Author: Toi Thomas

Created and hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writers Support Group posts the 1st Wednesday of every month. Click here to learn more or sign up.

Optional Monthly Question: Some common fears writers share are rejection, failure, success, and lack of talent or ability. What are your greatest fears as a writer? How do you manage them?

No video today. For some reason, I didn’t see my IWSG newsletter which usually serves as my reminder to post, so this is late. To be honest, I’m all over the place. Every day so far this week, I thought was the previous day. I’m behind on everything. With that said, here’s my answer to this month’s question, since it’s related.

As a black, middle-aged, lower-middle-class, faith-driven woman in the U.S., I experience rejection daily. There’s always going to be people who can find a problem with me, even if the problem doesn’t really exist. But that holds true for anyone, not just me. The masses may never even look at anything I write, but if one person relates or appreciates something I’ve written, I’m happy. Still, I would like to reach a wider audience, even if it is highly niche. I’m afraid I’ll miss the mark. I believe I have talent, but I still need support from other professionals to present work worthy of a general audience, but those are semantics.

By missing the mark, I mean not being able to complete projects in a timely manner- when ideas are relevant, when resources or personnel are readily or generously available, missing opportunities to connect with an audience. I never seem to have the time or meet the timing needed to make things happen the way I’d like. I seem to always be missing out on collaborations, promotional or networking opportunities, submission opportunities, and so much more. I never seem to be in the right places, on the right platforms, or in the right groups. I’m out of the loop. I keep missing the mark.

As far as managing it, I take it one day at a time. I’m focused on finishing projects while maintaining my mental and physical health. I’m happy with what I’m writing right now and that’s all I can really ask for. I’ve accepted that reaching a wider audience may not be in my near or far future. If it’s meant to be, perhaps I’ll find myself in the right places at the right time at some point.

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What are your writer fears?

How are you managing them?

It may take some time, but I promise, I will eventually stop by your blog.

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After hanging out with Alex, be sure to stop by and visit this month’s co-hosts:
Feather Stone,
Janet Alcorn,
Rebecca Douglass,
Jemima Pet,
and Pat Garcia!

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Click here to visit other IWSG blogs and sites to receive and share more inspiration and support. (This month, I’m #22).

Thank you for making it this far down the virtual page. Kudos to you! I’d love to know what you thought of this post in the comments below. Stay safe and be blessed.