IWSG and What's Up Wednesday

The Insecure Writer's Support Group was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh as a place where writers can talk about their insecurities once a month, and receive encouragement and support from other writers. It's such an amazing group, it even has its own website now, which you can visit here.



It hasn't been a good start to the year. I had high hopes for January - I was planning to write at least two short stories, get well on my way with the revisions on my NaNo novel, and get a head start on my Goodreads reading challenge. 

Unfortunately, I didn't manage any of these things. I only managed to get two-thirds of the way through the first read-through of my NaNo novel, I didn't get any short stories written and I only managed to read 4 of the 6 books I wanted to read, therefore putting me behind on all of my goals. 

However, I'm not going to let this bring me down. It's not like I didn't get these things done because I couldn't be bothered - I was ill for most of the month, and on the few occasions when I did feel OK I had to play catch up. The fact that I did so badly in January has just got me motivated to have a productive February. 


Now it's time for What's Up Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Erin L Funk and Jaime Morrow. The idea is to let other bloggers know where you are with any writing and reading goals you may have.


1. What I'm reading

I'm still reading The Vanished Knight by Misha Gericke. I'm nearly at the end now, it's been an enjoyable read. I've also been reading some of the Manga that I got for Christmas, which is excellent of course.

2. What I'm writing

Not much at the moment! Like I said above, I've suffered a few setbacks, but I'll be working hard to catch up this month. I'll mostly be working on my NaNo novel, but I have a couple of short story ideas I want to get working on.

3. What else I've been up to 

I visited my sister yesterday, like I do every Tuesday, and we made flapjacks and watched Shrek, before I left to see my boyfriend. They both still live in the town I moved away from back in December, which is an hour away from where I live now, so I travel down every Tuesday to visit. 

4. What inspires me right now

Stories are inspiring me right now; books, movies, anime, programmes on TV - they're all stories, and they are what inspire me to create my own. I only hope that mine will one day be as good as the ones I love to read/watch over and over again. 

Comments

  1. Alex J. Cavanaugh5 February 2014 at 15:17

    January is in the past - fresh start for February. You can do it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown5 February 2014 at 16:20

    I agree with Alex. The past is the past. Time to move on. :) We are cheering from the sidelines!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Laurel5 February 2014 at 16:51

    Best of luck for a healthier and more productive Feb! How lucky that you can have a weekly visit with your sister. Sisters are the best.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Chrys Fey5 February 2014 at 16:54

    Sometimes we put too much pressure on ourselves to complete goals. Read one book at your own pace and work on either revising your NaNo project OR write one of your short stories. Don't try to do everything at once. Good luck!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. M.J. Fifield5 February 2014 at 16:56

    Tuesdays are the day I travel to my old town to visit with my family, too. Funny.

    I hate when I don't make my goals, but at least you had a good reason. I hope you have a healthier February.

    ReplyDelete
  6. S. L. Hennessy5 February 2014 at 17:17

    SOmetimes I think new years resolutions and writing goals should start in February, not January. We need a month to get our act together.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Suzanne Furness5 February 2014 at 17:24

    Hope February is more productive for you Laura. I too have struggled to get as much done in Jan as I hoped.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Miss Cole5 February 2014 at 19:55

    Here's hoping February is a much better month. Good thing January's the first of twelve ;)

    Mmmm, flapjacks...

    ReplyDelete
  9. cleemckenzie5 February 2014 at 20:07

    I'm sure you'll find that muse soon. She's probably hibernating, but she'll have to come out of her cave. See you at the A to Z!

    ReplyDelete
  10. SK Anthony5 February 2014 at 22:57

    That I think we call "life"
    Having goals is great but things do happen, sigh. Best of luck with February, you can totally do it ;)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Angel Leigh6 February 2014 at 00:29

    Good luck with Feb, you can do it. I also have to keep telling myself to stop looking back and look forward instead. I am also sure you will find your muse. If you see mine can you send them home. As you can see I am in the same boat as you.

    Hugs

    ReplyDelete
  12. Jennifer6 February 2014 at 01:08

    Every day is a fresh start. At least you're getting some of your reading done. Good luck with your goals for February.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Unknown6 February 2014 at 14:21

    Here from Alex's blog. Great post. F'WIW, I always tell my kids there are two words I want on my grave stone "I TRIED!" At the end of the day that's all you can do. Don't beat yourself up if you fall behind. God willing, there's always next month. This said, I wish you all the best on accomplishing your goals.

    Love the blog, I'm now a follower.

    ReplyDelete
  14. ELAdams6 February 2014 at 15:41

    It can be discouraging when we fall short of our goals, but there's plenty of time to catch up, and all progress is good! Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous6 February 2014 at 15:52

    Sounds like you've been really busy. I'm glad you still make time to hang out with your sister, though. That's always a good way to spend our time in my book.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Unknown6 February 2014 at 18:20

    It's a new month and a new chance to start over. I hope that you feel a lot better this month and are able to get lots of reading and writing done. Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Erin L. Funk6 February 2014 at 23:01

    I love that you go visit your sister every Tuesday! My sister and I are about five or six hours apart, so we're stuck with Skype. I hope February is a better month for you! It's always kind of crazy settling into the new year, so don't be too discouraged! Still eleven months left! :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Heather Musk7 February 2014 at 10:59

    Good luck with February! January may have felt rubbish, but you made some progress which is better than none, and it's given you the impetus to do better this month.

    ReplyDelete
  19. TL7 February 2014 at 17:05

    It's a new month! Good luck on your catching up. :)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Jaime Morrow7 February 2014 at 22:06

    You are so not alone in feeling less than happy with how January turned out. I struggled all month to try to get in some writing and failed epically. Good thing February is a new month and we have a chance to make the most of it. Here's hoping we both have a great month!

    ReplyDelete

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