“Never listen to dumb inner critics.” – Patti Stafford
IT’S GOOD TO be back in the company of fiction writers. Of course I’ve only been here a few days, BUT I feel this is a good place for me.
I’ve been keeping company with bloggers and non-fiction writers. Not saying anything bad about them, it’s just a different genre and I enjoy their company too. I realized recently that you need to keep company with the type of writing you pursue, so as a fiction and non-fiction writer I get the privilege of keeping company with both groups – but I have to admit the non-fiction group isn’t always as community oriented as the fiction group.
There’s a special bond among fiction writers that I don’t think exists with other writers.
6/17/09 – Tomorrow marks the 10K challenge. I am up later than I wanted to be and didn’t get as much fiction reading in as I wanted, but I’m just going to go with the flow.
6/18/09 – Okay, so now it’s the day of the 10K challenge. At this time I’ve churned out 3,426 words of FICTION. Yay! The inner critic had been telling me I couldn’t write fiction any more. In three hours, after a three-year hiatus from fiction, I have proven that the inner critic is just dumb! Never listen to dumb people or dumb inner critics.
This has been a release. Not only has it sparked my passion for fiction, but I’m finding that I enjoy flash fiction. These are very short stories that just give a glimpse in time.
I stepped away from writing for a long time; not just fiction, but non-fiction as well. I didn’t like where my writing career was going or the low pay that a freelance writer sometimes has to settle for.
I write non-fiction for the money. I’m not saying I don’t enjoy it or wouldn’t write it without pay, but it’s my job so I have to attempt to make money at it. I finally got back into non-fiction writing some time ago and things have been going really well in that area. I’ve made connections that I never thought was possible, especially since I came back starting from scratch.
Not only did I start from scratch, but I had a name change during my hiatus – I was privileged to marry the first guy I ever fell in love with- 27 years later. He’s the one I never got over. So I started over with a name change and everything. I expected it to take much longer to build up my credentials and stuff, but surprisingly, when you have renewed passion, the universe seems to work in your favor.
Then the yearning for fiction started gnawing at me. I kept planning to get back to it, but the lure of getting paid per article was a little more important. I was so thrilled to find the 10K Challenge. As soon as I read Milli’s post about it – which was the same day I found her, her blog and the challenge, I didn’t hesitate. I didn’t tell myself I’d think about it, I just commented right then and there that I was in.
I had a blast participating. But I discovered it wasn’t just the writing fiction that I needed or got the most out of. It was being in the company of fellow writers whom I discovered need as much support and encouragement as I do. That’s one of the key elements that’s been missing.
I believe we all started with the challenge of writing 10K words that morning, but it ended up being more about the community feel and sharing our struggles and accomplishments throughout the day. For this reason I’ve decided to create a community group for this purpose.
I’m so glad I participated and got to meet a great bunch of writers. I hope our friendships grow and we can all support each other because, other than musicians, no one ever understands us or our passion.
We need each other. I think that’s why the 10K was such a success for all of us, regardless of the word count. The inspiration and being able to share that, with other writers throughout the day, was one of the best parts of it.
Thanks to everyone for making it such an Awesome experience.
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ABOUT PATTI STAFFORD
I am:
A Musician’s Wife. A Freelance Writer. An Inspired Thinker. A Mom of Awesome Kids.
Therefore I write.
Find me at: PattiStafford.com
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I definitely think the support and encouragement from the other participants was the best part, and I was glad to be able to post encouraging words, as well.
Great article! Glad you got to return to writing fiction. 🙂
Lois
Great post, Patti.
As a mainly non-fiction kind of guy with a closet novel or two in the works, I can totally relate to what you're saying.
I'm glad I ran into Milli and I'm already clearing my schedule around the July 16 date.
Cheers!
George
I agree with you that the comradeship is a very important part of the 10K program. Your post contains all the elements required for a great story. Marrying your first love after 27 years, which merged two of our society’s three greatest creative artistic professions. Maintaining your passion for writing while also making it your career. I can see how you able to make a living from your writings. The comparison you made between fiction and nonfiction writers was interesting. Although, I am just a novice to the fiction writing group, I wanted to comment that it is our privilege to have you have you here with us. Looking forward to seeing you at the next 10K.