Hello and welcome to my blog!
Are you an aspiring author? Are you just starting out and don’t know where to… well… start? Well then this is the blog for you!
If you’ve been sitting at home, staring at your computer and feeling all alone- you’re not. And if someone gave you the heads up about how big the writing community is and you went online to check it out, only to be completely overwhelmed and crawling back to bed- again, not alone.
Writing tends to have two camps when you start out. You feel alone and clueless, or you find all the YouTubers, the blogs, the Facebook pages, the hashtags… and then feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. It’s a lot to take in, and for many of us (ahem, introverts) it can cause a hell of a lot of anxiety, self-doubt and insecurities. “Why do they have it figured out and I don’t?” or “How did they get so successful…” (or just published in general) “and I can’t even finish my outline?”
Firstly, stop comparing yourself to others. I know it’s hard- I still struggle with it every day, but really, stop it. First of all, because “Comparison is the thief of joy.” (Theodore Roosevelt) Everyone says it, and that’s because it’s true. You’ll only make yourself miserable. But more importantly, you’re only just starting out, cut yourself some slack.
I know well, the feeling of overwhelm. I didn’t get internet at home until June 2017. (I know right, HOW THE…?!) I went from having very little resources (sure, I could’ve borrowed a book from the library, but have you seen the size of those “A beginners guide to…”s?) to having unlimited hours of YouTubing and Googling and searching for any writing info I could get my hand on. Two things happened. 1. I watched EVERY video made by Jenna Moreci, Kristen Martin and Kim Chance in less than two months. And 2. I crammed my brain with a LOT of information, but failed to work out how they helped me at the time. It was too much.
In less than a year I have gained a whole bunch of writerly knowledge, created a website, improved my author platform (especially on social media), began writing my novel, joined writing groups like Write With Intention on Facebook and so much more. And you know what? I STILL FEEL LIKE I’M FAILING!
Let me say that again.
In less than a year, I have completely changed my attitude, my circumstances and my community, and most days I still feel like I’m not doing enough. Comparison is the thief of joy, right? And I know that I’m not alone. There are HEAPS of writers out there being WAY too hard on themselves. Whether you’re comparing yourself to others, or to another version of yourself you thought you’d be already- hello, been there my friend- we all need to take a breath.
It is so easy to discount your past achievements when you’ve yet to achieve what you are aiming for. It’s easy to think you know nothing when you haven’t got the answers to your questions- even if you’ve learnt so much else in your quest for answers.
This blog is for the beginner. A place for support, advice and to know that you’re not alone. A reminder that whether you take baby steps or giant leaps, it’s important that you take them at your own pace. You’re the one running your race, your business, your life. If you want to create a YouTube channel, great. If the idea makes you want to hurl, you might want to skip it. Take risks you can live with. Challenge yourself without causing vomit inducing anxiety. Learn and grow without overwhelming yourself at every turn.
And do so knowing you’re not alone- we can learn and grow together.
😊
- Jacinta ox
P.S. To start with I will be posting once a month, on the 10th of the month. Consistency is important to me and I don’t want to say I’ll post more often if I can’t keep up that schedule- and as this is my first blog, I don’t know what that schedule will look like yet. I want to blog more than once a month though and will endeavour to do so regularly as soon as possible. You may get the occasional extra post coming your way from time to time while I'm still figuring it out. It’s a matter of trial and error for the moment, but I will let you know of any changes as they occur.
Thanks for your understanding.
- J