IWSG: New Schedule Progress and DVPit Day!


Brought to us by Alex J. Cavanaugh-sensei
and the Insecure Writer's Support Group.

Happy Hump Day!

I can't believe October is here. Anyone else failing on their Goodreads challenge this year? I feel like if I buckle down during November, I can catch up. Maybe do NaNoReadMo' lol. I'm so corny.

Anyway, I changed my blogging schedule last month, and I'm really enjoying it. I was even thinking to myself, "Do I post a blog yet? Do I do it now? Yay, I get to post what I'm reading!" And that's what I needed: to be excited about blogging again.

Today also is the second go-round for the DVPit contest for marginalized voices! I hope I'll have a chance to throw a couple of pitches out there. I read a very inspiring article about my hero, Issa Rae, and she said one of her goals is to show black people just being ordinary, and I love that. That's one of my goals, too. People need to see black people and other marginalized groups just plain living in stories, and that is what I plan to do in my books.

Now, the IWSG question for the month: When do you know if your story is ready?

Oh man, are WE supposed to know that? lol Um...well, I guess for most, when you have beta readers and critique partners tell you. For those of us not that lucky with maintaining either, I feel like it might be hit or miss. Overall, I'm relying mostly on myself, which is tough, but that's life sometimes.

10 comments:

Pat Garcia said...

So true. Good critique partners and beta readers are a must for writers. They catch so much that we overlook because we are so involved in what we're writing.
Shalom aleichem,
Patricia

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I don't think any of us know that answer for sure.
Good luck with the DVPit contest.

Sheena-kay Graham said...

I really like your answer to the monthly question Deb. Very honest. Diversity is important and I'm so happy to hear about seeing marginalized people living ordinary lives. Sorry but humans have a bad history dealing with what they define as 'exotic'.

Tonja Drecker said...

I don't think it's possible to ever 'know' that something's ready. It's more of a guess. And a hope. I love that you're concentrating on more marginalized people in normal situations. Good luck with the contest!

Susan Flett Swiderski said...

I think it's important to write about all kinds of people doing things and living lives that resonate with all of us. Not to show the differences, but more to show the sameness. One of my daughters-in-law is black, and when she read my novel, she said at first, she thought all of the characters in it were black, because they acted just like some of the black people she's known. I took that as a huge compliment. :)

Debra Renée Byrd said...

Yes! I had someone look at my first 5 who I'd never met, and her insight was amazing!

Debra Renée Byrd said...

Thank you, and so true! The sooner we're not "othered" the better.

Debra Renée Byrd said...

I think we should embrace our differences, but I do think people don't realize how much we are the same.

Diana Wilder said...

How did you do with the DVPit contest? Fingers crossed (it's been a week...) And it's good that your blog schedule was overhauled and is working. I've dropped off the face of the earth and am looking at what and when I post (and respond) with an eye to doing more, more intelligently.

Debra Renée Byrd said...

I got so many likes! I sent a bunch of queries out this past weekend, so I hope I get one or two bites.

Breaks are so good. I hated feeling like blogging was a chore.