Still Waiting on That Silver Lining

This is an Insecure Writer’s Support Group post. Once a month, authors from all over come together and post in a hop where it’s safe to admit that this writing job has its bad days. There will be listicles, support, and digital shoulders to lean on.

To sign up for the hop yourself go here. And don’t forget to stop by and show some love to the co-hosts: Olga Godim, Chemist Ken, Renee Scattergood and Tamara Narayan. The Insecure Writer’s Support Group is also on Twitter and Instagram, in case you were wondering.

Whoever from IWSG is tuning into my brainwaves, if you could tune right back out that would be a lot more comfortable for all of us. I have been feeling a bit rainy lately, and then along comes the IWSG asking: When your writing life is a bit cloudy or filled with rain, what do you do to dig down and keep on writing?

It started me wondering whether writers typically suffer an end-of-winter slump? I know I am feeling particularly slumpy.

Yes, David Tennant. I feel just the same.

I don’t know about “dig down and keep on”. That sounds much more staunch and gritty than I really am. I do have a few steps that I follow to get myself out of the blue periods. Sometimes the first step works, and I’m off again. Sometimes I have to use several steps, or all of them. If they sound helpful, feel free to steal them for your own dark times. We’re all in this together.

Step one: Accept that rainy times happen. No really, they do. No matter how mature or well adjusted I think I am. Life happens. Perhaps for no reason, other than that it’s been a while and my hormones feel like slapping me upside the heart. It’s okay for there not to be a reason. I don’t have to pretend I need one.

Step two: take a break. No writing for a little while. If the voice inside won’t stop telling me how awful everything I’m trying to write is, it’s time for a break. Fifth rejection in a row, or a manuscript that didn’t even make it to the final round of a RWA contest . . . time for a cooling-off period from the doubtful voice that sings the same old tune over and over.

Words to live by

Step three: Deliberately look up all of the things I’ve done right. Dig out that old critique feedback that was so nice. Look up my name in the one RWA contest that I did place in. Reject the idea that the good things are few and far between. There’s that little voice again, and I’m going to ignore it AGGRESSIVELY.

Step four: Read something funny. My poison of choice is Terry Pratchett. Watch something sweet, or inspiring. Enchanted (from the gif above) is a fantastic choice for this. Take a walk. Sunshine preferred, but I’ll take what I can get.

Step five: repeat as needed.