Doubt is ever lurking (IWSG)

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great break and that all is well. Thank you so much to Alex and his awesome co-hosts!

It is a new year and I would like to say that I have shed every one of my nasty little insecurities. Unfortunately, I must confess that I still have a ton of doubts and fears. The difference today is that they no longer keep me from writing or taking action with regards to my creativity. But, there is one thing I truly fear. That my first book was a fluke and that I don’t have what it takes to write another, or make writing a full-time job. Even though I tell myself that every time I finish a sentence on my current project, that I’m proving my own fear wrong. That doesn’t stop me from doubting myself. All I can do is keep hammering away and keep on writing.

How are you doing today?

The Insecure Writers Support Group was created by the talented Mr. Alex J. Cavanaugh so that writers can share their insecurities and/or encourage others who need support with their own. You can visit Alex Here, or if you want to join us in discussing our insecurities on the first Wednesday of each month, you are welcome to join by going Here.

Winding down for the year

The time has come for me to say Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my online friends. It has truly been a pleasure hanging out with you. Thank you so much for all the love and support I've gotten this year. You make me feel very happy and blessed.

Please be safe during the holidays and celebrations. If you drive, do so carefully, as others can be crappy drivers this time of year. Wishing you and your families many blessings.

Drastic measures

I have been stuck with book 2 for ages now. I've read many of my fellow bloggers say that book 2 can be the hardest book to write and I had disagreed then, but I agree now. Fresh ideas were simply eluding me.

So, I did the only thing I could do. I started over. Yes. I tossed my rewrites aside this weekend and decided to do the crazy thing and start the story over . . . from scratch. Since doing that, I've been spoiled for choice with possible story ideas. Granted, the story is going in a completely different direction than my original outline. But I think this might be for the best. Who knows, maybe some scenes from the original might just be salvageable.

The winner is in!

The winner of my first (on the blog) giveaway is Alex J. Cavanaugh! Congratulations, Alex! Whoop, Whoop. I will email you shortly.

Don't be afraid (IWSG)

Thank you so much to Alex, his co-hosts and the entire IWSG team for having made 2015 such a great year. You guys are amazing. 

Today I'm not going to share my insecurities, even though I have plenty. Instead, I want to encourage everyone to embrace who they are, as a person and writer. Don't be like me, afraid of everything. Be proud to be a writer. Be proud to be yourself. Just when I think I'm comfortable being myself, someone mentions something I don't want to hear and my confidence as a person and writer goes crashing down. Please, don't let others change who you are. Be you. Unafraid and unashamed.

The Insecure Writers Support Group was created by the talented Mr. Alex J. Cavanaugh so that writers can share their insecurities and/or encourage others who need support with their own. You can visit Alex Here, or if you want to join us in discussing our insecurities on the first Wednesday of each month, you are welcome to join by going Here.

Getting personal . . . How much do you read a day?

"If you don't have time to read, you don't have time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that." - Stephen King.

Hey! I like Stephen King. But I feel like he's talking about me in the above quite. I enjoy reading. I love writing. But how much does one need to read a day for it to be considered reading? The past few months I've decided to keep my reading for bedtime. Because it's so late, I don't end up reading a lot. Maybe a few pages, sometimes a whole chapter. Do you think that's enough? I do.

I bring this up because me and my cousin have been talking about books. We don't read the same authors, but she reads a lot more than me, even though she has an actual day job. She probably averages a book a day, while I probably read a book a month. I know, know! I can feel you rolling your eyes at me. But is reading a book a month acceptable for a writer?

Well, I have a reason for it. When I write, I don't read books in my genre. Mostly non-fiction. However, when I edit, I can read anything I like without it competing or messing with my own ideas/ creativity. When editing, I tend to read a lot more, than when I'm writing.

So, how much time do you spend reading a day? Am I a bad reader? Let me know.


Exciting news!
Everyone who leaves a comment on this post will be entered into a draw and one person will win an e-book of The Amaranthine, by yours truly. Just mention in the comment whether you would like an E-pub or Mobi version. The winner will be announced on Thursday. Good-luck!

Not for everyone

Every writer has their own process of creating their works. I truly believe that. What starts muddling things up for me, is when the legends in writing start giving advice and instead of holding true to our own unique creation processes, we change what works, to do what the legend does. After all, their works are legendary. What makes me qualified to ignore their expert advice? I have the answer. The fact that my brain works differently.

When I decided that I would like to be a published writer, I started reading up on the craft of writing. All those books advise you to find a critique group, or ask a few fellow writers to critique your work and after that, find beta readers to go over your manuscript again. So, that is exactly what I did. I won't lie, their feedback was invaluable. I learned a lot.

Having said the above, my personality and writing doesn't do well during those two processes. I was so insecure during the critiquing process of my first book, that if someone said I should add a clown, I did. After all, this was my first book, what do I know? It was nobody's fault, but my own. I didn't know better.

Having now been through the whole process and having published a novel, I want to do things a bit differently next time. So, no critique partners this time around. Just me and my editor. I may try the beta readers process again, but I also may not. Still not decided on this one. If people hate my book, because they didn't like the story, or how the novel unfolded and it's true to my vision, then fine. I can deal with that. But presenting a book I'm proud of and which holds true to my artistic vision is the most important thing for me at the moment. No more people pleasing. I just can't please everyone.

I'm still stuck with book 2, but I'm slowly returning to a functional human again. So, hopefully the rewrites of book 2 will come along better now.

So, do you prefer working with critique partners, or without them?