Insecure writer's Support Group March '13

Today on IWSG I want to talk about Failure. More specificity what does it mean to actually fail as a writer. this idea comes from the Rapid fire episode of I Should Be writing about rejection. in that episode Mur talked about how rejection letters were not a sign that you have failed as a writer. Rejection letters come for a lot of reason and yeah it hurts when you get 'rejected' but that is not being a failure.

So how does one fail at being a writer? It's simple there is one one way to fail as a writer: to stop writing. Lately I've been feeling like a bit of a failure. And if I need a bit of a pep talk and I figure that other writers (weather armatures, want-a-bes, or Pros however that is determined) might need this kind of pep talk too.

See I had this great and glorious plan to writer a short story once a month. It shouldn't be a big deal I mean Our Future Dark Over Lord Scott Sigler and others have writer a short story a week for a year surely a short story a month was an obtainable goal. Well it is march and I have not written a single short story. Like most of my new years resolutions it didn't make it past the first week of the new year.

But you know what I have written more days this year then I haven't and by doing just that little bit of writing, -at one point my friends had to remind me that I enjoy doing this (Thanks Matt)- I pushed through and I may not have much to show for it but I have something and that something is proof that I am not a failure as a writer. I'm still an amateurs yes, and my writing wont buy bread anytime soon but the point is that I haven't failed yet.

Now it is March so if you have disappointed yourself by not making your writing resolution, look at what you have accomplished no matter how small. that is proof that you are not a failure as a put pen to paper and go write!

Knitting

Today I am just going to share some pictures of what I have been working on. most of these projects are big projects so they are taking a long time to finish, also i have some fun yarn acquisitions.

 You can see my Cardigan, I have started on the first sleeve. it is tough going because I have been having problems with the Chart.

then there is the yarn that I got thanks to my mother-in-law. she gave me a gift certificate to my local yarn shop. the orange will becomes socks but the rest of the yarn doesn't really have a plan yet.

Next is Greg's sock. I've only got one of them done so far. it took me two months and some change to finish. I think I will be casting on something else before I finish it's mate.

In descending order is my Japanese Waves Shawl. I love this pattern because it is simple and looks awesome. Plus I don't need to look at the chart anymore.

In the plastic bag I've got part of my birthday gift from my mom. two balls of Croma. these are going to become a shawl, a beaded Shawl. I Just can't cast that on right now.

the pale blue bit is a wash cloth. then you have the sleeve of my Cardigan. and finally the second half of my present from mom, a needle case.

Oh and I decided it was time to learn how to spin.

till next time Open roads and God Speed.

Feel a Turn

So yesterday marked one month sense I lost my job. This year has been a hard. January was a month of crazy stress as I did my best to stay on top of the multiple things my boss needed me to do; this crescendoed into being fired. February is generally my least favorite month anyway but this February was particularly bad. This February is best described by trying to find some thing to do that would bring an income of some kind, with sadly not much luck.

But I think I feel a turn. Yesterday I decided to take a plunge. I have been contemplating joining one of the many at home businesses that are out there sense the last time I was unemployed. Yesterday I joined Pampered Chief. After talking with the Advanced Director and Trainer and finishing up my consultant agreement Life suddenly felt a little brighter.

It looks like the group I have joined is an enthusiastic one and my friends are already showing their support. So hopefully this will effect the rest of the things I love in my life such as my writing because quiet frankly I have been struggling with my writing.

Now that my life update is done I can now go back to regular blogging again. I leave you with today's theme song Feel a Turn by the Canadian folk band Great Big Sea:

God Speed and Open Roads