IWSG - Time Marches On

Hey, gang! Today marks the 3rd(!) anniversary of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. To say that this group has become a light of encouragement in our community is a gross understatement of its importance.

Like so many artists, writers are often ruled by our insecurities. Our desire to share our creativity with the world is often the very thing that terrifies us the most. Having this group of likeminded individuals--many of whom I look up to a great deal--sharing their trials and successes each month has sometimes been the only thing putting my butt back in the chair to keep writing.

So often I've felt that I was doing this writing thing wrong. That there was some piece to this cosmic puzzle that wasn't included with my set. Then, IWSG rolled around and I'd invariably find that ONE other writer who expressed exactly what I was feeling at any given time. And in our business, a small bit of affirmation can go a long way.

IWSG doesn't just give you spoonfuls of confidence and encouragement, it dishes it out in heaps. (There are over 300 members as of this post.) So if you've ever needed a boost, please click the pic below and give the group a look.

Time Marches On

My insecurity this month really isn't an insecurity, just more of a bitter fact of life. I can't control time for others, only what I do with my own. And I REALLY wish I could stop it altogether sometimes.

I live far enough from my 'growing up' home that I'm only able to visit most of my family once every 6 months (sometimes not even that). I'm the youngest of 4 children, my parents are elderly and not in great health. Every time I visit I wonder how much more time I'll have with them. My nieces and nephews grow an inch (or three) between every visit now. My siblings get a few more gray hairs and wrinkles. When you memorize everything about someone because you think about them all the time, it's jarring when your mental images no longer match up to the real thing.

I have a 15 year old chihuahua named Eddy. He has been by my side for many moves and adventures. I'm losing him, and I'd give just about anything to be able to hit a pause button and keep him with me for another 15 years. A dog that is able to grow old and die in a loving home is a lucky dog, because so many have hard, hard lives. But I'm still greedy enough to always want one more day with him.

We've lost some people in our writing-blogging community of late. People you see flash by in your feeds every day. People you've had conversations with. People who've lifted us up. We grow so accustomed to feeling their presence it's absolutely glaring when it's suddenly gone. My heart aches for their families, because I know they are feeling (x 1,000) what I am about time right now. We just need more of it with those we love. Always.

But that's not how life works. It keeps moving even if we stop.

Sometimes I listen to the wonderful Passenger song "Life's For The Living" when I get overwhelmed with these kinds of thoughts. The chorus really brings me back to the proper perspective.

Don't you cry for the lost

Smile for the living

Get what you need and give what you'r given

Life's for the living so live it

Or you're better of dead

Tears for what we've lost or missed are okay and good. But they won't give us any more time. It marches on and we have to try to keep up as best we can. We only have the moments we are given, and it's up to us to cherish them.

~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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IWSG - NaNoWriMo Edition - Easy Ways To Get More Writing Time

Hey, gang! Time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group post! What is IWSG? A collection of awesome writers who get together once a month to share our vulnerabilities and encouragement. You can learn all about it (and sign yourself up) by clicking the image below.

Carving out writing time--and not folding laundry, feeding kids, playing with dogs, catching up on Walking Dead, going to work, showering, etc., etc.--can be tricky. Why? Because not everyone sees it as such an essential activity as we writers do.

This gets particularly tricky if you're doing National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) types of things, because you're not just ducking out for a quick nip with the keyboard every now and again, but doing the equivalent of a month-long Rocky training montage with your WIP. 

So what's a writer to do? Well never fear, cause ol' E.J. is here to help you out. The next time you need to write and someone tries to stop you, just respond with one of the following--

A world needs saving, and I'm only a quarter of the way into figuring out how it's going to happen.

I have leprosy from 8-10 PM every day.

There are monsters in our (insert writing spot here), and it's going to take a few thousand words to flush them out.

I can't wear pants or remove this clown mask until I reach my word count. However, I'm happy to do whatever it is you need me to do sans pants, clown-mask-on until then.

Our computer was taken over by a gang of vicious cyber-terrorist, and if I don't write they're going to share (insert embarrassing photo memory here) on Facebook.

