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(March #AuthorToolboxBlogHop) - Writing career feeling stagnant? Try something new!

I often look back on my days in college as the most productive time I have ever had when it comes to my writing. In college you are faced with both deadlines and feedback from your peers that can be encouraging, disheartening, or sometimes a little of both. In either event, it is usually constructive and you learn a great deal from it.

I have found since graduating that, without the peer group, my ability to push myself to that same level of productivity comes in waves. Sometimes I'm able to keep my self-imposed deadlines and strict writing routine, but it can often feel like I'm banging my head against the same impenetrable wall over and over, hoping with each impact to break through. I started to wonder if perhaps I was making the same decisions in my writing over and over and expecting different results.



Over the years, I've debated whether or not I would benefit from joining a local writer's group. Since I am such an introverted person, the thought of physically going into a room full of strangers and discussing something as intimate as my writing seemed like a scary and uncomfortable proposition. For this reason, I have avoided so many of these same scenarios throughout my life. I've avoided sharing my work or asking others for their opinions. I realized, however, that I needed to get out of my comfort bubble if I was ever going to push my writing to the next level. I needed to stop pretending I was able to come up with all the answers by myself. Doesn't the saying go "two heads are better than one"?

I realized that in order to find answers to my biggest questions and resolve dilemmas that had been plaguing me for years of going at it on my own, I needed to try something new. I needed to push myself out of my comfort zone. Expecting different results when I wasn't willing to try something else just wasn't going to work anymore. And I was ready for more.

I'm very happy to say this month I've made one small step toward putting myself out there in my local writing community. I've also listed specific goals for myself in the upcoming months and throughout the year, each one an action item that will take me out of my comfort bubble and propel me closer to my ultimate goal.

So this month I recommend that if you're feeling a bit stagnant in your writing career to try something new! Think of what is holding you back from achieving your writing goals. Maybe it's fear or it might be that you've been using the same methods for so long without stopping to ask yourself if it's still working. Encourage yourself to step out of your comfort bubble. Write down small, realistic steps that will help you overcome the discomfort. I believe that even the tiniest change can often make an incredible impact in the bigger picture.

That is all I have for this month, writers! Thank you for stopping by and don't forget to check out the other bloggers in the Author Toolbox Blog Hop!




Comments

  1. Good for you! I know how hard that is to do.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! I appreciate that. It is hard putting yourself out there.

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  2. I really need to try harder to find a local writing group. There isn't much for options that I can find! :)

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    1. That really stinks. I had to do a bit of digging but I found a writer's initiative in my state and they have different local branches. I know that on the MeetUp site you can also find some private groups, if you're ever interested in checking there. :)

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  3. I'm glad you stepped out. I'm an introvert, as well, but have found simpatico souls in writer's groups in cities we previously lived. Unbelievably, we now live in the capitol of the state, with several renouned scholars and authors, there is no writer's group. I'd have to travel to St. Louis and their group is not very active. Everything here is nasty politics, so I just stay inside. Taking myself to Chicago for the Murder and Mayhem Writer's Conference on Saturday.

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  4. Good for you. I belong to a local writing group and a statewide group and love spending time with other writers. It always inspires me.

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  5. That's sound advice. I benefit from working with others as well. Great writing partners are hard to find so cherish them when they work :)

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  6. Good advice! Thanks for sharing. :)

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