Insecure Writer's Support Group: Backdraft

 

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!

And welcome to another installment of the Insecure Writer's Support Group, where we can throw our cares to the wind and talk about writing with a bunch of other writers. Please join us by following our fearless leader Alex J. Cavanaugh and signing up at the official Insecure Writer's Support Group website.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of finally getting to meet Wahida Clark, the Queen of Street Lit, to discuss plans for my new release date. She is so sweet, and I can't wait to continue this journey with SFF/For the Culture. More news will be coming, probably by the next IWSG post! There are 5 Wednesdays this month, though, so it might be sooner than that. =D

This month's question is about our writing process, hence the silly addition to this post's title: For how long do you shelve our first draft before reading it and re-drafting? Is this dependent on your writing experience and the number of stories/books under your belt?

Once I hit The End, from advice of other writers, I don't touch the book for about a month. The entire time I'm writing, I'm editing as well, which is a bad habit, but I'm a proofreader/editor by nature, so I don't try not to do it anymore, unless I'm doing NaNoWriMo. You need to breathe after you finish that first draft, because if you go right back into it after finishing, your eyes won't be fresh enough. Go to a new story, or even just do something else for the month. Just don't tempt yourself with the one you just finished!

BOOK NEWS for Fractured Princess! (IWSG)

It's Revenge of the Fifth! Happy May, and welcome to the Insecure Writer's Support Group, where we throw our insecurities to the wind and celebrate each other for our accomplishments! You can visit the website and our founder, Alex J. Cavanaugh, for the list of co-hosts for the month and other participants, as well as join us by signing up!

Big book news for me: Fractured Princess was cleared to go to copy editing! My publisher said it didn't need developmental edits, but I sent them the developmental edit I did anyway, because there were some things I needed to fix for continuity/plot holes. I'm very excited that they found it flawless haha. My English degree paid off, figuratively speaking. Heh. So more news will be coming soon!

This month's question: Have any of your readers ever responded to your writing in a way that you didn't expect? If so, did it surprise you?

I don't have that many readers yet, but I will say in an early draft of one of my books, my sister asked me a question that actually changed the path of the relationship of two of my characters. She asked if they were going to get together, and I said no. Then, she said, "Why not?" And that was that, and all I'll say about that. hahaha

What about you all?

Insecure Writer's Support Group

 

Happy April!

I'm currently on a blogging break, but I did want to pop in to answer this month's Insecure Writer's Support Group question! You can visit the website and our founder, Alex J. Cavanaugh, for the list of co-hosts for the month and other participants, as well as join us by signing up!

This month's question is: Are you a risk-taker when writing? Do you try something radically different in style/POV/etc. or add controversial topics to your work?

I don't know if I'm a huge risk-taker. I probably have a darker focus in my work than other YA/NA writers. I've never been afraid to have more gruesome scenes or imagery in my stories, even when I was a kid. I grew up in a Stephen King-loving household, so I'm sure that has something to do with it.

Actually, Style/POV-wise, I decided to write the Shattered Chronicles series in present tense to pull myself more into it emotionally, and I know present tense might be considered a risk. I hardly notice the tense in books when I read them unless it suddenly changes, so it's not something I consider a risk, but I know others don't like it. Makes no difference to me. :)

What about you?

Insecure Writer's Support Group

 

My day has been so busy I totally forgot to post. And who can believe that it's already March?? That means it's time for another installment of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Please visit the website, as well as our founder, Alex J. Cavanaugh to visit the co-hosts and other writers to connect with!

So, I had to write a 5-paragraph bio for my publisher, and whew! I hope it wasn't trash. I felt like I gave them my life story, and that I was back in college writing the weakest but still C-able essay. HAHA. We'll see if I need to fix it. I need to finish looking back over the second half of FP before the editor needs it.

What I really need to do is take a couple of days off (which, let me go ahead and ask my boss now) and try to break out of government and secretary work. I'm over both. I'm in my mid-thirties. I need to do what I love, and this isn't it.

Anyway, this month's question is: Everyone has a favorite genre or genres to write. But what about your reading preferences? Do you read widely or only within the genre(s) you create stories for? What motivates your reading choice?

I usually read whatever the wind blows into my view. I've read fantasy, mystery, romance, horror, thrillers, adult, YA, children's books, manga, comics, graphic novels, sci-fi, etc. As long as the premise is good, I'll give it a try. If you can give me a fantasy with romance, you have hit my sweet spot. :D

How about y'all?

Insecure Writer's Support Group

Happy Black History Month!

Please support black authors not just in February, but every month.

We exist 365 days of the year.

