Why am I an Insecure Writer this month?
Because we're nearing the end of the year, and as usual, I haven't met my writing goals.
Hey, at least I did better than last year, and that should count for something, right? The important thing is that I tried.
I tried
So let's tackle this month’s IWSG question:
As you look back on 2017, with all its successes and failures, if you could backtrack, what would you do differently?
The answer is probably not too much. I pushed myself to submit something to both my monthly critique groups, no matter how much it hurt, and as a result, I wrote more words this year than ever before. Still not as much as I might wish for, but life insists on getting in the way, so unless I quit my day job, there's a limit to how productive I can be.
I guess one bad habit is my tendency to take it easy after a really productive writing session. I’ll feel so good about what I accomplished that day, I’ll often take a break the next day, even if I have time available for writing. A couple more days will pass, and before I know it, my slothfulness will have cancelled out my one productive day. I need to follow up a good day of writing with another one, and another one...
Another big problem was the lack of posts on my blog during the last several months. Some of that can be blamed on spending extra time working on my story, but part of it was laziness, and that's something a writer like me can't afford.
Still, I look forward to the beginning of the year. That's when we all get together and announce our resolutions and writing goals. It'll be a heady time!
ChemistKen
I guess one bad habit is my tendency to take it easy after a really productive writing session. I’ll feel so good about what I accomplished that day, I’ll often take a break the next day, even if I have time available for writing. A couple more days will pass, and before I know it, my slothfulness will have cancelled out my one productive day. I need to follow up a good day of writing with another one, and another one...
Another big problem was the lack of posts on my blog during the last several months. Some of that can be blamed on spending extra time working on my story, but part of it was laziness, and that's something a writer like me can't afford.
Still, I look forward to the beginning of the year. That's when we all get together and announce our resolutions and writing goals. It'll be a heady time!
ChemistKen
Please don't make me make a resolution. :) I'm so bad at it. :) http://www.raimeygallant.com
ReplyDeleteNo resolutions. Just goal setting. :)
DeleteHaha! That kid trying to do a cartwheel like his older sister! I'm LOLing hard.
ReplyDeleteThat's me watching all the cool authors with published books trying to be like them. Arms up to the sky one second! Face-plant on the floor the next....
Yeah, that's kinda how I feel when I see everyone else publishing so much.
DeleteSounds like you had a great writing year! Hope 2018 will be good for you, too.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to say I'll have finished my story by then, but I have no idea if I will or not.
DeleteI have a day job too, and I don't think you can be too hard on yourself when you have one. You need to have family time and just relaxing time. It's not lazy. You probably don't get enough. I don't either with my blog and writing. That's all important too. You're doing great!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement. Like I said in my post, I just need to be more consistent in my writing--and not just when I have a submission due to my critique group.
DeleteIt's tough when a day job is involved. Not an excuse, but it's challenging.
ReplyDeleteJust set a time each day, just fifteen minute. It will keep you in the groove.
I can manage 15 minutes a day. I just need to keep my nose to the grindstone for the full fifteen minutes.
DeleteOh my gosh I love that gif. I'm right there with that little guy!!
ReplyDeleteMy job has become more demanding, in a good way, over the past year and my writing time has definitely suffered. Since I'm already a terrible procrastinator, that's been deadly for my productivity. But 2018 is a new year for us all, right?
Happy Holidays to you and your family!!
My new job has been keeping me busier, but I'm working hard at trying to find more writing time.
DeleteI never post except for on IWSG days! I feel like my writing time should be spent on my novel writing. Have a great Christmas!
ReplyDeleteHave a great Christmas, yourself. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteWhen I read your blog, Ken, I always feel you're doing the best you can balancing too many tasks. I feel the same about myself. No way will I feel bad about that!
ReplyDeleteAs long as the most important task of finishing my book happens, that's all that's important.
DeleteLove the gif.
ReplyDeleteDLP keeps me so busy now that I never have time to write my own stories.
One day you'll get back to writing. I just know it.
DeleteThat gif is awesome! I agree with Alex if you can set a few minutes aside every day, it will add up. Happy holidays!
