It’s First Wednesday so it’s time for another Insecure Writer’s Support Group blog.
It’s so easy to self-reject, to feel insecure. That seems to be the default setting for any creative person. You compare yourself to those who are “making it” in the public eye and come up short. Your work sucks. Your talent is miniscule. Your life sucks.
We must try hard to reject that rejection, though. It’s usually wrong. Just because you’re not Stephen King or Nora Roberts doesn’t mean you can’t write. You have an original voice and you need to learn how to let that voice shine out. Stop squishing your talent and trying to be someone else.
I recently sold a short story to an anthology. Great news, right? You know my first thought? “It’s a “little” anthology nobody outside of our writing group will even have heard of.” Can you believe that thought? That’s my self-rejection talking right there. I need to kick that sucker to the curb and enjoy my paycheck That means I can start claiming “writer” on my taxes again (and deduct all the workshops and conferences I’ve been going to during COVID!). And who cares whether the rest of the science-fiction universe has heard of this anthology or not? It’s a reputable writing group with a reputable anthology. So there, negative voices!
The August 4 question is “What is your favorite writing craft book? Think of a book that every time you read it you learn something or you are inspired to write or try the new technique. And why?”
My favorite craft book is Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction, edited by Michael A. Arnzen and Heidi Ruby Miller. It’s an anthology of essays on such topics as “Tuning Up Your Writing,” “Pick Up the Pace,” “Setting as Character,” “Genre Unleashed,” “One Writer, Many Genres,” and “Guerrilla Marketing.” I frequently reread this book, and I do get new revelations each time. One of the things I learned is to stop giving “movie directions” like “George frowned” or “Sally grinned.” You can describe a characters mood and actions in much more descriptive language, without coming across like a script.
I like this book because it’s got so many different points of view from so many different authors. There are 70 different essays (it’s a fat book) on everything from the writing life to different genres to publishing and marketing. If one writer’s ideas don’t resonate with you, you can just pick another viewpoint to read–or pick up that chapter later. Maybe it will make more sense after you’ve got some mileage under your belt. I recommend this book to any writer, especially if you’re just starting out. The Kindle version is currently around $10, which is a bargain considering how much information you’re getting.