It's the first Wednesday in February, so it's time for the Insecure Writer's Support Group's first post of the year. Please visit the website and our great founder, Alex J. Cavanaugh, as well as the co-hosts for the month, which can be found on Alex's website.

This month's optional question for IWSG: 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?

There are people whose blogs I visit every month, but I don't think I've made friends through blogging. I don't frequent the blogosphere like I used to, and I'm an introvert so it's not something that really crosses my mind.

In other news, I've slowly started getting back into reading, and I did a pre-edit of Fractured Princess's second edition with some tips my editor's already given me, so I won't have to rush through fixing things when she finally gets to my book. I'm happy with the changes, none super big, but certainly an improvement, in my opinion.

I hope you all have a great day! See you around the blogosphere.

IWSG: Happy New Year!

 

And we're back! Happy New Year! It is the first Wednesday of January 2021! I can't believe how 2020 felt like the longest and shortest year at the same time, but I'm grateful that it's over.

We are jumping right back into the swing of things with the Insecure Writer's Support Group's first post of the year. Please visit the website and our great founder, Alex J. Cavanaugh, as well as the co-hosts for the month, which can be found on his website.

After NaNoWriMo, I took an unexpected break in December. Trying to write over a thousand words a day for 30 days is not something I like to do, or was even able to do, especially having a full time job and a lot of other responsibilities. But it was good to know I could write every day. My goal this year is just write more, and get back into reading. I certainly acquired enough e-books to get me through a few years.

Each month, there is an optional question for the group, and this month's is: 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?

I want to say one of the big reasons I don't finish a book is because the writing is bad, but I have 15 unfinished books on my Goodreads list, so let me look through some of my reviews on why.

-problematic tropes towards minorities (stumbled on that a few times, looks like)

-stagnant plots (I gave one book 3 stars and still didn't finish it! I'm almost sure it was moving too slowly.)

-inactive main characters (why are the supporting characters doing all the work?)

-implausibility

-forced romance

-and yes, bad writing (clichés, redundancies, info dumps, awkward/bad sentence structures)

If there is a combination of the above, as there was in at least 3 of the 15, then I definitely don't finish.

I'd love to hear some of your answers, too!

IWSG: NaNoWriMo Update & Productivity

 

My cousin said it best: we are finally at Level 12 of Jumanji. Happy December! It's the first Wednesday of the month, so that means it's time for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. As always, thank you to Alex J. Cavanaugh and this month's co-hosts for doing the hard work of visiting us all. This platform has grown so much since I first joined. It's wild.

So, this was the first year I did NaNoWriMo and STUCK WITH IT! Back in the day, if I didn't hit 1,667 words, I immediately gave up and just watched from the sidelines. This year, I decided to give it a try, as 1) I have a publisher and 2) I have a story I need to work on. The first 6 days, I actually overshot the 1,667 words a day. By the 7th day, I got stuck and needed to rearrange some things, so I only hit 242 words, and I decided that that was okay. I even got some encouragement on Twitter from other writers who told me it's not that you reach 1,667 every day but that you write every day. So after the first week, some days I might've written only a hundred or few hundred words, and other days I wrote over 1,000 words. The most I wrote in a day was 2,243 words. I reached over 2,000 twice! On the 30th, I wrote 1,868 words, ending my NaNoWriMo with 30,575 new words for my urban fantasy WIP, totaling an approximate 33K words altogether. I think that's pretty good, and now I know I can write every day if I put some time in, even just 20 minutes. I was in a writing group, and we did sprints together, so having the support definitely helped, too. I think I can say for certain that I might finally be back in the writing groove. =D

Okay, the monthly question really quickly, so this doesn't get too long: Are there months or times of the year that you are more productive with your writing than other months, and why? 

Um...I don't think so? I mean, I could easily say November, but that was "by force." ;) It's definitely a little easier to write in my office, because work is easy going, and I don't have my tv or video games to distract me, so this "COVID season" has definitely not been productive for me.

How about everyone else? How did you do with NaNo? Do you have months that you're more productive with your writing?

Insecure Writers Support Group: Into The Place Where You Dream

 

Happy November!

I can't believe this year is already up, but I guess it's a good thing when 3/4 of it has been in quarantine. Here's to a better 2021, even though we still have December. On the bright side, November is also the start of the Holiday Season, beginning with Thanksgiving, my favorite "2-day" holiday (gotta finish those leftovers)!

