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Wednesday 4 February 2015

Adaptation is key for survival - an IWSG post

Insecure Writer's Support Group


Welcome to the second edition of IWSG for 2015. Yes, it's here already, and the scary thought is I'll be introducing you to December's edition before you know it.

But enough of wishing the time away, instead I'd like to give you a quick introduction to me. I was out of the bloggy loop for the end of 2014 and I missed the memo that asked us to say a few words about ourselves in the New Year IWSG post. So, I'm doing it now instead, better late than never, eh?

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My intro ...

I live in England in rural Norfolk, and my regular day job is working for a world-class scientific research facility in Norwich, concentrating mainly on DNA sequencing.

I'm currently on maternity leave, having had my second daughter in June last year, to go with my six year old daughter. Two children is definitely enough, after all you only have two hands, right? 

Writing is a hobby for me at the moment, but I'm doing more all the time and eventually I'd like to earn enough to give up the day job. I don't need to earn millions (although it'd be nice), just enough for what I need.

So, that's me! It's been fun getting to know you all too, and long may it continue.

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So, recently I've been insecure about missing task deadlines. It used to happen a lot, with the result that I felt like a failure, and the effect is cumulative.

I start off with great intentions (don't we all?), marking out in my diary everything I need to get done and when I'm going to do it. I always plan in advance, with plenty of time to draft and edit before submission dates approach. A detailed diary plan is all very well, of course, until something unexpected happens ...
I'm slowly learning to be prepared for flexibility when it comes to these things. If something happens to delay a task, then I need to just reassess and re-jig the plans a little.

I realise this is a straightforward and simple solution, but it just hasn't occurred to me before for some reason. I know it's good to try and get things planned out in advance, and then if I do look like missing the deadline I can just adjust to fit it in elsewhere.

Just like any other creature on this planet has to adapt to its new environment, as a writer I need to learn to adapt my tasks to fit in around every day life. At the moment, this feels like my new environment.

I think some of it, though, also has to do with my (supposed) OCD. I just don't feel comfortable crossing things off without doing them, it just doesn't seem natural. But I need to stop worrying about this sort of ridiculous thing. After all, my diary isn't necessarily messy, it's just a reflection of a working writers tool, right? RIGHT?


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First Weds of every month 
For more information on the amazing entity that is the Insecure Writers Support Group, click on the link and head over. Here you will find the list of who's participating and it's well worth a browse to see what everyone's insecurities are. Trust me, you're not alone, there are plenty of us on the same wavelength.


 Happy IWSG Day!


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9 comments:

  1. I have a timetable on my computer, kind of like a diary, that I put all of my tasks for the day in. Whenever I don't complete a task, I move it to the next day instead - no messy crossings out! It works for me, anyway :)

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    1. Ooh, I may have to investigate this, a timetable to move things would be great! Thanks for the tip.

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  2. We all have to adjust our schedules to match our unique personalities. For example, I just can't move on to the next chapter (during a first draft) until I've edited the previous chapter significantly. Everyone says not to do it, but I just can't help it. So I've learned to plan around it. Don't let missed tasks bog you down. You're still moving forward and that's all that counts.

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    1. Thanks for the encouragement, Ken. I'm getting better with it each week, and maybe one day I'll hit a deadline without having to shift it first.

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  3. I'd have a hard time crossing off something I hadn't done yet.
    I tend to do things way in advance, just in case. I'm a natural procrastinator, so I try to counter that.

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    1. That's a habit I'm trying to get myself into, but it's proving harder than I first thought ...

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  4. Congrats on the new baby. I hate missing deadlines too. It is hard for me to move on when something is left undone.

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  5. Actually...hitting my deadlines is one of my strong points. Doesn't mean I still don't procrastinate. :)

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  6. Unless it's day-job related, I give myself flexibility to my deadlines. Even if I don't reach them, I'm proud they were 1.) set and 2.) nearly reached. No one here is superhuman (step aside, Clark Kent) so be proud of what you're doing and don't come down too hard on yourself. Nice to meet you!

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