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Wednesday, November 6, 2013

HAS IT ALL CAUGHT UP WITH YOU? INSECURE WRITERS SUPPORT




 
HAS IT ALL CAUGHT UP WITH YOU?


You're in good company:

Mark Twain

Mark Twain's brilliant authorship of American classics such as Huckleberry Finn might have had its roots in his tendency to depression. But this famous depressed writer also lived with a lot of family drama that could have contributed to his stressand depression.
Depression's role with creative writing will also be a function of the individual writers, their personal history, their circumstances, and the nature of their depressions.

Stephen King

Stephen King, a modern master of suspense and terror, has quite a body of work to his name. Yet his fame and talent didn't forestall the devastating effects of the drugs and alcohol he allegedly had been using to cope with ongoing unhappiness.
Substance abuse and alcohol use often play roles as people struggling with depression attempt to self-medicate. During those years, this famous depressed writer also produced some of his best-known works, such as The Shining, Pet Sematary, and Carrie.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda were known for their glamorous and tumultuous lifestyle, full of wild parties, travel, and larger-than-life characters.
The Great Gatsby remains his best-known work, but other novels such as The Beautiful and the Damned detail a lot of the same ground. Their glittering life had a dark side, punctuated by alcoholism and depression for both of them, and their legacy includes being famous depressed writers.
HOW DO YOU KEEP ON WRITING DESPITE FEAR, DOUBT, & SELF-CRITICISM?
1.) ASK YOURSELF WHAT YOU WOULD DO IF YOU'RE WEREN'T AFRAID OR DOUBTFUL.
The mere act of doing usually makes the fear recede in just a few minutes.” Pretend, just for a moment, that rejection or failure isn’t the end of life as you know it.
2.) STOP INDULGING YOUR FEARS, DISCOURAGEMENTS, REJECTIONS, & DASHED DREAMS.
Much as we’re driven to write, we feel we must be in the mood – as if the clouds should part, the sun should shine and every possible interruption should be silenced.
None of that matters. Write anyway. Don’t think about how you feel or if it’s a perfect time to write or that you have a thousand other things to do. Write anyway. You have nothing to share and nothing to sell if there are no words on the page.
3.) REMEMBER THAT REJECTION ISN'T NECESSARILY ABOUT YOUR WRITING. 
You have to be totally dedicated to your writing. Forget about rejections – they’re a mandatory part of any career.
A writer writes.
If you feel you’ll keep writing even if you never get published, then you’re a real writer.
The markets want they want.  Tastes will change.  You will grow as a writer if you do not give up.
4.) SEE PAST YOUR EXCUSES TO YOUR REAL FEARS
Writers need to look at their fears directly. “Recognize them for what they are, and be honest with yourself about why you’re not moving forward with your writing goals.
This can be difficult because we give excuses rather than facing our fears.
5.) SET SMALL GOALS
Long-term goals are great for inspiration, but keep a list of small, attainable goals, too, and allow yourself to feel proud when you achieve them.
Reward yourself for finishing a chapter or short story.
Recognize that sending a few query letters to agents takes time, thought, and effort, and don’t discount the success.

21 comments:

  1. Small goals to keep you going.
    I wonder how I became a writer since I've never really been depressed?

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  2. I'm like Alex with having never been depressed. I try to never waste time feeling sorry for myself. I have some strong opinions about some of the writers lauded by the literary communities.

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  3. Reminds me of one of my favorite book quotes: "LIttle by little one travels far." ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

    Overcoming demons, both great and small, can only be done with persistence and taking care of only what is in front of you. Yesterday is no longer within our control, but tomorrow is still up for grabs. :)

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  4. Interesting post! I have suffered from depression, but during that time I didn't write anything. I haven't written about depression per say, but I have used hard times in my life as inspiration for my books.

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  5. Great tips. Being persistent is the key, even if you have to take baby steps to stay motivated.

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  6. We can be too quick to judge those who came before. SEPARATE the story and the novel from the author. I don't understand why writers of the past (who have never been a saintly lot) are under such scrutiny by today's writers.

    No one is perfect. But some have more perfect lives than others.
    Some have very interesting lives but are never fulfilled in ways that are important to them.

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  7. I say indulge in your fear and depression all you want. Just don't let it stop you. I keep writing through anything, and that keeps me going. Better than doing cocaine and writing twenty best sellers. I think.

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  8. Did not know they all wrestled with depression and some form of addiction. Makes sense.

    Sorry I have not checked in for a while. Busy times with gr-kids and migraines.

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  9. We're sharing similar advice on this IWSG Wednesday, Roland. Great minds! I certainly have my dark days, and because I often write about dark subjects, I tap into those emotions, but I've never been clinically depressed. And there is my chocolate addiction, but I refuse to discuss that in an open forum. :)

    I don't believe anyone can completely escape depression unless they're burying their emotions and deceiving themselves, and that's the kiss of death for a writer—at least any writer I'd want to read.