How is everyone doing with NaNoWriMo? I've successfully gotten through the first 3 days! I think having a publisher to answer to put a fire under my butt. Ha. I'm taking it a day at a time, because if I think about the fact that I have 27 more days to write 1,667 words (well a little less, because I'm actually averaging 1,735 words right now, and the website lowers the bar daily when you write over 1,667) EACH DAY, I will go into panic mode. I'm also writing with a group of other writers in a bigger group called Black Girl Gamers. I joined maybe a month before my mom passed, so these ladies have been a big comfort to me this year. If you're trying NaNoWriMo alone and struggling, try to look for some friends who can join you and support you through it. But also, it's okay if you don't reach 1,667. I have to tell myself that, too, so I don't get disappointed in myself. The important thing is you're writing.

All right, onto this month's question: Albert Camus once said, “The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself.” Flannery O’Conner 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?

Robert Olen Butler said "Art doesn't come from the mind. It comes from where you dream." I'm a big dream writer. I dream vividly, and in color, which is apparently rare, but I know many people who dream in color, so I have questions. Anyway, I write to share what sick and twisted thoughts are in my mind, and to create worlds others can escape into from time to time. Sometimes you can find a moral. Sometimes, meh. As a black woman writing fantasy, I also want younger black girls who love fantasy books and video games that it's okay and they're not alone in what they love.

Why do you write what you write?

Insecure Writer's Support Group: A Working Writer

 

HAPPY OCTOBER!

It's already time for another installment of the Insecure Writer's Support Group! As always, a big thank you to Alex J. Cavanaugh for all of the work he does. Visit his website to view the co-hosts for this month. You can also join us by visiting the IWSG website.

I'm going to dive right into the question for this month: 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 latter two, what does that look like?

I've never heard of the term working writer, but simply put, it sounds like someone who has made their career and living from being a writer. They don't need a day job; writing is that for them. As a writer, it's the dream. I do not consider myself any of the three terms. A lot of people confuse aspiring writer with aspiring author. If you're writing already, then you're a writer. I was an aspiring author until I self-published. I may be an aspiring working writer. A day job is good and all, but it's certainly not my passion.

What are your thoughts?

IWSG: The Dinner Party Question Revamped

 HAPPY SEPTEMBER!

It's already about to be Fall, my favorite season, but it is also the first Wednesday of the month, which means it's time for another installment of the Insecure Writer's Support Group! As always, a big thank you to Alex J. Cavanaugh for all of the work he does. Visit his website to view the co-hosts for this month. You can also join us by visiting the IWSG website.

This month's optional question is: If you could choose one author, living or dead, to be your beta partner, who would it be and why?

Just one?? Eesh. Because she is still alive, and I have a small chance of meeting her one day, I won't say my favorite living author, N.K. Jemisin. I would be terrified to let her see a beta version of my work, even though I'm sure she would be really nice about it.

My official answer is my favorite author who is not living, and that is Octavia Butler. Her writing changed my life and my outlook on being a speculative fiction writer so much. She even had a similar experience with her mom about not writing "normal" fiction. I would love to pick her brain about my writing style and choices.

Though I'd still be terrified a little.

Let me hear your answers!

IWSG: Writing In Formation?

Well, here is how August is going so far: I was on preliminary quarantine because I came in contact with someone whose whole family decided to get together for a party and with no safety precautions, thus contracting COVID-19. Fortunately, my sister and I tested negative. Then yesterday, Delaware was hit with tornadoes during Hurricane Isaias. Happy 2020!

The first Wednesday of the month is set aside for the monthly Insecure Writer's Support Group post. If you're a writer, you can join us by visiting the website. Also, stop by the founder's website: Alex J. Cavanaugh, and the hosts for the month to thank them for their hard work!

The question for the month comes with a 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?

I usually know the genre. Sometimes I write scenes that I think belong in one story, but as the story unfolds, the scene no longer works, so I save it until I find its proper place.

I used to try to write short stories, but I feel like they would be too long or rushed. I'm also terrible at standard poetry. I think I'm better at haiku and novels. But if a story comes to me that finishes before I expect it to, I won't stop it.

How about you?

Insecure Writer's Support Group: Industry Changes

It is the 1st of July and the first Wednesday of the month, so that means it is time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group post. Thank you to Alex J. Cavanaugh and the co-hosts this month for keeping this program alive for writers to share their insecurities and successes. If you are a writer, please join us by visiting the IWSG website and signing up!

I'm in a better head space to blog this month. I took an inadvertent month off, which was much needed. But do remember as your timelines and media return to "normal," the systems of this country still need to be rebuilt to work for all of its citizens, and arrests still have not been made for Breonna Taylor's killers.

This month's IWSG question is: There have been many industry changes in the last decade, so what are some changes you would like to see happen in the next decade?

