Wednesday 6 November 2013

Losing my nerve! IWSG November.

Yes, it's November already! Thanks as always to Alex J Cavanaugh for running the group. You can find a list of the participants and information on what it's all about over on Alex's blog.

I was determined not to whinge this month, but I can feel a bit of a whinge coming on. The title of this post is pretty whingey, for one thing!

I had the summer off writing as I had a full schedule and was feeling pretty stressed. My brain didn't stop working and I didn't stop making notes, but I did barely any structured writing. Actually, it was lovely just being 'normal' again (e.g. watching TV, seeing friends, reading, going out with family, etc.)

THE TROUBLE IS... now I want to write again (and have had an idea for a serial provisionally OK'd by a magazine) I seem to have forgotten how to sit down and concentrate. I deliberately subbed the idea knowing that it would force me back to the keyboard, but my reaction to getting the go-ahead to write the first part was as much terror as joy! It's been hanging round my neck and terrifying me for over a week. I started it and don't like what I've written and my cotton-wooly brain won't co-operate with coming up with alternatives. I still don't feel as though I've got enough time (or understanding support in the home, tbh) to write it.

I WILL write it - so watch this space - but something tells me it's going to be a long and painful process!

Does anyone else feel unsupported at times? I get a lot of "Wow, that's great," and "How much are you getting for it?" when something's accepted, but when it comes down to being allowed uninterrupted time to get words on the page, I may as well forget it unless I'm alone in the house, which I rarely am.

Whinge over. Feeling better already!

Going to write now!

13 comments:

Melissa Amateis said...

Just last night I had to leave the cozy comfort of our den where my husband, daughter, and even the cats were watching t.v. and had to go work on my book. My husband and daughter didn't want me to go, told me to take the night off, and to sit back down. How tempted I was. But I've got a deadline on my nonfiction book project and I couldn't afford to take the night off.

Usually they are VERY supportive of me, but last night they weren't too understanding (and I know it was because they wanted to spend time with them) and it was hard to leave such a comforting scene.

I know what you mean about starting a new project after having not written for awhile. My advice is to take a deep breath and just dive into it. Write complete crap if you must, but just get the words down. You can edit later. That way you can at least get back into the writing groove.

Good luck!

Jai said...

Getting back in the habit is hard.

You'll get back in the swing in no time.

Annalisa Crawford said...

It's hard to split the time between work and family. Although I hated losing my study, having a laptop means I can be with the family and still work. I've got writing when they're watching a film down to a fine art - I can even keep up with the plot, so I know when #2 son is going to grab my hand in excitement (we like to squeal in unison!)

I hope you find the time to write, especially with a magazine interested already! :-)

Rena said...

Yeah, my family is having a very hard time with the "That's great you want to write, but what do you really want to do? And could you help me move the piano, you're not doing anything?" For my family they see computers as a way to surf the internet, and I see it as the way that I write. So yeah, I get the sitting down to write thing being harder than anticipated.

Murees Dupè said...

Getting back into the groove of things is always tough. Having no to little support is even tougher. But I know you can do it. How? Because you have been through all of it before and managed to finish that much dreaded written work. You are just great like that. Best of luck.

Unknown said...

Good luck Linda. Starting is always the hardest thing.

I do feel unsuported sometimes, but I think that's my fault. I don't tend to talk about my writing becasue it is such a big part of my life and I know if I started that I'd never stop and bore everyone to death.

I think you're right, people are pleased when you have success but they don't understand how much writing requires. I'm trying to educate my boyfriend at the moment because of NaNo. He keeps asking me questions about thinsg that are really important but just not right now!

Patsy said...

If you can't whinge in the IWSG where can you? I'm glad it helped.

Karen Jones Gowen said...

I find myself losing my nerve too after taking a long break from writing. I'm not one to work every single day on novel-writing, although I do always write in some form daily.

Julie Flanders said...

I'm having a terrible time writing now too. For a while I was in a total rhythm and now I'm starting to wonder if I'll ever write again! I get distracted by the dumbest things imaginable and then get mad at myself for not writing. Seems to be an endless loop right now.

Glad you're feeling better and I hope you are able to start getting the writing cranked out.

Elizabeth Seckman said...

You treat it like any other job you're out of sync with after a holiday. You get dressed, make your to-do list, sit down and get to work. Or stand by the coffee maker and gab for hours and then bemoan just how little time you have to get it all done ;)

Crystal Collier said...

You can do it!!! Sending virtual cheese to keep you but firmly in chair. Try rocking out to tunes while your fingers hover over the keyboard. Here's betting something will appear on your page.

Kittie Howard said...

It's not easy, being a member of a family, then disappearing into a solo writer's space. Although my hub supports me unequivocally, I sense there are times when he wishes I'd just flop on the sofa and look at the telly with him. But I don't think thoughts of being torn make one insecure -- no, not at all. Being reflective and being honest with one's self are strong, positive attributes.

It's also not easy to recapture mental discipline -- but like the commenter above said, just dive in and edit later. Good Luck!

And thanks for stopping by. Always good to see you on the screen.

Jeremy Bates said...

i know ur frustration! usually after i finish something i simply can't get started again for a while
but the good thing is that eventually i get back in the groove and get going
you know, sometimes getting out to a coffee shop or something to write helps, because of the change of environment and the lesser number of distractions