Wednesday, April 5, 2017

THOUGHTS OF AN INSECURE WRITER



Here we are the first Wednesday of the month, time for another IWSG Post. I realize I haven’t posted anything since my last IWSG update and I’ve been totally lax about getting out and visiting you my blog friends. For that I apologize.

At the beginning of the year I took the admonition to stop writing about writing and simply write to heart. That’s when I resurrected one of my WIP’s and tried to turn it into a short story for an Anthology submission. Last month I was proud to report that I accomplished the task and overcame my insecurities enough to hit that submit button. This month I regret to inform you that my short story was rejected for publication. I admit I had a day of sorrow and ate a pint (actually I don’t think those cartons are a full pint any longer) of Ben & Jerry’s. The next day I was back at it working on self-edits of my first love, my ‘WIP Far Away Eyes’.

I joined a few on-line writing groups and have found some beta readers who are going over my work as fast as I churn it out. I’m about half way through and once I finish up looking over the suggestions of this batch of betas, I’m hoping to send it on to some trusted people who have beta read for me in the past. I sure do hope I’m getting better.

Aside from the time and effort I’m putting in on self-edits and beta suggestions, I’ve been reading like mad various articles and books about the craft. I started out as a blogger to support my writing and somewhere along the line became completely distracted with blogging, chatting, and in general procrastinating working on my ‘real’ writing.

Don’t get me wrong, the blogging community has been a tremendous help with my writing, but I have to work real hard to stop focusing on all those chickens running past my window each day. I appreciate the help so many of you have been to me. I really appreciate the help and inspiration I’ve received through my participating in the IWSG. It’s nice not to feel ‘alone’ in this singularly endeavor.

There you have it in a nutshell…my reason for all but abandoning the blogosphere. I do intend to post the first Wednesday of each month for the IWSG – ‘God willing, and the creek don’t rise’ (Recently that’s more literal than you would think-the snow pack in the Sierra is tremendous.). And I promise to try and carve out some time to visit more on Wednesday April 5, but if I’m sincere in my wishes to change my status from writer to author I must ignore the chickens, no matter how delightful they appear and concentrate on finishing up the WISP and beginning the query process.

My best wishes to all and any who read this and a hope that your fondest dreams may come true as I work to fulfill mine. I’ll look forward to seeing you at that book signing, either yours or mine, it will be a wonderful time.
I do plan to return for the Write, Edit, Publish writing challenge on April 19. Maybe we can catch up at that time.

Congratulations the The IWSG for making it onto the Writers Digest 100 Best Websites for Writers.

Take the time to stop by and thank Mr. Alex J. Cavanaugh ( the inspiration behind the IWSG) and this months co-hosts. Click on over HERE to find the list of other participants. Visit as many as you have time for. I promise you won't be disappointed.

See that little ballerina on the far right; that's me in one of my earlier dance classes (not really, but it could have been). Those are the kids voted most likely to become a writer. HA!

23 comments:

  1. Good luck with the writing!
    It's difficult to juggle the writing/reading/visiting, so I understand your need to withdraw from the blogosphere.
    See you on the WEP circuit later this month.
    Happy IWSG Day!

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    1. Thanks Michelle. Tough decisions sometime, but important to get my priorities in order

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  2. Sorry your story didn't make the cut.
    There are a lot of bloggers who just post for this day now and that's all right. It keeps you connected and supporter.
    Now, ignore the chickens and write.

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    1. It is helping. I want to stay connected, just can't afford to be so fully involved.

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  3. You know, I think it takes a rejection to get us serious about the buiz. No successful author has avoided rejection. It's just a part of our reality. Good on you for getting through that one and powering on!

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  4. I wrote about writing since I started my blog, but I ran out of ideas and stem. My posts this year are more personal and about my interests, which is fun and refreshing for me.

    If you're reading like mad about the craft, you'd enjoy our brand new book club (if you haven't joined already.) :D

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    1. I saw the book club and need to sign up. Looks like fun.

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  5. Make those chickens cross a road and write away haha Only blog when you can, makes things a lot better.

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  6. The time blogging takes is a huge reason why I've been blogging once a month. I found otherwise I was blogging more than I was writing. Sometimes we have to shift our priorities to get things done. :)

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  7. I hope your determination and effort bring all of your chickens (not other people's) home to rooost. And hooray for Alex.

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  8. Hello FAE! Blogging is indeed a time sucker and once we prioritise our writing, we have to cut back. I blog irregularly, but I guess it averages out to about fortnightly.
    Like you, I'm seriously teaching myself the craft of writing. I've been writing for years. I've mastered flash fiction, short story and non-fiction, but writing a novel takes a lot more knowledge. It's plot and structure I've been working on as that's my weakness. I'm learning to set it up at the beginning of every chapter and check for motivation/reaction. There are a lot of great websites which teach this and I'll add just one to the bottom of this. James Scott Bell also has a free pdf which I keep open on my laptop all the time. Go, go, go. Write, write, write.

    Janelyn Voight is one of my favourites. She goes into plotting using the 3-Act structure.

    http://livewritebreathe.com/plotting-a-novel-in-three-acts-opening-scene/

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    1. Thanks Denise, you certainly aren't kidding when you say it takes a lot of work and reworking, and reworking. I'm currently editing and rewriting and reediting. Some days it feels like I'll never get it right, or at least to my standards. Thanks for the link. I'll check it out.

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  9. >>... At the beginning of the year I took the admonition to stop writing about writing and simply write to heart.

    I sure hope that when you make it big as a writer, when you're wealthy and you are a household name, that you will remember the SEXY SANTA who gave you that great advice and you will show him your appreciation in a way that he can spend.
    [;o)}

    (Is the check in the mail yet?)

    ~ D-FensDogG
    Check out my new blog @
    (Link:] Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...

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  10. You have to focus on what you really want to do. Sounds like you're make progress. Don't worry, we'll still be here whenever you have time to wander back.

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    1. Thanks LD. It's been a long road, I feel bad about basically abandoning my blog, but I struggle with focus on a good day, so it's important I don't set myself up to fail.

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  11. Would U please help a plethora of King Size, wildchild, rawkuss poetry/wordz which are lookin 4 a home in thy novelty?? Thx. Whew. They're pretty insane. They're bereft of reason. Oi! Blimey! They're bloody PINK spiders!!

    Gotta lotta gobba shrewd, surreal, supersonic, sardonic satires, sassy N savvy elixers N electronic elegance ( ...and palpable nuance) on our YOUTHwitheTRUTH blogs. Wannum? Have'm. N'joym. Gettm outta my hair!!!

    How mucha wanna betcha our sugar-high-mojo, antioxident, hot-shot, full-throttle, pleasure-beyond-measure, fuse-blowin-exploits R a copious madhouse of one lavish bookay D.O.A.? Our proFUSE NRGod who leads U.S. to explosive fairy-tales in the 'one-stop-shop' symphony Upstairs? God's the BigDude, the Owner of ElysianFields, the Grand Prize, the Austere Overdrive, NoPurchaseNecessary: our bombastic tenaCITY on a Hill which'll plant the Seeds 4u2 grow-up to new N greater heights!! Mama mia! Thatsa good pasta!!

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    ReplyDelete