Not Dead Yet ... And Book Launch FYI

Hey, gang! Loooooonnnnnggggg time, no blog. :) So, I took most of A-Z month off, because--well, everyone was busy and I wasn't participating. Great time to disappear, right?

PLUS, I've got this novel I'm trying to get out in August. The final revisions are going great, just slowly. It'll be my first full-length novel, so I'm trying to really get it JUST right. (Cue the thieving blonde tramp and the hungry bears! Seriously, who steals food from bears anyway?!)

I'm also working on new Moonsongs stuff. (A spinoff short story for one of my characters, Marshal, is coming soon!) And I've also been busy over at New Adult Alley. We recently decided to divide an conquer, and I'm now working mostly on the website side of our operation  You can sign up for our fantastic newsletter HERE if you're dying to have me show up in your inbox on occasion. :)

Then, there has been a lot of travel lately. We attended a wedding in South Carolina last week, and were away for a week prior to that for a vacation trip up the northern coast of California. 

Here are some pics from those trips:

This guy was hanging out on the golf course near where we stayed in South Carolina!

I spotted him while riding a bicycle around the island.

This pooch had epic drool issues! LOL He was cursing around Charleston, SC.

Charleston scenery.

More Charleston scenery.

More Charleston scenery.

View from our No Cal hotel room! 

There's a bird standing on top of the rock. :)

The seals had their pups out sunning with them. :)

My wife taking in the view on our bike ride. :)

We took a train ride through one of the redwood forests.

Sunlight through the trees.

At the feet of giants. :)

The trees were so tall I couldn't get far enough away to photo an entire one, so I improvised, and shot looking up from the base. :)

All together, I kind of just lost track of the blog. But I'm back now. :) 

Speaking of blogs, I bumped into one of my favorite author-bloggers (Eve of The Desert Rocks & Intangible Hearts blogs) at our New Adult Lit Chat last night, and it made me realize how much I missed y'all!

So what's coming in this blog space? Details on great new releases and covers from my author friends, more of my thoughts on this writing adventure we're on, and I'll be incorporating a lot more of what we're doing over at NA Lit Chat (#NALitChat on the Twitters). 

I've been remiss sharing all of my work over there, here. But so much of what we talk about can be applied to all kinds of writing and authors--not just New Adult--so I want to include y'all in that as much as possible from here on out.

Specifically, I wanted to pass along the transcripts from our chat last night. We had a couple of fantastic authors on as guests (Lynn Rush & Nazarea Andrews) to talk about book launches and share their tips & tactics. 

Be sure to keep a pen and paper handy as you listen along (and read tweets), because there are a lot of useful things you'll want to stash away.

AUDIO

TWEETS

You can keep up with everything we've got cooking at the chats HERE. 

Hope you've all been doing great, and I'm looking forward to reconnecting. Have a great weekend!

~EJW~

Should We Aim to Write Above the Reading Standard?

Hey, gang! Since we last met here I finished up a novel I've been working on for a while. *throws ALL the confetti*  Well, I say "finished", but it actually just got shipped off to the editor.  (We all know the real work comes once she takes the scalpel to it. :)

It's such a weird mixture of relief and angst when it's out of my hands. But the positive is that I'm now able to reclaim the parts of my life I've been neglecting in order to make my deadline. Like blogging! 

(Thank you all for the comments on my last post btw. My wife was duly humbled by your kind words, and I'm slowly working my way around repay each of you with a comment in kind.)

Should We Aim to Write Above the Reading Standard?

I posted a couple of weeks ago about the somewhat fallible notion of "good writing". I related it to the subjective line between a good house and a good home, saying, "The worth of a house is based upon function, form, location, etc. The worth of a home is based upon memories and feelings. Your house might be worth $150,000, but your home might very well be priceless. "

(Note: I don't quote myself out of hubris. It had just been so long ago since I'd posted that I had to go look it up to remember what I said. LOL)

Anyway, in that post I made a couple of offhanded references about the basic mechanics of "good writing", specifically calling out adverb spamming as a common stumbling block. 

