Today is the first Wednesday of the month, which is the date that the Insecure Writer's Support Group holds its monthly blog hop.
If you haven't heard of the IWSG, you need to look into it:
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. It's a good place to go to for advice, reassurance and a lot of enjoyment.
Today's question is:
Did you ever say “I quit”?
If so, what happened to make you come back to writing?
This month's co-hosts are:
JH Moncrieff, Madeline Mora-Summonte, Jen Chandler, Megan Morgan, and Heather Gardner
Go visit their pages!
So... Have I ever decided to quit writing?
No, I can't say that I have. I have been discouraged, I have wanted to burn whatever story I was working on, and call various people idiots for various reasons, but I haven't decided to quit. How can I? I'm a writer.
...But I have trickled to a near-halt. Inertia. I wrote about it, obliquely, here and here. I've been in dry spots, as you see. Sometimes they seem to stretch on forever, and you wonder if they will ever stop.
I am in one right now. I haven't published anything new in three years. I have followers, people have read my work, but I haven't put anything out. Sales are falling off.
I have a number of works in progress. The second book in my Orphan's Tale series is nearly complete. It was delayed, in part, by a plot revelation that required an internal rewrite. But it is nearly finished...and I haven't touched it in a year. I have a fable, a 'short' (say, 45,000 words) that is nearly done. Nearly. There are several stories in my Memphis Cycle that were coming along.
So what happened?
Life. Eldercare issues. Work issues. Money issues. (It costs me nothing to write, thank goodness). And I have been very tired. Very tired. It's hard.
A friend told me of a time that she was discouraged. She was at a show, and was talking with the man who had been mentoring her. She recounted children problems, worries about her husband's job, illness, disappointment. It was all so hard, she said. Her mentor, who had been busy jotting notes about the things that were going on at the show, said without looking up, "Quitting is easy."
My friend stopped speaking. Quitting is easy. But it was not an option those ten years ago. She moved past that point and is doing well.
As for me, quitting is easy, I suppose. Except that I can't quit. I am a writer. I write stories. I have stories to write. I can't go back. I don't want to. And I have been through this before and may well go through it again, all things being equal. I'll survive.
So... What can I do to get out of this particular situation?
I can wake up. My job issues are behind me, along with that job. I will set my timer for, say, half an hour. And during that half hour I will write. At my desk. On my laptop. No internet. Just write.
Sales are down? I'll finish the various books, half an hour at a time, and get them out there.
Writing doesn't need to be lonely: I have begun to participate in writing activities. Joined groups (including rejoining IWSG). Maybe go on a retreat.
And I will get more sleep. That's more important than I realized.
The blog hop is here. Check it out!
Go visit their pages!
So... Have I ever decided to quit writing?
No, I can't say that I have. I have been discouraged, I have wanted to burn whatever story I was working on, and call various people idiots for various reasons, but I haven't decided to quit. How can I? I'm a writer.
...But I have trickled to a near-halt. Inertia. I wrote about it, obliquely, here and here. I've been in dry spots, as you see. Sometimes they seem to stretch on forever, and you wonder if they will ever stop.
I am in one right now. I haven't published anything new in three years. I have followers, people have read my work, but I haven't put anything out. Sales are falling off.
I have a number of works in progress. The second book in my Orphan's Tale series is nearly complete. It was delayed, in part, by a plot revelation that required an internal rewrite. But it is nearly finished...and I haven't touched it in a year. I have a fable, a 'short' (say, 45,000 words) that is nearly done. Nearly. There are several stories in my Memphis Cycle that were coming along.
So what happened?
Life. Eldercare issues. Work issues. Money issues. (It costs me nothing to write, thank goodness). And I have been very tired. Very tired. It's hard.
A friend told me of a time that she was discouraged. She was at a show, and was talking with the man who had been mentoring her. She recounted children problems, worries about her husband's job, illness, disappointment. It was all so hard, she said. Her mentor, who had been busy jotting notes about the things that were going on at the show, said without looking up, "Quitting is easy."
My friend stopped speaking. Quitting is easy. But it was not an option those ten years ago. She moved past that point and is doing well.As for me, quitting is easy, I suppose. Except that I can't quit. I am a writer. I write stories. I have stories to write. I can't go back. I don't want to. And I have been through this before and may well go through it again, all things being equal. I'll survive.
I can wake up. My job issues are behind me, along with that job. I will set my timer for, say, half an hour. And during that half hour I will write. At my desk. On my laptop. No internet. Just write.
Sales are down? I'll finish the various books, half an hour at a time, and get them out there.
Writing doesn't need to be lonely: I have begun to participate in writing activities. Joined groups (including rejoining IWSG). Maybe go on a retreat.
And I will get more sleep. That's more important than I realized.
The blog hop is here. Check it out!
