Started by no-hyperlink-needed Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh, IWSG has grown from monthly blog hop to website and facebook page! I'm expecting a IWSG app for my phone any day now. Just kidding :)
IWSG has buoyed me up like a life raft in stormy writing waters, and I am thankful for Alex, for all the people who help with the website and facebook page, and all the writers who are willing to give encouragement and bare their insecurities.
Silver Linings
I had a moment's hesitation when I finally sat down to write this post. I had the post idea and the title in my head for a few weeks, and then realized, "oh no, that's the name of a movie I haven't even seen and it's really popular, and people will expect references to the movie, and . . ." I basically had an insecurity meltdown over the post title, and then decided that since I came up with the idea without thinking about the movie, and I still liked the idea, I was going to stick with it.
And that's what this post is about: sticking with it, even when the clouds are a bit dark and insecurities are biting at our heels like giant beady-eyed rats. (sorry to those of you who keep rats as pets, but I'm not fond of them)
My writing life has been haphazard lately. I've been writing in hops and leaps, with some small sprints in the middle, followed by some worry walks and pencil chewing. Why? Because I am terrified that my second novel is "suckier" than the first, and I want it to be "better."
That's my murky cloud.
My silver linings are:
IWSG on facebook. I admit it. I'm a facebook addict on random days. One day, on facebook's IWSG page, I found another author bemoaning the same murky cloud that I'm sitting under: that fear that the second book just isn't measuring up to the first. And I commiserated with her. And then I felt better. The silver lining came from a shared determination to conquer the fear and get back to writing!
Super sweet readers. I have some really sweet readers. This last month, I received two letters from readers who love my books. Some of the students I teach at my homeschool co-op are also some of my readers, and in the last month, I've been asked several times about my sequel. (this is, in part, terrifying, because it isn't finished yet, but mostly it's super sweet and encouraging)
So, if you are under a dark, murky cloud, and have insecurities biting at your heels, I highly encourage you to look for the silver linings. Hang onto them, stick with it, and keep writing!
What are your silver linings?
