IWSG: Fall Fun, Editing Blues, and Is Reading Essential to Being a Good Writer?

All writers are insecure at various times throughout their writing journey and I'm definitely no different. So I've joined in on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. The 1st Wednesday of each month I'll post about the insecurities I've been struggling with and/or conquered, and answer that month's IWSG question.

The days are beginning to cool, even if only slightly here in Oklahoma, pumpkin flavored everything is everywhere, and Halloween decorations are up around my neighborhood.


While I love the summer and all that fun in the sun, I must admit that Fall is my favorite season. I love wearing pretty scarves & boots, enjoying a hot drink without the A/C cranked up, and admiring the changing colors of the trees while taking long walks.

This Fall is beginning with LONG overdue edits for the 3rd book in The Gate Keeper Chronicles. I had hoped to have them finished by Sept 1, but that obviously didn't happen. I'll admit to having days where those self-defeating thoughts are so loud I struggle to make any progress. When that happens, I make lists, or if one already exists, I focus only on one item from that list and force myself to complete the task so that the feeling of accomplishment will subdue that negativity.

YAY FOR LISTS!

What do you do when negative thoughts get you down and slow your progress, giving you those editing blues? What's your favorite season? Are you a fan of pumpkin everything?

IWSG Question of the Month

It's been said that the benefits of becoming a writer who does not read is that all your ideas are new and original. Everything you do is an extension of yourself, instead of a mixture of you and another author. On the other hand, how can you expect other people to want your writing, if you don't enjoy reading? What are your thoughts?

While I can concede that not having been influenced by other's work can lead to original ideas, I think that being a reader is necessary to understand the ebb and flow of a story. If you aren't a reader, you won't inherently understand this and will have to spend considerable time learning it. How can you understand what good writing is, if you never read? And even if a writer doesn't read, they most likely watch television, so are they really coming up with original ideas? I very much doubt it! I, as a self-proclaimed book nerd, may be biased, but I don't see how someone who doesn't read could become a writer who's work others would enjoy reading.

What do you think? 

Be sure to see what others are saying on this topic by following the blog hop via the Linky list below!