Posted on by Sonia Dogra

Taking risks- iwsg April 2021

Hello friends!

Super glad to be writing this IWSG post today. With a lot going on at the personal front, I missed out posting last month and didn’t visit many of my IWSG friends the month before that. But I’m hoping to share more snippets from my writing journey from now on. Fingers crossed!

The IWSG is a wonderful platform that helps you to carve your own writing path. Writing is a lonely pursuit and the IWSG gives you an opportunity to connect with others and learn from their experience. Being a part of this group has helped me to understand my own writing journey and work towards a goal.

If you would like to join the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, please click on the link below.

https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html

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Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer – aim for a dozen new people each time – and return comments. This group is all about connecting!

Thanks to the awesome co-hosts for today,  PK Hrezo, Pat Garcia, SE White, Lisa Buie Collard, and Diane Burton!

April 7th’s question:  

Are you a risk-taker when writing? Do you try something radically different in style/POV/etc. or add controversial topics to your work?

Let me begin by saying that I admire the chutzpah of those who experiment with genres, styles, etc. At the same time, I am a traditionalist when it comes to both reading and writing. Seldom has experimentation caught my fancy. My writing journey is relatively young and for the past three or four years of writing poetry and short fiction, I don’t think I have tried anything radically different.

Having said that, I would like to add that I think I was only testing the waters in these initial years. This year, particularly, I made a conscious decision to experiment and go another route. Before I talk about style or genre, this is the first time in four years that I’ve chosen to send poems to various magazines looking for submissions rather than posting them here on my blog. The blog has taken a backseat with me making only sporadic appearances here.

I’ve been a stickler for rhyme and metre, but now I’ve been trying my hand at prose poetry. I haven’t had a breakthrough with this experiment as of now but I am enjoying this new phase of writing.

A first for me this year has also been a submission for an anthology of memoirs, which has fortunately been accepted. I read two memoirs in January and February and when I saw a call for one, I was naturally inclined to submit a piece may be because I was in that frame of mind. But I completely enjoyed writing it and was glad about a successful attempt.

When it comes to short story writing, I find it hard to even contemplate writing sci-fi and horror. My stories have a more contemporary flavour. But now I see a call for horror stories which has caught my attention and am keen to give it a shot.

It is surprising that I have taken this route but I have also started to believe that taking risks or should I say, being experimental when it comes to writing is adding that necessary thrill to the entire process and making it fun, an absolute joyful exercise. I am not writing as much as I did previously and am going really slow, but stepping out of my comfort zone has ironically made me more comfortable about what/how I write.

As far as controversial topics are concerned, I have written several pieces of non-fiction as a content writer which have been controversial. But when it comes to stories and poetry, I like to keep it layered with only slight allusions here and there.

Finally, talking about point of view and approach to a piece, I like to be real. I don’t really paint a rosy picture unless I see it as such and am comfortable presenting life as it is.

How I enjoyed answering this month’s question! What about you? Do you like to experiment with writing? Do you like to take risks?

Let me end with this quote that I just remembered, which I think perfectly sums up what I’ve tried to say.

Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go !

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42 Replies to “Taking risks- iwsg April 2021”

  1. Pingback: You're Not Alone! Writers Blogshare About Writing Fears, Insecurities, and Taking Risks! - Miffie Seideman

  3. Your post made me think if I am any kind of writer at all. I used to think I am a conventional one, until I started writing poetry, which was never my aim. But I did, and I think now I have more poems than prose. When it comes to prose I think I let it all flow, and I have written a lot of controversial pieces too, but horror and romance is something that I have so far never considered.

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  4. Hi Sonia…long time. This resonates- though I am very conservative and have not really explored different genres. I miss your A2Z posts :-). V happy to know that you are exploring and discovering newer avenues in your writing journey. Looking forward to reading more from you.

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  5. Hi Sonia. I’m glad you’re experimenting more. Congrats on being in the anthology. We have enjoyed your submissions to WEP very much. I just remembered a quote which I use often: ‘If you aim at nothing, you’re sure to hit it.’

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  6. You are taking risks. Trying anything new is inherently risky. But that’s how we grow. I love sci-fi but horror isn’t my thing. Each time we experiment, we find out what works and what doesn’t for us.

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  7. Congrats on your submission!
    That’s a great quote. The only way we will grow is when we step out of our comfort zone and push ourselves.
    I always maintain that writing must never become a chore; the element of fun must be present.
    With regards to taking it slow – remember that slow and steady also wins the race.

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  9. I find it ironic that you say you tend to be traditionalist, because I think of poetry as an enormously risky, difficult genre to write in! I suppose it depends entirely on your point of view as a writer, which types of writing you think of as scary. Kudos to you, also, for sending poems out on submission. That takes a lot of bravery!

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  10. Pingback: You’re Not Alone! Writer’s Blogshare About Writing Fears, Insecurities, and Taking Risks! – On We Merrily Stumble

  14. It’s been so fascinating to read everyone’s responses to this month’s question. I don’t think I’m very risky in my own writing. I stick with 1st person POV (which feels like a comfy pair of shoes now) and I don’t really explore anything controversial in my books.

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  16. Hi,
    I find your actually submitting your work to magazines is fantastic. Don’t stop and don’t let rejections push you into a hiding place. Keep submitting until the door opens for you. It has taken me a long time to get my feet in the door, but I am glad I stayed with it. So keep it up. You will make it.
    Wishing you the very best.

    Shalom aleichem,
    Pat G @ EverythingMustChange

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    1. There are several perspectives that I’ve read today and mine is just one of them. All I can say is there is no dearth to the number of risks writer’s take.

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  21. Intriguing take on this – you’ve got me thinking!
    Trying something new, putting ourselves out there (with a story or a contest entry) is all risk-taking. Maybe I take more risks than I thought!
    Congrats on the memoir and best of luck with your new story!

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  22. I bounce back and forth between literary and genre fiction in my writing, and have sometimes found myself in the odd interstitial spaces of magic realism, slipstream, and The New Weird. But I agree with your point that above all, the experimenting process should be fun!

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  23. I’m not keen on the type of experimentation which just seems gimmicky (eg avoiding a certain letter, or not bothering with punctuation) but don’t mind something a bit different if it works for the story.

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  24. I’ve been experimenting with new forms and taking risks with my writing over the past three years, since I finished writing my first novel. Some of the experiments are successful and some are destined for the delete key, but I’m having fun and learning a lot!

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  25. Beautiful post Sonia, I love the way you speak with complete honesty in every post. Your writings are straight from the heart and touch a nerve everytime.

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