The first Wednesday of every month is the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Posts go up the 1st Wednesday of every month. Check it out here and join if you need support with your writing. Don't forget to stop by and say hi to the co-hosts: Jemi Fraser, Kim Lajevardi, L.G Keltner, Tyrean Martinson, and Rachna Chhabria!

November 4 question - Albert Camus once said, “The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself.” Flannery O’Conner said, “I write to discover what I know.” Authors across time and distance have had many reasons to write. Why do you write what you write?

This is a pretty easy answer for me. I write what I write because I like to escape the real world. 2020 has proven just how crazy the real world is, so it's nice to get away into a story where you know the good guys win and evil is always defeated.

Last month, I talked about being back at the day job as a baker and how I worried it'd wear me out and my writing would suffer. I'd like to say that hasn't happened, but it has a little. Well, not the baking part.

Since I'm only part time, I need help to get it all done and we hired someone. The plan was for her to be able to do everything and she'd work her hours and I'd work mine. Between the two of us, everything would get done. Well, some people just aren't cut out for self managing themselves and this lady is one. She's more of a minion who needs a Gru to supervise her.

That is what is tiring me. I work on my stuff, but also keep one eye on her and answer any questions she has. That's draining for an introvert like me. I actually ended up hiring another lady who has experience with baking and supervising people and I hope she will be the Gru I need. Then I'll just stick the minion on cookie duty and everything will get done and not be so drained that when I get home that I can barely write. Right now, I have a minimum goal of expanding one drabble to 200 words and to write one paragraph on my WIP. I'm just hitting those minimums. It's progress, but I would like more.

Do you have a day job that likes to butt its head into writing? Why do you write what you write?

The first Wednesday of every month is the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Posts go up the 1st Wednesday of every month. Check it out here and join if you need support with your writing. Don't forget to stop by and say hi to the co-hosts: Jemima Pett, Beth Camp, Beverly Stowe McClure, and Gwen Gardner!

October 7 question - When you think of the term working writer, what does that look like to you? What do you think it is supposed to look like? Do you see yourself as a working writer or aspiring or hobbyist, and if latter two, what does that look like?

I'm going to skip this month's question. What something looks like isn't something I think about. Despite being creative and having an overactive imagination, I struggle to imagine how I think something should be. Maybe it's because I know reality versus fantasy never match up so it feels like a waste of time.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

This month, my insecurity isn't too bad. I went back to work as a baker at my old job. When I last worked there, it was as a cook and it was a stressful job. Baking is much more laid back. I can set my own hours, and even leave  and come back if needed. When I get home, I don't feel like I need a nap and I have be able to work on some writing.

Despite that, I am a little fearful that as time goes on, the job will wear me out and my writing will suffer. The nice thing about not working was I could focus on writing. The downside to that was my book sales are small so I didn't have steady money to put toward book marketing. The job will allow me to do that.

I'm going to have to figure out the balance between work and writing. The only way to do that is trial and error. Do you have to balance writing and a day job? How do you juggle both without wearing yourself out?

The first Wednesday of every month is the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Posts go up the 1st Wednesday of every month. Check it out here and join if you need support with your writing. Don't forget to stop by and say hi to the co-hosts: PJ Colando, J Lenni Dorner, Deniz Bevan, Kim Lajevardi, Natalie Aguirre, and Louise - Fundy Blue!

I have a lot I could talk about, and honestly, I have no idea where to start. Things happened in my life and most of it got in the way of writing. All my focus was on either family or my health issues, so much so, that I pretty much forgot I had a book releasing at the end of August. I've said it elsewhere and I'll say it again, if not for Jemi Fraser, I would have forgotten about Influenced coming out on August 22nd. Thank you, Jemi!

This ties in to last month's IWSG post/blog hop about writer's burnout. I had someone in the comments say if you decide not to write to not leave it for too long. You don't want to fall out of habit.

He is right, but most of the time when I say it's okay not to write, I'm not talking about not deciding to write. I'm talking about being unable to write because of circumstances outside of your control.  I deal with chronic pain every month, and  I'm not deciding not to write during my flares, I'm in so much pain that I can't. I can't do anything. Laundry piles up. Dishes go unwashed. I don't even shower. All my energy goes to surviving the day because I know the pain won't last and I'm lucky to not have to deal with it 24/7. If I can just make it through that short time, then I can get back to writing.

That's a different beast to deciding to take the weekend off from writing. That's my point I'm trying to get across when I say it's okay not to write. Yes, it is healthy to write routinely (and to take a day off) but it's also healthy to realize that sometimes, despite our best efforts, other things will get in the way of writing, and if we want to get back to writing, we have to take care of those things, whether it be health, family, jobs, whatever.

PS: It's my brother's birthday today. He would have been 44 if not for cancer.

PPS: I recently redesigned my young adult book covers and I want to do a reveal. If you'd like to help sign up below.

The first Wednesday of every month is the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Posts go up the 1st Wednesday of every month. Check it out here and join if you need support with your writing. Don't forget to stop by and say hi to the co-hosts: Jenni Enzor, Beth Camp, Liesbet, Tyrean Martinson, and Sandra Cox!

July 1 question - There have been many industry changes in the last decade, so what are some changes you would like to see happen in the next decade?

I have no idea how to answer this question. Stuff like that isn't something I spend a lot of time thinking on. I'm more of a roll with the flow of things type person, so whatever happens, I try to adapt and keep on trucking.

As for my insecurities... Well, I can't say they've been horrible. Most of June I felt some hopelessness about my writing. I didn't get much done because of health issues and the lack of energy which accompanied them.

It didn't help matters when I put Influenced up for pre-order, sent a newsletter about it and didn't get a single pre-order. I've heard people touting how wonderful newsletters are and the people on it are your true fans who want to support you and can't wait to read your books. I wondered what those people were smoking because I wasn't seeing it. I had to remind myself that my list is small and I'm still building it, and the people who are showing off their great stats have had theirs for a while. It takes works to find readers.

Strangely, despite all that, I didn't feel too guilty about my lack of writing in June. Probably because I know guilt won't get me writing sooner, and I can't push myself too hard or else I risk making my chronic illness flare worse. That only delays my writing. It's hard to get into my characters' worlds when my body is screaming in pain.

I'm hoping July will prove better for writing, that the changes I've made to my health will get the pain under control when it flares, and I can spend less time wondering why my body hates me so much and more wondering why my characters won't do what I tell them to.

How has your summer been going? What industry changes do you want to see? Want to help me out with release day for Influenced? You can sign up here.

The first Wednesday of every month is the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Posts go up the 1st Wednesday of every month. Check it out here and join if you need support with your writing. Don't forget to stop by and say hi to the co-hosts:Pat Garcia, J.Q. Rose, and Natalie Aguirre!

The optional question for this month  is: Writers have secrets! What are one or two of yours, something readers would never know from your work?
Readers would probably never guess I don't watch a lot of horror or vampire movies. I'm a wuss so I avoid horror, and, I dunno, I'd just rather read about vampires than watch them.

Now, onto my post. I had another topic in mind, but I forgot it.  I had this video sitting around and I thought it'd be perfect for IWSG, so I'm talking about this instead. Maybe I'll remember the other topic in time for the next one.