IWSG: Original, or Crowd Pleaser?

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs. You can also join us on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG, or on the Facebook page.

Now, IWSG hosts have changed up the format in an effort to make it more fun and interactive. Every month, they will announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Don’t forget to visit others that day to see their answers. Want to join, or learn more? Visit our - Sign-up List.

AUGUST QUESTION - When you set out to write a story, do you try to be more original, or do you try to give readers what they want?

MY ANSWER - Neither. I guess you could say my first draft is always from the heart. It's usually based on a vision I have of a scenario - total pantser style. After I get as far as I can on that draft, I take a break from the piece and then I return to plot out a set of goals for the story. While I do want readers to enjoy my tale, I do not chase trends intentionally. I also try not to get bogged down in concerns of originality. I hope it's original as it's in my voice. However, is there any truly 100% original idea, anymore? All we can do is tell the story we are passionate about.

How about you? When you set out to write a story, do you try to be more original, or do you try to give readers what they want?

IWSG: Defining Success

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs. You can also join us on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG, or on the Facebook page.

Now, IWSG hosts have changed up the format in an effort to make it more fun and interactive. Every month, they will announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Don’t forget to visit others that day to see their answers. Want to join, or learn more? Visit our - Sign-up List.

The awesome co-hosts for the September 1 posting of the IWSG are Rebecca Douglass, T. Powell Coltrin @Journaling Woman, Natalie Aguirre, Karen Lynn, and C. Lee McKenzie!

SEPTEMBER QUESTION - How do you define success as a writer? Is it holding your book in your hand? Having a short story published? Making a certain amount of income from your writing?

MY ANSWER - My main goal is to keep learning and trying. To me, that is success. You can't control when, or if, you get published. You can't control the amount of money someone is willing to pay you. However, you can control if you keep pushing yourself. Those other things don't guarantee happiness. Keep finding the joy and passion in the craft - that is success!

IWSG: Why Would You Quit Writing?

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs. You can also join us on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG, or on the Facebook page.

Now, IWSG hosts have changed up the format in an effort to make it more fun and interactive. Every month, they will announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Don’t forget to visit others that day to see their answers. Want to join, or learn more? Visit our - Sign-up List.

The awesome co-hosts for the July 7 posting of the IWSG are Pat Garcia, Victoria Marie Lees, and Louise – Fundy Blue! Be sure to stop by and say hi to them!

JULY QUESTION - What would make you quit writing?

MY ANSWER - When the joy and drive are gone. For instance, this past year has been particularly stressful and I have not written nearly as much as previous years. I can't just blame the pandemic, although a lot of it does relate to that in some way. In the first few months of the pandemic, I actually increased my writing productivity because I was working from home (even though it wasn't much) and our family and financial situation was pretty well fixed heading into the Spring of 2020. However, our family experienced a lot of changes heading into the 20-21 school year. Both of my jobs changed their approaches drastically. Online teaching was the norm for my college classes, but the high school classes remained 90% in person. Teachers were asked to make a lot of changes this year, and the stress levels were high for parents and administrators, often increasing it for teachers as well. Other situations in our family life changed drastically, including hurricanes, moving, and unprecedented freezes. Our immediate family fared decently, but the emotional toll of all of these changes, as well as the inability to see much of our family (siblings, some parents, etc.) for the past year has left us feeling a whole in our lives. I haven't seen my Dad, or siblings since November of 2019, and I miss them. Needless to say, all of these highly emotional situations have often left me feeling numb and motivation just has not been present. I went through a similar dry spell in 2013 when three of my grandmothers all died that year. When joy and drive are missing, or they have to be redirected into survival mode, the motivation to write can be difficult to chase. I hope I never give up completely, and I am hoping as things head back to "normal" I am able to reconnect with the pleasure and passion the craft has often brought me.

How about you? What would make you quit writing? Have you ever been tempted to do so, and for how long?