Well, you fine people took me to task in the comments (and in e-mails), pointing out that the presence of an adverb will not destroy a story. I actually agreed with you in the post, but didn't articulate it very well.

So I'm afraid I gave the wrong impression. To the extent they aren't related to style, I view things like adverbs, passive phrasing, repetitive word choices, etc. like mosquitos in our writing: They are inevitable, but we should kill as many of them as we can because they are at best a nuisance, and at worst a disease spreading menace. 

Purely from a fundamentals standpoint, I've never read a perfect novel and I doubt I ever will. (God knows I'll never write one...) Furthermore, I can guarantee that a grammatically pristine read does not universally translate to a "good read". 

But all of that being said, I had more than one person let me know of various bestselling books they've read recently that are riddled with things deemed to be mistakes or sloppy writing. They use adverbs in every other line, begin every third sentence with 'it', etc. 

I've read them, too. And it's true that many of the foibles we fuss over in our critique circles the average reader could care less about. At least there's plenty of evidence to suggest that's the case.

But does that mean we shouldn't worry over them, either?

Not unlike other artists, I believe most writers hold their work to a higher standard than the general expectation. For most, there is a reading standard and a writing standard. Even though an average reader might not demand a certain level of word wielding acumen , we're going to try to achieve that anyway.

Claude Monet, the great French impressionist, once destroyed dozens of his (what would now be considered near-priceless) paintings because he didn't think they were fit for public viewing. Granted, he was going blind and severely depressed at the time, but there was clearly some level of motivation in him to achieve a standard that most people wouldn't even be able to discern. 

Similarly, when I read Hugely Popular Novel X, and it isn't the most polished, it doesn't make me relax. I don't suddenly think, "Well, I don't have to worry about getting any better, because I'm already better than that guy, and the readers love him!"

It keeps me up at night. I worry about falling into a sense of complacency with my craft. My insides fester with the notion that yes, I'm getting some good reviews, but is my work really living up to my own standards? 

That's not to say my writing sets some crazy high bar for writers everywhere. (ha) But I do work at trying to get better each time.

We live in an age--a beautiful age in my opinion--where authors are able to make their own decisions about when a work is fit for public consumption. But that freedom also comes with the burden of self-restraint.

We are truly the stewards of our craft, or at least more so than any generation of writers that has come before, and I believe we ought to struggle with that. 

What about you? Are your reading and writing standards different? Have you read a successful novel that wouldn't live up to your own writing standards? How did it make you feel?

~EJW~

IWSG - New Year, Same Old Fears

Hey, gang! Thanks for all the "feel betters". This cold-crud hasn't licked me yet. I am a little sleep deprived though--and perhaps a little medicated--so I make no guarantees that this is going to be entirely coherent. But it should be fun! :)

It's time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group post. What's up with the IWSG? In short, once a month a bunch of us post support, encouragement, or confess what's been eating at us. For more information, and to join in, click the button below. (And always present in the rolling sidebar gadget to the right.)

Before we get to that, I wanted to mention again that my Winter Thrills & Chills Tour is going strong. You can check the full list of stops HERE. (Today, I did guest posts on why I write like a reader and an author's tricks for pulling readers into the story--with an excerpt from Dragon's Game.)

There's also a fun giveaway you can enter (featuring books from several of our writing blog friends). Plus, the Moonsongs Anthology 1 (collecting the first 3 stories in the series) will be free on Amazon tomorrow and Friday (1/9 & 1/10). 

So if you haven't picked one up, or maybe haven't gotten around to books 2 or 3, you can do so on me. :)

IWSG New Year, Same Old Fears

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ttp://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com

Confession: This started out as an "anti-resolution" post where I was going to list all of the things that could hold me back from accomplishing my writing goals this year, both real and imagined.

(FYI: That would've been a lengthy post.)

But as I was jotting things down, it occurred to me that it's the same damned list I had last year. And the year before. And probably the 5 years before that. (By my recent reckoning, I've been chasing my fiction writing tail for roughly 7 years.)

