Sundry Posts

IWSG: It’s Time for the Next Step

August 5, 2015 /

InsecureWritersSupportGroup2It’s the first Wednesday of the month and time for another post for the Insecure Writers Support Group.

The past month has been a struggle in all areas of my life, especially my writing. I think I’m trying too hard. I feel as if I have been going 100 miles an hour and finally crashed.

I’m discovering there are a couple of things that make me crash. One is fear of failure and the other, fear of success.

I don’t send my work out a lot but when I do it’s stressful, for me at least. I seem to wait and wait for the inevitable rejection. When it comes, my momentum is lost. I don’t stop writing, but I can’t think creatively for anything. And it takes a long time to send work out again.

Success, or even the hint of success, can do the same thing. All it takes are some words of praise and I am stuck. I can see the path in front of me but can’t stake any steps on it. Isn’t this what I want?

I’ve decided to make August the month I send in my work. I have a couple of flash fictions pieces I like, perhaps even three that are ready or nearly so. The process of submitting work is an interesting one. It is not as simple as sending an email with an attachment. Submission guidelines are a maze of terms to understand, along with polishing the work.

My hope is that I can document this journey through my blog. It’s such a learning experience and I can’t be the only one who struggles with this piece of the writing life.

This is the necessary, though scary, next step. Wish me luck.

Words of wisdom for anyone who is looking to submit their work?

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10 Comments

  • Bish Denham

    August 5, 2015 at 9:36 am

    Isaac Asimov said: You must keep sending work out: you must never let a manuscript do nothing but eat its heart off in a drawer. You send that work out again and again, while you’re working on another one. If you have talent, you will receive some measure of success – but only if you persist.

    And remember that even well known authors like Jane Yolen, still get rejections!

    I have to admit though, we writers do have to be a bit masochistic and thick-skinned. Ask yourself if you want to be happy or be afraid and then choose, because the fears are of your own creation.

    Bish, your co-host. #128 on the Alex Scale

  • Stephanie Scott

    August 5, 2015 at 11:53 am

    I keep hoping it gets easier. I feel like I spent months reworking the same manuscript. I didn’t have as much motivation, but I kept working. Ebbs and flows. I’m on a new project now and loving it.

    Here is my August IWSG post. It’s the second post on my blog today because my Pitch Wars mentor bio needs to stay at the top. Thanks!

  • Murees Dupé

    August 6, 2015 at 5:48 pm

    Don’t allow rejection to get you down. If you are ready to submit, then “go for it”. Please, don’t doubt yourself. Trust your instincts and I know it’s hard, but enjoy the submission process. It’s definitely a learning curve, but you will be stronger for it. Wishing you the best of luck. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog and commenting. I appreciate it.