The Insecure Writer's Support Group-September 2022

 

It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time to convene another meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group. Our leader Alex J. Cavanaugh has assembled a great group of co-hosts for this month: Kim Lajevardi, Cathrina Constantine, Natalie Aguirre, Olga Godim, Michelle Wallace, and Louise-Fundy Blue.

Be sure to check out the IWSG website for lots of great writing resources!

First of all, I would like to congratulate all of the authors involved in the latest IWSG Anthology, which is available now. It's called First Love: The Art of Making Doughnuts. It sounds sweet, right? Why not check it out? You can find links to this anthology and all past IWSG anthologies using this link.

The optional question for this month is: What genre would be the worst for you to tackle and why?

I've tried writing plenty of genres over the years. Science fiction, fantasy, humor, and some horror. I feel more confident with some genres over others. The one genre I've never felt fully comfortable writing is historical fiction. Why? There's a ton of research involved, but that in and of itself isn't intimidating. I love research. However, in creating a realistic historical tale, I'd be afraid of messing up too many details. The occasional idiosyncracy might be one thing, but if I were to make too many mistakes, readers might judge me harshly. I might look careless and incompetent. Weaving history and fiction together can be a daunting task, and I deeply admire those who do it well.

The one short story I wrote that could be considered somewhat historical is "Felix Was Here," which appeared in the first IWSG Anthology. It takes place between the 1920's and the 1940's, but it isn't truly historical fiction. It lives more in the realm of alternative history, which is science fiction. It's also less than 6,000 words long. I was comfortable enough writing it due to the length and the liberties I could take with history. Yes, research was needed, and I had to understand enough about history to make the setting believable, but I also had a lot of freedom to play around with events. That made it more fun, and I second guessed myself less.

So, that's my answer. I just find the idea of writing historicals intimidating. If you are a historical fiction writer, I'd like to tip my hat to you. You need to pay meticulous attention to historical details, norms, and customs while also crafting a compelling story. That cannot be easy.

Which genre intimidates you? Which genre can you not see yourself writing in the future?

The Insecure Writer's Support Group-July 2022

 

It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time for another meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group. Our leader Alex J. Cavanaugh has assembled a great group of co-hosts for this month: J. Lenni Dorner, Janet Alcorn, PJ Colando, Jenni Enzor, and Diane Burton.

Be sure to check out the IWSG website for great writing advice!

On a quick personal note, I'd like to wish my husband a happy birthday. He turns 35 today. I haven't told many people about this, but he had a health scare over the last few weeks. He was recently diagnosed with a rare form of skin cancer this week. He had surgery last week to remove the cancerous tissue, and the good news is, the surgeon was able to successfully remove it all. Now he just needs to finish healing from the surgery itself. It may be a few weeks before he regains full range of motion of his arm, but we're past the worst of it.

Now on to the optional question for this month: If you could live in any book world, which one would you choose?

This is a difficult choice. I can think of so many! In the realm of fantasy, it would be amazing to spend some time in the Harry Potter universe. I'd also like to spend some time in the world of Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. In that book, the protagonist Richard discovers there's an entire society of people living below London. The culture and magic of this world is so fasinating that I would love to explore it.

In the realm of science fiction, I'd love to spend some time in the universe of The Expanse series by James SA Corey. Granted, there are a lot of dangers, political and otherwise, that I'd prefer to avoid, by the prospect of being able to access various solar systems through the system of ring gates would be irresistable to me. I'd love to snag my own little ship and do some traveling.

Which book world would you like to live in?

The Insecure Writer's Support Group: June 2022

 

It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time to convene another meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group. Our host Alex J. Cavanaugh has assembled a great group of co-hosts this month: SE White, Cathrina Constantine, Natalie Aguirre, Joylene Nowell Butler, and Jacqui Murray.

Be sure to check out the IWSG website for great writing resources!

The optional question for this month is:  When the going gets tough writing the story, how do you keep yourself writing to the end? If have not started the writing yet, why do you think that is and what do you think could help you find your groove and start?

I often find myself getting stuck at some point during my writing journey. I often take a step back from the story for a day or two before coming back to it. Returning and looking it over with fresh eyes can sometimes reveal opportunities that I hadn't previously considered before. I also like to take notes and map out possible scenarios. Writing out short drafts of later scenes in the story can help me decide if a possible narrative path will work well.