Here's the thing, I'm not even remotely in same place as a writer as I was 7 years ago. I should have new fears, new demons to scare away, and new hurdles to trip over. 

Do I? Nope. I'm the Bill Murray in Groundhog's Day of writing.

Still worried that someone I admire is going to declare me a hack and I'll have to pack it in. 

Still scared to share my writing with strangers. 

Still hate telling people outside of the Internet I'm a writer. 

Still conflicted by the balance of creativity and mass appeal you seemingly have to find to be a successful in the book business.

Still not sure I have a real place in this group. (Did I just make my own place? Is that cool?)

Still worried I'm not doing enough to reach my goals.

Still terrified I won't EVER be doing enough to reach my goals.

Still come up woefully short when I compare myself to my contemporaries. 

Still don't really know what I'm doing on social media.

Still afraid my ideas are boring, my writing unoriginal, and my characters unmoving.

On, and on, and on, and on, and on it goes...

BUT I'M TELLING YOU IT'S THE SAME. Swap the words around, adjust my perspectives a hair, toss in a pinch of refuting validation, sure. But it's still the same soupy mess I try to wade through every year.

That's why the lesson here is so important. And it's one of those Dr. Seuss, so-simple-it-blows-your-mind kinds of lessons. Ready for it? Here goes!

It doesn't matter. None of it. Not an ounce.

This stuff didn't stop me 7 years ago, nor has it stopped me any year since. Which isn't to say the fears aren't real, and that I don't have to struggle with them. It just means I can go into the scrap with a little confidence. 

It's like being the cartoon super heroes I loved to watch as a kid. I'll face stiff odds every time, but somehow, I'll come out on top. The story doesn't work any other way. No exceptions, the hero wins.

So I'd encourage you to really pause when you feel like you're facing something that's threatening to derail your writing train. Understand that many times you're going to have variations of the same obstacles for as long as you're moving forward with this gig.

You'll deal with the trouble and keep moving. After all, you've probably beat this thing before, and you'll most certainly do it again. 

~EJW~

IWSG - A Casual Affair

Hey, gang! Hope those of you who celebrated turkey and togetherness last week did so in grand fashion. It's time to for another Insecure Writer's Support Group post (IWSG). 

What is IWSG? Besides being a collection of awesome people, it's THE support network for writers. We offer each other encouragement and commiseration on the first Wednesday of each month. Click the pic below for more details and to learn how to join.

A fling… 

A flirt… 

A dalliance… 

A romp… 

A cup of devilishly unusual tea in a strange café I'll never set foot in again…

Sometimes writing a story is all of those things to me. It's like a pair of expensive shoes so impractical I'll only be able to wear them once, with a specific shirt, and then put them back in the box forever. It's one night spent in the company of a beautiful stranger, no names or phone numbers exchanged.

I firmly believe writing CAN be a casual affair. Thing is, it took me a while to work up to being able to accept that. 

See, I've been something of a serial monogamist when it comes to my writing. For the most part, I'm a Plain Jane, stick-in-the-mud, write-what-I-love kind of writer. 

I like fantasy. The impossible excites me. Thinking about dark things that shouldn't exist frightens me--in a terribly good way. The story is a-rocking when fantastical things come a-knocking so to speak.

I like feisty characters who crack the quip-whip with reckless abandon. (Don't stand too close! She'll snap you!) Bold is usually the first--and main--ingredient in my protagonist soup.

So what happens when I start writing a contemporary story with a main character who is more contemplative than combative? A story where I can't toss in an explosion or fangs when things start to drag?

*breathes heavily into paper sack*

I get a little nervous. The itchy, twitchy shakes set in. If I'm being completely honest, it feels a little like I'm stepping out on my main gal. No, it goes deeper than that. At times it feels more like I'm betraying my very writing nature.

But it's damned fun! Like a kid playing dress up, I get to be something I'm not. I get to be a writer of "serious fiction" (well, not SO serious--War And Peace this is not). In that way it is fantasy I suppose. 

