Wednesday, May 20, 2015

The Struggle to be Around Other Authors

Okay, so I hope this post doesn't come of as A) whiny, or B) rude. I think it might actually do both. Maybe I'll delete it before it goes live. Ha!

But I'm going to admit something: It's sometimes hard for me to be around other authors. I love them. I do. I like hearing about their projects, their successes, their struggles.

But I'd like to keep the questions away from myself. I don't want to talk about my projects. Or my struggles. I just don't.





Maybe it's because it takes me a long time to trust people, and I don't want everyone to know everything. Maybe it's because I don't quite know what to say. Maybe it's because there simply ISN'T anything to say, and then I feel lame trying to come up with something that makes things sound better than they actually are.

No matter the reason, I've been struggling to want to get together with other authors, even in a non-writerly capacity. Because no matter what, the conversation always turns back to writing.

I'm still enjoying writing -- and I'm feeling rejuvenated after the conference I attended last week -- but at this moment, I'm not really enjoying the socializing aspect of writing. I get that "no man is an island," but right now I kind of want to be.

Tell me I'm not the only one who struggles with this from time to time... Anyone?

4 comments:

Braden Bell said...

I'm such a socially awkward person, so I'm probably not a good benchmark of what normal people think. But I relate to this a lot. I hope to come to Storymakers in the next few years, and I do worry about this a little. I'm glad you articulated it so I know I'm not the only one.

Angela Brown said...

You are not alone in this. Because things this year have gone very far from my plans or goals, I've been feeling a little standoffish when it comes to socializing with other writers. Maybe when a few things re-alignn themselves in my life and make a little more sense, I won't have the struggle. Until then, the struggle is real.

JeffO said...

This is kind of how I feel about being on Facebook. Everybody else seems to be having such a better time than me!

Julie said...

I can definitely relate to this! It takes a lot for me to even let someone else read my stuff...when they start asking questions about it, I freeze. I'd rather keep things to myself until I'm ready for it to face the world.
Plus I'm currently trying to find my way back in to my writing world, so questions about that are frustrating to me.

See Elana's recent blog posts

Recent Posts Widget