Wednesday, August 1, 2012

The Insecure Writer's Support Group: High on Insecurity


This is my first IWSG...yay! *Throws confetti, hangs streamers*Hosted by the wonderful Alex Cavanaugh, go take a look at his stuff if you haven’t before!

Now for the insecurities LOL.

Wow, uh, where to begin...

On a low note, I’ve always felt really inferior when I write. I always feel like I’m not as good as I like to think I am, that I’m kidding myself when I finish something and wonder how in the world something like this could ever get an agent’s interest. That this may be just a hobby and something that’s never going to make it farther than that. I also feel like I’m not good enough to tell others what I think too—when my critique partners send me their stuff sometimes I feel like I don’t have any right to tell them what’s right or wrong with their stuff. Really, what do I know? And then I feel really self-centered for asking people to help me with things after they've already done so much.

On another hand I also just feel really inexperienced. I’ve come SUCH a long way from when I began, but I still have so many things to learn. I expect that, but it seems like the amount of things there are to learn just keeps going on and on, ranging from horrifically simple things I feel like I should’ve known to things I haven’t even heard of. I love learning more and I love being able to continuously improve my manuscript, but I feel bad for the critique partners who are teaching me these things because ... lol read paragraph one.

Uhh... Oh. Here’s a DEFINITE one... My main series, the Flame Cycle, has been in a MAJOR first-drafting slump. I’m drafting book 3/4 but I haven’t done any decent writing for it since March, I think. It’s awful, but I don’t know what to write. My characters aren’t holding my interest like they used to but only in THAT book. I can work on the first one just fine, I can be revising the second one just fine, but at the third it’s like hitting a brick wall. I hate it.

I think those are the only big things that have been bothering me lately. I’ve been having a MAJOR inferiority complex lately. I’m really hoping I get over it soon enough because senior year is going to start soon and I can’t guarantee how much time for writing I’m going to have then. ._.

With that I’ll close...if you read through this entire thing, kudos to you! Have an imaginary cookie! *Offers*

I feel like this post needs something uplifting so here have a pretty and inspirational picture.





16 comments:

  1. No need to fear! Insecurity is part of writing. I think we all go through this, even after you are published. Of course I am assuming this as I have never been published. YET!

    Keep your chin up FLAME DANCER. Dancing days are coming! Let's take some dance lessons so we will be ready for the celebration of publication!!!!

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    1. Whoooo, yes! Dance lessons! Hehe thanks for the encouragement. (: I'm sure someday we'll all see our books on the shelves. Sometime.

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  2. Very good post! I know how you feel. I felt like I didn't know what to offer up in a critique group either, but felt like it was all about me when asking for help. But you know, that is what a critique group is for, to teach you. Offer up your advice, no matter how inexperienced you think it may be. You are going to offer up a perspective for people in your age group. Don't be shy, you will be helping more than you realize!

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    1. Thank you Mel! That's encouraging (: No one really explained it like that, lol.

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  3. I've given this advice in the past, it's great for those inferiority moments. Take your favourite novel, choose a page at random, read a sentence at random. Chances are it's a normal sentence, just like something you would write (or have written). If you're lucky you'll find a sentence that you'd rewrite better!

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    1. What a good idea! I'm definitely going to do that. Thanks, Anna!

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  4. I'm pretty sure my first IWSG post looked like this too! Being insecure is, sadly, part of the process, but the good news is, our work is rarely as bad as we think!

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    1. Hehe thanks Kyra! If we didn't have insecurity...well, where would we be? ...Hm... XD

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  5. Hi Kendra. As an old member, I'd like to welcome you to the IWSG! I think you'll enjoy us here. I'm a new follower and hope to see you around.

    As for your insecurities, they are totally normal. We've all been there. But the more you write and the more you critique and allow your work to be critiqued, the better you get at both. Trust me on this. I've learned so much from both being critiqued, as well as critiquing myself, which I used to be absolutely terrible at. But I'm pretty good at it now. And you will be, too. Just give yourself time, patience, and lots of practice! And yes, as Winston Churchill famously said, "Never give up!"

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    1. Thanks for the welcome, Nancy! (:

      And thanks for the encouragement. :D Wow, this IWSG is already helping a lot, LOL! Great words of advice, and thank you (again).

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  6. Welcome to IWSG. I am fairly new too, only in month 2. We have all been here. But every day we get a little bit better than we were yesterday, and that's all we can ask for.

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    1. Thanks Vik! Yep, improvement improvement improvement... It'll never end, we just gotta learn to enjoy the ride (:

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  7. Sure, we've all got a lot of growing to do as writers (and as people) at every stage in life. The Portuguese say, "Aprender até morrer." ("Learn until you die.") Even as an old bat, I realize there are things I've yet to learn and "get right." Which doesn't mean to say my (our) thoughts and opinions aren't valid. Telling a fellow writer what does/doesn't work for you is a genuine place from which to give feedback and, I think, a great way to help you with your own writing. Know what I mean, jellybean? :-)
    Some Dark Romantic

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    1. I think that's going to be my new motto. o.o That's awesome! You are not old! Hehe, thank you Mina. (:

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  8. Welcome to the group! I'm a new follow from IWSG. I think we all suffer from Insecurities. Lean on your fellow members and you'll do great!

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