Mama Diaries

Sunday, August 2, 2020

IWSG and Battling Writer's Block and Depression: Keep Writing with Fey Blog Hop


Well, I go away for a month and Blogger changes everything. So much fun to figure out layout things!

I hope you all have been well. This summer has been unreal. I for one, am ready to resume business as usual! 

Anyway, it's time for the Insecure Writer's Support Group post. This month's question is, "Have you ever unexpectedly written in a genre you hadn't planned on?"

Hmmm. No, not really. Mostly because I'm a planner and not a pantser. I have written in genres I don't usually write in, but that was intentional. I can't say I've ever morphed into something I didn't intend. Honestly, I think I'd scare myself if I did! I do have a writer friend who began writing his story as a regular middle-grade book and has recently decided to switch to make it a graphic novel. Just because it's the trend these days and he thinks it would be fun to do so. What about you? Have you ever started writing in one genre and then found yourself switching to another mid-story?



Keep Writing with Fey Blog Hop




I am also participating in Chrys Fey's blog hop about what to do about writer's burnout, depression, and writer's block. 

I'm kind of in that stage now. I've been writing for 15 years. It's a lot of work with very little monetary payback. I've also been writing about my characters, Bubba and Squirt for 12 years. I'm trying not to get sick of them because ideally, I'd like to get three more stories out which would be sort of a trilogy (five altogether, but the last three would not be stand-alones).  I'm in the middle of chapter 14 of the 4th book. If I can get through it, I'll have just one more to do. So, I'm like the little engine that could. I keep telling myself, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can..."

Normally, when I feel this way, I go out for a walk, work on another project, or play music. But I have so much work with all my other jobs, that I'm out of energy. That on top of COVID craziness and the stuff I've gone through in my personal life. I'm just plain tired. 

So maybe Chrys' book will help. I have my copy. Now I need time to read it. 

What about you? What do you do to help with these things?


 

 

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:

 

Amazon / Nook / iTunes / Kobo

 

Goodreads

 


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/ 



49 comments:

  1. I slogged through my last manuscript. Hopefully when I get it back from my test readers I am excited about it again. Hope you can get through your series!
    And yes, ready for this mess to be done.

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    1. It's kind of hard to write when there's a lot of craziness going on around you.

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  2. I at the moment can't understand this new blogger so have reverted back. I know if I want to continue I have to try yet again.
    Good luck with your series Sherry.

    Yvonne.

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    1. I think there are still a lot of glitches that need to be worked out. I had scheduled a post, and it didn't post. I had to manually do it.

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  3. There is an option offered to return to the old blogger, I know I did as the new one had nothing fresh and good and lost a lot of good old options, so I switched back to the old version. The new one is so lacking it left me deeply annoyed and pissed off.

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    1. I'm not particularly fond of this new version, but I guess we're stuck with it.

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    2. I tried commenting on your blog, too. It says, "Comments are restricted to Team Members" even though I am logged into Google. Ugh.

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    3. Yes, sorry for that but I've closed comments over night to defend from the attack of that infamous Unknown spammer. I've switched comments to pop up window with captcha now, so you can comment, I hope he will leave me alone for a while, he kept leaving up to 50 spam comments a night.

      Delete
  4. I'm just figuring out the new blogger too because it says the old blogger is going away at the end of the month. I wish they would have left it as it was.

    I struggle to stay motivated too because it is such a low-income profession with so much work. I am trying to be more consistent in writing and take walks and outline what I have to write next when I'm struggling.

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    1. I'm not sure why they have to mess with things. I suppose somebody needs a job, so that's why it was changed.

      Chrys's book will be good for a lot of us!

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  5. Hi, Sherry!

    The "new and improved" Blogger interface will supposedly become permanent on August 24. For the time being, users can still click a link and revert back to Legacy, the interface we have used all these years. Blogger invites us to try the new interface and report issues we encounter. I suggest we all do that, and do it repeatedly. I agree with others that the old interface didn't need fixing and the new one strips us of some of the features and functions we enjoyed with Legacy. I don't like it, and I have submitted numerous complaints.

    I feel for you, Sherry. You have been through a tremendous amount of hardship these last couple of years. On top of it, we are now dealing with the pandemic. All we can do is keep writing, keep blogging and keep living, making the most of what we still have left.

    I hope you have a good week, dear friend. Email me if you want to connect.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yep. One foot in front of the other. At least we are able to connect this way. One good thing about technology!

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  6. You should have seen new Blogger before. They've tweaked some things so it's actually more like old Blogger in the past couple weeks. I really hate the labels. It's really fiddly and annoying compared to the old. But other than that, it's not too bad once you get used to it.

    With the pandemic and all, life is hard for most of us. And you've got stuff on top of that? Yeah, give yourself a break. It's cool to take a step back. I'm sure you can finish your trilogy. It might not be right now. Have you considered doing something else for the moment? Rather than pushing through on something that you're not feeling at the moment, it might be refreshing to work on something completely new. Then you can (later) come back to your trilogy with fresher rested eyes. Just a thought.

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    1. Trying new things is one of the suggestions Chrys has in her book. I feel so bogged down with work and meeting deadlines that I don't have much time for anything else. You should see my to-do list!

      Delete
  7. I'm with you, girl, on the matter of the ennui and wondering where from here. But, unlike you, I am NOT enjoying the new Blogger. Did we really need this adjustment right now, when solace in old routines holds our dissipating parts together?

