I read Kez's post about getting back into writing this morning ... I think it's awesome! And inspiring. Go for it Kez!!
I hope I don't sound like a copy-cat, but I might soon be doing the same ... I haven't said much about the 'writer' part of myself in this blog. Mostly because I haven't been writing for the last few years (unless you count home school forums, blogs and emails). There's some negotiating and stock-taking to be done, but the momentum is building.
For the record, I stopped writing because:
1. It took too much of my time and attention away from my family. They were jealous and probably had every right to be. I needed to get back to basics and be a good mum and wife first.
2. I started to question myself about the 'what' and 'why' of writing, and couldn't answer my questions well enough to justify continuing. I was stuck on the "all is vanity" soundtrack, and didn't want to waste the time God had given me.
3. Life was fast and frantic at home with two toddlers, Pete returning to work (after being a full-time dad) and starting our home-schooling journey.
4. I chickened out. I had a publisher accept a proposal for some short stories (for an education series), but I froze because I was scared I wouldn't do a good enough job. I pulled out rather than risk failing.
5. I had a lot of writing projects in progress at once, and couldn't decide which ones to develop and which ones to set aside.
I'm determined not to think myself into a hole over all of this. But I think I might have moved on to a healthier frame of mind since then. I'm ready to take myself less seriously and have fun with it.
For the record, I stopped writing because:
1. It took too much of my time and attention away from my family. They were jealous and probably had every right to be. I needed to get back to basics and be a good mum and wife first.
2. I started to question myself about the 'what' and 'why' of writing, and couldn't answer my questions well enough to justify continuing. I was stuck on the "all is vanity" soundtrack, and didn't want to waste the time God had given me.
3. Life was fast and frantic at home with two toddlers, Pete returning to work (after being a full-time dad) and starting our home-schooling journey.
4. I chickened out. I had a publisher accept a proposal for some short stories (for an education series), but I froze because I was scared I wouldn't do a good enough job. I pulled out rather than risk failing.
5. I had a lot of writing projects in progress at once, and couldn't decide which ones to develop and which ones to set aside.
I'm determined not to think myself into a hole over all of this. But I think I might have moved on to a healthier frame of mind since then. I'm ready to take myself less seriously and have fun with it.
So all things considered, maybe I'm ready to jump back into the inkpot, and take stock of where I got to. I have a shelf full of drafts, plot plans, and rejection letters. Some of my stories were good training ground and are better left unfinished. But I'm hoping there may be a few projects with potential in amongst the mess!
While I'm at it I have some things to share. A few years ago I wrote some articles about WRITING.
Some of them were published in writer's magazines, e-zines or newsletters. But that's long ago and there's no point in them gathering cyber-dust if they can be of use to someone. I'll post the first article today. If you have any friends who write, feel free to send them a link.
Some of them were published in writer's magazines, e-zines or newsletters. But that's long ago and there's no point in them gathering cyber-dust if they can be of use to someone. I'll post the first article today. If you have any friends who write, feel free to send them a link.
Woohoo, good for you - sounds like I can learn a lot from you!
ReplyDeleteI just signed up for an online creative writing course through Sydney Writer's Centre. I'm hoping it gets me into the habit of writing as well as teaching me a lot of stuff.
I hope your course is great, Kerrie! It's a good way to get feedback and advice, although I had to learn when to toss bits of 'expert' advice out the window ... at the end of the day only YOU know your story.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to borrow some how-to books, let me know (or I can lock them away and pretend I've sold them if that helps more).
A tailor-made course for me would be "How to get on with WRITING" ... I'm good at procrastinating in so many ways ... reading about writing, writing about writing, organising writing, imagining writing. Actually doing writing? I love it, but there's room for improvement :)