Well, in the wake of the spike in tragedies that occurred in May, many publishing companies decided to open their submissions to black writers. This is interesting because there has been a huge lack of diversity in traditional publishing, from the agency to the writers, for as long as publishing companies have been prominent. Many who received this news rightfully thought, "Now, you want to look at our work?" Most black writers, including myself, have turned to self-publishing because publishers have only been interested in black voices if they provide a look into black pain. Otherwise, agents "loved but didn't connect with" our work (and often, they've already filled their quota on black authors or books about black characters, sometimes not even written by black writers).

So in the next decade, if these publishing companies truly care to represent more diverse authors and aren't just opening their gates for optics right now, I hope this sudden interest in black writers does not die down and that more of our stories--and not just the ones that center our suffering--can be accepted by the industry.

Insecure Writer's Support Group - In the Zone

Happy May! This will be a short post.

It's already time for another installment of the Insecure Writer's Support Group, where we writers share our insecurities and accomplishments! Stop by the IWSG website and our founder, Alex J. Cavanaugh's, website to join in on the fun! here are co-hosts and hundreds of writers who participate.

The question of the month is: Do you have any rituals that you use when you need help getting into the ZONE? Care to share?

I usually read what I just wrote so I can pick back up where I left off. Sometimes I brainstorm in my head, especially if I'm stuck on a scene. I definitely have conversations for the characters, which I know probably looks crazy, but no one's in here but my sister.

How is everyone doing? Did anyone A to Z? I feel like that went by quietly. I'm doing one of those daily song challenges on Instagram. That's about it.

Hopefully everyone and your loved ones are healthy. Please stay safe out there.

Insecure Writer's Support Group

April is here! That means it's already time for yet another installment of the Insecure Writer's Support Group! You can visit the site and join us at the previous link. Also be sure to visit Alex J. Cavanaugh, our founder, and co-hosts to show them some love!

I've already said how I'm doing last week, so here is a little something from the support group heads:

The IWSG’s focus is on our writers. Each month, from all over the globe, we are a united group sharing our insecurities, our troubles, and our pain. So, in this time when our world is in crisis with the covid-19 pandemic, our optional question this month is: how are things in your world?

I want to hear from you! Stay safe out there.

Insecure Writer's Support Group: Pen Names Queston

It's already March! That means it's already time for yet another installment of the Insecure Writer's Support Group! You can visit the site and join us at the previous link. Also be sure to visit Alex J. Cavanaugh, our founder, and our co-hosts to show them some love!

The question for this month is: Other than the obvious holiday traditions, have you ever included any personal or family traditions/customs in your stories?

I can't think of any off the bat, so I don't think I have. But, as I said, I'm working on a contemporary romance, so that will most likely be where one will pop up.

In other news, I want to see what others think: I've had this corny idea in my head for a while to change my pen name depending on the genre I'm writing. This would mainly be for if I'm still self-publishing, I think, and I don't even plan to branch out of speculative fiction too often. But I am working on a contemporary romance. Would fantasy readers get confused if I kept my pen name but the book is a romance? I would like to be easy to find across the board, but I kind of want my name to reflect the genre as well. Maybe I'm thinking too much into it, though. What do you all think?

Insecure Writer's Support Group

It's really the first Wednesday in February already! That means it's time for another installment of the Insecure Writer's Support Group, created by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Visit him and the main IWSG Website to join us in the fun.

The optional question for this month is: Has a single photo or work of art ever inspired a story? What was it and did you finish it?

I haven't had a photo or work of art inspire a whole story, but I have used art as inspiration for characters, monsters, etc. Most prominent is the design of the iron giants in Fractured Princess, which I modeled after Umberto Boccioni's "Unique Forms of Continuity in Space."

My version isn't as scary as Boccioni's, but I meant for it to be. D'ah well.

What about you all?

Insecure Writer's Support Group

www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com
Founder: Alex J. Cavanaugh

Happy New Year, everyone! 2020 is here, and with the new month comes another installment of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Visit the websites above to join in with our founder and this month's co-hosts.

When I take a break from blogging, I get the itch to post again, and I'm grateful for that. It means I still want to blog! The break was much needed, and I hope to get back in the swing of things and visiting other blogs again.

This month's question is: What started you on your writing journey? Was it a particular book, movie, story, or series? Was it a teacher/coach/spouse/friend/parent? Did you just "know" suddenly you wanted to write?

Some who follow me may remember that my first urge to write came from a tv show: X-Men: The Animated Series. I wanted to write a book about teenage mutants (not of the ninja turtle variety, although that was one of my favorite shows, too). I wrote and illustrated those books for about 7 years before I moved on. I keep saying I'll revamp that series, and I'm slowly, slowly doing so. We'll see what happens.

