IWSG - June

This month I am joining in once again with Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Support Group and having my usual OMG I can't believe it is [insert month here] already moment.

Last month I was complaining about my Starbucks Habit which seems to be fuelling my writing time. In the morning while enjoying my morning coffee (now back up to 7 days a week). I enjoy writing with pen and paper - sometimes I write my books, other times I write content for my blogs.

There are days when I feel frustrated and feel like I am duplicating work. I usually do my initial drafts on paper (as I am more inspired when using pen and paper), and I will then later type up my drafts and craft them into something better. Doing everything in this way is a good way to proof read and to have time to think about and develop ideas.

However, sometimes I lose that productive / satisfied feeling that I run on. In the morning during my writing hour I will progress with my handwritten notes and feel like I have got things done and then realise in the evening or even the next day or a week later that I have not caught up or that I have not done anything with my notes. I feel unproductive and dissatisfied when in reality I probably actually progressed.

I hate this feeling of frustration as there are times when it discourages me from writing anything.

IWSG - May

This month I am joining in once again with Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Support Group. At the beginning of April I was hoping to make a lot of progress with my personal writing projects (both fiction and non-fiction).

However, last month the A to Z Challenge kind of took over and while I successfully completed the Challenge I was disappointed with the amount of writing I did. I maybe only spent 3 hours a week on writing and even then it wasn't my best content.

and to make matters worse... my Starbucks habit has returned.

I have mentioned before my issues with food (needing to eat to focus and write). My other half started on his healthly eating / diet which has motivated me to cut back on the junk food myself as I do not want to be a bad influence.

However, the result has been more frequent trips to Starbucks. Some couch time with a coffee and my writing several times a week. So have I really made progress? Honestly I am just happy I am writing (and perhaps more importantly I am enjoying my writing time). But it is not a habit I can afford to keep up. Ideally I would like to completely cut it out, but at the moment I am down to three days a week instead of daily.

Maybe by next month I will have managed to completely cut it out altogether...

Insecure Writer's Support Group - April

So it is my first time here... taking part in Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Support Group. When I am not taking part in the A to Z Challenge a lot of my blogging is about trying to inject some more writing time into my life and improving my writing.

Today I am concerned about focus. As a student I needed to eat to be able to focus (i.e. stay still long enough to actually do some work) and I have found the same thing creeping through in relation to my writing.  It makes it more enjoyable (the temporary distraction) and means that I stay in one place for longer.

Today I have a bag of prawn crackers sitting on my desk. The downside is that these are very greasy and very messy.

My concern is that I don't want this to develop into a habit and I am concerned that because I need the food to focus that I am not really enjoying it. Even know I know I do enjoy it. When I am inspired or on a roll there is no need (frankly I am scribbling furiously so I don't have time to eat). It is just that it helps me pull back and focus when I get distracted or have writer's block.

Am I alone in this?