleaning out closets (long overdue) and my office to make room for
them. It's taking away my writing time.
Of course, frittering away time playing solitaire and mahjong doesn't help. Nor does reading email and interesting blogs.
At night, I lay awake thinking about what’s going to happen
next in my WIP. Just when I think I should get up and write, I fall asleep. I
concentrate on the WIP that I’m not writing, figuring that will free my
subconscious for the one I am. Does that sound crazy? I probably am. Just a
bit. I’m writing a novella (tentatively called Jailbirds and Wedding Bells) that takes place between Books 1 and 2
of my Alex O’Hara PI series. But I long to get back to my sci-fi romance, The Spy. Frustrating. BTW, I do this
often—have two (sometimes more) works in progress. While writing one, the other
calls.
So that’s where I am this month. I’m sure writing this
summer will be challenging with our house guests. Will frustration be my theme
next month? I hope not.
The question this month is if you ever said "I quit" what made you come back to writing?
I never actually said I quit, I just did for about four stressful years. Too many family obligations that sucked the creativity out of me. When that ended, I decided to write for me, not for publication. That's when I found the enjoyment I experienced when I first started writing. The more I wrote for fun, the desire to publish returned. Nine books later, I'm still having fun, even when I'm frustrated. LOL
Have a great month!
I haven't written, except for blog posts and two spur-of-the-moment children's stories, since November! That is rare for me. And I am frustrated that it's already June. I need to write! Time, please slow down!
ReplyDeleteI hear you, Chrys. I hope time will slow down for both of us.
DeleteSince you're going to have so much hoopla at your house for awhile, why not try a looser writing schedule this summer? Maybe that way you can still be productive writing-wise and still enjoy your family. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat advice, Madeline. I want to enjoy them. Exciting times.
DeleteForgot to say, thanks for co-hosting this month!
DeleteThere's never enough time. Best to use what time we do have as wisely as we and not stress about the time we wish we had. Playing games sometimes is what our mind needs to work on plots in the background.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about you, but that writing downtime is usually made up for in spurts of utterly devoted writing where the rest of the world ceases to exist.
Good advice, Jean, about using the time we have wisely. Thanks.
DeleteThat's so kind of you to open you home to your family. It takes a special person to do that.
ReplyDeleteI admire your ability to work on more than one project at a time! I tried it last year and failed miserably. The planning and plotting you're doing totally counts as much as words on the page. Go easy on yourself. *hugs*
Thanks, J.H. My kids are too proud to bunk in with us forever. They've been looking for a house online so, hopefully, they'll have their own place quickly. We all need our own homes.
DeleteI keep jumping back and forth between two WIPs, even though I know I shouldn't be.
ReplyDeleteHope everything goes smoothly with your son and his family moving in.
Thanks, Sarah. I try to stay with one project, but it's hard when the other on is so exciting. When I work on that one, the other seems more fun. The grass is always greener . . .
DeleteDiane, I'm wishing you ample sanity while your house is overrun--as I'm sure it will be. I hope you have a quiet spot where you can lock yourself away, and as long as you have house guests, you should make them do the chores--as payment, eh? Then you'll have more...ahem...equal writing time. ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Crystal. I can always go stay at my daughter's when my sanity is in danger. LOL When we stayed at our son's, DIL and I worked things out. I either made dinner or took them out. We watched Toddler Girl and Hubs was on dishwasher patrol. I'm sure we'll work things out here, too. But it is a concern for everyone whose kids move back home.
Delete"I decided to write for me, not for publication." Diane, I think that is the best advice and course of action for any writer. At the end of the day, enjoying the journey is what it is all about. Enjoy your family in transit - this too, shall pass. But you will cherish the memoriesl
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lee. I'm going to enjoy the time, work when I can, and be grateful that all of my family is living in the same town for the first time since the mid-90s.
DeleteWriting for myself and not for publication is what got me back on track with my writing too. I realized I had sucked the joy out of writing when I became so obsessed with publishing. The pressure really does ruin the enjoyment!
