My Writing Journey (#IWSG April 2023)

It’s time for another Insecure Writer’s Support Group post. I hope you are all well and enjoying the first signs of spring.

I’ll be honest; I haven’t done any writing that wasn’t work-related since December, when my mum went into hospital. I’ve been struggling with anxiety, grieving and just trying to get through each day. It was only about two weeks ago that I started to read again. I’ve never been very good at writing consistently, and since losing my mum it’s even harder to motivate myself as I know that she’ll never get to read what I anything else I write. I wasn’t writing for her, but she was one of my main cheerleaders. Maybe in the future I’ll be able to turn my grief into something positive, such as a memoir or a story inspired by her.

On the plus side, I now have a couple of weeks off work for the Easter holidays. I am hoping that with some rest and time to myself, I’ll feel inspired to pick up my pen again. I’ve had various ideas swirling around my head, but it’s hard to get back on the horse after such a long break. I didn’t sign up for the Blogging from A-Z challenge this year as I didn’t want to put pressure on myself to post daily, but I would like to do post more often and write a little poetry or flash fiction. Wish me luck!

Reflecting on My Writing Journey

This month’s optional question:

Do you remember writing your first book? What were your thoughts about a career path on writing? Where are you now and how is it working out for you? If you’re at the start of the journey, what are your goals?

The first story I wrote that got published was for the IWSG anthology competition. I remember writing it very clearly. At the time, I had been blogging and writing as a hobby for many years, but I hadn’t put much thought into publication. I didn’t have much confidence in my abilities and, though I often dreamed of making a career out of writing, it didn’t feel like a realistic possibility.

I was very surprised and excited when my short story, “Sea of Sorrows” was chosen for Masquerade: Oddly Suited. It was a big confidence boost for me, and the experience of working with other authors and a publisher to promote the book was amazing. I started to think that perhaps I could get more of my work published if I learned more about the craft and sought out more opportunities.

I’ve managed to get another couple of stories published in anthologies since and have even appeared at some local author events to sell my books and run a writing workshop. I’ve grown my audience and made connections with other authors and illustrators.

I still have ambitions to publish a novel one day, but at the moment I am focusing on short fiction. Life has dealt me a few blows recently, and I find it very hard to muster the energy and motivation to stick to a strict writing routine. My focus comes in short bursts, often during the school holidays when I’m not working, so it’s much easier for me to produce short stories, poetry and flash fiction.

I figure that I’m still at the beginning of my writing journey, and there is no need to rush. It’s tempting to compare myself to super-productive writers who are churning out several novels a year, but I try to remind myself to focus on my journey. I can take it at my own pace and enjoy the process, improving my skills a little every year. If I don’t meet all of my goals then it is not the end of the world. It would be nice to achieve some of them, but the primary reason I write is because I enjoy the process itself.

My long-term writing goals:

• Write and publish an anthology of short stories inspired by mythology.
• Write and publish an autobiographical novel (in verse?).
• Complete and publish my “mirror universe” science fantasy trilogy.
• Collaborate with an illustrator to produce a graphic novel or illustrated poetry collection.

Do you have any writing news to share? Have you ever experienced a writing rut? What are your goals for the future? Let me know in the comments!