ReplyDeleteThe only trouble is that I'm a slow writer, and 15 minutes a day just isn't enough. I want to finish my book before I retire!
DeleteI fall into that bad habit too. The truth is that sometimes, if I have an unusually productive writing day, I really do need to take the next day off to recover. The struggle is determining when I really need to rest and when I'm just being lazy. It can be hard to tell the difference.
ReplyDeleteIn my case, I'm pretty sure it's laziness. Or else the fear that I won't be able to duplicate the productivity a second time.
DeleteI'm guilty of that in writing and housekeeping. After spending a day cleaning like mad, I think, "Whew! No need to work that hard again for a few days!" which become weeks and before you know it, you're living in a toxic wasteland--again.
ReplyDeleteI understand your cleaning rational completely. My wife is not pleased about that.
DeleteProgress is progress! And like you, I tend to take days off that stretch into weeks, making me an even slower writer than I might usually be. But I'm also looking forward to starting fresh after the holidays. I know it's arbitrary, but psychologically it's so much easier for me to get going once the calendar has turned.
ReplyDeleteThe new year always starts out so new and refreshing, and full of promise. By the time I hit April, I know I'll be behind in my writing.
DeleteHaving a monthly critique group sounds like great motivation, and I think you've done well to submit regularly. I do struggle to not "rest on my laurels" with writing, too. But we can all have a restart next year. Here's to it!
ReplyDeleteRestarts are good. I just have to make sure I take advantage of it.
DeleteYou tried and you did better than last year - those are the important facts to focus on.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy with it. I still wish I wrote faster though.
DeleteSometimes I just wear out. On writing. On blogging. On getting up in the morning. Time for a break when that happens. And trying gets a + in my book.
ReplyDeleteWe all need a break now and then. Getting up early in the morning gets old very fast.
DeleteYou wrote more than last year. That's fantastic! Even if we don't succeed in a goal by a certain amount of time, it's better to make progress on said goal than not to. Here's to a great 2018!
ReplyDeleteDoing better than last year counts for a lot! :)
ReplyDeleteTaking it easy the day after a good writing session would decrease your momentum. Keeping it going is important. Knowing me, that day of relaxation would make me lazy and the next day I'd struggle to get back into it.
That easy slide from needed rest to laziness is tough. May we all strike a balance in 2018!
ReplyDeleteLoved the gif! I feel like the first kid ... on my face and getting up again.
ReplyDeleteKeep on writing down word after word, step after step, and you will reach your goals, Ken!
It's been an up and down sort of year. I definitely feel like the kid who face slammed :) but hope for better is never wasted. Keep plugging away, you'll get there!
ReplyDeleteThat cartwheel is a killer! A day job definitely makes it difficult to be productive in the writing. I consider it a major accomplishment that I write at all. Like you, I hope to finish my book in 2018, so here's to both of us succeeding!
ReplyDeleteYou do deserve a reward, but a day off might not be the right choice. Try chocolate, or puppies, or a bike ride... does it what reward matter? No, because you're writing more words and that is awesome.
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
We do what we can. My goal is to use my time better. Sometimes things happen we have no control over. So we accept it and move on. We do what we can. Re: blogging. What's more important, blogging or writing your book? That's where you need to spend your time. Best wishes for a great 2018.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to be chuckling over the cartwheel all evening, Ken. I think at this point in my life, I'd be a face planter too. Kudos to you for writing more this year! Onward and upward in 2018!
ReplyDeleteYay to writing more this year! Life does make writing hard sometimes. And I'm glad to hear that someone else just gets lazy sometimes too.
ReplyDeleteThat's my new favourite clip!!!
ReplyDeleteIf we achieve all our goals, that means they were too easy ... right??? :)
Cute video. Narrow focus and write everyday is a goal for me. I do that think of one good day then several no days too, lol.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't worry too much about a lack of posts on the blog. I am currently only posting once a month because that's all I can manage at the moment. It's ok. As you said, life has a tendency of getting in the way. And that's also ok.
ReplyDeleteI think it's important to celebrate successes like productivity. If there's no reward, then there's less subconscious inclination to keep being productive. Or maybe it's recharging instead of a reward?
ReplyDelete