Perhaps the most important aspect of playing in the shadows of my comfort zone is that it has forced me to grow as a writer. Nothing about writing this contemporary story has come easily for me. There's no writing from the cuff. It's a blissful struggle most days. 

And like all meaningful workouts, it sometimes leaves me sore and questioning if I'm fit enough to pull it off. Then I'll re-read a few pages. 

I'll see that I'm letting characters express themselves in ways I've never done before. A good scene will jump out, and I'll think, "I could never have done this in fantasy!" 

I'll find a few nuggets of sparkling brilliance in a mine full of dark rocks. My confidence spikes (a little LOL) and I get back to digging, because I know I might just hit the mother load if I keep at it.

Will I consider myself a master of contemporary fiction when I'm done? Will anyone else? Not likely. But I will have had one heck of a good time doing it. Who knows, maybe I'll even try another one.

What about you? Have you written anything outside of your usual genre or category lately? How did it turn out? Would you do it again?

~EJW~ 

5 Things To Be Grateful For--Debut Author Edition - Crystal Collier

Hey, gang! I know we're headed into a busy holiday week for some, so I wanted to take the chance to wish all of you safe travels and loads of fun. Also wanted to share some things to be thankful for--with a writerly slant, of course.

So author-friend Crystal Collier put together this great post. Crystal's debut novel, Moonless, is out now, and what a great way to stuff your own stocking this holiday season! (Okay, on the proofread that came out unintentionally tawdry … but I'm leaving it because it also made me snort-laugh like a 7th grader.)

With that, how about I just let Crystal take it away.  :D

Five Things (Or So) To Be Grateful For--Debut Author Edition

E.J., thank you so much for having me here today! It's amazing, as you look back over a period of time, how many people influence your life and help you grow. As a debut author, I've been marveling at how I got where I am, so I want to share the things/people I'm MOST grateful for (publishing wise):

1. The Editor. Have you met the amazing Bethany Kaczmarek at A Little Red, Inc.? My publisher let me choose my own editor, and after much research and communication, I met Bethany. Her style and taste directly complimented my story, and she not only kept me laughing while editing, but caught absolutely EVERYTHING. Some people edit because they can. Some edit because they have a gift. She's the latter--and I'm exceptionally blessed for being able to work with her.

2. Critique Partners/Beta Readers: The biggest support has been my creative partner and husband. He reads everything--even if it's not his genre of choice--and even brainstorms with me. Best. Thing. Ever. I don't know what I'd do without Rachel Hert--from exchanging cheesy emails (where she locks me in a basement to work and keeps me alive with cheese dropped down the laundry chute,) to the continued support. Similarly, T.C. Mckee has been the wind beneath my wings. Her optimism and encouragement gave me the courage to get out there. My writing coach, Sharon Johnston (whose book, Sleeper, releases December 2), bequeathed me with a new title and helped fashion this story so literary agents were clamoring for it. My mom and sister read multiple times.  Lastly, for my amazing beta readers in 2009 (all 32 of you), I am intensely grateful--and especially for your amazing weekly feedback.

3. Readers/Reviewers: Every time someone says they've read my book, every time someone is kind enough to leave a review, I feel like breaking out a turkey and having Thanksgiving dinner.

4. Blog friends/Writers/Support Groups: WriteOnCon connected me with Rachel. (LOVE YOU WRITEONCON ORGANIZERS!) There have been innumerable writers who've been an example of what to (and not to) do. I've been blessed with amazing support groups (WriteOnBuildOn, DayDreamers Anonymous, Writers Support 4U, my Goodreads groups, and YaLitChat)--you've kept me going and taught me so much. Lastly, my bloggies--including the Insecure Writers Group, and What's Up Wednesday peeps, you have been an immense support/staple in my developing career. I'm intensely grateful for Rachael Harrie with her Writers Crusades...ahem, Campaigns, and my buddies with the Choose Your Own Adventure bloghops.

