Adventures in Writing: Learning Lessons from Three Regrets of my Writing Life

Write about a time when you didn’t take action but wish you had. What would you do differently?

DayOne

Regrets have a way of rearing their heads every now and then and that’s why I’m trying to do better in my writing life so I don’t add to this list.

Regret Number One:

Not jumping into the KDP Pool when Amazon announced their plans. I took one look at the entire thing and thought readers would prefer reading in paperbacks and that ebooks would be a huge flop.

Many authors were making serious bank when the gates to self-publishing opened. You’d earn the royalties when the reader reached the 10% mark in the book, which led the revolution of super short stories. As soon as the book was opened, bam, money.

I was in a terrible relationship at the time and writing very little to no fiction. I missed out on what could have been an amazing experience of gaining a following and earning major money doing something I love.

Regret Number Two:

Letting others dictate how I write. I’m not talking about editing. I prefer writing in first-person POV. I don’t feel strong writing third-person POV.

I recommend following your heart on this and gaining experience writing the way you prefer.

Following the advice of others is not a bad thing if they are compatible with the way you enjoy working. However, taking every piece of advice to heart can end up leaving you feeling even more lost and dismayed.

Regret Number Three:

I’ll forever feel like I wasted quarantine time. Working from home was the best time ever. Except for the fact that I had more time to write down story ideas and put things together in between doing the work day tasks and I didn’t do it.

It definitely caused my current writing issues I’m slogging through now. Becca Symes QuitBooks and her YT QuitCast video series have answered a lot of questions.

I also spent a little cash from my tax refund to take the full blown 34 CliftonStrengths test to gain insight into how I need to structure my writing life.

Turns out, muddling the stories in my brain is part of my process. I shouldn’t shame myself for needing that extra time to get everything going.

What I’m Doing Differently:

I’m testing different methods that others have been using and seeing how it goes. I’m writing when the mood strikes as best I can. I’m giving myself space to grow and improve while allowing myself to take my time.

I keep reminding myself that I’m allowed to make mistakes to avoid perfection syndrome. And that just because all the stories have been told doesn’t mean I shouldn’t write my version for everyone to enjoy to cancel impostor syndrome.

---

What regrets do you have? Share in the comments or link to your own post.