There are two versions of me: Writing me and pissed-off-bat-crap-crazy-homicidal-depressed-hates-puppies-never-cooks-slaps-babies-sets-fire-to-ALL-the-things me. Which do you prefer?

I'm Facebook chatting with your (insert most annoying family member here) so she won't call. This could take a while. Would you like me to tell her to call you instead?

I've agreed to donate $1 of your money to the local animal shelter for every word I fall short on my goal. Between dirty diapers, work, and getting our eldest child's foot sewn back on, I'm probably going to need around $45,000. Or they've agreed to let us adopt this abandoned litter of 13 very cute--but very feral--kittens instead (show ANY picture of numerous kittens running amok). OR I could TOTALLY just write some more.

This year's NaNoWriMo prize is the producers of Lost will finally tell us what the last episode meant.

This year's NaNoWriMo prize is Miley Cyrus will no longer stick her tongue out. 

I'm working on math story problems--want to help?

You ever read (insert WIP title here)? No? Really? (pull out tuft of your own hair and set it on fire) IT'S BECAUSE I HAVEN'T FINISHED WRITING THE DAMN THING!

You ever read (insert obscure book title here)? No? Really? Let me tell you about it: There's this writer who is frustrated because she never has time to write. So she decides to start acting out her stories instead. It's great, you should read it. But I really need to get back to writing my story. It's about a wife/mom/sister/friend who does horrible things to people's food. Or I could make you a sandwich and we can keep chatting.

Are you NaNoWriMo-ing this year? If so, are you on track to meet your goal? If no, what are you working on? In either case, hope this bit of fun helps brighten your day and keeps you going. :)

~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. 

IWSG - Marketing FAIL

Hey, gang! My Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) is once again off the mark of the posting day due to to Rachel's interview on Wednesday. But Rachel rocks, so we're just going to roll with it. :)

Not familiar with the IWSG? It's basically a gaggle of writer types who blog once a month about the less-than-awesome aspects of what we do. Sometimes it's encouragement we offer each other, and other times (like in my case today), we just lament the things we suck at.

IWSG is open to all, and it's a fabulous way to connect with some kindred spirits. Click the button below for more info:

Marketing FAIL

Okay, in this day and age of Internet buzz and general overstimulation of the masses, there's not much more useful of a tool for an author to have than good marketing skills. It seems like you're only as relevant as your last tweet, and more known for your Pinterest board shenanigans than your writing. 

Consequently, you need to be able to network. You need to let people know you exist, and more importantly, that your books exist. Standing out in the crowd isn't necessarily a good thing, it's a must thing. 

Problem: What do you do when you really just aren't that good at, or enthused about, celebrating ME?

Don't get me wrong, I fully understand the premise of marketing. I TOTALLY get why it's a good thing. But 99% of the time I live in this fairytale land where readers find you because other readers like you, and unicorns dance with dragons below a crimson harvest moon.

Maybe it's just my farming roots showing, but I kind of just want to plant a seed, make sure it gets plenty of sunlight and the water nature gives it, and then watch it grow into a big ol' fruit tree. Then, in a few years, I'll stretch out on the porch, eat those damned fine peaches, and say, "I remember when I planted that seed!"

I told you it was a fairytale land... it's like one of those Werther's Originals commercials. Except I'd probably have an adult drink in my hand and be laughing maniacally as my Amazon rank skyrocketed. :) 

Anyway, today I felt like giving an ode to those of us who market to the best of our abilities--and still hate and suck at it. Below, you'll find some buttons I've made for the marketing failures--like moi--out there to wear like the champions of ineptitude we are. Share them and rejoice!

More importantly, have a fantastic weekend. :)

~EJW~

Is There Freedom In Writing?

Hey, gang! First, I want say thank you (SO much) for all of the encouragement and well-wishes left on my last post. Oklahoma is hard at work on the recovery process, and I've read so many extraordinary stories of people coming to aid those in need from loved ones on Facebook.