5. Goodreads/Amazon/Cheese: Reading is the key to good writing, so I'm grateful for all establishments that sell books, but especially for Goodreads and the real-world recommendations that keep me in the know. And of course, cheese keeps the brain pumping.

Who and what are you most grateful for this year?

Crystal Collier, author of MOONLESS, is a former composer/writer for Black Diamond Productions. She can be found practicing her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, three littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese. 

You can find her on her blog and Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.

Alexia’s nightmares become reality: a dead baron, red-eyed wraiths, and forbidden love with a man hunted by these creatures. After an attack close to home, Alexia realizes she cannot keep one foot in her old life and one in this new world. To protect her family she must either be sold into a loveless marriage, or escape with her beloved and risk becoming one of the Soulless.

MOONLESS is Jane Eyre meets Supernatural.

"MOONLESS is powerful, compelling, and packed with soul." --Bethany Kaczmarek, editor at A Little Red, Inc. 

"I fell head over heels for the characters." --TC Mckee, BookFish Books 

"Power-packed action, heart stopping mystery, unpredictable twists and turns..." --I Am a Reader Not a Writer

Buy MOONLESS HERE or add it on Goodreads.

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Writing With Voice: What's Your 'Thing'? Do You Need One?

Hey, gang! Hope this post finds you all doing well and, especially if you're of the NaNoWriMo kind, pushing toward your goals. :)

One thing I always try to stay aware of as I revise a story is voice. (I know, my hackles rise a bit when that word gets mentioned, too … but stay with me!) I want to figure out what's going to take it from being A story to being MY story as it were. 

This is at least partially because I'm writing urban fantasy, and there are lots (and lots, and lots more) of stories about vampires, werewolves, etc. these days, and I want my work to stand out in some small way.

Now, I was just as confused as everyone else when I first began trying to figure out what voice was all about. I'd read all of these articles, books, and interviews from various-amazing-authors that seemed to give it an almost spiritual quality. 

Apparently, voice was this ethereal ball of gas floating in the subconscious writing portion of our brains that couldn't be contained, only harnessed. And only the wisest and most determined writers would be able to master it.

Yeah, I felt totally screwed. I'm not the wisest writer (by a wide, Grand Canyon-esque margin I'm afraid), and writing--for the most part--for me isn't a very spiritual process. 

When I'm writing, I tend to swear at my computer, drink ridiculous amounts caffeine bang my head on tables, stare at ceilings, curse my dull brain--well, let's just say it isn't all that Zen-like. 

I'm more of a construction foreman for a highly-emotional, chaotic, and never-ending road project than a high priest quietly orchestrating a beautiful religious ceremony.

But I am determined, so something had to give, right?

What I learned was this: Voice isn't abstract, or at least the components that make it up aren't. In fact, it's the furthest thing from it! Is it hard to apply? Yes … mostly … well, just more tedious until you get the hang of it I suppose.

Voice is your personal flavor. It's your spice of choice. Just like how you take your coffee (or iced tea in the South), voice says, "That one is mine."

But it shouldn't be confused with just being description, which is something I did early on. My thought was, "I'm the only person who can describe a sunset the way I see it, so that has to be what will make my writing unique." 

That was only part of the formula. The rest of it includes pacing, dialogue, action/reaction, humor, plot choices, and pretty much everything else that goes into a story. 

Ultimately, how you apply all of that results in your voice, or your "thing". And that's where the discussion gets a little philosophical in my opinion, because that "thing" is pretty much open for interpretation. 

What I think is clever, you might find trite. What scares me, won't necessarily keep you up at night. But when a writer has a thing, we know it--even if we can't agree on what it is, and maybe even if we don't like it.

Think about some of the great "voice" authors out there. Here are examples from a few of my favorites. These are completely random finds from books sitting on my shelf. I'm not looking for a specific paragraph. See if you can guess the authors based on the excerpt:

---

"I worried about it for a moment as I held the bottle by the neck, but I wanted to trust her, and so I did. I took a minor sip, and as soon as I swallowed, I felt my body rejecting the stinging syrup of it. It washed back up my esophagus, but I swallowed hard, and there, yes, I did it. I was drinking on campus."

