Writing, Reading and Travel #IWSG

I've just come back from a cruise from Singapore to Thailand, then Vietnam and back to Singapore. I took a book with me (The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu) but didn't open it once. I kinda felt guilty about that when I chose to watch the in-flight movies instead. I squeezed in three and a half of them each way. Think how much reading I could've done! It's not like I'm not enjoying the book. Nope, I'm loving it. It's quite an exceptional science fiction with great ideas and concepts. But the truth was, my brain just needed to switch off. You see, the problem with being a writer is when I read I analyse ... or, if the book is really good, I feel super inspired to write, or I mope and wish I could write like that--which is ridiculous since we all have our own way of writing and our own unique stories. But I still mope on the occasion. Just because.

How has being a writer changed your experience as a reader?

I'm not quite back into the swing of things yet as I had expected. The world continues to shift and rock as if I'm still on the boat. Hopefully my weary brain will land on shore soon.

In the meantime, I'd like to welcome into the IWSG fold, two new admins:
Heather Gardner will be running the conferences page at the IWSG site.
C. Lee McKenzie will be our media relations expert.

Also, check out the cover of  our upcoming IWSG anthology, Hero Lost, if you haven't already.

And, we have an IWSG swag now. You can get your own IWSG pen, magnet or t-shirt. Check it out HERE.

Every first Wednesday of the month the members of the IWSG post on their blogs about their writing insecurities or offer some encouragement to others. If you are new to the IWSG, then please go HERE to find out more and join up.

The Many Blessings of Being a Writer

During a discussion about how writers are both cursed and blessed, no one questioned the cursed side, but a few admitted they hadn’t thought of themselves as blessed. This stayed with me. There are so many reasons to celebrate being a writer, so I thought I’d share a few today.

We have freedom of creative expression. Not everyone has the ability to express themselves in a creative way. As writers, whether we write fiction or non-fiction, creativity is a doorway to living rich and full lives.

We are gifted with the ability to share our version of the world, to offer a glimpse of what we see and experience, even give others a portion of ourselves through our words. We have the power to make a difference to people’s lives through that shared experience. The multiple connections we can make are possible because of our writing.

Our research takes us into strange and unusual places. That alone can broaden our world like no other profession.

Writing teaches us to grow thick skins. Not everyone will love our work. And that’s ok. Learning to deal with the range of different criticisms frees us from the shackles of doubt, and strengthens us as human beings.

Writing keeps us sane. Otherwise those voices in our heads might manifest in a different, scary way.

Writing keeps the people around us sane. Let’s face it, most of us are terrible grumps when we don’t get the time to write.

Only writers have a reason to act crazy. Can’t beat that.

What do you see as a blessing or joy in your writing life?

This post was written for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. We post on the first Wednesday of every month. To join us, or learn more about the group, click HERE.

Don’t forget the IWSG Anthology Contest is open until November 1. The theme is Alternate History/Parallel Universe. Winners will be published in a royalty-paying anthology next year. For details, click HERE.