Tuesday, December 4, 2012

And That's a Wrap on 2012 IWSG

I can't believe how fast the year went by. It's already December, the holidays are almost here, and the last of this year's ISWG post is knocking on our doors. Where did the eleven previous months go?

Given the time of year, I guess the most appropriate thing for this post is to analyze how far I went on my endeavors this year, what did I learn, but most of all, where did I fail. It's not that I want to brood but it is only through an honest appraisal of our mistakes that we will grow. So here I go...

I'm happy with the way I'm writing now. I've found my groove through organization of what little time I have to write and now I'm moving faster with my current novel. I wrote down a schedule for the whole week and then broke it down for each day and when I actually follow it, I go to bed feeling like I accomplished something; like it was a happy, productive day. It is a great feeling that inspires me to keep writing every day.

What I learned was that even small, tiny progress needs to be put on a schedule. Because I have few hours to write I thought it wasn't important to actually organize my time into slots. "It's so little, anyway"I kept repeating. That only made me feel like I was failing everyday. So organization is key for my spirits and now that I know, I will carry this lesson into next year.

Where did I fail... Well, I kept excusing myself for my lack of progress in the complicated schedule that I have. I repeated to myself that I was doing everything I could but in my heart I knew I could do better. The thing that paralyzes me is fear. Fear to not meet my own standards. What if I raise the bar only to fall flat on my face? That prevented me from asking myself to do more. And sadly, that fear is something I haven't conquered. I know it's there, I know it cripples me, and I know sometimes it wins. What I want to work on for next year is in winning more than it does.

And talking about fear, I would greatly appreciate your ideas and opinions in another matter that has been troubling me for some time now. A few months ago I was talking to my husband about how I wanted to be of more help in the financial aspect of the house, maybe not a big thing but just to buy my books and stuff, you know? He then suggested me to look for a job as a writer, either writing reviews or articles in general for a magazine. The idea to work as a freelance writer implies in my mind a lot of work. It is not something you do in your odd hours, I think. But writing for a specific magazine with an expected number of articles/reviews per month might be doable. I mean, I've been reviewing for free all this time, right? Thing is, I don't have ample experience--only half a year with Dark River Press and a year and a half in this blog--and my only credentials are my published works (only two, so far). My university background is not related to the field AT ALL, not even a Creative Writing curse... so should I do it? Will it take too much out of my time? Will someone give me work? And are there even magazines that pay its reviewers? I don't know... This one is giving me cramps. Any help, please?

I hope your year was, all in all, good and productive. That you learned a lot and are looking forward for more. I wish your holidays are full of love and great memories, and that next year will be even better, grander, and happier for all of us. Cheers IWSG!

16 comments:

Cherie Reich said...

I hope you have a great holidays and New Year!

Fear can be paralyzing, but eventually we have to take a deep breath and move forward. If we want it bad enough, then not even fear will stop us for long. :)

As for freelance writing, I'm sure there are places out there looking for freelance writers, but unfortunately, I can't help you there. I haven't tried it myself.

Georgina Morales said...

Thanks Cherie, you're right. We get over fear when the prize is tantalizing enough. We just have to think about the prize and let it all go. Have a great holiday season!

Anonymous said...

I can sympathise with pretty much all of this - feeling like I'm not organising my time properly, being frustrated at the lack of financial reward for the writing I'm doing and the impact on those around me, and in particular, the perfectionism.

There's so much that I intend to write, whether it' my fiction or unpaid stuff for websites, and I let myself be put off by fear that it won't turn out to meet my standards.

You've got a good style of prose as well, for what it's worth!

Georgina Morales said...

Agh, the fear... But we may conquer it sooner or later, right? Thanks for your nice words and welcome to the group. Hope to see you around =)

Anonymous said...

Hi Georgina,

I do a little freelance but have never worked with a magazine on a consistent basis. I'm sorry I can't help you with that aspect.

Yes the fear-- I really do believe it's like I wrote about today-- we give our fears a meaning "I'll never succeed" or whatever we apply and all of a sudden it becomes true.

Unknown said...

It's wonderful to want to contribute, and you should try new things - what can it hurt?

Personally, I worked as a non-fic writer, writing web articles and it took far more time than I imagined and paid less. I gave up after 6 months. But you may find a much better job.

Good luck! :-)

Unknown said...

I like the idea of having a daily writing schedule--I'm going to have to try that.

Happy holidays!

StratPlayerCJF said...

I also have a daily schedule for the things I both need and want to get done that day -- work, commute, writing, etc. My only problem is that is always adds up to about 38 hours per day...

I have no experience with freelance or paid writing of any kind, so I have little to offer in terms of practical advice. But in my wide experience in other professions, I've seen highly trained people who couldn't do their jobs and people with little formal training who were amazing at what they did. Don't let little experience and lack of formal training keep you from doing what you want to do -- push for opportunities to prove yourself, and then do it. If you want to incorporate what you do have training in, find ways to write medical advise, articles comparing Mexican medical practices to those in the US, real-life experiences about people you've helped, or any of many other ways that you can put your medical experience and your writing skills together.

Because I know you can write. That's already been proven.

Good luck!

Georgina Morales said...

Thanks Julie. I do think that when we let fear take control, it all becomes like a self-fulfilled prophesy. We just have to never give up.

Oh, Lexa, why is it that things rarely pay up as much as we think they should? Still, you are right. Trying never hurt and I might learn a few things.

Lara, I'm glad you found something inspiring in the post. Scheduling has really worked for me, so I totally recommend it. =) Good luck!

Chris, you are such a good friend! Thanks for the vote of confidence. I hadn't thought about mixing my background with my writing. You might be onto something here. About 38-hr days, don't they say that a consequence of global warming will be longer days? I'm still waiting for it to happen!

Al Diaz said...

The only thing you've got to fear is fear itself. As Henry Ford said, If you think you can do it, then you're right. If you think you can't do it, you're right as well. You can do everything, as long as you do believe in yourself. That is the little trick. :) Best of lucks.

Unknown said...

It's great to have a schedule. That's what I have to do becasue I usually have 30 minute to hour increments. The weekly progress seems slow, but over the months it really adds up, which builds momentum. I haven't researched freelance writing, but I would think after you've submitted a few pieces to the same place and built some rapport, they'd start sending opportunities to you and you could focus more on just writing. But the initial research and submissions could be time consuming. Happy holidays!

Georgina Morales said...

Thanks, Al and Michael. It means a lot to have friends shinning a light in the darkness. Have a Merry Christmas!

Tia Bach said...

Great post, and one I can definitely relate to. Fear takes hold of me way more often than I like, but I find the more I write the less I fear. Well, until publishing time...

As far as freelance writing, I so go for it. I have a Finance degree and started writing with IBM and then moved into creative writing. I find projects here and there (more for editing).

Wishing you much luck!

Nicole said...

Great post! That "fear" thing is enough to make anyone stumble. Glad you've found your groove. ;)

r said...

I'm a giant coward, so fear is a big deal for me as well. And the fact that I'm incredibly lazy. Hopefully your new system of doing things works and good luck for next year!

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