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IWSG - Time To Refocus

Photo courtesy of Pixaby

Happy June! I hope you're enjoying summer so far. I've been dealing with two sick kiddies but we're working through it. Anyhoo, new month means new IWSG blog hop day.

I've been in a not so good head space the last few months. It seemed at every turn there was something distracting and seemingly pointing in the direction that the stress wasn't worth it. I was/am fighting a non-ending uphill battle mostly with things that are way out of my control.

All that doom and gloom weighs you down. It drained my energy and generally made thinking about anything writing related a sad endeavor. And no words were being put to page. Through it all, my Squad was there to hold my hand and offer slivers of sunshine behind the gray clouds. 

So, with their cheering, I'm trying to get back to basics as it were. When I first joined IWSG I had been in a slump and not writing much due to other reasons. To get back in the swing of things I set up dedicated writing time. Having that sort of focus is what lead me to finishing Not Broken. I need that back. I have reclaimed my writing time. Twice a week, for two hours per day I focus on new words. 

The words are slow going, but they are going. The doom and gloom remains in the background. Marketing struggles and low sales make that unavoidable, but I'm trying to refocus my attention on the present. Moving forward. Half the year is gone and I have nothing new completed so the likelihood of me getting out a new indie release this year dwindles away with each passing day. 

But I'm *trying* to only focus on the forward momentum. I still have plans to attempt to do low key focused marketing on my backlist while I work on getting new projects completed. The doom and gloom thoughts are still there, and I'm still trying to decide my future in publishing, but I'm moving forward until I make a decision. We shall see how things end up.

June 5th's optional question: Of all the genres you read and write, which is your favorite to write in and why? 

Easy! I am a romance writer and proud! I read and write contemporary and erotic romance. People think romance is 'fluff' or 'unrealistic' because of the happily ever after endings, but there is more to it. Humans are complicated. Relationships are complicated. Romance explores that in so many different ways. Yes you know at the end the couples will end up in some sort of happy ending based on the story, but that doesn't stop the roller coaster that they ride to get there. Human nature, connections, how people interact with each other to couple up, all of it is fascinating and interesting. I enjoy all of it and couldn't see writing anything else. 

That's it for this month. Have a great one

Until next time
~Meka


The Insecure Writer’s Support Group is a home for writers in all stages; from unpublished to bestsellers. Our goal is to offer assistance and guidance. We want to help writers overcome their insecurities, and by offering encouragement we are creating a community of support.

The awesome co-hosts for the June 5 posting of the IWSG are Diane Burton, Kim Lajevardi, Sylvia Ney, Sarah Foster, Jennifer Hawes, and Madeline Mora-Summonte!

Comments

  1. Don't think about what's happened. You have your set writing time - just focus on moving forward with that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm trying. Some days it's easier to do than others, but I keep trying. Reclaiming my writing time has helped some, so hoping to not get lazy with that again.

      thanks for stopping by

      Delete
  2. Marketing is a real challenge for me. I've been trying to do more of it, but haven't had much success with what I've tried. Sometimes, it's really frustrating and can be hard to get focused back on the writing.

    I've been reading more romances lately. Sure, you know there is going to be a HEA, but you read the book for the struggles that the couple goes through to get there. That's what makes it such an interesting and enjoyable genre.

    Cheers - Ellen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Man, marketing is a soul sucking endeavor for sure! But it's a necessary evil otherwise how will people know you have words out in the world. All of those things do mess with my head space and takes away from the writing which is what I'm trying to change.

      Exactly. No couple takes the same journey to get to the end. And knowing there will be an HEA is no different than knowing a mystery book will be solved at the end.

      thanks for stopping by

      Delete
  3. It's a great plan to have a set writing time. Some words are better than no words!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes it helped me before, then I got lazy, so trying to get back to it.

      thanks for stopping by

      Delete
  4. Hello fellow romance writer! Like you I need to get my writing time back. Definitely need to start doing word sprints again. The words have been stagnant lately and with half the year gone already, it's not looking good I'll have anything completed by then. Sometimes you have to ignore the past to focus, or in our case refocus, on the present to get to move towards the future we want. No matter how long it takes us. As long as we reach it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Howdy! I needed to reclaim my time slowly. Baby steps and I've told my Squad about my time so they fuss at me if they catch me on social media when I'm supposed to be writing. LOL It's hard to believe half the year is already gone and it sucks to know you're behind in the goals you'd set. :( We'll get there! Moving forward and cheering each other on. We'll get there.

      thanks for stopping by

      Delete
  5. You're are right people are complicated. Not many can get to the bones of it and entertain. Sounds like you got this. :-)

    Anna from elements of emaginette

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes they are! It's not easy to tackle, though many think it is. I try to do my part in bringing realism and nuances to the stories I tell.

      thanks for stopping by

      Delete
  6. Everything has its season, and sometimes writing has to take a back seat for a while. I'm glad you're getting back to it. Romance is a favorite for me as well. Happy Writing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is true. I try not to put too much pressure on myself, but sometimes it can't be helped. I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things. It's good to hear others that enjoy romance. :)

      thanks for stopping by

      Delete
  7. Marketing struggles and low sales was what had kicked me into my burn out. :(

    Wishing you all the best!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah. I'm trying not to let it drag me down, but some days are harder than others.

      thanks for stopping by

      Delete

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