Truth is, I don't always find a way to keep writing to the end. Sometimes I can't work my way through the issues I encounter with the story. When this happens, I save everything in case I end up coming back to it later. You never know when inspiration will strike, after all. Maybe I'll pick up the story years down the road with fresh new ideas. Or maybe I'll be looking through my old story files and find inspiration in them for a new idea I'm working on.

Try not to get discouraged when you get stuck. It happens to all of us. It all comes down to how you handle those normal struggles.

How do you keep yourself writing to the end?

The Insecure Writer's Support Group: May 2022

 

It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time to convene another meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group. Our esteemed leader Alex J. Cavanaugh has assembled some great co-hosts for this month: Kim Elliott, Melissa Maygrove, Chemist Ken, Lee Lowery, and Nancy Gideon.

Be sure to check out the IWSG website for lots of writing resources!

First of all, I would like to make an announcement regarding WEP. The winner's post for the April Challenge is now live. You can find that here.

Now on to the business of the day.

The optional question for this month is: It's the best of times; it's the worst of times. What are your writer highs (the good times)? And what are your writer lows (the crappy times)?

I've sure had a mixture of both, as I'm sure we all have. Personally, my favorite highs come from finding out I'm having a story published. When I found out that I won the 2015 and 2018 IWSG Anthology Contests, I was elated. Seeing my words in print makes all the struggles that come along with the writing process worth it. I'm sure publication counts as a high point for most.

When thinking about lows, rejection obviously came to mind. It always hurts to have a story rejected, but I think an even worse low than that comes from writer's block. If I'm submitting stories, that means the words are at least coming to me. I'm being productive, even if publication doesn't follow. The inability to get words on the page is far more demoralizing for me.

What are your writing highs and lows?

The Insecure Writer's Support Group: April 2022

 

It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time to convene another meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group. Our esteemed leader Alex J.  Cavanaugh has assembled a great group of co-hosts for this month: Joylene Nowell Butler, Jemima Pett, Patricia Josephine, Louise - Fundy Blue, and Kim Lajevardi.

Be sure to check out the IWSG website for great writing tools and advice!

Today is a big day in my house. My oldest son is 13 today. I can't believe how fast the time has gone. He's almost my height, and it'll probably be mere months before he surpasses me. He likes to say that once he does, he doesn't have to listen to me anymore. Ha ha! We both know that isn't true.

It's a pivotal time in my home in a lot of ways. In a few days, it'll be one year since we purchased the home we're living in now. Due to various reasons, it felt like we'd be renting forever. Finally being able to own our home gave us a sense of pride. We did it. Our house isn't perfect (it's 114 years old, so it's bound to have its imperfections), but it's solid and spacious enough for our family. I love it.

My other son is about to finish 5th grade. That means he's starting middle school next school year. I have a daughter starting Kindergarten in the fall. And my youngest daughter is starting preschool at the same time. My husband is successful in his career. I've lost 35 pounds and remain committed to my fitness journey.

So many great things. Yet, when it comes to my writing, my confidence is low. One issue is that I have a lot of demands on my time. I need to keep up with exercise and housework. I cook daily. Someone always needs help with their homework. These are all important things, and it's easy to use them as excuses.

One thing I've had to learn is that it's important to take care of myself. It's so easy to put myself on the back burner when so many others need me. My health started to suffer because of that. Now I'm trying to do better. But health isn't just about physical health. It's also about mental health. It's about doing the things for yourself that bring you joy. One of the things that brings me joy is writing, but I haven't devoted enough time to my writing lately. I've decided to carve out time to write and submit a couple of short stories in the next month or two. While I may not have a ton of free time, surely I can make enough time to accomplish this small goal.

Remember to take care of yourselves. What small things bring you joy?

The Insecure Writer's Support Group-February 2022

 

It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time to convene another meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group. Our host Alex J. Cavanaugh has gathered a wonderful bunch of co-hosts for this month: Joylene Nowell Butler, Jacqui Murray, Sandra Cox, and Lee Lowery.

Be sure to check out the IWSG website to find lots of writerly resources!

The question for this month is: Is there someone who supported or influenced you that perhaps isn't around anymore? Anyone you miss?

