Discouragement/Encouragement

Stickers encourage me! What discourages me is when I realize I am an adult and can just buy psychological validation whenever I want :/

My own self discourages me. You know, those annoying moments when you're like, 'omg, I'm wasting my time, no one will read this.'

Then I remember that writing is pretty much the most fun ever. Ultimate creativity, ultimate control, ultimate freedom. Word-smithery too. Only thing better would be if I could connect my brain to a screen and create movies by mere thought.

And that while other people waste their time on too much tv, movies, music, video games and just 'hanging out', I'm a creative/writer for life. A published book may last longer than most friendships. A published, famous, best seller may last beyond my lifetime. This is a high-minded thing we do.

Discouraging: The sheer number of better writers out there.

Encouraging: The fact that I don't have to write like any of them to be successful.

Every perceived slight to my work discourages me, and I perceive a lot of 'em, having a very vocal prima ballerina inside me. If she can't dance the Swan Queen every night, she slumps into a weepy faint, then wakes up and starts swearing like a dockworker in a sparkly tutu.

Charming image, that.

What encourages me is the double punch of Krishna Dictum: You are entitled to work. You are not entitled to the fruits of work. Also the related Seymour Glass Rule: Do it for the Fat Lady.

In other words, do I want to do the work for the sake of the work, and for the process of doing it?

If yes, onward.

Yes.

Encouragement- my dreams, I will succeed one day!

Someone actually remembering or bringing up something about my work. Like when someone shipped my characters!! It was like, hey you actually care about them, and you're even thinking about who they may like, even when that's not the focus of the book. I'm still thrilled about that.

Anyone telling me I can't, and I've had a few people tell me it's a hobby, I need to grow up, etc, but that just makes me more determined.

Getting time to write and writing. It's almost better than chocolate.

Nature, the sky, trees, noises of wind and birds, the stars, they all create a deep desire in me to write something. (wait thats inspiration)

Discouragement- there are so many great stories out there now.

I don't get paid for it yet, sometimes I think I never will.

My job, how can I write after a long stinking shift. I'm ashamed to say it zaps me.

Really though, I've never been so low I wanted to stop writing, even my discouragements encourage me (I'm very stubborn). I do get depressed with myself sometimes, but I just love writing, even if I have to hide it under the bed.

To keep writing...

The family cottage on Cape Cod. Without my stories I wouldn't be able to afford the upkeep, and I am actually there now, sitting in a room without heat waiting for the sun to warm the damn place up!

Umm, even if I sold the place, I'd have to keep writing. Can't imagine a day without writing something.

What discourages me most is when my writing time isn't respected. I try to keep all of my family life balanced and all I ask is that when I'm writing that I don't have people hanging on me to OMG GO DO THIS THING RIGHT NOW!

I have blocks of time specifically to handle chores, errands, dramatic outbursts of familial explosions and hanging with family. So when my writing time gets interrupted and it breaks my flow, I get rather discouraged, trying to figure out why I would even continue doing this to myself.

My rhythm broken, I find it harder to get back to the keyboard.

Maybe it's not so much discouragement as resentment. But discouragement is definitely in there.

Impatience discourages me. I get frustrated when I can't find the right words to get out a story quick enough. I often have to remind myself that writing is a process.

Wanting to see the final product encourages me. Finally having something tangible to show for my hard work is a reward in its own right.