It’s been one of those weeks, Squiders. I suspect all creative types have them every now and then, the ones where you wonder who you’re kidding. The ones where you wonder why you bother. The ones where you consider giving up said creative activity and becoming a hermit who lives in a cave, spouting vague and incomprehensible advice to all who venture too close.
It’s really hard to get anything done when I’m in a funk. Write? What’s the point, no one will buy it. Edit? What’s the point, no one likes what I write anyway. Blog? What’s the point, no one is getting any insight out of anything.
Even reading’s been sucked in, as I ponder how much better the rest of the world writes, or, alternatively, how some of this drivel gets published, blah blah blah.
It’s depressing. I don’t even want to be around myself.
What I find helps is doing something proactive toward bettering my skills. If I’m not happy with where I am, then do something about it.
I’m considering two options for my current funk. One is applying to one of those writing workshops, where you and however many other writers hole up somewhere for a week or such and people tell you what you’re doing wrong and how to improve your writing. (My inner critic likes to jump in at this point and say, “Yes, but that’s assuming they even accept you and your crap writing.”) The other is a flash fiction course being offered by a woman that I have taken other writing courses from. I am not so great at flash (which is generally described as stories under 1000 words, though it varies by publication)–I’ve only become decent at short stories in the last few years–so maybe giving it a try will help.
What about you, Squiders? What helps when you’re in a self-depreciating funk? And do you have any recommendations to help me get out of mine?