ReplyDeleteI hope you will not be too frustrated this summer. Take care and enjoy your family!
Thanks, Julie. I'm determined to enjoy the family, write when I can, and be at peace with myself.
DeleteOh where does the time go indeed!Sounds like you are going to have a busy time with family but hope you manage to find a little writing time too. Remembering the joy of why we write is important. Best wishes.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Suzanne. Good point about remembering the joy.
DeleteNothing like life getting in the way of writing, even if you're looking forward to it. I'm sure you'll get used to sneaking in writing time here and there. But don't get me started on how far into the year we are. I'm way behind in my writing goals too!
ReplyDeleteLOL, Ken. I can't believe it's June already. Good luck with those goals.
DeleteIt's wonderful when you keep so busy that you don't have time for writing. Much worse, when there is nothing to do, and nobody who needs you. You're lucky, Diane. You'll find you writing time eventually, and think how many new stories will spring up from your son's family staying with you.
ReplyDeleteYou're right on the stories. I'd much rather be busy than bored.
DeleteFinding that enjoyment again for writing makes a world of difference.
ReplyDeleteI does, indeed.
DeleteWhat an encouraging post, Diane! How exciting that you've published so many books! I'm glad that you found your grove in writing again. I write for me, too; but I also hope to publish my book. It is frustrating when life gets in the way of writing. It happens to me a lot, and I am very aware of time and how swiftly it is passing. I remember when my great grandmother and her daughters had pastimes. Pastimes!!! In my dreams. It sounds like you will have a houseful, but how fun that it is your son and family. I do a lot of thinking about my writing when I'm cleaning or walking. Have a good one!
ReplyDeleteFinding a balance between writing and enjoying life isn't easy. As you say, life passes so quickly.
DeleteFor me, being an indie author means I can write what I consider fun or what matters to me and know that it'll be published. (Being read is a different story, alas.)
ReplyDeleteSandra, it's a slow process to have our indie books discovered. I'm frustrated when I put a lot of effort into promo and see no difference in sales.
DeleteHow about giving yourself a committed time for writing this summer and announce it to the rest of your family. Ask them to treat it as if you are going to work (you are) and that they are not allowed to interrupt you, period. Even if it is only a half-hour, or an hour a day or every-other-day, it would be enough for forward progress. Best of luck.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Liza. Great idea. Hubs has always been respectful of my writing time. I'm sure I can get the rest of the family to respect it, too--even if it means going to a coffee shop to write.
DeleteHi, Diane,
ReplyDeleteYou hold the key..."Writing for fun." Like you, many of us get bogged down by family/life's obligations that do "suck the creativity" out of us. I am there now. You are the second person that has reminded me that I need to go back to 'WRITING FOR FUN!"
I loved writing my first two novels and the beginning of my novella(which I haven't touched in almost two years). Plotting, character development, far way and exotic places, intrigue. Such FUN things to write about.
This month's question really hit home for me. Not that I said "I quit" out loud, but thought, "Why bother any more. My writing is going nowhere."
Then I read the comments left on my blog, and while visiting other blogs, I am reminded of how much fun writing could be again. I guess I just need to jump write in and write for FUN.....
Thanks for the reminder, Diane.... Hope you manage to write while you family is visiting. Take care.
Life can sure get in the way of routine. Sometimes we have to be selfish about our time. I hope you can write for fun soon.
DeleteLife is full of distractions from writing. I manage to let each one deflect me. But when I do sit and dedicate time to writing, I wonder how I ever let anything distract me. Until another distraction comes along, lol.
ReplyDeleteLet yourself off the hook a bit and enjoy the chaos. You know you won't stay away for long from those interesting characters and story concepts.
Thanks for the lovely comment, Dolorah. When I'm really in the zone, I love it and, like you, wonder why I let distractions keep me from it. I'm not going to stress over distractions from a 2-yr-old. ;)
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