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    1. Hey Mirka, I'm not sure if my comment was accepted on your blog. I tried twice. If you're not getting many comments, there may be an issue. :( Not fun!

      Delete
    2. If you are using an iPhone or aren't logged into google on your computer the comments don't show. I'd always approve yours if I see them

      Delete
    3. I'll try again. As far as I know, my PC is logged into Google. I don't blog from my phone.

      *sigh*

      Anyway, I am reading your posts and trying to comment. Hopefully it will work next time.

      Delete
  8. Yeah for Chrys and her new book. I need to whittle down my tbr pile, but do plan on reading this at some point. Also, it's exciting about two more books in your series.

    www.thepulpitandthepen.com

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    1. I'm just reading it now. She's showing a humorous side. It's a good read!

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  9. I'm in a similar arena as you are. Whenever you need a little reminder of 'I think I can, I think I can...' call on me. We can keep each other inspired. But look at all you've accomplished. You've done good. :)

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    1. Thanks, Sheri! I love how supportive you and everyone else in this writing community is!

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  10. Thanks for downloading a copy of my book! The good thing is, the chapters are super short...bite-sized, perfect for anyone with low energy. <3

    I definitely know what you mean about being plain tired because of everything this year has brought. I think we are all feeling that.

    I love Bubba and Squirt. I'm happy to hear you're writing more stories, but go slow. Don't burn yourself out.

    Take care! And thank you for participating in my blog hop!

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    1. I'm on Spark 14 in your book. Yes, thanks for the little chapters. LOL! You have a lot of good advice in there!

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  11. If it's working just fine, I never understand trying to "improve" it. I think programmers just love tweaking for tweaking's sake. I'm glad to be a part of Chry's tour in announcing her book to the world.

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    1. I think they need to invent things to keep themselves employed. That's it. :)

      Chrys's book is perfect for writers! She has a great market here!

      Delete
  12. With all the Covid craziness, I have forgiven myself for a lot over the past several months, not writing being one of the many.

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    1. Yes, I think we have to go easy on ourselves for a lot of things. It will be so nice when things get back to normal!

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  13. I think Chrys's book is really helpful! I like to take walks, dance around the house, sing, and focus on the sounds of words to get through the tough moments.

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    1. I'm reading all her sparks now. They are very helpful!

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  14. I've tried different genres not by accident but for the purpose of submission but never midstory! I've had a secondary character try to take over the story. haha...

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    1. I bet that was fun! Kind of like a photobomber. LOL!

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  15. How could you not be "just plain tired," Sherry? This is a difficult and stressful time, unlike anything we have experienced in our lifetimes. I dearly love Bubba and Squirt and that magic shovel! If I were still teaching, I know my kiddos would love them. I long ago gave up thinking about earning money as a writer. I spend a lot of time writing, but I think I'll spend way more on it than I earn from it. One thing that is really helping me is working out with my trainer three times a week. Not in person, but via FaceTime. I had to cancel so many other things that I upped our workouts to three/week. It's expensive, but it has really helped me to combat stress. Blogger's new format had me tearing my hair out, but I'm getting used to it. If I get too frustrated, I just switch back to the legacy format until I work out my issues. The great thing about Chrys's book is that you can read it in little sparks! All the best to you!

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    1. Exercise is a great way to reduce stress. I go out and walk as much as I can. Fresh air does wonders, even if it's hot!

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  16. Yep. Only so much time and you have to choose what you can. And pfft yeah, monetary gain won't ever be much most likely, so just enjoy and keep on.

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    1. Yes, that's it. If you resign yourself to not earning much and doing a lot of work to create something, the reward is in the final product.

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  17. I understand the boredom you feel in this epidemic situation. To not get bored of staying at home which also causes deadlock thoughts, the steps you take to take a walk outside the house are the right choice.
    Of course, keep the health protocol well, Sherry.
    I hope your day will always be fun. Greetings.

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    1. Thanks, Himawan. I hope you have a fun day, too! Stay positive!

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  18. Writing does get hard at times. I've been suffering for over a year and not getting any done. But I think breaks might be necessary as a recharge time. Right now, I've found my swing again (or forced it), and we'll see how long it lasts.

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    1. I think breaks are important. Even Chrys says in her book that you need to schedule them in. What is the saying...absence makes the heart grow fonder? :)

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  19. Thank you for sharing your story. I only recently discovered Bubba and Squirt in the IWSG anthology and look forward to reading more of their adventures. I can see how you could tire of writing about the same characters for so long. I've been trying to resurrect some characters for a few years now. I also get the being "tired" in general thing. I have many other stressers in my life beyond the pressure to create and, like you, COVID is not helping. I believe it was Chrys Fey who either said or quoted from someone else that "it's okay to not be okay." I hope you are able to find and get the physical and mental rest you need.

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    1. I love that quote—it's okay to not be okay.

      I'm glad you enjoyed reading Bubba and Squirt. It lifts my spirits to know that. I guess one of the rewards of writing is knowing that you have created something that others enjoy.

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  20. I visited her blog several times...nice blog and useful articles.

    Have a wonderful weekend

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    1. Chrys does share a lot of good writing tips. I like tweeting her posts.

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  21. I tend to write in similar genres. I sometimes go deeper into a genre I don't write much, but I usually stay in the same realm. :)

    Chrys's book sounds great! I am sure it is helpful.

    ~Jess

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    1. I know someone who writes in about 4 different genres. It amazes me that she does it so well.

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  22. Glad you like the post. Yes, blogger has changed. I've discovered a few things that don't work as well. Oh well.

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