---
If you're a fan of his, you probably immediately recognized John Green's handiwork in Looking For Alaska. 

Components that make up his voice: Long, protracted sentences. (He doesn't get super-clippy unless it's dialogue.) A very mature and pragmatic character perspective (for YA … "I did it. I was drinking on campus."). Using a big, and probably anatomically correct, word like "esophagus" instead of the simpler "throat".

Here's another!

---

"He could be as quiet as a Viet Cong guerrilla creeping through the bush, but her ears had gotten attuned to him over the last three weeks, and tonight, as a bonus, there was a moon. She heard a faint scrape and clatter of gravel, and she knew where he was going. Ignoring her aches, she followed. It was a quarter after ten."

---

This one is a little trickier, but Stephen King (The Stand) can create tension like no other. 

Components that make up his voice: Non-lavish, but highly evocative descriptors ("quiet as a Viet Cong", "a moon"). Also, how little he gives the reader in terms of perspective and motivation, yet still manages to convey direction and purpose in the scene. ("she knew where he was going", "It was a quarter after ten.")

Last one--this one has a giveaway if you're a fan, but it's a great example nonetheless.

---

"I'd made a vampire cry. Great. I felt like a real superhero. Harry Dresden, breaker of monsters' hearts."

---

Jim Butcher (Storm Front, Dresden Files Book One) is a real case study for anyone looking for examples of voice in first person storytelling. 

Components that make up his voice: You could take almost any paragraph from one of his books and find the same sarcasm and gloomy humor woven throughout.

As I said earlier, and the examples hopefully illustrate, voice isn't an abstract concept. By evaluating things like word choice (are you the type of writer who uses throat instead of esophagus?), description, and tone you can force voice into your work. 

But here's the (another?) thing: There are many talented authors and great stories out there that don't have a strong voice. In fact, I'd argue that many genres of fiction rely heavily on the author NOT pushing their own style overboard. 

Much of the science fiction and fantasy I read is intentionally left bland, forcing the reader to put their own personality into play. There are risks involved with such storytelling, because it can lead to undefined and uninteresting characters. But when the focus is on the world and sociology, I don't believe it's always wrong to let the reader paint the canvas you've given them.

Two of my favorite authors in those genres, Tolkien and Orson Scott Card, aren't overly ham-handed with their style. They simply tell a good story. 

So that leaves me with a bunch of questions: How important is voice? Do we need to have a definitive writing style, or is telling a good story enough? How important is it to readers? 

~EJW~

IWSG - Failure To Launch

Hey, gang! Time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group post. (Yes, holy poop it's October already...) It's our monthly tribute to wallowing in self-pity and doubt, or what most of us refer to as: writing. 

Actually, it's usually a bit more positive than all that as we try to lift each other out of the pitfalls that plague a life devoted to creating. If you think you'd like to join or learn more about our band of merry misfits, click the pic below.

IWSG - Failure To Launch

Why do we fail? Sometimes a very difficult and complex question to answer. 

A wise woman (my mother) once told me that we only truly fail at the things we never attempt. That logic yields an equally powerful and simple answer to the previous difficult and complex question: Success is in the trying, not the accomplishing. 

TOTALLY didn't jibe with Yoda's "Do or do not. There is no try." by the way. But I like to think of my mother as a Real World Jedi, so I'll side with her on this one. :-)

I've found the advice has played out as almost universally true in my life. I really only view missed opportunities due to inaction or indecision on my  part as failures. When I've decided to get in the game and play--outcome be damned--I almost always feel as if I've won something.

That's not to say I'm a raging success at everything I do. 

Sometimes I win by falling on my face and learning the limits of what I can and can't do...

Sometimes I win by screwing up so much I eventually learn the right way of doing things by default (see also - writing)...

Sometimes I win by feeling just inadequate enough to keep trying until I'm proficient...

