IWSG - Success

Insecure Writer's Support Group

Purpose of the IWSG: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Join us HERE!

The Question:

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?

My Answer

All the above. Success is typing 'The End' at the finish of that first draft and then highlighting it bold after the final edit. It's also hitting publish button on Amazon or signing that contract for publication. Signing your first copy to a reader. Getting a five-star review. Winning a place in a popular anthology or placing in a writing contest.

This year, for me, it's finishing a series, and starting a new one.

Each incident has its own feeling of satisfaction, and they should all be celebrated!

***

&

DON'T FORGET TO JOIN US

FOR THE wep'S NEXT

 CHALLENGE

October's scream

*****

 Remember to say hi to the co-hosts Rebecca Douglass, T. Powell Coltrin @Journaling Woman, Natalie Aguirre, Karen Lynn, and C. Lee McKenzie!

KEEP WRITING!

KEEP READING!

and thanks for stopping by!

***

WEP - When to let go...

Insecure Writer's Support Group

Purpose of the IWSG: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Join us!

The Question:

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?

My Answer

It depends on many things, but I've never felt that I released a book too soon.

My latest WIP, A Passion for Murder, has been shelved many times this last year. It's the final book in my Alaskan Mystery Series, and I want it to be worthy of that title. I've sent it out to beta readers, and while I received positive responses. I still wasn't happy.

I've done another re-write, and now, finally, I think it's ready. I'll know for sure after a read-aloud edit, but I don't regret taking my time. It may frustrate the readers, but time, I've found, only makes the story better.

 The outstanding co-hosts this month are:

J Lenni Dorner, Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, & Rachna Chhabria!

Be sure to say hello!

KEEP WRITING!

***

Announcing!

GREAT WAVE!

The Great Wave is an iconic work created in the 1820’s by Hokusai. Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) was a  Japanese artist from the Edo period. He was a master of Ukiyo-e, a genre of woodblock prints and paintings very popular at the time in his country. Ukiyo-e translates loosely as ‘images of the floating world.’ The Great Wave of Kanagawa, also condensed to The Great Wave, is part of a series called Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji, is Hokusai’s most well-known work. Have a peek at the series here. And read more about Hokusai here.

The immediate response to this prompt could be to relate it to the tsunami of 2004 or the Japanese nuclear disaster. And it is a small step from there to jump to the climate issues we are facing round the world, the unprecedented weather patterns and natural disasters small and large.

But a great wave need not be always of water – it can be a great wave of refugees. And of soldiers. Or protesters and last but not the least, voters.

Equally a great wave of an emotion – pain, love, bitterness, rage, nausea, which one will your characters feel?

It could even be a small wave, we'll leave the size up to you – the wave of a hand, the flutter of a flag. Or cravat/tie.

So many places to float away to, which one will you choose with this prompt?

Join the WEP for the third challenge

of a very

artistic year!

IWSG - Writing

Insecure Writer's Support Group

Purpose of the IWSG: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Join us!

Question - Are there months or times of the year that you are more productive with your writing than other months, and why?

 Answer: - Fall and Winter for sure. The kick off for me is usually NANO. And I don't know why I can't make the kind of writing I do with NANO a monthly habit, but I'm thrilled for that one-month single-minded purpose. It's served me well every year I've done it. Even in the years when I didn't win the challenge.

For example, I spent hours writing a book I called A Motive for Murder during NANO, but I couldn't find a path forward. I just couldn't get it to the finish line. It didn't gel. Now I have two books from that one book. The key ideas in that book wouldn't jive, but they did separately. I'm thrilled! 

Those two books are Murder, Just Because & my current WIP - A Passion for Murder.

 The outstanding co-hosts this month are:

Pat Garcia,

Sylvia Ney, 

Liesbet @ Roaming About 

Cathrina Constantine, 

Natalie Aguirre! 

Be sure to say hello!

KEEP WRITING!

Be sure to check out the WEP

this month!

We're announcing the 

2020 Calendar

&

presenting a few stories

during our unstructured

challenge

Unmasked!

Read mine HERE!

Unmasked on New Year's Eve!

***

Your Favorite Genre?

Mason Canyon goes all out for the authors and their books!

Sign up now and get a free copy of MJB!

The Snowman’s cruelty knows no bounds, 

but the object of his hate knows no fear.

Excerpt:

Stowy lolled in his basement bedroom in his underwear, lazily browsing the Internet in a half-hearted attempt to catch up on the local news. Most of it was boring, boring, boring, but one tidbit caught his attention. The corners of his mouth curved upward, and then he laughed out loud.

“So, Quaid’s on his honeymoon and won’t be back to work until after the new year, huh? Oh, we’ll just see about that. I’ve got some mighty fine surprises in store for you, Mr. Big Shot. For you and your bride.”

“Stowy, breakfast is ready!” his mother yelled down the steps.

With a growl, he jumped up and raced upstairs. “Dammit! How many times do I have to tell you not to yell my name? What if a neighbor hears you?” He knocked her sideways with a sharp slap. “Don’t do it again!”

“I’m sorry,” she said, gently rubbing her cheek. “I forgot. Having you here is like old times. I’m just so happy.”

******

You may not like my new thriller, 

but I bet you know someone who will!

Tell me your favorite genre and why it's your favorite

and win a copy of one of the books in 

my Alaskan Murder Series.

Murder, Madness & Love

Memories of Murder

Murder & Obsession

The Snowman

Murder, Just Because

and

coming soon

A Passion for Murder