Authors Helping Oklahoma

Along those lines, I know many of you are authors and looking for a way to contribute. I recently learned of a group of authors on Facebook who are putting together a book auction with proceeds going toward tornado relief. The effort is being spearheaded by our own Shelly Arkon, and they are currently still accepting book donations from authors who want to help. (They are also accepting general donations with all monies generated going to the American Red Cross.)

You can check it out here. 

Together At Last!

In my own writing news, I've just released the first Moonsongs Anthology. It collects the first three Moonsongs books (Blood Fugue, Witch's Nocturne, & Dark Prelude) in one volume. 

BLURB: Jenny Schmidt is a young woman with old heartaches. A small town Texas girl with big city attitude, she just doesn’t fit in. Not that she has ever tried...

Her life is thrown into chaos when she receives a message from her thought-to-be-dead grandfather, Billy Moonsong. After meeting with him, Jenny learns that her Apache ancestors were feared monster hunters on the plains of West Texas, and that she is next in line to take up the mantle.

Suddenly, she has a purpose and direction in life, but will she live long enough to fully realize it?

The Moonsongs Anthology 1 collects the first three Moonsongs books--a series of New Adult paranormal-horror-action novelettes--in one exciting volume. Follow Jenny and her best friend Marshal on their dangerous quest to unlock the secrets of her past.

Moonsongs Anthology 1 collects the three previously published Moonsongs adventures: Blood Fugue (Book 1), Witch's Nocturne (Book 2), and Dark Prelude (Book 3).

The three stories combined are approximately 154 pages or 47,000 words. Also included in the anthology is exclusive access to Jenny's own secret monster hunting journal. An account--in her own colorful words--of what she has faced so far, and a few tips for the next Moonsong huntress who might come along.

The anthology is available digitally at Amazon and Barnes & Noble for $2.99. 

If you're curious about the series, the first book, Blood Fugue, has now gone permanently free on Amazon.

Is There Freedom In Writing?

There are many misconceptions about what writers do, and how the writing process takes place. Many folks think writers are dizzy daydreamers, caught up in one fanciful thought after another, and that we simply sit at our computers and crank out story after story.

There's also this myth about the boundless freedom--both in practice and spirit--that all writer's must surely posses. Yes, writers must live in a land of rainbows and no fences, racing up one grass-covered hill just to roll down into another flower-filled meadow below.

Here's the thing: There are points in writing that feel extremely confining. Down right suffocating, in fact. Mentally, it probably has more in common with a darkened, 5x5 ft cell with no doors you'd see in one of those SAW horror movies than an endless, sunlit vista. 

You have to commit a staggering amount of time to a single project if you plan on seeing it become fit for public consumption. You'll likely have to forfeit many important and fun things in your personal life to enjoy writing success. 

You'll read the same story a thousand times, live in the same character's head for months and months, and have most of your idol thoughts devoured by trying to fill the same damned plot hole you had when you started the project two years prior. (The writing and story are better, but the plot hole remains... always.) 

In writing, you have to have the mentality of a parent: You gave birth to that story, and will only be parted from it when it grows up and leaves you, or someone pries it from your cold, dead hands. 

So I'd argue there's very little freedom in writing. At least in the sense people think... But there is power in it. 

You eventually learn how to tell a story, and tell it in only the way you can. The more you write, the more you'll learn how to use the various tools and tricks to elicit a desired feeling in the reader. And there's power in that control. 

Once you know how to share and evoke emotion with words, you'll start to feel like you could tell any story, and take readers to the incredible places you thought only existed in your own head. 

But as Uncle Ben once told Peter Parker, with great power comes great responsibility, and that responsibility is choosing how to spend your writing time. Assuming you don't have an infinite amount of it, you'll have to decide which project gets your attention.

So I ask you: Do you feel completely free in your writing? How do you go about choosing your next project? If you're published, do your readers choose them for you? If you're unpublished, do you let your inspiration carry you?