Sometimes I win--like a kid touching a hot stove--by simply knowing and understanding more about the world than when I started...

While those aren't the stuff of workplace motivational posters, they're markers of growth in my book. And not standing still, trying, is all I'm usually after.

I bring all of this up for IWSG today, because I think in writing in particular, we're sometimes so terrified by lofty ideas of success and failure that we neglect to even start. 

Maybe we don't want to go up to the starting line because we aren't sure exactly where the finish line is. Maybe the other runners are more accomplished and we feel we won't stand a chance. Maybe we're worried that everyone will have gone home and not notice when we do finally finish the race.

There are so many reasons to not start, and I can't tell you how much success you'll have if you do go for it. But I can promise you, you will fail if you never try.

If you knew you could only measure success by the effort you gave in the attempt, what would you try?

And speaking of trying and being bold, a good writer-blogger friend, Nick Wilford, started up his own editing business this week. Nick is extremely dedicated to the writing craft, and I can say from previous interactions on a project, he's a joy to work with. So I'm sure he'll do great things with his business. If you're interested in learning more about his services, jump HERE.

~EJW~   

IWSG - 10 Tips For The Beginning Writer... A Mostly Serious List

Hey, gang! Time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) post... or as I like to call it, the We're A Hot Mess And Damned Proud Of It Support Group. (Can't really blame Alex--founder of IWSG--for not calling it the WAHMADPOISG, can we.)

Actually, the group is more about encouraging other writers by confessing our insecurities, talking about how we overcome them, and generally keeping it real. 

This month marks the two year anniversary of the IWSG, and I'm really proud to be a part of this group. For more info on the IWSG, and to learn how you can take part, click THIS.

IWSG - 10 Tips For The Beginning Writer... A Mostly Serious List

As noted, this list is only mostly serious. Like being "mostly dead", mostly serious mean it might also be partially silly and inapplicable to anyone but me.



Let's get started!

1. Being a good reader is a very important part of being a good writer.

2. Being a good reader does NOT make you a good writer.

3. You should write about what you know... then twist the hell out of it until you're convinced you know nothing about it anymore--after all, that's how most of your readers will enter into the deal.

4. Write the craziest, bravest, most devious, and over-the-top characters you can dream up. Then make them crazier, braver, even more devious, and so over-the-top your grandmother will blush at their brazenness. That's when they become unforgettable.

5. No one is ever going to give you a letter grade, stamp of approval, keys to a magical 'For Writers Only' grotto in the Alps, or any other kind confirmation that you are indeed a writer. So just think of yourself as one as soon as you type that first sentence and get on with being one.

6. Write like you have millions of fans dying to read your next story, even when you're pretty sure your dog is the only one who cares when it's done--and that's just because you'll finally take her for a walk. It'll keep you writing through the inevitable 'dark' days. 

7.  Dark days will come when you feel like you're no better a writer than you were when you started (insert number) years ago, and that you're no closer to your goals than when you hadn't started at all. It's best to embrace them, and eat a buttload of chocolate, go for a run, shop, sulk, piddle on the Internet, consider a career as grizzly bear tamer because it would be less emotionally dangerous or do whatever it is you do to cope with crappy days. 

Then, when you have a little perspective, go find a mirror, look into it, and say, "I'm a writer. Being a writer means I'm going to suck some days. It's just part of the job." Now go back to the chair and do the other parts.

8. The more you think of writing as a very cool, very necessary  and very difficult task or job that needs doing--and doing well--the easier this will be for you. Writing is not magic. Becoming a good writer does not require an altered state of being, a muse, Da Vinci-esque levels of creativity, or unicorn-horn dust. 

It DOES require patience, an inquisitive nature, being humble as it relates to your own ability, having an appreciation for getting most everything wrong before you can get it right, a dogged determination, and being willing to learn at an almost constant rate. 

9. Don't try to write like anyone else, and when you discover you are (and you will), figure out how and change it up a little so people say, "ooh, this reminds me of XYZ... but different!" Also known as the Colonel's secret recipe for voice.

