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Thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh for organizing and hosting this event every month for two long years! Go to his blog to see the other participants.

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Insecure Writer's Support Group

Insecure Writers!

I’ve been a pretty inconsistent (insecure) writer.

At times I’ve felt burnt out with blogging and missed the IWSG post, at others been felled by life. Last month I missed the post cos I forgot! Alex has been kind enough to keep me on the list despite my irregularity and for that I’m grateful.

I think blogging brings out the best in writers– we become a sympathetic, helpful community (which sometimes doesn’t happen in real life.) IWSG has become a safe place for blogger-writers on the web, and I personally have learned a lot from some of the posts I’ve read, be it writing advice or publishing tips.

Can’t believe IWSG is 2 years old today! Kudos to Alex and the bloggers who have hosted the group each month– it isn’t easy.

I hope to be more regular from now on, schedule my IWSG drafts so I don’t miss out.

This month I’ve found the Muse elusive, and have had to bring myself out of negative swirls of vicious self-loathing– so I find some of the IWSG posts just what I needed! Thank you to the bloggers on this group who encourage those like me who find it hard going, this life as a writer.

Here’s to many more years of the Insecure Writers’ Support Group!

Damyanti Biswas

Damyanti Biswas is the author of You Beneath Your Skin and numerous short stories that have been published in magazines and anthologies in the US, the UK, and Asia. She has been shortlisted for Best Small Fictions and Bath Novel Awards and is co-editor of the Forge Literary Magazine. Her literary crime thriller series, the Blue Mumbai, is represented by Lucienne Diver from The Knight Agency. Both The Blue Bar and The Blue Monsoon were published in 2023.

I appreciate comments, and I always visit back. If you're having trouble commenting, let me know via the contact form, or tweet me up @damyantig !

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29 Comments

  • destinyabel says:

    Reblogged this on Destiny Abel and commented:
    Good topic!

  • annerallen says:

    Great post. I’d like to quote it in my intro to Alex’s guest post on my blog on Sunday, Sept 15th.

  • shoreacres says:

    My goodness! What a treat it was to find you stopped by today! It’s a little hard to keep up with everyone, especially since at one point “something” seemed to go wacky with my follow list.

    But there you were, and here I am. I’ve resubscribed to your blog, and will be lurking around and commenting now and then. The first thing I need to do is a little digging in the archives to see what you’ve been up to. I hope all is well, other than that recalcitrant muse! ~ Linda

  • Book Blather says:

    Good luck with your writing hunny, the trick is to start, once you do that you’ll quickly realize there’s always time for one more paragraph and as soon as you know it, you’ll have another chapter done! 🙂 Hugs.

  • Ettemeyer says:

    “This month I’ve found the Muse elusive, and have had to bring myself out of negative swirls of vicious self-loathing –”

    Thanks for posting this, and you have my empathy. It is evident by your growing comment section, that we’ve all been there, not only as writers but as people. Each of us develops a way to cope and having external group support makes a huge difference.

    Me? I cope by writing more even- a nonsencial poem about critics.

    Keep writing that’s the only way forward. And you’re doing just fine.

  • Thanks for following my blog.

  • Rachel Bowman says:

    Meant to leave a link, in case you want to come visit my post, Of strawberry rooms and perspective sharing: http://www.theunpackagedeye.com/of-strawberry-rooms-and-perspective-sharing/

  • Rachel Bowman says:

    Hi Damyanti,
    I just stumbled onto your blog. Just started my own blog not too long ago–about rhetoric and perception–and today I wrote about the importance of letting others influence your creative process. It can be terrifying and despair inducing, but I think ultimately it’s more good than bad. It’s so good to come across this great community online–and it’s great to hear about how supportive writers can be to each other.

  • din1992bay says:

    Hi! I am Dinesh, Do you got my email which I sent about the blog.

  • I’m sure, as with anything else, needed breaks bring more robust energy when the comebacks happen. Here’s to the on & off times for us all. 🙂

  • kimlajevardi says:

    Life can happen, but it’s good you keep coming back. Great IWSG post!

    Kim Lajevardi
    (This Writer’s Growing)

  • Alex is a cool guy, glad you’re still on the list. Feeling burnt out is normal what you have to do is not let it make you give up.

  • I totally empathise. Real life is such a double-edged sword – on the one hand I hate how circumstances kill the mood to write. On the other, if it wasn’t for the emotional drive behind my writing I don’t think I’d want to carry on anyway. It’s a topsy-turvy world we live in!

  • LG Smith says:

    I think we all get self-critical when the writing isn’t going well. We assume it’s because we’re not good, or not meant to write, or some other nonsense. We’re so susceptible to negativity, which is why it’s great to be a part of IWSG and know that everyone else is feeling the same things.

  • Life happen, Damyanti. That’s fodder for stories so we of all your friends understand that.
    I think I need a break right now.

  • chemistken says:

    The Muse may come and go, but the IWSG is the one constant in the life of an Insecure writer. Just keep posting and I’m sure your muse will return soon.

  • Two years is pretty amazing and I’m glad to be a part of it.

  • Hi, I honestly don’t know how I found my way here, I have a blog hibernationnow.wordpress.com but even these instructions look intimidating. I get the idea that it is a support group but you write once a month? Are there prompts or do you just submit something? Is there a FAQ page so I don’t bother people? many thanks. Laurie.

  • Always love your blog – and always written with such style. I’m pretty new to all this – where does one learn about all these “groups”, and “competitions” and so on? Every one seems to be doing it except me!!!!

    • Damyanti says:

      All you have to do to join the IWSG is sign up on the linky list which you’ll find in the link at the bottom of this post. Easy-peasy.

      *oops too many ‘links in those lines*

  • cheriereich says:

    Good luck finding your muse again! And congrats to IWSG being two years old! It doesn’t seem that long!

    • Damyanti says:

      Cherie, my Muse hasn’t left. She can’t, she and I are joined at the hip. But sometimes she stops talking to me, and that’s when I get into ‘vicious bouts of self-loathing’ 🙂

  • Damy, I wouldn’t kick you out for missing one now and then! It happens.
    And the writers in this blogging community are amazing. To think I almost missed all of this…

    • Damyanti says:

      Alex, you’ve been among the most supportive and kind of my blog-friends. This community takes up time, but repays it back tenfold in terms of support.

  • ncbek says:

    I think it is the pain all writers feel of all professions. It is hard to dodge the elusive block that continues to haunt our nightmares. I know for me that courser blinking over the white backdrop of word is something that constantly empowers me to go out and scream at someone. I am currently trying to post a new work once a week, and it is quite difficult to get not only inspiration, but to provide a quality, fresh look at something.

    When will we ever win?

    ~N
    “Is it just me or are the voices within me becoming physical entities upon the page”
    http://ncbek.wordpress.com