Created and hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writers Support Group posts the 1st Wednesday of every month. Click the image to learn more or sign up.
Optional Monthly Question: Quote: “Although I have written a short story collection, the form found me and not the other way around. Don’t write short stories, novels or poems. Just write your truth and your stories will mold into the shapes they need to be.”
Have you ever written a piece that became a form, or even a genre, you hadn’t planned on writing in? Or do you choose a form/genre in advance?
I’m skipping the IWSG question this month to focus on personal updates and a very exciting book release and blog hop. (Yes, I know this is a hop within a hop.) I’ve been a big fan of Chrys Fey for some time now, originally falling in love with her Disaster Crimes Series. I really enjoyed her first book of Sparks and have looked forward to this publication for quite a while. I feel it’s the kind of book that speaks to so many, no matter their creative outlet. So, let’s get to it.
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Keep Writing with Fey Blog Hop: Share your story about writer’s block, depression, and/or burnout and how you overcame it or what you are currently doing to heal.
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I began to show the first real signs of burn out back in 2015. At that time, I was blogging literally every day of the week and working to complete my third novel, after publishing a collection of short stories. I somehow managed to release my third novel in 2016 with a pretty decent online launch event and then… well- nothing. I began to slowly pull away from my self-imposed blogging regiment to focus on developing my skill as a writer. That’s when I had the realization that my writing had dramatically improved to the point where I no longer felt comfortable with my previous works being “out there” for the world to see and judge.
At that time, I simply stopped promoting my work and focused on skill-building and occasional blogging, continuing to reduce my number of daily, then weekly, and eventually monthly posts. There was a period of almost a year where I didn’t write and just barely “phoned in” my blogs. By 2018, I’d unpublished my first two novels and chose to focus on publishing children’s books and honing my skills, all the while hating myself for not being better and being more successful as a writer. I realized that I needed to do a complete rewrite of my original novel series, even if I never republished it, simply because the story means so much to me. Yet, as of today, I only have highly detailed outlines and sporadic completed chapters for three books in a series that may never see the light of day again.
Two years ago, I quit one day-job and started another, which was a tremendous help to me in getting through a very long bout of depression. At that point, I’d been in a job that I literally cried on the way to every day for 10 years. And after 5 years, writing stopped being the great escape it had once been. In the past, being able to write had helped me to cope with how much I feared and loathed going to my job, but it soon began to add to the pressure I felt. I didn’t feel safe at work and not being able to create at home left me feeling painfully inadequate. Freeing myself from that horrible day-job was only one part of my healing process. Prayer, family, and reading for pleasure took care of the rest. Even the IWSG and WEP helped play a part in getting me through the worst. Now, I have a job I enjoy and feel much safer in, but unfortunately, it requires a greater time commitment than my previous job and I now struggle to find the time to work on long-term writing projects.
I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to complete another novel, but at least I am able to write again- short fiction, poetry (if you can believe that), children’s books, and the occasional blog. I’m not where I want to be, but I’m way better off than I was. I still struggle to fight the depression that tells me I’m a failure for not writing or completing a novel, but I have resolved to do what I can do and find success in the little things.
If you’re dealing with depression or burn out, I encourage you to read this book and or reach out to a support system or community, where you feel safe, to help you get through it.
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Catch the sparks you need to conquer writer’s block, depression, and burnout!
When Chrys Fey shared her story about depression and burnout, it struck a chord with other writers. That put into perspective for her how desperate writers are to hear they aren’t alone. Many creative types experience these challenges, battling to recover. Let Keep Writing with Fey: Sparks to Defeat Writer’s Block, Depression, and Burnout guide you through:
∙ Writer’s block
∙ Depression
∙ Writer’s burnout
∙ What a writer doesn’t need to succeed
∙ Finding creativity boosts
With these sparks, you can begin your journey of rediscovering your creativity and get back to what you love – writing.
BOOK LINKS:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Chrys Fey is the author of Write with Fey: 10 Sparks to Guide You from Idea to Publication. She is also the author of the Disaster Crimes series. Visit her blog, Write with Fey, for more tips on how to reverse writer’s burnout. https://www.chrysfey.com/
Click the linky list to follow the Keep Writing with Fey blog hop or scroll down to continue with the IWSG monthly hop.
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Now, on to the personal updates.
I feel like I said a lot in my blog hop contribution so I’ll skip the personal updates this month. If you’d like to see reviews for what I read in the month of July, please visit the Lit Carnivale blog. The video below is my monthly wrap-up.
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Think you might check out Chrys’s book?
I’d love for you to share your response to the IWSG monthly question if you’re up for it.
It may take some time, but I promise, will 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:
Susan Baury Rouchard,
Nancy Gideon,
Jennifer Lane,
Jennifer Hawes,
Chemist Ken, and
Chrys Fey!
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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 #38).
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords #blacklivesmatter
33 replies on “#IWSG August 2020: Keep Writing with Fey + More”
Hey Toi. Congratulations for your well deserved WEP win. Thank you for sharing your story. It always helps to hear others and know that you aren’t alone. I do have self doubt at times and it can get bad. I hear you.
