Welcome to another Insecure Writer’s Support Group blog posting. Each month, we talk about our writing doubts and fears, struggles and triumphs. IWSG is all about supporting each other and connecting with other writers.
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!
IWSG
This month, I want to talk about writing that falls behind.
I started a new job in August, and now I’m working more hours–and harder–than I’ve done for nearly seven years. It’s been a big change. Inevitably, writing has fallen by the wayside a bit. Well, a lot.
And I don’t feel that great about it. In fact, I really miss it!
It’s a struggle to remind myself that this is okay. That I will get back to writing once I am settled. Partly, this is because I had set myself a deadline to get back to writing… and that sailed past. Partly, it is also because I struggle with change, and writing is a retreat for me… except when I am super tired!
How do you deal with times when writing has to take a back seat?
Photo by Josh Sorenson on Pexels
This month, the IWSG has also offered a talking point:
What genre would be the worst one for you to tackle and why?
A few months ago, I would have thought that creative non-fiction was the hardest. I am not one to write about my own life, being a speculative fiction writer. However, I recently spent three months doing A SmokeLong Summer – a writing workshop for flash fiction with daily prompts. Several of these were for creative nonfiction… and though it was a challenge, it worked out quite well! So although I probably won’t be doing a lot more of that… it wasn’t as hard as I’d imagined it to be.
Maybe that’s the important thing to remember: you have to try something before calling it ‘impossible’.
Despite this, I do think that real-world political fiction might be the hardest one for me to tackle. I’m autistic, so the subtleties of social interactions sometimes elude me. Writing about politicians with their layers and layers of hidden meaning, intrigue, backbiting, agendas, ambitions, slippery sentences, deflections, and all number of things sounds like hard work! It might not be impossible… but I’d need a lot of research, and probably to experience that world for myself (vicariously, through TV shows and YouTube, of course).
Then again, I do write politics into my science fiction. Perhaps studying more Ursula K. Le Guin wouldn’t be a bad thing…
What about you? What would be the ‘worst’ genre for you to write and why?
September’s IWSG blog posting has been brought to you by Alex J. Cavanaugh, co-hosted by Kim Lajevardi, Cathrina Constantine, Natalie Aguirre, Olga Godim, Michelle Wallace, and Louise – Fundy Blue. Do check out the blog hop as well to see what other members have posted.
See you next month, for another writer’s support group discussion. Have a great week!
EMMA LOUISE GILL 
Hi,
Be gentle with yourself. You will get back to your writing because that is a part of you.
All the best with your new job.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat G @ EverythingMustChange
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It’s hard to find time to write when you have a job taking up a lot of your time. But sometimes the job is what you need to do. I’ve had to not write or only write for little bits of time many times when I was taking care of my late husband and daughter and working full-time supporting us. I’m not sorry for those times. They made me super happy. And now when life has changed, I have more time to write. You’ll figure out a schedule that works for you.
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I see so many similarities between us. Good thing I’m co-hosting this month, or I mightn’t have ever found your blog. I too write speculative fiction. I too have the ASD. I too dislike writing about myself. And like you, I hate writing (or reading) about politics in fiction. Or in the news, for that matter.
The only real difference between us: you work and I’m already retired. Time for gloating, right?
Sadly, despite my retirement, I don’t write much these days. Maybe I’m just lazy… At least, you have an excuse of working hard, and I don’t even have that.
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I’ve been trying to accept that writing, like life, has a lot of ups and downs. During some periods everything comes easy and flows smoothly. At other times it feels like the house is on fire. And that’s okay (as long as the house isn’t literally on fire). Writing’s not my full-time job, it doesn’t pay the bills. It’s supposed to be fun, so stressing about the hard times just makes it miserable.
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New job means learning curve. Give yourself the time to accomplish the curve, once you’re in the swing of things you’ll be able to get back to writing.
Good luck!
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