Insecure Writer's Support Group...What is holding you back?
Yay! It's the first Wednesday of the month and it's time for the Insecure Writer's Support Group posts. If you haven't heard of the group, pop over to the blog and check it out, then check out the Facebook group. It's a great group full of supportive people including our leader Alex J. Cavanaugh. Who continues to motivate us even in his busy published life.
We've even put together an anthology packed full of helpful hints about the publishing industry. It's available on Amazonfor the amazingly low price... of free! All you have to do is download it on your kindle app. (I'm in there, talking about editing.}
Usually I'm pretty confident about my writing, my knowledge about the industry and my abilities to edit for others, but a couple weeks ago I went to the SCBWI MO conference and I wanted to shrivel up and hide in a corner. The night before the conference I went to a critique group and felt great about my suggestions for the other writers and about the feedback they gave me on my picture book manuscript. You would think that would boost my confidence. The break out sessions were great. I interacted with the agents that were there several times during the course of the day. You would think that would make me feel good, but instead as the day went on I got more and more shriveled up feeling. I hadn't been to a conference for the last several years. Perhaps that was eating at me. I did the hands on activities with the editors and agents at the last presentation. My middle grade novel seemed to meet most of the guidelines they were showing us. My entry in the first five lines read a loud got mixed reviews, but one of the agents said she would read on and she was open to historical fiction. You'd think I would be high fiving myself, but instead I felt awkward and uncomfortable. Towards the end of the conference I ran into an old friend and she invited me to join her critique group. She introduced me to several members of the group. I finally stopped shivering inside, but on the drive home that feeling emerged again. I needed a hug. I got a couple when I got home. Then I was sick for a week. UGH!
Yesterday, I turned on my computer and finished critiquing/editing a Young Adult manuscript. I had no doubts about my skills.
Tonight, I go to my first critique group meeting with my old friend. Frankly, I'm nervous.
Do you ever feel like you are on an emotional roller coaster?
(Please forgive my overuse of the word "that" in this post.)
