Posted on by Sonia Dogra

Overcoming Inertia and June IWSG

Hello World!

How do you come back from a state of inertia? I’ve been away from this blog for the longest time in so many years. While I will conveniently put the blame on my relocation to a new city, I must admit that the problem runs deeper than that. I was entrapped in a bubble of convenience, waiting for something to push me and help me break free from this stagnant state. Well, the monthly IWSG came to my rescue. And so, I’m here, ready to answer this month’s question.

For those of you who would like to join the community, please sign up here, and make friends on this writing journey.

The awesome co-hosts for the June 5 posting of the IWSG are Liza at Middle Passages, Shannon Lawrence, Melissa Maygrove, and Olga Godim! Thank you all for co-hosting and Alex J. Cavanaugh for being at the helm of affairs.

June 5 question – In this constantly evolving industry, what kind of offering/service do you think the IWSG should consider offering to members?

There is no doubt that the publishing industry is changing by the minute. These are stressful times for authors/writers who struggle to be seen in a vast ocean of book releases and promotions. A community is certainly a tremendous asset for any writer. For those of us who are still struggling to find ground, we can do so much more if we get to learn from our experienced community members. But we all know that workshops and sessions are steep and not everyone’s cup of tea. A family like IWSG can help us through fair tipped or free interactions. A resource for beta reading services (which can be blind to ensure genuine feedback) can be a significant help.

I am not sure if this is workable or if it’s a big ask, but there’s no harm in putting it here, anyway. But despite it, I am always grateful for the writing resources made available via the IWSG. It is wonderful to be a part of the community.

And now, that passivity has given way to activity, I hope to be present here more often than not. Leaving you all with snippets of my new city and home. Welcome to Jodhpur and thank you for stopping by.

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40 Replies to “Overcoming Inertia and June IWSG”

  1. I’ve also been away from my blog for a few months due to a job transition. It’s been a hectic time for me.

    I like the idea of alpha/beta services for IWSG members.
    Congrats on the new home. Enjoy!
    Love the snippets.

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  2. It’s uncanny how we beat ourselves each time we are away from the blog. I do the same. I guess it’s our safe space and gives us much joy to write and interact with like minded bloggers.

    It’s good to see you back, though, Sonia. And I hope some day we can blog at our pace without beating ourselves. Sigh. 🙂

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  4. How nice to see you back . I must admit my own blogging has taken a back seat with all that’s happening in my life . How wonderful to move to a new city ….. is it a transfer or a permanent move ?
    May you enjoy life in Jodhpur

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  5. Happy IWSG Day, Sonja! I hope you enjoy your new city. Jodhpur sounds like a fascinating city. I fight inertia every day, and my solution is just to get up and start moving. May June be a good month for you!

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  6. A list of beta readers would be nice in theory but hard in reality. The reason: everyone wants to be read. Not many want to read and comment – it is very time-consuming. Perhaps a couple of reading partners would be better and easier to find, also I’m not sure.

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  9. We’ve been experiencing the same issues; it sounds like. My advice to myself and anyone willing to listen is: always be kind to yourself, Sonia. Life is moving forward as it should. Best to you.

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  10. Welcome back! I agree, conferences and classes can be wonderful, but very pricey. We have a great community right here with lots of writing industry savvy folks. It would be great to pool resources. Good luck on your newfound journey!

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  11. Some sort of beta reader matchmaking service would be cool! Making it anonymous also makes sense, although there’d have to be some way to make sure your book gets matched with people who actually read that genre. I write Sci-Fi, and I once got feedback from somebody who exclusively reads romance that “cyborg isn’t a real word.”

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  12. Hi,

    I am happy that you are back again and ready to jump in wherever you can.

    Yes, it is my belief also that IWSG offer a lot. We need only to go to our website at IWSG and see all the partners that we can work with.

    Welcome back and have a lovely day.

    Shalom shalom

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  13. I’ve always been aghast at the steep cost of writing workshops in my area (yes yes I get it that people need to be paid for the workshops etc etc). Don’t they know we’re starving artists?

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  16. Inertia ? And a move to contend with ? More like exhaustion overload, surely ? Just the sight of yet more boxes to unpack eats any energy left for creativity.

    We’re still in the middle of moving out of the ‘ office with rooms’- vital for work, but facing triple tax, as an additional property, so back to our dead zone and a different kind of job. .

    Workshops aren’t for me, perfect for other people. The last one I tried felt like being back at school and failing.

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  18. I’m glad you finished with your move. I think showing up every month is one way to get out of inertia. But you’ve had a lot of your plate with your big move. So maybe you just needed a rest.

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