~EJW~

Don't Sweat The Details

Hey gang! Hope this post finds you all making steady progress on your writing and/or life goals. If not, it's only Tuesday, so there's plenty of time to get on with it. :-)

Today, I'm sharing the cover of my pal's (Victoria H. Smith) latest work: The Space Between. If you know V, you know she is an absolute ball of energy and fun. But you might not know she brings that same enthusiasm and passion to her writing endeavors. (Plus, I hear she weaves a mean romance!)  So you'll definitely want to make it to the bottom of the post to check TSB out.

But first, a brief message from the blogger of the house:

Don't Sweat The Details

Details. The Devil is in them, and wherever that son-of-a-gun is hanging out, you can be sure troubles aren't far behind. 

Don't get me wrong. Any writer worth their salt will tell you that writing is a business of details. Details take an average story to great. Details keep a reader thinking about your story long after they've put it down for the night. Details will need to be handled if you plan to publish your work.

No doubt, details are important--in writing AND life.

However, details have this way of burying us when it comes to large, never-ending tasks. And any writer worth their salt will also tell you that becoming a good writer is very much a large and never-ending task. 

You can always be better, do better. You will never please every reader, reviewer, editor, etc.. There will always be things you don't know. Perfection is not an option. Just the nature of a honing a craft, I'm afraid.

Details can gnaw and worry you until your goals and dreams are unrecognizable bits that are easily washed away in the floods of doubt and life that inevitably come. (Think of them as our freaking monsoon seasons.)

I think wiser folks use the saying, "Not seeing the forest for the trees." Don't do that.

So what DO you do? Details are important, but can clearly cause problems.

Here's what I recommend: Approach your writing, and life, with a child's perspective and determination.

If a kid wants to go to the zoo, they don't get bogged down in the details. They aren't worried about things like money, transportation, pants--they just want to go to the zoo, and are already planning what they're going to do there before they even know if it's possible.

(I'm not suggesting your write without pants on, by the way. But it can be done. Just sayin'...)

All I'm saying is that if you put in the time, and are determined, the details have a way of working themselves out. You don't have to master them all at once, so why try?

~EJW~

The Space Between by Victoria H. Smith

Expected release date: April 2, 2013

New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Cover Designer: Okay Creations
Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours

Links to find the book: Goodreads

 

Description:

When Drake started the night at his father’s campaign fundraiser, he never imagined he’d end it being conned into buying drugs on the West Side. Losing high-stakes poker has its consequences, but he’d repeatedly face them just to hear Lacey Douglas sing. Drake sees Lacey light up the stage, and he has to have her. But his intentions for being on her side of town turn out to be the reason he can’t.

Chicago native Lacey has dreams of the opera, but life has its obstacles. Lacey has come to know her hardships as part of living in the real world and accepts them fully. When Lacey meets the intense and invigorating Drake, a fire is lit inside her, unleashing those dreams again.

Two paths that should have never crossed prove to create the exact pairing the other needs. But when their worlds take time to catch up, everything they have is tested. Finding the space between the two sides that challenge them will be hard, but it’s the only place that will keep them together.

The Space Between is a new adult contemporary romance.

About the author:

Victoria H. Smith has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. She puts it to good use writing romance all day. She resides in the Midwest with her Macbook on her lap and a cornfield to her right. She often draws inspiration for her stories from her own life experiences, and the twenty-something characters she writes give her an earful about it.

In her free time, she enjoys extreme couponing, blogging, reading, and sending off a few tweets on Twitter when she can. She writes new adult fiction romance in the sub-genres of science fiction, urban fantasy, and contemporary, but really, anywhere her pen takes her she goes.










Author Links: Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads 

IWSG: Goals

Happy New Year gang! Hope that everyone had good Holidays and are as eager as I am for 2013. I held off on posting this as a regular post as I thought it fit well with the Insecure Writer's Support Group that I'm a proud part of.

Here's what IWSG is all about:

Click HERE to join the IWSG

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.
Now that we have that cleared up, I have a confession to make: I'm not a resolutions kind of guy. Resolving to do stuff--in my mind--is just short of making a promise, and that's a serious business. So serious in fact that I'm not willing to make those kinds of lasting proclamations for anything life (or chance) can void on a whim. 