10. Writing is a paradox in that it's a solitary task that can't be done alone. So make friends with other writers as quickly and as often as you can. They get you, they get this writing thing like no one else does, and they'll likely be your first and dearest fans. That's why groups like the IWSG are so important. 

What about you? Any tips  you wish someone had given you before you started your writing pursuit? 

~EJW~

Tweetables

"Being a writer means I'm going to suck some days. It's just part of the job." Click to tweet.

"write about what you know... then twist the hell out of it until you know nothing about it anymore" Click to Tweet.

"Writing is a paradox in that it's a solitary task that can't be done alone." Click to tweet. 

The Men of Foxwick

Hey, gang! Really excited to share this new release with you! Cherie is a talented author and blogger, and she has really built a great fantasy universe with her Foxwick stories.

I downloaded my copy of The Men of Foxwick the other day and can't wait to dig in... Plus, I think it might have one of THE coolest covers I've seen in a long time. Well done, Cherie! 

Men of Foxwick by Cherie Reich is now available! This fantasy short story collection features five men from the Kingdom of Foxwick.

A blind teen seeks a place in the kingdom. A dragon seer journeys to Wintermill to spy on the queen. A sword master’s worst fear comes true when he fails to protect the royal family. A king falls in love with an herb witch, but will she feel the same way? A hunter will rise to the challenge to hunt down a man-eating monster.

Short stories in this collection: Blind Scribe, Dragon Spy, Sword Master, Courting Magic, and Monster Hunter

An Excerpt from “Blind Scribe” in Men of Foxwick

Dallan counted his steps as his mama and he weaved through the busy streets of Foxwick. Twenty-six, twenty-seven. They’d passed the fruit stand and were now farther into Foxwick than he’d ever been in his fifteen summers. People, just moving shadows, brushed against his shoulder. He scrunched toward Mama to make his lanky frame smaller. The odor of sweat and manure combated the more pleasant scents of flowers and baking bread. A bead of sweat trickled into his hairline, and he longed for the comfort of their small house.

“Keep up, Dallan.” Mama’s skirts brushed against his pants’ legs.

“Where are you taking me?” He clung to her arm and dragged his feet. They’d gone too far. The shadows darkened, as if the sun had slipped behind the horizon, and he had no clue where he was now.

She halted mid-step before yanking him forward. “I do not wish to do this, but we have little c-choice.”

“Do what, Mama?” He wanted to dig his heels into the pavement and halt their progress. Had she decided he was more trouble than he was worth? Times were tough, and he was such little help. He tried to plow straight—despite counting his steps and placing one foot in front of the other—but he often tripped over the rocky soil. He tried cooking, but he couldn’t even boil water without scorching it. Though he wasn’t too bad as a tailor because he could count stitches and feel where he needed to go, he still needed guidance.

She pulled him closer. Rough stone rubbed against his arm through his thin shirt. A sob hitched in Mama’s throat as she emitted a mouse-like squeak. She embraced him tightly and then smoothed his damp hair from his face. “My sweet boy, I’m so, so sorry.”

“What’s wrong?” His heart pounded like a horse galloping across an open field, each hoof beating the ground in a frantic rhythm.

To purchase: Amazon / Amazon UK / Smashwords / Kobo / Nook

Click here to add on Goodreads.

About the Author: A self-proclaimed bookworm, Cherie Reich is a speculative fiction writer, freelance editor, book blogger, and library assistant living in Virginia. Her short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies, and her books include the horror series Nightmare, a space fantasy trilogy titled Gravity, and a fantasy series The Foxwick Chronicles. She is Vice President of Valley Writers and a member of the Virginia Writers Club and Untethered Realms.

Her debut YA Epic Fantasy novel Reborn, book one in The Fate Challenges, will be released on May 23, 2014.

For more information, please visit Cherie’s website and blog.

Also, Cherie has a special announcement for her email newsletter subscribers. Click here to sign up for her updates and receive a coupon for a free copy of Women of Foxwick.