My Favorite Question about My Writing #IWSG

It’s the 1st Wednesday of the month again. That’s when I take part in Alex J. Cavanaugh’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group. I encourage you to check out their website and even sign up for the IWSG Newsletter. This month I will be discussing when people ask a favorite or least favorite question about my writing, as I answer the Insecure Writer’s Support group question for January 2^nd.

What is your favorite and least favorite question people ask you about your writing?

I don’t really have a least favorite question about my writing. But there are some that I love.  Here are some of my favorite questions people ask about my writing:

Favorite question about my writing #1

“How is your writing going?”

Last year at the Minnesota State Fair, we ran into a friend of my husband’s from way back. I don’t know him really well, but he asked me this question and it blew me away. Very few people ever ask me about my writing. So, when someone does, it feels so validating. There is an acknowledgment that I am a writer. And, since writing is my favorite thing, I love to talk about it.

If you know a writer, be sure to ask them about how things are going with it. It shows them that you see them as a writer. That’s important because writers often suffer from impostor syndrome. They worry that they aren’t legitimate writers, even though they are.

Only a few people, who I know, personally, actually read my blogs. No one that I know in “real life” ever comments on, or shares my posts to social media. It’s okay. I have a good following in the blogosphere, and the people who do read and comment on my work are valuable to me. They have become my tribe. Still, this sort of apathy towards something so important to me makes fostering real-life relationships tough. Maybe I’m expecting too much.

Favorite question about my writing #2

“Are you working on a new book?”

I love this question because it gives me a little kick in the butt, and that’s often what I need. It’s so easy to get side-tracked by blogging and…life. I often need a reminder that the book won’t sell until it’s published.

This question also gives me an opportunity to get face to face feedback on my ideas. Is there any interest in the topic I’ve been exploring? When several different people ask me the same question about my writing, I know which direction it is that I need to travel.

Favorite question about my writing #3

Isn’t a question…It’s a story about how my work has affected them, personally.

It means a lot when someone talks to me about how their life has been affected by cancer, whether it’s their own or that of a friend or family member.  I’ve heard from people who have been very encouraged by my work. That really spurs me on.

Sometimes they haven’t read my books or my blog, yet and they don’t know how to handle such a huge problem. I’m usually able to give them an actionable idea. I(t can be a drag at times to write about cancer. But, it’s these moments that make what I do worthwhile.

What Are YOUR Thoughts?

What’s your favorite question about what you do? I’d love to hear in the comment section, below. I appreciate my readers as well as the writing community. To show that appreciation, I use Comment Luv. Just leave a comment below and your latest post will get a link next to it. Thank you!

About Heather Erickson

I am an author, writer, and speaker and homeschooling mom of 3. Since doctors diagnosed my husband, Dan with stage IV lung cancer in 2012, I’ve focused my writing and speaking on helping cancer patients and their families advocate for themselves and live life to the fullest, in spite of their illness. My goal is to help people face cancer with grace. My books are available at Amazon.com:

The Memory Maker’s Journal 

Facing Cancer as a Friend: How to Support Someone Who Has Cancer

Facing Cancer as a Parent: Helping Your Children Cope with Your Cancer

I also blog about living with cancer at Facing Cancer with Grace.