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| Brought to us by Alex J. Cavanaugh, sensei and founder of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. |
Every now and then, I sincerely wonder if I'm wasting my time. I've been writing since I was a little girl, and I'm pretty sure most around me have given up the hope that I'll ever have a book on anybody's shelf. If they haven't, they certainly haven't said anything uplifting to me or even asked how my writing's going. I've fortunately found a great CP, and I know for certain that I'm done with Twitter contests, if not contests as a whole. And I know the standard phrase of encouragement is "At least you finished a novel!" but it's not conducive, productive, or constructive. No offense meant to those who say it.
And then there is the blogging itself. I've taken a few breaks from the fatigue and sometimes futility of it all. Not many listen to me offline. Who is reading what I'm saying online? I had 100 followers on my old blog, but none have followed me over here so far (unless they've subscribed via e-mail), so I do wonder if they only followed me because I followed them, or if they don't like my new content, which I feel is more me than what I was trying to do before (which honestly wasn't TOO different, but I was forcing it).
I'm going to keep going because that's what I know how to do, but that's where my head is.
23 comments:
Sorry, you're feeling so low. It gets hard to keep writing at times (hence, the popularity of IWSG). And the outside world. . .even family doesn't understand all of the time. But we keep going even when it seems ridiculous. I followed by email and plan to pop by.
I know the feeling. Some days it feels so hopeless, but you've made progress. Never give up. :)
I think we all feel like that from time to time. Just know that you're not alone, your fellow IWSG writers are here ready to offer support. One thing I've learned for sure is that building a platform is a slow process, but you just have to keep chipping away at it. Good luck with all you endeavor in the new year!
It took me many, MANY long years to get a book published. Along the way I got discouraged, hated myself, hated writing, gave up writing, came back to it, failed again, cried myself to sleep, wrote in my journal about how I was never going to be a 'real' writer, and just stayed angry at the world and how it was treating me. Despite all the bitterness and anger and jealousy I felt, I eventually hacked my way through. You will too. And when that day comes, print out this blog post and frame it along with your book cover.
I'm glad you are here, Deborah. I love the look of your blog and I found you via the IWSG. I will definitely be keeping in touch. I know what you mean about blogging. I do think we support each other and tend to stay in touch with those that support us back - as well as having interesting posts. You are doing a great job. I think the most important thing (which was a tip given to me by a fellow blogger) was to enjoy writing the posts. If I'm not in the mood or don't think I have anything interesting to say then I may miss a week or two. But I ensure that what I do write, I enjoy. That way the majority of readers will enjoy it to. Wishing you lots of fun and look forward to checking in again soon. Have a fabulous December.
There's some peace in knowing that everyone feels that way sometimes...and that most people won't support is in our writing, mostly because everyone's kind of self-absorbed. All we can do is somehow find that motivation within ourselves to keep going.
I can relate to this far too well. I've wanted to be an artist my whole life, but when I see how much more skilled and successful others are at it--at younger ages sometimes, even--I just want to quit for good.
And I love your blog! I've been so busy lately, though, that I haven't been able to comment as much I'd like. Building an audience is such a tricky thing to do in the blogosphere, at least in my experience. Good luck plowing ahead!
All the things you say here are exactly why I love IWSG. Most people in our daily lives don't "get" us. The truth is, to many of them our writing probably does seem like a waste unless we're hitting the best seller charts. But you know why you write and it's just as valuable of an activity as all the things others dedicate their time and energy to. I'm glad you're in the group.
Also, don't sweat followers. I don't think people necessarily click the follow button anymore. I've heard lots of other bloggers note the slowdown in followership.
Please do not give up! I know it's so overwhelming at times, but it will be worth it in the end. Baby steps, do what you can and don't be so hard on yourself! Keep up the great work!
Wow...I wish there was an easy button. There isn't. I think you're heading in the right direction. You have a CP, you are reaching out to the community, you keep writing. I learned not to give too much thought on who is or isn't reading. Sometimes, you have to do it for just you. Good luck and know you are not alone!
DO NOT GIVE UP. I started writing in 1984 but didn't get published until 1999. Of course it was just NY in those days, no indie or e-publishers, but I can't imagine not writing. It's what I do.
Thanks so much, T.
Thank you, Sandra!
Thanks so much. I will!
Definitely! Thank you.
Thanks, Stephanie!
And I love yours! Thanks, Heather.
Thank you for that. <3
Thank you, E.!
Me either. Thanks!
My daughter made me understand that writing was my job and it isn't 'normal' for someone to constantly ask about someone else's job. She said when is the last time you visited me at the lumber yard where I work, read my payroll, inventory sheets etc. My friends and family only want to know when something 'exciting' happens with my writing. I kind of get that now.
I remember you saying that before. I don't accept that as an answer really, because writing is a unique job. It's not something everyone can do successfully, and it's a job that people need encouragement to keep doing.
Sorry you're having such a tough time, Deborah. I've gone through that a lot, especially with my blog. What really helped me was pinpointing what I wanted to accomplish with my blog - was it an online journal to be used as another avenue of expression? Was it a way to keep friends and family updated? Or did I want to use it to target an audience for my books?
Once that decision was made, it was a lot easier to figure out who my dream audience was and what posts would interest that audience. After I made the necessary adjustments, things changed very quickly, and I no longer feel like I'm wasting my time or screaming into the void.
Maybe this would help you too. In any case, I hope you feel better soon, but it's okay to be blue. It's part of the process of being a novelist.
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