It's time for the last Insecure Writer's Support Group post of the year!
I missed last month! Yikes. I don't think I've missed a month since I started participating in the IWSG.
The IWSG exists to create a space of being open with our writing insecurities and lending each other support. Created by Alex J. Cavanaugh, it occurs the first Wednesday of each month. Anyone can sign up. Simply click on Alex's name and put your blog on the linky list.
The co-hosts this month are C. Lee McKenzie, JQ Rose, Jennifer Lane, and Jacqui Murray.
The optional question for this month is: Book reviews are for the readers. When you leave a book review do you review for the author or for the reader? Is it about what you liked and enjoyed about your reading experience, or do you critique the author?
Reviews are not my specialty. I don't like saying anything negative about a book, especially if it's a lesser known author, but I also have no interest in lying to say it was better than it was. Sometimes this presents a conundrum. If there's something I feel I need to warn people about, I'll include that. In general, I leave my overall impression/feeling about the book, any warnings or drawbacks, and anything I really liked about it. But I've been skipping reviews and just rating the books this year.
So let's talk insecurities. I had this big exciting project I posted about on here a few months ago. I honestly thought this was going to be if not THE big break, A big break. I set aside everything else to work on it. Well, last month it fell through. Death by committee. The team I was working with could not agree on a direction, so it's been shelved.
It was a major blow and I haven't written a word since. I needed some time to work through the disappointment and the ego blow. I'm not sure I'm out of that yet, but things are getting better and I'll resume final edits on the book releasing this spring soon.
In the meantime, I'm working on that good ol' work/life balance and trying to get on a better schedule. My husband and I just spent the last week in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, and I made the conscious decision before we went to not work on anything writing related. We scheduled only two things and the rest of our time there was dedicated to enjoying ourselves, resting, rejuvenating, and spending time together. It was downtime we both desperately needed.
So I'll leave you with some photos from the trip!
Have you ever had a big project go under? Did you move past it immediately or take some time? What are your insecurities?
May you find your Muse.
14 comments:
I don't like to write anything negative in a review either. I don't review a book if I don't like it. I'm sorry for your big disappointment. I'm glad you're enjoying your trip with your husband and are regrouping.
I am sorry your project didn't take off. Perhaps it will resurface in the future in a different iteration. Glad you had a lovely trip.
Sorry the project fell through. Their fault, not yours.
What a fantastic trip!
I'm so sorry they dumped the project.
Bummer on the project. And yes, it's okay to feel disappointed and perhaps grief because you lost the project you loved. What an exotic place to choose for a getaway. Great photos. You'll be ready to write after such a lovely experience. Best wishes!
I don't like to write negative reviews unless I feel I need to attach a warning - but that's pretty rare (I note a time when I did that on my post today). I am so sorry about your disappointment. That sucks. I had an agent who held one of my books for a year, and kept asking for more, and more, and the full book, and then crickets... and then no. So, I kind of get how hard it can be to mourn that and let it go. I hope you find your inner writing mojo and determination soon. Remember, you are a great writer!
Plus, you take some awesome pics. :)
I'm sorry the project fell through. It's understandable that you need some time to grieve it.
Also, you are lucky to get to go there. That would be amazing to see.
I'm so sorry the big project fell through. That kind of thing is hard to take. I hope you find your way back to your writing.
Love the vacation photos--looks like you saw and did some good stuff. And I admire you managing to let go of writing for the duration. I don't write much when traveling, but I think on pretty much every trip I've pushed out a short story or something. I may adopt your plan for the next trip. We shall see!
I love that area of the world's architecture. The only ruin that I had trouble being in was The Ball Court. Lots of ghosts there. I hope you had a great trip.
The photos are amazing. You inspire me to visit Mexico one day.
So sorry to hear your project fell through. That sucks. I'm glad things are getting better. I hope they continue to improve. It looks like you had a nice trip! Your pictures are wonderful.
I've had three small presses close on me and had my book rights returned. So not a project, but big disappointment to work through. I think you handled it in the way that work best for you. Hope you're back in writing-form soon.
I'm just coming out of it now and it was years ago. If you have the strength, put it behind you as fast as you can and move on. Not easy words for me to share though. I didn't have strength, or confidence, or motivation five or six years ago.
I look back now and know I did the best I could and am submitting again. From the beginning with shorts to start with to create a new CV. Fingers crossed for both of us.
Anna from elements of emaginette
I'm sorry that one project didn't work out for that committee. It sounds like was so near to succeeding and so I can see how frustrating that can be. I had a similar experience when I had to submit a seriously important piece of writing in to the committee when i was in graduate school. I worked all year on it even got guidance and they still turned it down.
I'm glad you and your husband took some time off to go to Mexico. Those are some really nice pictures, especially the ones of the pyramids!
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