 It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! The purpose of the IWSG is 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!
The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer's Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writers. This group is all about connecting! January 5 question - What's the one thing about your writing career you regret the most? Were you able to overcome it? I know my answer to this right away! My biggest regret is not starting sooner. If I'd gotten the rookie mistakes out of the way as a teen or twenty-something, I'd be much further along by now. So why didn't I write earlier? I could say I needed to gain life experience. I could say I needed to come up with a good enough story to tell. I could list a thousand reasons, but they'd be untrue. I didn't start writing because I didn't realize the daydreams and bits of stories fluttering around my head were worth writing down. I thought authors sat themselves at a computer, poised their fingers on the keys with resolve, and wove a tapestry of words from start to finish...something I wasn't capable of. After watching a movie or reading a book, I'd lie awake at night and imagine myself as the main character, making different choices and taking the plot a different direction until the story was unrecognizable. Everyone does that, right? It's how we escape. It's where fanfiction comes from. One night, the scene taking place in my head wouldn't let me sleep. I could hear the characters talking. I could see the expressions on their faces. It took on such a life of its own that I reached for my tablet on the nightstand. After putting down those few hundred words, I laid my head on my pillow and slept like a log. I thought that was the end of it, but leaving things unfinished isn't my style. The story had its hooks in me. I wrote a little at a time, putting down whatever scene came to me. Within a few months, I had a finished novel. It was a mess and completely unreadable, but it was finished. No one has ever seen that first book. I won't even tell you what it was about (at least, not in this post), but it turned me into a writer. These days, my stories are outlined ahead of time. That first attempt taught me I'm a planner, not a pantser. Who knows, maybe someday I'll go back, do some editing, and see if I can tame it into something publishable. Even if nothing ever comes of the book, it holds a special place in my heart. You never forget your first! ps. Falling for the Villain is on sale for a limited time! Get the ebook for 99 cents on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Falling-Villain-Heroes-Villains-Book-ebook/dp/B09JP7ZCZ7/ Also available FREE on Kindle Unlimited.
28 Comments
1/5/2022 08:36:41 am
I surprised so many of us answered that our biggest regret was not starting sooner. I figured it would be something else, like releasing a book too soon, or some other tactical mistake. Anyway, I understand your regret perfectly.
Kim Elliott
1/5/2022 09:29:26 am
It’s good to know others can relate! Thanks for reading!
Anna
1/5/2022 11:59:27 am
I'm sure you did what was right for you. Remember, hindsight is 20/20 and not very kind. :-) 1/5/2022 03:08:31 pm
It’s so true! On a side note, your comment brings to mind how much I have on my plate in 2022, because Hindsight is the working title of one of my works in progress. 1/5/2022 12:21:34 pm
I was nodding along with your first paragraph - I thought writing books was something "other people did." Then you realise all those writers had to begin at some point. 1/5/2022 03:10:03 pm
Yup, we all start somewhere and sometime. May as well start here and now. 1/5/2022 01:03:28 pm
Congratulations on having your story chosen for the anthology! 1/5/2022 01:10:44 pm
I've come across so many IWSGers today saying how much they regret not starting earlier. I'm happy knowing that you're with us now, practicing what you love best. Thank you for sharing! 1/5/2022 02:17:55 pm
Yes! My one "regret" was waiting so long, too, though for me it was fear and "waiting for the right time" holding me back. So interesting that so many of us feel this way! 1/5/2022 06:38:32 pm
Hopefully you actually started at exactly the right time! I had a false start early on, but I'm glad I started when I did. 1/5/2022 07:31:02 pm
You could be right. We'll never know how things would've worked out if we'd taken different paths. 1/5/2022 07:35:31 pm
I think we all wish we had started sooner, but now is as good as any time! So many really good authors didn't start until later in life, and I think that gave them the experiences to be able to write the stories they told. Younger "us" have few life experiences to shape our world view and the depth of emotions those experiences bring us. So maybe you're right where you need to be! 1/6/2022 11:39:15 am
Welcome to the IWSG! 1/6/2022 01:00:17 pm
Some of my best story ideas come fully formed as a dream! Glad to meet you. It seems like a lot of regrets are tied to not starting sooner. You are in great company. 1/8/2022 12:04:55 am
Congratulations on your story acceptance into the IWSG Anthology! 1/9/2022 06:46:49 pm
I love that. Never forget your first! Me either. Here's to a long, healthy lifetime of Being Writers! 1/17/2022 06:31:15 am
Thanks for stopping by my blog. Sorry it took so long for a visit. Your comment got burried by my moderation software. I've heard many people say they wished they'd started sooner. Part of me too wishes I'd done a lot of things sooner rather than later. 1/18/2022 09:07:09 am
No worries. I’m new to blogging, so I’m still learning how it all works. Leave a Reply. |
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