Hello Everyone,
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
It is IWSG Time!
IWSG is a writers' support group created and led by Alex Cavanaugh.
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
This group is an immense help to many of us who do not mind sharing our insecurities, our successes, or giving encouragement and support to others.
So, if you are interested and would like to join, the link below will lead you directly to us.
https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html
The awesome co-hosts for the January 5 posting of the IWSG are Erika Beebe, Olga Godim,Sandra Cox, Sarah Foster, and Chemist Ken!
Submissions: None
IWSG DAY, JANUARY 5 2021, LISTENING TO OTHERS
Seeking advice is not wrong. We can learn from other people.
But because they had success with a particular method doesn't mean their advice will work for you.
I had to learn the hard way to take responsibility for my writing by listening to my gut feelings and moving in the direction I wanted. If I had done that before I started putting other people on a pedestal, thinking that they knew it better than I did, my first short story, TURN THE LIGHT ON, would have come out much sooner than 2021. (I'm talking about six years difference in writing the story and its actual publication.)
Maybe, just maybe, I would have won an award back then for it too. The fact is that I don't know if I would have because I kept smothering my creative spirit, waiting on others to tell me they thought it was ready.
However, last year, I axed that pedestal completely then burned it. My gut said to go with it, and my short story went up on Amazon. On December 13, 2021, TURN THE LIGHT ON won the 2021 Kathryn C. Treat International Literary Award Contest.
In closing, I speak out good wishes to you all. I hope all of us with the IWSG experience a successful year, that doors open that we never thought possible and that we dare to stand to that tiny whisper, THE VOICE, within us, that gives us new perspectives of perception that will bring change to humanity.
See you next month.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat Garcia
Happy New Year! That's awesome that your short story won an award. A huge congrats!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! That is awesome. Smart to destroy that pedestal.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year Pat,
ReplyDeleteYour post really spoke to me as I to seek information. There seems to be a similar thread in: listen to the voice within. Huge congratulations in your literary award. Certainly, confirms your decision to burn the pedestal.
https://tinyurl -dot- com/Lynn-La-Vita
Hi Pat, I hopped over to your blog from Alex's.
ReplyDeleteThis is great advice and so very true. There is so much we can learn from others, but in the end we have to follow our gut. Congrats on the award!!
Trusting our guts is so important. I went through a similar experience and while I learned from it - it also shattered my confidence for a very long time.
ReplyDeleteCongrats again on the award!
Wishing you all the very best for 2022!!
Many congrats on winning the TURN THE LIGHT ON AWARD, Pat. That's huge!
ReplyDeleteWishing you much success in 2022.
Great news about the award, Pat. It may have taken a while, but it was certainly worth the wait!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! You deserve it!
ReplyDeleteCongrats, Pat! Way to get out there.
ReplyDeleteListening to my quiet voice is a challenge for me. It's usually right, and yet I'm too shy to follow through. :-)
Anna from elements of emaginette
It's so important to listen to your gut and not put other people on a pedestal. I've been guilty of that too. There's a lot of freedom in writing to please yourself and not focus too much on what other people think.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your award! And what a great story!
Congratulations! Sticking with your gut was exactly the right thing to do. Best wishes for a wonderful, successful 2022.
ReplyDeleteYes, that is a lesson which has held me back, too, Pat. I send my mss to too many betas and critique partners then think they all know better than me. I've completely lost my love for a story this way and now i listen more to my gut. You go girl.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your award. Well deserved!
ReplyDeleteYes, we have to trust in ourselves in all our creative endeavors.
It's awesome that you found your own way and found success! Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteThe Warrior Muse
Congratulations - I'm so very happy for you! Happy New Year <3
ReplyDeleteI love this ' I axed that pedestal completely and then burned it.' There's something to be learned there. Congratulations and Happy New Year.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your award. Your determination paid off. I have always admired how you submit your stories and never give up. You are a great role model. Happy New Year!!
ReplyDeleteHere's to listening to our inner wisdom! Congratulations on the award. I wish you all the best in 2022.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Pat!
ReplyDeleteThey say that you must trust your gut. It never lies.
Congratulations on the award. Fantastic news!
True. When it comes to taking advice, sometimes what was good for the goose isn't good for the gander. By the end of the day it's best to trust your own instincts in knowing what is right for you. Though it took awhile you still had a short story published to show for all your efforts. Congratulations and Happy New Year!
ReplyDelete