Happy IWSG Day! Every Wednesday of the month Alex J. Cavaugh’s group share their insecurities. Feel free to join us! https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html
Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.
January 5 question – What’s the one thing about your writing career you regret the most? Were you able to overcome it?
The awesome co-hosts are Erika Beebe, Olga Godim, Sandra Cox, Sarah Foster, and Chemist Ken!
Top 3 Writing Regrets
- Overanalyzing – The anxiety! When you put yourself out there overthinking comes with the territory. We all do/say dumb things. I have enough road behind me now to sift through criticism, collect what’s helpful and discard what’s not. If I could say anything to my old writer self it’s, “Trust your gut.” and “Learn to let stuff go.”
- Publishing too soon – In the world of instant digital gratification we’re hasty to share our creativity, then learn the hard way once work is out there attached to our name it follows us forever. Thankfully it’s a big world and I am one little person. I’m not important. Life is short. Etc.
- Isolating – Writing is solitary, but only to a point. It’s seductive to go into this misanthropic state when we’re angry, sad or simply feeling unsure of ourselves. The romance of insanity. I don’t know who originally said it, but the statement, “Art isn’t created in a vacuum.” is great to keep in mind. Know your audience. Learn from mentors. Collaborate for growth and renewal.
OMG. Regret itself.
A friend mentioned to me how interesting it is wood burns in many ways. It heats us in many ways. I assumed they were eluding to some complex concept, and couldn’t follow what they were saying. Then I remembered my cabin in the woods in Albion, CA. The wood burning stove in the living room was small. I would go down under the tarp where we kept the wood dry near the pigmy forrest and lug a piece up the hill to the splitting stump where a large tree once stood. Once I was done splitting the damn thing to fit the little stove I would be warm enough to not want a fire for another hour or so.
We chop wood down, haul wood, store wood, split wood and light wood. It burns calories. Time. Energy. Writing also burns in many ways. When I question myself as to whether what I’m working on is “right” or “productive” I remember my muscles grow each time I create something new. Having no regrets is still a work in progress.
What do you regret most? Were you able to overcome it? I will always return comments with the exception of a zombie apocalypse.
Over-analyzing is definitely something I’ve done, which, over time, triggered anxiety as well as random panic attacks, so I sure regret doing that, too. I struggle not to, though. 🙁
Happy New Year, Adrienne! I hope you have a great 2022!
P.S. Sorry it has taken me so long to return a visit.
Don’t be, Chrys. It’s always great to hear from you, and here’s to a productive 2022! I love following your posts. I have lots of anxiety triggers, too. The struggle is real. Happy New Year!
I suspect publishing too soon is a mistake not many writers make more than once or twice. It’s just too painful a lesson to learn.
Happy 2022!
Happy 2022, Ken!
Truth. It’s the stuff 24/7 daymares are made out of. So cringy. Happy IWSG, and thanks for co-hosting.
I’m guilty of overanlyzing. I need to learn to trust my own insticts more. LOL.
I try different techniques to quiet the noise and let go. It still creeps back in. Letting go of pride and reaching out to others helps. I’m fortunate to have a few fantastic symbiotic relationships.
I had the opposite problem, waiting too long to publish, and then waiting too long again because I was humiliated at my very poor sales caused by almost zero promotion and marketing. Putting myself out there and asking for assistance are things I really need to work on, since they don’t come naturally, and I’m afraid of coming across like a shameless beggar or an awkward situation if the person says no.
Asking others guide you through foreign terrain is hard. There’s no shame in it when you offer your support in return. Happy New Year, Carrie-Anne!
I’m guilty of all three:)
Wishing you a happy-writing new year:)
Happy New Year, and Happy IWSG Day Sandra!
I’ve definitely been guilty of overanalyzing. It really is important to learn to let things go. We might all have regrets, but I think it’s better to learn from them than to dwell on them.
Agreed. Learn from them and move on. It sounds so easy, too. Ugh. I literally repeat the mantra, “No once cares but me. This is small in the scheme of things. Let it go.”
Isolation could be a problem for many writers. That’s what all the blog hops we participate in are for: to get us out of our self-isolation.
Absolutely! This blog hop helps me begin each month with fresh eyes after reading other’s posts on their personal journey and alternating perspectives.
Another great way of looking at things! There’ve been some wonderfully positive posts for this IWSG. I definitely overanalyze.
The Warrior Muse
I’ve yet to meet one writer who doesn’t. Now that I’ve put that out in the universe, maybe I will. Happy IWSG Day!