Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.
The awesome co-hosts for the June 1 posting of the IWSG are SE White,Cathrina Constantine,Natalie Aguire,Joylene Nowell Butler, and Jacqui Murray!
It’s time for Alex J. Cavanaugh’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group post. Every month, we announce a question to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story.
June 1 question – When the going gets tough writing the story, how do you keep yourself writing to the end?
Margaret Atwood stopped writing The Handmaid’s Tale multiple times because she felt the story was too implausible. It would never be popular. Yes, she’s quoted on that.
90% of writing is powering through obstacles. There are mornings I stare at my computer and write copy, edit copy, review anthology submissions, or keep a problematic chapter going by thinking a played out 90’s Nike slogan. Really.
We all have dark energy. Dark energy is energy we can’t see. We just know it’s there. It’s there and we can’t let it get sucked into a black hole. Black holes are the crap piles on your desk. The ghosts of projects uncompleted whispering, “You sure you want to do this again?”
Black holes suck away energy. I once threw a black hole (stack of crap) into the bin next to my desk without even bothering with what was on the top. If I hadn’t looked at it in a week, it wasn’t important. I still have only a vague idea of what it consisted of.
Helpful quotes like, “One sentence creates an avalanche.” become a mantra. While clawing, scratching, and pulling crap out of the ether to spin into relatable thought provoking platforms of inquiry and discovery I have to accept this will not be enjoyable.
I can think of 100 other things I’d rather be doing. Cleaning toilets. Holding an open pillowcase as far away from my person as possible while my friend thrusts her angry snakes towards me with a handler stick. (This really happened.) Cleaning barnacles off a boat with a rusty scraper wearing leaky snorkel gear in questionable Bay Area water. Chores like that. I’ve put my head in my hands thinking, “I’d rather be drilling screws through my toes.”
Despite all this nothing feels as good as the hit of dopamine received upon completion. My name’s on it. I feel fulfilled. Feedback rereleases the initial hit. The memory of the feeling keeps me going back.
What keeps you writing? I will return comments promptly as long as my robots let me!
Black holes is a way to think of it. I call my self doubt and struggles the why bother monster. It always creeps up to take hold the moment I stumble. It’s a constant battle. Not every project is worth fighting it over, but the ones that are, the sense of completion is the best!
The why bother monster. Fantastic. The struggle is real!
Not every project is worth fighting for. I need to remind myself of this. Thank you, Meka.
I love the “I have to accept this will not be enjoyable.” Sometimes writing is not. Everything is not enjoyable sometimes, no matter how much we love it. Sometimes just have to do it whether you want to or not, or if you’d rather be stuffing snakes into a pillowcase. *shrug*
Right? When non-creatives refer to my work as “hobby” and act like I’m lucky to not have to do “real work” I excuse myself from the interaction.
Dialogue from Sideways
father of bride-to-be: There is so much to know about this world. I think when you’ve read something someone made up, waste of time.
Miles: That’s an interesting perspective.
So true that writing is not always enjoyable. But once we go through the hard points of it, we can get back into the joy of writing and finishing a manuscript.
Yes, Natalie. Like running a race. Once you’ve completed it your body remembers you can do it, and it’s just going to suck in parts. Each one is hard, but easier than the first.
I can think of a 100 things I’d rather do when I’m in a slump, BUT cleaning a toilet isn’t one of them. LOL. It’s probably due to the fact I raised sons. Never ever got over the ordeal of cleaning up after little boys. Ooooohhhh… icky!
Cleaning up after little ones learning to aim. Ooof. I understand the aversion. Ha!
This has been a really comforting post. Acknowledging them is really empowering 🙂
Dark energy. That’s the sort of energy we need when we feel like nothing else is going to get us through. I like it!