Happy IWSG day! IWSG stands for ‘Insecure Writers Support Group’ and hundreds of writers participate every month, blogging writerly posts on an optional question or going rogue on other writing topics. Inkslingers of every kind supporting each other and building community. You can click here to see the other blogs and perhaps sign up yourself.
A story is born in my mind and scribbled out on the pages of my notebook.
I tingle with excitement. I love this.
Words get crossed out. Notes appear in margins. Something is circled – should I delete this? Characters disappear. New ones take their place, or not.
I suppress a thrill. This is becoming an excellent story.
I type it into a document. Hmmm. That part doesn’t sound right. Words get rearranged. A new sentence replaces an old one. A plot hole is revealed. I fill it in and try to smooth the edges.
Oh, I don’t like that. This is awful. What was I thinking?
I put the story aside, but I still think of it. My subconscious mulls over possible solutions. It might be days, or weeks, or… months.
I know it will come. I acknowledge it might take a long time. Deep down, I worry. How will I build a body of work if the quality I’m working toward takes this long? When will my process come faster? Surely it doesn’t take other writers this long.
It does, though.
I work, I read, I follow my favourite writers. Quite by accident I come across a dozen statements in a single day, writers I admire mentioning the few years it can take to birth a story from start to finish. From that first draft to the one which gets accepted. I am normal, I realize, surprised. I am on the right track.
Keep writing. Keep going. We’re all doing fine.
Love this – “Keep writing. Keep going. We’re all doing fine.” And it’s totally true. 🙂
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thanks, Madeline, and it really is.
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Well. This all sounds completely familiar. And how lovely of you to make it sound so pretty. 🙂 Happy IWSG Day!
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Thank you, Raimey. Happy IWSG day to you too!
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That’s one of my biggest worries right now: why is this taking so long? Why can’t I write faster than this? Good to know I’m not the only one thinking about those sorts of questions.
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I think we’re among many here.
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So true. All of it. One word at a time. We’ll get there. Celebrate the small successes.
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Everything takes time. I used to get anxious and feel like I was falling behind but I’m beginning to accept it. Eventually it will get done. As long as I feel like I’m making progress, any kind of progress, then it’s a good day.
Happy New Year!
IWSG January
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It’s hard to be patient with ourselves. Wishing you a wonderful 2019.
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At the very least, you know this. Wish I did… 🙂
Anna from elements of emaginette
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be gentle with yourself! Our artistic sides are tender spaces. I hope things get less tough for you soon, we’re all cheering for you.
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I’ve ridden this kind of thing out before but it’s awful in the middle of it. I’m lucky I have a place to go. Thanks. 🙂
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I’m also a slow writer, hoping to finish my next 90K-word novel (That seems to be my natural word count.) in six months, rather than a year. Wish me luck.
And I wish you a happy, healthy, productive writing year. Excellent post!
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Thank you, and good luck! I’ll be rooting for you.
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Right! When I hear other authors releasing five or six books a year I have to remind myself they might have been working on them for years already.
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Exactly. The trick is to work on something else while the first is ‘percolating’. I’m not sure I’ll ever be writing 5 or 6 books a year, but… maybe novellas?
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Jennifer — It’s 2:00AM. The idea that just flashed through my half-sleep was too good to let escape. That is exactly why I keep a writing pad on the night stand. In the dark, without waking the wife, I scribble enough to remind me in the morning.
By the light of day what I find first looks like scribbled nonsense, big letters written on top of each other. When I finally sort out the cryptic midnight message I am left to wonder why I ever thought it was so special.
Yet every so often one of those ‘great ideas’ gives birth to a worthwhile blog post….enough to keep me writing in the dark. After all, if you have the itch you have to keep scratching. Good luck in 2019.
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My night-time scribbles are often good for a laugh. Wishing you the best.
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Love your closing lines. We all do what we can, when we can.
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Thank you, Shannon
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I love the way your post unfolded – very creative and on point!
It’s confirmation that this writing gig is a marathon… not a sprint. 🙂
Happy New Year!
Writer In Transit
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thank you, Michelle
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Hey there fantastic blog! Does running a blog such as this take a lot of work?
I’ve absolutely no expertise in computer programming but I had been hoping to start my own blog in the near
future. Anyway, if you have any suggestions or tips for new blog owners please share.
I understand this is off subject but I just needed to ask.
Cheers!
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