It's that time again. The Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) is the first Wednesday of each month. We support each other in our writing fears. Anyone is welcome to join. Simply click on Alex's name and sign up.
This month's co-hosts are: PJ Colando, Kim Lajevardi, Gwen Gardner, Pat Garcia, and Natalie Aguirre.
This month's optional question is: Where do your story ideas predominantly come from?
Most often they spark off something I saw or heard. A what if based on a twist or a quirk. While I'm a vivid dreamer, dreams are very rarely a source of my stories. In fact, I can't think of a story I based off a dream. Which is weird, because I've seen that's a huge source of story ideas for a lot of people. Most of my dreams are pretty nonsensical.
While a different project is on hold, I'm editing a WIP. I've been making good progress on it. Not as good as when I wasn't working, obviously, but I've been able to work on it nearly every day, because I'm making myself cut out of work by a certain time. As I mentioned last month, I'm really trying to work on work-life balance. Unfortunately, "work" includes the day job, writing/publishing, and the podcast, so just as many of you have to do, it's getting all that established and still ensuring I have time to rest, as well. I'm giving myself a brain off day every other weekend and I've been walking again after finding some solutions for arthritis in my knee. (Walk one day, rest one day, exercise bike one day; ice and Voltaren gel on walk days as needed).
The job balance is improving and I'm getting so much more reading done this year than last. I'll be hitting my Goodreads reading goal early this year, which makes me happy.
How do you reach work/writing/life balance? What are your insecurities? Where do your ideas come from? What are you working on right now?
May you find your Muse.