Both of my parents are gone now. They were definitely the first to influence my desire to be a writer. Reading and writing were a part of my home since I can remember. Growing up, our shelves were filled with books. My parents usually had a book they would read during quiet moments after a long day of work. My mom also liked to write stories in her spare time.

I saw those books, and I thought whoever made them must have had super powers. The idea of creating those complex worlds and characters on the page seemed beyond comprehension, but I wanted to harness that power for myself if I could.

When I started scribbling my first stories on the page, my parents encouraged me. They would ask about what I was writing. When I told them that I wanted to write novels someday, they accepted that as a perfectly fine answer. I've heard so many stories of children being pushed away from creative endeavors by their parents. I was fortunate this was never the case for me.

My parents might both be gone now, but I still carry that legacy with me.

Who influenced and encouraged you?

The Insecure Writer's Support Group-January 2022

 

It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time to convene another meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group! Our leader Alex J. Cavanaugh has recruited another wonderful bunch of co-hosts for this month: Erika Beebe, Olga Godim, Sandra Cox, Sarah Foster, and Chemist Ken.

Be sure to follow the IWSG website for great writing advice! The winners of the latest anthology contest are also being announced today, so be sure to check that out!

Rather than answer the optional question for today, I'd like to talk instead about resolutions. Yeah, I know, talking about resolutions in January isn't original, but it can still be quite helpful.

Some of you may have noticed that I haven't posted as part of IWSG for a little while. I wouldn't be lying by saying I've been busy. My kids and various other things have kept me quite busy. 

One thing I've been trying to do is lose weight and get back into shape. So far I've lost a little more than twenty pounds. I still have quite a way to go before I hit my goal, but I feel like that's a good start. Between focusing on that goal and juggling life with my kids, I've let my focus on my writing slip. Maybe it's easier to take the quiet moments I do find and use them to relax rather than motivate myself to put words on the page. Not that there's anything wrong with taking some quiet time, but I need to do a better job with how I manage that time. I need to motivate myself to get writing again.

So those are my resolutions. Continue improving my physical health, and carve out the time to write more. I know I can do it. It's just a matter of making it happen. Writing this post is one way of holding myself accountable and making things happen in 2022.

Have you made any resolutions for yourself?

The Insecure Writer's Support Group-September 2021

 

It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time for another meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group. Our leader Alex J. Cavanaugh has assembled a great group of co-hosts: Rebecca Douglass, T. Powell Coltrin @ Journaling Woman, Natalie Aguirre, Karen Lynn, and C. Lee McKenzie.

Be sure to check out the IWSG website for great advice for writers!

The optional question for this month is: How do you define success as a writer? Is it holding your book in your hand? Having a short story published? Making a certain amount of income from your writing?

For me, success depends on how the rest of my life is going. When things in my normal everyday life are chaotic and busy, success is getting words on the page. That was especially true over the summer when my kids were out of school.

Now that life is settling back into a normal routine, success would be finishing the novel that I'm currently working on, as well as getting a short story published again sometime in the near future. I'm really hoping I can get that done.

What does success look like to you?

The Insecure Writer's Support Group-August 2021

 

It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time for another meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group. Our leader Alex J. Cavanaugh has a great group of co-hosts for this month: PK Hrezo, Cathrina Constantine, PJ Colando, Kim Lajevardi, and Sandra Cox.

Be sure to check out the IWSG website for great writing resources!

The optional question for this month is: What is your favorite writing craft book? Think of a book that every time you read it you learn something or you are inspired to write or try the new technique. And why?

I've read a lot of great craft books over the years. If I find one I love, I keep it on my shelf and refer back to it often. The one I've been consulting the most as of late has been Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody. It takes the great advice from the original Save the Cat!, which is focused on screenwriting, and adapts it to novel writing.

This book looks a lot at various types of stories, story structure, and how structure helps to create a compelling narrative. It also breaks down many popular novels beat by beat, so it's easy to understand. I think this book has definitely helped me in my own writing.

What craft books do you love?

The Insecure Writer's Support Group-July 2021

 

Note: Sorry this post is up late! I had it written, but somehow forgot to schedule it. Silly me. Still, better late than never, right?

It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time to convene another meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group. Our leader Alex J. Cavanaugh has assembled a great group of co-hosts for this month: Pat Garcia, Victoria Marie Lees, Chemist Ken, and Louise-Fundy Blue.