Thank you for your words. I agree that it does help to know you’re not alone. It’s one things to have insecurities, but sometimes it’s more than that. Thank you for stopping by.
Good thing you quit that job! Some aren’t that fun but you shouldn’t go to work in tears.
Thanks, Alex. I’m not afraid of hard work, but I think for too long I let that concept stop me from seeing that I was in an unhealthy environment.
Hi,
I am very happy that you’re writing again. I don’t know if I will join the blog hop because I don’t know how much time I will have after my book is published but I will look in on it because I follow Chrys.
Take care Toi and once again congratulations on your piece that you submitted to the WEP. It was awesome.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat G @ EverythingMustChange
Glad to hear you are publishing a book.
Thank you for your kind words. They mean a lot.
(((HUGS))) Toi! I’ve been in that awful place – stressful dreadful job, brain blanking depression. You got this! Small steps from the heart lead to larger leaps. Every creative project is a success!! Keep going!
Thank you, Nancy. I agree the small steps are great for getting me back on track. I appreciate the encouragement.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and for participating in my blog hop! I’m glad you’re writing again, and I truly believe your children’s books are special. <3
It's interesting to see your timeline (and others from this blog hop), because 2015 I was doing a ton of blogging, too. After that, I experienced blogging burnout that got worse in 2016. And from 2016-2018 was when I was going through writing burnout and my worse depression. It seems a lot of writers were struggling during those years, too, in much the same way. It's strange, but I am glad we are all getting past it in our own way.
Glad to participate. Your blog and books have helped me tremendously and if you can put yourself out there so can I. I guess between 2015 and 2018 there was just “something in the air” for writers and bloggers, but I too am glad many of us are getting through it.
A job that makes you cry at the thought of going is definitely one to get away from! I hope the healing continues and you can begin to write again. I’ve had thoughts of returning to my 1st novel for a a complete rewrite, as well. I do love it. And I managed to rewrite my second (or maybe 3rd?) unpublished novel to become the first in my Pismawallops PTA series! So yes, you CAN do something with a story you love!
Thank you for the encouragement. I really would love to do my first novel the justice it deserves, even if I never publish it. Just trying to get my head, and my time, right to do it.
I’m so glad you read Chrys’ book!
I’m actually reading it right now, but I read most of the blog posts that inspired the book. Chrys is great and her words are very encouraging.
I can’t imagine how that job was for you. So glad you made the change. Life’s far too short to suffer like that. Avoid the toxic!
Sometimes it’s easier to say that than to live it in the moment. For years I thought, and was taught, that “you just work and do the right thing. You don’t have to like it.” Plus, there was racial stuff I don’t want to get into now, but many people of color, and even non-POCs, can relate to the idea of dealing with work abuse because your options either are, or seem so, limited.
I, too, used to blog every single day! Now, I can barely keep up with once a month! Whew!!1
Part of me misses my daily blogs. I used to cover so many fun topics, but there just isn’t time enough in the day. Something had to go and I chose blogging. Still, I love it just as much as my other writing, so the IWSG and WEP have been great at keeping me blogging.
That’s awesome you left the miserable day job. I hear you on cringing about your first published novels. I went back and revised my debut novel 8 years later to knock out the bloviating and adverb abuse, and that felt great. Glad you’re feeling less burned out these days!
Thank you, Jennifer. I have no regrets about leaving that job. I wish my first two novels only needed revisions, though they were actually well edited, but they no longer reflect my voice or skill-level, so a rewrite is needed.
Glad you escaped a job that was holding you down and back! @samanthabwriter from
Balancing Act
Yes, sometimes in life you just have to walk away and don’t look back.
Toi and Chrys, kudos to both of you for powering through the tough times and continuing to write.
Thanks. It’s good to be in a better place and working to stay there.
No doubt. Happy to cheer you on.
So glad you got out of that job where you went to work crying. I cried on my way home. Finally, I quit that job and got one that was less hostile. Life is too short to work in that environment–even when you’re the sole provider and the only one with insurance. Such a biggie. Thanks for sharing Chrys’ new book.
Thank you for your words and understanding. I’m glad to hear you too got out and are in a safer work environment.
Thanks for sharing your story, Toi. I could relate to a lot, especially the self-hatred for not accomplishing enough, and the crying because of a job. (In my case, I cried when I got home.) That feeling of being trapped is absolutely awful.
I’m so glad you found your way through it. You’re an incredibly strong, inspiring person. x
Thank you for your encouraging words. It means a lot coming from you.
Oh yes, when I started blogging I posted every day too. It’s a lot of pressure! Not to mention all the other pressure we heap on ourselves as writers.
It’s always such a brave act to recognise the moment when you need to walk away! I’ve quit jobs because of changing life circumstances, but the one time I quit because of abuse, I felt weak and nervous, and strong and brave, all at the same time!
I think a lot of us suffer from writer’s burnout, especially if we’ve been doing it a long time. Chrys’s book is a reminder that it’s okay not to be okay, and to take a break to recharge. Glad to hear you’re able to still write short stories.
Me too. Maybe one day I get back to my novels. Thanks for the kind words.