Tuesday, February 10, 2015

How is your writing going?




It doesn’t seem like such an intimidating question, but every time I hear that question from a friend or family member I cringe.  “So how’s the writing going?” Should I answer truthfully that writing is so much harder than I realized?  Should I share with them that I have so many great story ideas, but I struggle to get the words onto the paper (or actually onto the screen since most of my writing is on my lap top)?  Should I tell them about the self-doubt that creeps in when I re-read my story and wonder if anyone will actually enjoy my work? 


It seems like an innocent question, but it brings up all my insecurities about my new ‘writing career’.  I spend time writing each day, but sometimes writing a short blog post is all that I am able to accomplish.  Some days my fingers fly over the keys and I look at my word count with pride. 
I have three actual works-in-progress, it may seem a bit scattered, but that is how my brain works. 
·      I am working on my historical fiction young adult story about the Spanish Flu epidemic.  I have a great outline and I am about one third of the way through.  This is the story that feels flat to me, so I get ‘stuck’ because I want to bring more out of the characters.  I need to just push through and get my first draft finished, so I can edit and refine the story.
·      I have my first draft completed of another historical fiction story about World War II, but its disjointed and frankly I’m just not sure it is a story I am ready to work on and release. 
·      I recently started a fun contemporary romance with a football theme.  Spending so much time watching football with my husband gave me the idea for the story.  It is cute and fun to write, I am already 5,000 words into that story and it feels fun and upbeat, the perfect antidote to the somewhat more serious historical fiction stories I have been working on.
·      I also have ideas for at least two other non-fictions books (including outlines) and I have two more historical fiction ideas brewing as well. 
It’s hard to truthfully answer, “How’s the writing going?” because I have incredible ideas that I am excited about, and I am working hard to get all of these stories out of my head and onto paper, I am encouraged to have made progress on these projects, but I know I still have a long way to go.  

4 comments:

  1. It is a process. I'm too scared to quit my full time job and complete dedicate my time to writing. One, the financial worry sends me into an anxiety ridden tailspin and two, I'm afraid if I make writing feel like "work" I will lose my passion and enjoyment for it. However, I am closing in on page 100 of my first fictional project since I was 14 so I am pretty excited about that. However, many of those things like self doubt and thinking so many things are missing and characters are too flat creep in. Same as you I just really need to get the initial story down on paper and then work through with my revisions and other visions I have of the story.

    I would love to do a writing swap with you. I'll give your work a read/edit in exchange for you having you read/edit mine. I also have my first book for sale about motherhood now on Amazon and I would love to share insight on how marketing is going or not going as I feel is the case sometimes. Or even share each other's work on our social media sites. I would love to see what we can do to help each other out with our writing goals and ambitions. Contact me anytime at glennbabies@gmail.com. Even if it's just to chat about writing in general. Wishing you the best .

    Angela @ Stepping into Motherhood

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    1. Angela - I would love to swap writing and share marketing & promotion ideas. What is your book's title, I really want to check it out.

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  2. Bought your Fearless and Feminine. As a mother of two daughters excited to read it.

    Angela @ Stepping into Motherhood

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    1. Yeah! Thanks Angela - that makes me so happy, I hope you enjoy it.

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