Be sure to check out the IWSG website for great writing resources!

The optional question for this month is: What would make you quit writing?

I can't think of a scenario where I would ever quit writing. I go through dry periods where I struggle to write, but those always pass. Sometimes life gets crazy and I have to step back for a time, but I start to feel strange if I go too long without writing. I feel less like myself. I've been writing since I was a kid, so I guess it's just a fundamental part of who I am. It doesn't matter how many writing successes or failures I have. I'm going to keep writing. The only thing that could stop me is if I become physically incapable of writing.

Is there anything that could make you quit writing?

The Insecure Writer's Support Group: June 2021

 

Hello everyone! It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time to convene another meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group! Our leader Alex J. Cavanaugh has gathered a wonderful bunch of co-hosts for this month: J Lenni Dorner, Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, Lee Lowery, and Rachna Chhabria.

Before I answer the optional question for the month, I'd like to acknowledge why I haven't posted for this in a while. Life has been crazy lately. Don't worry, it's been a good kind of crazy. My husband and I did some house hunting. The process of finding a house and getting everything in place was intense. We finally found a house and officially purchased it in mid-April. Then came the intense process of moving and getting everyone settled in. That isn't easy when you have a family of six, but we did it. We love our new home, and the kids all agree that living in a house with two bathrooms is superior to living in a house with one.

Today is also me and my husband's anniversary. We've now been married for 14 years.

And lastly, my kids are finishing up the school year this week. They're definitely thrilled that it's almost summer.

Now on to the optional question for this month: For how long do you shelve your first draft before reading it and re-drafting? Is this dependent on your writing experience and the number of stories/books under your belt?

It often depends on the project. For a short story, I might wait a week before diving back in. When it comes to a novel, I need more time to distance myself from it. I say I like to wait at least a month, but no more than two. I need to be able to look at the project with fresh eyes, but if I wait too long, I'm afraid I'll never get back to it because my passion for it might begin to fade. That doesn't mean I haven't dusted off a project that I haven't looked at for a year or more. Sometimes reading something I wrote long ago can reignite those embers and get me excited for the project all over again.

I think I came up with this number from listening to the advice of fellow authors, as well as getting a sense of what works best for me over years of writing.

How long do you like to wait before redrafting a story or novel?

The Insecure Writer's Support Group: February 2021

 

It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time to convene another meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group. Our leader Alex J. Cavanaugh has assembled a some wonderful co-hosts for this month: Louise-Fundy Blue, Jennifer Lane, Mary Aalgaard, Patsy Collins at Womagwriter, and Nancy Gideon.

Be sure to check out the IWSG website for great writerly resources!

The optional question for this month is: Blogging is often more than just sharing stories. It’s often the start of special friendships and relationships. Have you made any friends through the blogosphere?

Blogging has definitely helped me find a community of friends I wouldn't have found otherwise. One of those communities of friends is the Insecure Writer's Support Group. It's always reassuring to know that my fellow writers have many of the same feelings of insecurity and self-doubt as I do, and I'm grateful for the opportunities that being a part of this group has offered over the years.

Another supportive community I found through blogging is Write...Edit...Publish. Being a part of this group helped me feel more comfortable sharing my writing with others. It's nice to have a place where you can exchange encouraging words and constructive criticism, all with the goal of strengthening our writing and building bonds between our fellow writers.

Has blogging helped you form friendships and/or communities that you wouldn't have found otherwise?

The Insecure Writer's Support Group: January 2021

 

It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time for another meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group. Our leader Alex J. Cavanaugh has assembled another great bunch of co-hosts for this month: Ronel Janse van Vurren, J. Lenni Dorner, Gwen Gardner, Sandra Cox, and Louise-Fundy Blue.

Be sure to check out the IWSG website for lots of great resources for writers!

January 6 question - Being a writer, when you're reading someone else's work, what stops you from finishing a book/throws you out of the story/frustrates you the most about other people's books?

That is an excellent question. For me, bad characterization can throw me out of an otherwise good story. I don't need the main character(s) to be perfect. Far from it. A flawed character feels real more real and can be quite engaging. What I do need is a character with a good voice that I can mesh with. I need a character who leaps off the page and brings me along for the ride with them. If their personality is too flat, or if it rubs me the wrong way, I can't always bring myself to read the story, no matter how good the other elements might be.

