IWSG: The roller coaster of insecurity

The last month and a half has been insanely busy. And yet... Okay, before I get to the good news, lets do a quick recap.

• End of July--our exchange student arrived (and we finished building his room)
• August--spent an evening at the police first night event with a booth, 2 birthdays, an anniversary, I taught all day at a writer's boot camp, sent the kids back to school, day trip to Oklahoma City, and had a guest post on Janice Hardy's Fiction University
• Last week--day trip to Kansas City, went to an amusement park in Branson, MO (more in a minute), a cave, and today I'm hosting a luncheon for 90 participants in the emergency preparedness fair I've been working on since March
• Coming up in Sept--the preparedness fair and a week later I'll be teaching at a 2-day writer's conference in Kansas City
• Coming up in Oct--things will finally quiet down (I think) but I will get to spend three days selling books at a craft fair with my hubby (he's selling mandala dot art items)

 

 

Somehow, in the midst of all of this, I started writing again. Monday night I finished Teacher's Crush, a small-town romance. There's still a lot of work to be done, but it is a relief to finish something. I hope to get it out to beta readers this weekend and then release it sometime in October. 

The next big project to finish will be in my sci-fi genre--Demon Rising, book 3 in the Magic Wakes Series. I don't know if I'm ready to do it, but it's so far past time to destroy Talia's world and move on. 

All these ups and down are good. I simply had to remember that trying is its own best reward. Sometimes that gut-wrenching feeling like the floor has disappeared under your feet is exactly what you need to move forward again. I guess that's what I had started to do, but last weekend at the amusement park it became clear to me once more. 

I love roller coasters. I love the speed, the excitement, the flips and twists. However, I also enjoy stepping back onto solid ground and knowing I'm safe.

Writing is a lot like a roller coaster. Sometimes the words flow quickly and smoothly. Other times they are an old wooden coaster that knocks you around and makes you feel like your spleen has been turned to pulp. Sharing that writing with others is even more like this. It's exciting, it gets your blood pumping, and then it can jerk the ground right out from under you. Only when we remember why we write can we step back on solid ground. Only then can we say, "I will continue to write no matter what others think of me, or the finished project, because that is who I am."

So, put your hands up and scream! Laugh, cry, whatever it takes, but ride the ride.

It took wallowing in insecurity for seven and a half months this time. Hopefully, next time it won't take me so long to run back around to the waiting line for the roller coaster. 

This is my favorite ride from the weekend. The video makes it look slow. Oh, and riding it at night when all you see is the stars in the sky is pretty awesome.

How are you dealing with insecurity this month? 

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 writers.

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.