http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html
The problem with being chronically insecure, and more than a wee bit neurotic, is that picking a topic each month can be difficult. There are too many!
But today I thought I'd wax neurotic about knowing when to change direction, or cut & run. Some back story about me, way back in the old days, when I was just starting to write, writing was far more solitary than it is now.
There was no internet.
Yes, you information addicts, let yourself imagine--no constant feed with opinions, decrees, ideas, and comparisons to drive you crazy as you constantly find yourself, and your writing, wanting.
It was actually wonderful. I wrote because I had stories I wanted to tell--ones I wanted to read. I went to writing conferences, read writing books, magazines, etc. But those didn't have the same pressure facing people now through social media.
Fast forward to now, ten books and a novella out in 4 years. I have way too many stories in my head still. But what sucks the soul out of my little world is social media. All the tips, tricks, ideas that at first sounded so amazing, are now overwhelming me. (Yes, I understand the irony of me stating a problem with social media--ON social media. ;))
So, I had a talk with myself, and we realized pulling back is the answer--focus on the writing. Not the promo. Stay in the place that is frustrating sometimes, but ultimately rewarding. I'm not going to vanish, I'll still do these blogs and stuff on my author FB page from time to time. But I've already snoozed most all of my FB writing groups.
Writing is an insanely creative endeavor, we need to make sure we do whatever needs to be done to KEEP doing it and KEEP loving it. That means knowing when to cut and run from whatever isn't working ;).
Have a great IWSG Day!!