How does someone write a compelling character that keeps readers turning the page? I wish I knew all the secrets. I try, and sometimes I succeed. Sometimes something is off and I can't quite put my finger on it. I guess the key is to keep writing and to keep trying.

Happy New Year everyone!

The Insecure Writer's Support Group: December 2020

 

It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time for another meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group. Our leader Alex J. Cavanaugh has assembled another wonderful cohort of co-hosts for this month: Pat Garcia, Sylvia Ney, Liesbet @ Roaming About, Cathrina Constantine, and Natalie Aguirre.

Be sure to check out the IWSG website for great writerly resources!

The optional question for this month is: Are there months or times of the year that you are more productive with your writing than other months, and why?

Having kids in the house plays a large role in how much writing I get done at any given time. During the summer months, when all of the kids are out of school and home all the time, it's harder to focus on writing. I still manage to carve out times to write, but the opportunities are less abundant.

2020 started out productive for me, but when the schools shut down in March due to Covid, that made things a bit more difficult. I had to switch gears to help keep their learning on track at home, as well as mediate arguments between my restless children. This cut into my writing time as well. Lack of inspiration during this time also didn't help. The upheaval in normal life took its toll in multiple ways. It hasn't been easy recovering from that.

Still, I'm hoping the first half of 2021 will be a productive time for me as a writer.

Are there times of the year when you're a more productive writer?

The Insecure Writer's Support Group: November 2020

It's the first Wednesday of the month, and you know what that means! Let's kick off another meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group. Our leader Alex J. Cavanaugh has assembled another great group of co-hosts: Jemi Fraser, Kim Lajevardi, Tyrean Martinson, Rachna Chhabria, and me!

Be sure to check out the IWSG website for great writing resources!

The optional question for this month is: Albert Camus once said, "The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself." Flannery O'Connor said, "I write to discover what I know." Authors across time and distance have had many reasons to write. Why do you write what you write?

That is an excellent question, and I love these quotes. I don't know if I feel competent to keep civilization from destroying itself (there's a lot of pressure there in that statement), but I can certainly relate to what Flannery O'Connor is saying here. Writing can certainly be a process of self-discovery. I use it as such all the time.

However, in seeking to answer this question for myself, I can't help but think of how I first started writing. I made my first attempt at writing a novel when I was six years old. It was awful, I think that goes without saying, but I was eager to put words on the page.

My parents were avid readers when I was growing up, and I emulated that. I also lived out in the country, and though I had half-siblings, I spent most of my childhood as the only child in the house. At least I had a gigantic backyard to keep me entertained. I used to stalk about the yard, weaving around trees and pretending I was on a grand adventure. 

The moment I started learning how to write, I began to translate those imaginary adventures onto the page. Maybe it was the fact that I'd already fallen in love with reading. Perhaps I did it to keep myself entertained. Mostly likely, it was a combination of the two, and I've been writing ever since. I grew up as a writer.

So why do I write?

I write to be who I am.

That's my declaration. I wouldn't be me without writing. It's been such a formative part of my life that I can't see myself without it.

Why do you write?

The Insecure Writer's Support Group: October 2020

It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time to convene another meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group. Our leader Alex J. Cavanaugh has assembled another wonderful group of co-hosts: Jemima Pett, Beth Camp, Beverly Stowe McClure, and Gwen Gardner.

Be sure to check out the IWSG website for plenty of great resources for writers!

The optional question for this month is: When you think of the term working writer, what does that look like to you? What do you think it is supposed to look like? Do you see yourself as a working writer or aspiring or hobbyist, and if the latter two, what does that look like?

One thing I can say for certain is that, if you write, it is appropriate to call yourself a writer. You should never feel shame in claiming that label, even if you don't write as often as you'd like, or if you have yet to achieve publication. Someone who never allows their words to be read by another person can still be a writer.

That being said, there are certainly different types within that designation. When I think of the term working writer, I see that person as someone who writes regularly. A working writer is someone who, by their own standards, has achieved success in their writing career. A person who earns their living based solely on their writing is obviously a working writer, but that is also a pretty exclusive club. If that's the definition of a working writer, there aren't a whole lot of them out there.

