Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Insecure Writer's Support Group: April


"The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day, hosted by Alex Cavanaugh.

"Purpose: 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!"

Is there any other kind of writer than the insecure? I think not. This is my first Insecure Wednesday, and I'm in good company with almost 300 other writers participating.

My writing problem this month: end stage ennui. Ironically, it was not too long ago that I was telling a fellow writer that I didn't have problems trailing my feet (fingers, whatever) at the end of a manuscript. It was in the middle where I typically had problems. But lately I've found myself stymied with the final 7,000 words or so of my WIP. I've used an outline this time around, which helped tremendously through the body of the manuscript. Since my recent reluctance began, I even re-outlined the ending. But it's just not happening.

Usually when I get stuck for a few days, it means that there's something wrong with the manuscript. I had a character do something implausible, or the plot is going in a different direction than it needs too. But with this manuscript, I don't think I'm stymied because of a problem with the ending. I think I'm struggling with finishing before I revise. I've never written this way before, and it's taken a lot of self-discipline. But not revising the first draft while writing has resulted in much greater output.

I already know the solution to my problem. Simply continuing to write, even when you don't want to and you're afraid, is the only way to move forward. I hope that next month I can report that I followed my own advice.

3 comments:

  1. Sometimes pushing through it does work, but maybe you need to put it down for a day. Clear your mind, do something else and then come back to it with a renewed sense of bravado. It's helped me in the past, but then again, we're all wired a bit differently. I hope you get through this soon, and thanks for your comment. I look forward to seeing your progress next month! (:

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  2. I totally agree about stepping away for a bit. My problem is that I've done more stepping away than writing! Thanks for your response.

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  3. I definitely get the wanting to go back and revise before finishing, but I agree that you can get greater output. I agree with Elise, too. If you've been working on it A LOT like as in ALL THE TIME, maybe take a break. I've taken a break for the past few days for this very reason and am excited for an afternoon of writing I've planned for tomorrow.

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