    Personally, I work in a vacuum and don't think about rejection anymore. I'm not sure when the shift happened, probably back when I was querying, which was brutal. My rejections were never about the writing, they were always about the marketability of my stories. Once I made the immature decision never to write for the market, rejection didn't seem to matter so much anymore, maybe because now I expect it.

    VR Barkowski

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  10. Great advice, Roland. I've been writing since I was twelve years old. Writing, for me, is to escape, to live many different lives... I will never give it up, regardless of the publication outcome.

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  11. Susan:
    You are so very lucky not to have been afflicted with depression. And yes, many authors praised today make me puzzled.

    EJ:
    How true. Inch by inch and it's a cinch. We do what we can while we can. We fight the darknesss with a small candle -- and it works. :-)

    Chrys:
    Yes, if we use the black times in our writing, then our suffering them hasn't been in vain, right?

    Isis:
    Yes, I write each day even if it is only three paragraphs. I am that much closer to my goal.

    D.G.:
    I study yesterday's writers to gain inspiration for today ... and material for my Meilori's visits!! Right now in HOUSE OF LIFE, Twain and Wilde are sniping at each other -- it's fun to write it. :-)

    David:
    Neil makes me smile.

    J E:
    Addictions hurt not help writers. If we write some every day, we will build our writing muscles.

    Susan:
    I hate to hear about the migraines! I've missed you. Enjoy the grandkids!! :-)

    VR:
    I've been on the roads all day, and I haven't made it to anyone's blogs yet. My eyes are so heavy!!

    Yes, great minds and insightful hearts we share, right?

    Like you, I have given up on agents and publishers. I seem not to have what they are looking for. I have given up the dream of either of them saying yes to me.

    Vesper:
    Many lives for you ... and for me. I have fun with my literary friends. I hope never to give up, but I am only human. Thanks for visiting and commenting. It means a lot, :-)

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  12. Making excuses is my biggest obstacle.

    .......dhole

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  13. Donna:
    Weariness from my job as rare blood courier is a big obstacle for me. Sometimes life does get in the way. Much luck on the job hunt! :-)

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  14. I actually wrote my first novel (that I've finally published 7 years later) as a means of soothing depression. I didn't know and didn't care about publishing, I simply wrote to share with my husband, and I never had more fun writing. Of course the first draft was pretty rough, but I wish I could go back to that blissful ignorance of rules and rejection!

    Even now, I have a project that I need to start (Freudian slip there--NEED to start as opposed to WANT, no pressure there!)--but I get so paralyzed with 'what if I don't pull it off?' 'what if my other writing successes were flukes?' 'How long before everyone realizes I'm just a hack?'

    Thanks for reminding me of all the reasons why writing is good for me and that I can move beyond my fears.

    [trying to be more than a lurker!]

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  15. Hi, Roland:

    My mild depression stems from Hashiamoto's disease.

    Today is also gloomy in Florida so I woke up feeling sad. Yes, the sky affects me as well. I need my sunshine to thrive.

    Anyway, my writing helps to pull me out, even if I'm writing crap.

    Good post!

    Hugs and chocolate!

    And thank you for helping launch Tine On Her Side. It was #6 for days. Now its at 0.

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  16. J.B.:
    Every good writer or actor ends a project with the feeling that they will never hit a winner again, that what they have done prior was just a fluke.

    You have succeeded with your past novels, you have the skills and perseverance to succeed now.

    Hemingway would agree with your use of the word NEED in relation to your desire to write. Writers have a compulsion to put their tales into print. And I hope your depression does not return, and if it does, it is but an echo soon fading away. :-)

    Shelly:
    Yesterday was windy and rainy -- which is for me disturbing as it awakens emotions of the three times I have been evacuated from this city due to hurricanes and the turbulent circumstances that followed.

    The sunshine smiled on us today, and it seems a weight has lifted from my chest -- that or I actually got 8 hours of sleep for a change! :-)

    Are you taking thyroid hormone for your Hashimoto's disease? It is a terrible thing when your own immune system attacks your thyroid or any other part of your body.

    At least TIME ON HER SIDE got to be at #6 for days. BADLANDS, along with the rest of my books, are not being bought. Pity.

    May today bring you lovely surprises. :-)

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  17. I'm always so fascinated by the fact that so many writers suffer from depression. I love your advice in this post, Roland. Thanks!

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  18. Thanks, Candilynn:
    Many Americans suffer from depression. Abraham Lincoln's humor sprang from his depression and attempts to lighten it. I'm glad you enjoyed my post. :-)

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  19. Hi Roland .. interesting write up - thankfully by nature I'm a positive soul ... but I have a friend who can be overcome, so I have some form of understanding .. and I can work out other things from my life that make more sense.

    As Neil says there is magic everywhere if we can look, and if we can keep our brains above the black hole ... it must be so difficult.

    Thanks for posting .. Hilary

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