No, that definition is too narrow. It excludes too many people. How about expanding it to include writers who use their income to supplement what they earn from their day jobs?  Or writers who do this in addition to caring for children or enjoying their retirement years? Well, that certainly helps. Even so, do we want to exclude writers that don't yet earn money from their work? Or writers that don't do it for the goal of earning money, but for some other reason entirely?

The trouble with defining what it means to be a working writer is that there's no correct answer. The definition varies depending on who you ask. After some thought, I've come up with some questions we can all ask ourselves to decide if we're working writers.

-What does success as a writer mean to you?

-Have you yet achieved this success?

-If you haven't achieved your definition of success, do you have a plan in place to help you get there?

-Are you striving every day to stick to that plan to the best of your ability?

If you can say that you are indeed striving to achieve success (in whatever form that might take for you), then I think you can consider yourself a working writer.

Working off of that, I think an aspiring writer is someone who wants to be a working writer, but they're not yet certain what their vision of success is or how to get there. They know they love writing, and they know they want it to be a concrete part of their lives. They simply need time to develop a roadmap for themselves.

So what does it mean to be a hobbyist? I guess, to me, that means someone is simply writing for fun with no real goal aside from enjoyment. The hobbyist writes recreationally when they have the time or the inclination to do so. They don't do it in the hopes of making it big someday.

So which am I? I honestly have no idea. I feel as if I'm stuck somewhere between the aspiring writer and the working writer. I do my best to write when I can, and I know where I want to go with my writing career. What I lack is the concrete plan to achieve that success. Life keeps pulling me away. 

What kind of plan should I enact to strike the balance between writing and the other aspects of my life so I can achieve the success I crave? I don't know yet, I'm working toward figuring it out.

What does being a working writer mean to you?

The Insecure Writer's Support Group-September 2020

It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time for another meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group! Our leader Alex J. Cavanaugh has assembled a wonderful bunch of co-hosts for this month: PJ Colando, J Lenni Dorner, Deniz Bevan, Kim Lajevardi, Natalie Aguirre, and Fundy Blue.

Be sure to check out the IWSG website for great writerly advice!

I wanted to talk about how hard it can be to write sometimes. During times of stress, getting words onto the page can feel a bit like pulling teeth. It doesn't help that this struggle is often coupled with insecurity. There have been many times in the last few months that I force myself to write something, only to look at it with doubt. Is this any good? Did I waste my time? I've heard it said that you can't edit a blank page, but what if what I've written is so bad that it would only make sense to delete it and start from scratch?

Am I alone in feeling this? Surely I can't be. I think a lot of us have had those dark moments. And in a year as topsy-turvy as 2020, we need to be a bit more forgiving of ourselves. In looking through various articles and social media posts, I've seen that a lot of creative people have been struggling this year.

I remember when quarantine started, I thought it would be a good opportunity to be productive. The more time you have, the more productive you can be, right? That sounds nice in theory, but as it turns out, pursuing creative endeavors requires more than time. It also requires the right mindset, and that can be harder to achieve when all of life is stressful and uncertain.

This year still feels up in the air. I don't know what's going to happen next, nor does anyone else. Yet I feel like I'm making progress again. I've been writing more. I've finished short projects again, and I'm diving back into writing a novel. I'm not moving as fast as I was at the beginning of the year, but I'm making strides. Why? Maybe it helps that I've been more forgiving of my short comings. I've been trying to beat myself up less when I fall short of a goal. Being angry with yourself doesn't make productivity come. It only leads to more stress.

If you've been struggling with your writing, be kind to yourself. You can continue to push yourself without the negativity of self-doubt. Set smaller, more attainable goals. And if you need a break to do something nice for yourself, do it. Take a walk. Watch a beloved movie or TV show. Do anything that will help you relax. Then make yourself pick back up where you left off and try writing again. Find balance between work and play wherever you can.

I don't know how much this advice means to you, but it's helped me. What do you do when you struggle with writing? What leisurely activities bring you joy when stress overwhelms you?

The Insecure Writer's Support Group: August 2020

It looks like the first Wednesday of the month snuck up on me this time around. I apologize for running late with my post for The Insecure Writer's Support Group. Our leader Alex J. Cavanaugh has assembled a great group of co-hosts once again: Susan Baury Rouchard, Nancy Gideon, Jennifer Lane, Jennifer Hawes, Chemist Ken, and Chrys Fey.

Be sure to check out the IWSG website for great writerly advice!

