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!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time.
I'm currently #77.
I've talked about a lot of my insecurities over the years, but there are others that I keep locked away. To speak them aloud or write them down would give them too much power. I think we all have things that we keep secret. On a successful day we even manage to keep it a secret from ourselves.
The funny thing is, nothing really stays hidden. The little fears and anxieties leak out when we least expect it. Lately I've started noticing them in my stories. Oh, sure, I knew bits of me were scattered all through the words on the pages, but there were things I didn't recognize as me as well.
Or perhaps I'm becoming those things?
Who knows?
When I dig into the trenches of a WIP I often get caught up in a character. If Talia is upset with Landry, I feel irrationally upset with my hubby. When she feels lost and confused about a certain plot twist, I find myself wandering my house looking for things to do other than write.
If the sun doesn't shine for weeks on end, Talia find's herself on a planet during the rainy season and unable to glean from the sun's power.
Sometimes it's a relief to become her, and then I remember all the torture I have in store for her. My real insecurity today is that I won't be able to bring myself to do it. I don't want to destroy every last bit of hope she has, but I'll have to in book three. That's the dark moment for the series. She has to reach that point in order to find the answers she's searching for.
I think that's a big reason I don't want to finish the second book in the series. It's slower paced than the first book, but it sets everything into motion for book three. If I finish Search For Knowledge I'll have to start Demon Rising in earnest.
I'm getting in my own way again. Trying to ease my character into the next stage when in truth, I just need to throw her off the cliff.
Do you ever get like this? What do you do to get over it?
I once wrote a very depressing story, and listened to the same CD over and over again while I wrote it. In short, I got very depressed, the music was depressing, everything was bad.
ReplyDeleteLater, I listened to that same CD again, and it was actually quite upbeat and happy. I'd just been too absorbed in the story.
I find myself making the facial expressions of my characters while I'm writing speech for them - that's embarrassing in a cafe! :-)
Fling her!
ReplyDeleteIt's tough to do that one thing that your character most fears, but that's was makes a story better.
And if I ever got grouchy with my wife because one of my characters was having a bad day, she'd put me in my place.
I'm one of those evil authors who can throw her characters off the cliff and laugh about it. You have to have faith in your character. She'll rise to every challenge you put in front of her.
ReplyDeleteOnce in my first manuscript I woke up thinking about some really evil plot line that will make my character suffer even more than the poor dude does, needless to say just seconds and he was in front of me asking with a pained face "Why are you doing this to me? what have I ever done to you?" that freaked me out 0-O Also that same character faces a terrible situation right at the beginning of the book, I remember writing a really difficult scene with my eyes teary and my face all zombie like and my sister got into the room, I practically kicked her out, so you see Charity you're not alone.
ReplyDeleteYeah.. I'm having some trouble getting into the second part of my WIP because of some of the bad things that I need to put my characters through. I totally get it. And I'm so empathetic that I wouldn't be at all surprised if my emotions reflected those of my characters!
ReplyDeleteHave you written the end yet? The part where it all comes together? That might help you write the harder parts, the parts that you don't want to write. You can look ahead to the good stuff and know that to get to the good stuff, the bad stuff has to be there. Just a thought.
ReplyDelete"On a successful day we even manage to keep it a secret from ourselves." totally!!
ReplyDeleteI sometimes feel trapped in my characters world too. When we go to day jobs, we sometimes bring home all that negativity from clients/customers, co-worker, outside agencies. No surprise our created characters and worlds do the same - positive or negative. Perhaps you just need to accept that, write whatever feeling are happening, take a couple weeks off when the book is completed, and worry about the character's well being during editing.
I think its a start that you realize this issue. Sending hugs and virtual chocolate. Watch a RomCom and LOL without guilt :)
A lot of truth to not expressing pain or sorrow. Isn't it a wonderful feeling when your own work moves you? If it does, it will move the reader, too.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes,
Diane IWSG #108
@Annalissa, I think it's great you make their facial expressions! I find I use their catch phrases sometimes.
ReplyDelete@Alex, I have the luxury of being the wife, LOL. My poor hubby. At least he gets the benefits of when I'm happy too. He's a good man and I'm so lucky to have someone willing to try and understand. His patience is a true gift.
@Patricia, I know. Talia is stronger than I think, stronger than she thinks. She's already survived having a Dragumon rip strips of skin from her body, but that was just physical. This cliff will be the emotional axe so to speak. It's going to be really hard to recover. Perhaps it's because the big blow is also my worst fear?
@Haneen, thanks! I'm sure there are lots of us crying over the keyboard. Or while listening to music like Annalisa. It helps knowing that.
@AJ, hope you have an understanding family to feed you chocolate ice cream! Goodluck to you, and off we both go to torture our characters!
@Liz, I've sketched out the really bad, horrible, soul wrenching scene of book three. I've also sketched out the final scene of the series. It sort of helped, but being a discovery writer it also lessens my NEED to write. I already know how it ends so I can't discover that again. I'm trying to concentrate on the fact that a lot of surprises can happen between where I'm at and those two points.
@Dolorah, yesterday I took the day off and just read several romance short stories. It was a wonderful brain break from writing. Today I'm ready to dig back into things.
@Diane, that's what I'm hoping. All my emotion and angst over Talia's situation will make it to the page...eventually!