June IWSG: Which Path is the Right One?

June is here, and a new month means it's time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group post!

Purpose: 

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!

Posting:

The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time.

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG 

Thanks to Alex for organizing the IWSG, and June's awesome hosts. Every month, I come to appreciate this group more and more. I'm so appreciative it exists, and thankful for all the hard work you guys put into it! <3

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This month I'm wondering, Which Path is the Right One? Which is funny, since my last in-depth blog post was as part of Carrie Butler's How I Found the Right Path BlogHop.

And for one part of my writing journey, I have found the right path. In the realms of drafting and revising, I know where I'm going, and years have experience have taught me what works for me, and what doesn't.

But, I'm about to embark on uncharted territory. That fabled land after revisions.

My new-adult paranormal-romance/ urban-fantasy is in the safe hands of my critters (Man, I love that term for them! ^_^), and the feedback I've received so far has been positive.

So, what comes next? Do I start querying small presses and entering pitch contests? Do I start seeking an agent? Or do I pursue self-publishing?

I honestly don't know. All three options appeal to me for different reasons, all three having their own pros and cons.

I just wonder ... which will be right for me, my story and my writing career? I honestly don't know, and I'd love some feedback from people already published. So, if you're willing, please share your experiences with querying, pitching, and self-publishing. All comments are welcome.

And, if you're still unpublished like me, or don't feel like sharing, feel free to talk about your own insecurity. I'm happy to listen, and help anyway I can.

Have a great June, everyone, and good luck on your literary endeavors for the month!

May IWSG: Is It Good Enough?

Happy May, everyone!

A new month means it's time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group post!

Purpose: 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!

 Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time.

 Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

Thanks to Alex for organizing the IWSG, and May's awesome hosts - having done it last month, I know how tough hosting can be - you guys are all rock stars! <3

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Back in March (OMG! Has it been that long?!) I finished the first draft of my new-adult, paranormal-romance, The Order of the Ancile: Book One.

Those of you who're already published might not find this a big deal. For me it's HUGE. It brings the total of novels I've completed a first draft of to TWO!

I have a handful of incomplete novels, most of which fell apart, and I lost interest in, when I got about ¾ of the way through, and started revising. Revisions are HARD for me. Once other people give me feedback, and I start seeing the flaws in my story, my willpower flees and I give in.

Sure, I can go back to these abandoned drafts in the future, and every draft is experience and growth. Now I'm at revisions stage again, I'm slightly alarmed by how well it's going.

In the past week, I've given my novel a read through, catching any obvious typos, and I'm amazed at how cohesive it is. Usually, by this point, I'm finding plot holes, and weak writing.

Not this time!

 But now I'm wondering, have the years of practice paid off? Have my skills improved enough and my writing is stronger? Or am I actually blind to all the flaws, and kidding myself?

I'm scared once I hand this baby over to my CPs, they're going to read it and go "Erm, Clare, WTF are you thinking? This is crap!"

Okay, maybe not that harsh. My CPs are lovely, and I think my story is good. But is it good enough? I don't just mean good enough that my CPs, and close friends will like it. I mean good enough that publishers will be interested. Good enough that if it's released, I won't get a million horrible reviews.

I've spent almost a year and a half on this thing. What happens, after all this time, if I'm just not that good a writer? What happens if this love story I've invented, with twists and turns along the way, fails to elicit an emotional reaction in anyone who reads it? What happens if my characters aren't as likeable and relatable as I hoped? What happens if my villain is non-threatening, and no one can take the danger in the story seriously?

I know I'll never be able to please everyone, and I'll never know if my stories are any good if I don't share them, but right now, the idea of putting them out there for the world to see, scares the bejesus out of me, and I'm tempted just to leave my stories where they are – on my hard drive – for only me to see!

So, there you have it. What I'm feeling insecure about this month. Please feel free to share your own writing insecurity in the comments. A problem shared is a problem halved, as they say ...

March IWSG: Should We Change What We Write to Gain Success?

I'm in a good place writing wise at the moment. I just finished act two of my WiP, urban-fantasy/ paranormal-romance, The Order of the Ancile Book One, and I'm eager to get started on the final act and climax.

Being close to finishing (around 20k words is close, right?) I can't help but think of the future. Whether I decide to self-publish or query with the hope of traditional publication, one question keeps coming back to me ... is urban-fantasy still popular?

I feel confident that my story is original, interesting and well-written enough to stand against other titles in the genre. My worry is, am I writing in a dead genre?

I see a a lot of talk that urban-fantasy/ paranormal-romance is dead. That it's lost the popularity it had a few years ago. That agents and publishers aren't interested in it as a genre.

While I've grown past doing something just to be popular or jumping on a bandwagon, I do wonder if I'll have an up hill struggle getting noticed with a book in a genre a lot of people seem done with.

So what's the answer? Stop working on it, and start a new project in a more marketable genre?

I do really enjoy contemporary romance. I read it sometimes, and I have a few contemporary ideas, but whenever I try to write them, I feel like a spark is missing ... a paranormal spark. I like coupling my romantic storylines with a secondary storyline of something supernatural.

I'm the same with the TV shows I watch ... most of my favourite have a romantic element combined with a fantasy/ paranormal/ supernatural element.

For me, reading and writing are a form of escapism, and nothing helps me escape more than exploring new, unusual worlds.

So I'm left wondering, should I just say to hell with it, and write what makes me happy, or Should We Change What We Write to Gain Success?

ISWG: Never Forget How Far You've Come

Happy Wednesday, and happy February, everyone! And Happy 11th Birthday to my oldest.

I'm here today with February's edition of Alex J. Cavanaugh's IWSG! I greatly enjoyed my first ever ISWG post, and want to thank everyone for the support and encouragement that they gave me regarding what to do when I grow bored of a story. I think, for me, the best thing to do is remind myself why I loved the story in the first place, and then push through until the words are flowing again.

Since last month's post, I've been thinking long and hard about what I wanted to post for February, and although a few topics entered my mind, one really stuck out for me.

Remembering How Far You've Come

While I was trying to re-inspire myself last month, I took to reading my old novels - that are now shelved, to be looked at in the future - and I realized how far I've come. Sure, my writing still isn't perfect, but in the past two years, I've learned a lot about what I'm capable of; where my strengths and weaknesses lie.

I think everyone should do this from time to time. It's a great source of motivation, inspiration and encouragement. It's so easy to get caught up on the woes of the here and now - to focus on the current negatives - that you forget the past positives.

I've seen so many awesome writers in the blogosphere achieve things that awe me, and you guys should never forget how far you've come.

Each success, whether big or small, is inspiration for yourself and others, showing everyone out there that writers can succeed. For every rejection letter or abandoned project, there's a book release, a finished manuscript or something else worth celebrating.

So, if you're feeling down about your writing, or doubting yourself, just remember how far you've come, and all you've achieved up until this point. It's something to be very proud of!

Thanks for visiting this month. And thanks to the fantastic ISWG hosts, Alex Cavanaugh, Julie Musil, Jamie Ayres, Mike Swift, and Sheena-kay Graham.

And before I go, don't forget that there's still a week left to enter my two-year blogaversary giveaway, and there's still time to sign up for Kyra Lennon and Rachel Schieffelbein's WIP: The Movie Bloghop!