The optional question for this month is: 

Quote: "Although I have written a short story collection, the form found me and not the other way around. Don't write short stories, novels or poems. Just write your truth and your stories will mold into the shapes they need to be." Have you ever written a piece that became a form, or even a genre, you hadn't planned on writing in? Or do you choose a form/genre in advance?

When I set out to write a story, I have a rough idea of what it's going to be. Sometimes I even have a plot worked out. This in no way guarantees things won't change during the writing process. I have many examples of this, but I'll speak specifically about a project I'm working on right now.

My current WIP takes place on a space station near Saturn, so it's pretty clearly science fiction. The story started out as a YA story. Why? I knew I wanted to deal with characters who were finishing school and trying to figure out how to scrape together a living on a space station, where the economic opportunities are somewhat more limited than they would be on earth. That generates a lot of conflict on its own and is an interesting topic to examine. I wrote about 90K of this story, and while I like a lot of it, I knew something about it wasn't working. I thought about it for a while and decided I needed to age my characters up a bit. They needed a little more experience in this economic reality. In the end, I only aged them up a couple of years. It's enough to officially boot the book out of the YA category, at least. My characters are still young and learning the ropes, but they also have a bit of valuable experience informing their decisions. How will this rewrite ultimately go? I'm not far enough into it to know for certain, but I'm hopeful.

It can feel daunting when your story needs to take a different direction than you initially planned, but that's a part of being a writer. Being open to that change is a crucial part of creating the best stories we can.

Do you stick to the genre/form you set out to write in, or do your tales sometimes transform as you write them?

The Insecure Writer's Support Group: July 2020

It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time for another meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group. Alex J. Cavanaugh has gathered another group of wonderful co-hosts for this month: Jenni Enzor, Beth Camp, Liesbet @ Roaming About, Tyrean Martinson, and Sandra Cox.

Be sure to visit the IWSG website for great writing resources!

This has been a crazy couple of weeks for us at home. One of the tendons in my husband's leg snapped while he was at work not long ago. The good news is that it isn't a major one, so surgery isn't necessary. Since the tendon helped to support his knee, he will need to do physical therapy to ensure his knee doesn't give out a few years down the road. He also had an issue with one of his feet during this time. So he was off work a little more than a week, and we've been focused on getting him feeling better. Now that he's back to work, hopefully there will be a relative return to normalcy around here.

As things at home have been so crazy lately, I haven't done a lot in terms of writing. I want to change that. As such, I went searching through writing related quotes to boost my inspiration. I came across this one, which was just what I needed to see right now.

“The scariest moment is always just before you start.” -Stephen King

It isn't easy to get back into the swing of things. It can be downright intimidating at times, but that's okay. The important thing is to press on and keep writing.

Have a happy July everyone!

The Insecure Writer's Support Group

It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time for another meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group. Our leader Alex J. Cavanaugh has assembled another group of marvelous co-hosts: Pat Garcia, J.Q. Rose, and Natalie Aguirre.

Be sure to check out the IWSG website for lots of writing advice and resources!

Here is the optional question for this month: Writer's have secrets! What are one or two of yours, something readers would never know from your work?

This is a tricky but fun question. It's tricky, because I've shared a lot about myself on this blog over the years. I think my biggest secret that I'm a little embarrassed about is how disorganized I can be with my writing sometimes. I try to plot, and I keep track of my word counts. These are simply meager attempts to get a handle on the chaos that is my writing process.

I can never write a story in sequential order. I hop in between scenes in an attempt to get an overview of the story as a whole. It's almost as if I need to write a scene for each of the major plot points in the story before I go back and fill in the rest. It's part of my process, and while it feels chaotic in the moment, it ultimately seems to work out.

As for non-writing related secrets someone might not know about me, I drink most of my cups of coffee cold. This isn't because I prefer to drink them cold, either. It happens purely through circumstance. Sometimes I get involved in something and forget I have a cup of coffee. Other times I have to put it up because my daughters both love grabbing at my coffee, so I can't have it within their reach out of fear they might burn themselves. The end result either way is cold coffee. And even though I would rather drink it hot, I'll still take it at whatever temperature I can because I want the caffeine.

Lastly, I'd like to wish my husband a Happy Anniversary! As of yesterday, we've been married 13 years.

What secrets do you have?