A quick reminder that #IWSGPit starts next Wednesday from 8:00 am - 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. If your new year's resolution is to see your book published, the IWSG is here to help! Many writers have seen their books published from a Twitter pitch - it’s a quick and easy way to put your manuscript in front of publishers and agents.

Here are the rules: Create a Twitter-length pitch for your completed and polished manuscript and leave room for genre, age, and the hashtag. On January 15, Tweet your pitch. If your pitch receives a favorite/heart from a publisher/agent check their submission guidelines and send your requested query.

See you next Wednesday!

Insecure Writer's Support Group

It's the first Wednesday of the last month! That means it's time for the Insecure Writer's Support Group! Stop by the IWSG website and also visit Alex J. Cavanaugh and this month's co-hosts.

This month's optional question is: Let's play a game. Imagine. Role-play. How would you describe your future writer self, your life and what it looks and feels like if you were living the dream? Or if you are already there, what does it look and feel like? Tell the rest of us. What would you change or improve?
If all finally goes according to plan, my future writer self will have at least 5 published books, some maybe even traditionally, and a movie out there. I'd also get to tour and win a few awards. That would be nice.

How about you all? Thanks for stopping by!

Insecure Writer's Support Group

Happy Turkey Month! It's already November, and that means it's time for another installment of the Insecure Writer's Support Group! Thank you to Alex J. Cavanaugh and his co-hosts for this month for keeping this bloghop alive so we writers can support each other through our highs and our lows in writing and life!

To join in with us, visit the IWSG Site to sign up!

I'll be on the road when this goes live. This year has been quite a whirlwind: my mom getting a scary cancer diagnosis and helping care for her, travel to chemo appointments with her, moving her in and out of various houses (she was with her friend first while she went through the hardest part, then my little sister and I, and now she's permanently in an in-law suite with my big sister, and she's loving it!), self-publishing my book, and now unfortunately getting my own bad health news.

And first off, sorry to be a downer this month!

Not even 2 weeks ago yet, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. I'd suspected it when the first biopsy came back negative for non-Hodgkin and my neck swelling didn't go down, but I waited until I had more worrisome lymph nodes start to swell up, and that's when I had the surgery I mentioned a post or so ago. Telling my friends is the hardest part, but they're so supportive. It's just been an overwhelming few days, though. If you're the praying type, I'll take those as well as positive thoughts.

Writing wise, I'm actually doing the cardinal no-no of editing something I haven't finished. I've always done that, so screw the rules and play the game. It's my NA Fantasy, and there were things that weren't making sense to me, so I have fix those before I continue, or I'll have even more work on my hands later. Has anyone else ever done that?

All righty, this is longer than I like these to be. The monthly question is: What's the strangest thing you've ever googled in researching a story?

I know there has to be one thing I've googled, but I can't think of it. Probably baobab fruit haha. But also, my mom's a nurse, so we grew up with medical dictionaries in the house. I spent many days looking through the biggest one for my fan fictions. Cardiomyopathy might have been one of the weirder things I looked up, because I liked to kill off love interests with heart diseases. I've grown out of that. A little bit.

Have a great November!

IWSG: Writers Who Don't Read?

It's the last quarter of 2019! This is getting ridiculous. But, that also means it's time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group post! IWSG was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh, and you can visit his site as well as the official IWSG site to join us or read other writers' posts.

So, if you read my quick post last week, I didn't have food poisoning, but my stomach definitely did not agree with what I had eaten the night before. I also had a cold I wasn't aware of--I thought it was allergies until it went from my head to my chest, the normal route for colds in my body. But anyway, Tobago was BEAUTIFUL, and I would love to visit it again.

Now, IWSG has a question every month we can answer if we like. This month's is especially interesting: It's been said that the benefits of becoming a writer who does not read is that all your ideas are new and original. Everything you do is an extension of yourself, instead of a mixture of you and another author. On the other hand, how can you expect other people to want your writing, if you don't enjoy reading? What are your thoughts?

My thoughts: 1) there is nothing new under the sun. No matter how much someone may try to be original, it's already been done before in one shape or another. Thus, there are no new and original ideas, not completely.

2) Are there really writers out there who don't like to read? How did they start writing in the first place? All writers I know got their start from reading others' works. It helps you become a better writer, find your place as a writer, and it just helps broaden your horizons. I don't read as much as I used to, but I still love to read when I can.

3) And I agree, if you don't enjoy reading, how can you expect others to want to read what you write? And wouldn't be a little arrogant to not like reading others' works but write for others to read yours? In my opinion, yes.

What do you all think?