I'm only going to resolve to do something if it's VERY important. And very important things shouldn't be pinned to my refrigerator at the end of the year next to the grocery list and the holiday greeting from Aunt Edna and her cats. 

No, I believe the most lasting and realistic kinds of change are the kinds we tackle at the beginning of each day and evaluate at the end. Change lives and breathes with us, not in spite of us. I think that's why I like to set goals. 

Goals, I've found, are much more malleable things. They can be contorted, cajoled, and kicked into submission. Goals tend to dance to the rhythm we choose, not swing off with the first hussy or jerk with snappier moves. Goals go on the journey with us, they aren't perched on high, cackling when we fall.

So with that in mind, I'm going to offer up some of my writing goals for this new year. A 'to-do' list to put in front of me, things to aim for, and to adjust accordingly. 

Some of them I do every year, but are worth repeating I've found. :-) You can use them, too. Stick them in your travel pack. But remember, if they get too heavy or cumbersome just cast them off, or simply make them fit. They are ours to command! 

Here's How I'm Going to Kick 2013's Ass

Write only the kinds of stories I would like to read.

Read a book on craft ... maybe even two or three.

For every book I read from my favorite genre or category, read one that isn't.

Draft something really shitty, then revise it until it's less shitty.

Write what I know until I know how to write about the things I don't--which is most things when I really think about it.

Quit being afraid to share my work with others. Growing is painful, but required.

View revision as writing, not work.

Treat writing as work, not art.

Make art out of my writing.

Be hopelessly optimistic about my talent.

Be hopelessly realistic about my talent. (AKA - the key to always improving.)

Write the story I've always wanted to write, even if I have no business writing it.

Understand that publishing is completely within my control. (My eye is twitching...) Quit asking for permission and waiting for an okay if I'm tired of asking for permission and waiting for an okay.

I'll never know if I don't ask, so fire off a query ... or twenty.

Size-up my expectations and reality, then make sure my determination is bigger than both.

Become my harshest critic and biggest fan, then tune them both out completely and write.

Celebrate and cherish every word I put to paper or screen.

Be willing, and happy, to scrap every word I put to paper or screen for the sake of making the story better.

Be efficient with my time so I can waste more of it on writing.

Write without a filter.

Tell someone who doesn't live in the Internet I'm a writer--and mean it.

Always believe a story, and the writing, can be better. Then make them so until the deadline/editor/agent/crit partner rips them from my hands.

Find my voice, even if it means screaming on the page. I can adjust the volume later. (But usually don't have to.)

Treat writing a story like painting a room: Understand it's going to take more than one coat to make it look good; the number of doors, windows, etc. are going to increase the amount of time and effort required to get the job done; rushing things will only make a mess; allow time for drying in between coats; the job is much easier to do with proper technique and a little help...

Believe that if I put my best foot forward, I'm allowed to never look back.

Put more thought into my next story than the last, and worry more about what I can do than what I can't.

Those are just a few of my personal writing objectives for 2013. What's tops on your list? 

~EJW~

NaNoWriMo: Reflections & Guest Post

Hey gang! Hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday weekend. We ate too much, decorated trees (as is our custom on the Friday after Turkey Day), and generally lived the good life for a few days. If I could've had you all over for pie and football, it might've been the perfect weekend. :-) 

Photo courtesy of LMRitchie, WANA Commons

We are in the final days of National Novel Writing Month, and though I've never taken part, I'm always fascinated by, and supportive of, those who do. 50,000 words in 30 days is a significant undertaking for novel newbies and vets alike. And a number of brilliant stories and authors have been hatched during the frantic Fall scribblefest. 

To honor their hard work, I'm sharing a guest post from author Amy Evans. She discusses the often difficult decision to jump into the National Novel Writing Month challenge, and (I think) nicely encapsulates why the month is special. 


To NaNo or not to NaNo….by Amy Evans
In case you live under a rock, or have been knocked out of electronic commission by Superstorm Sandy like yours truly, you probably already know that Nov. 1st is the kick off for National Novel Writing Month (NaNo.) The community driven event challenges writers to complete a 50,000 word novel in thirty days; offering support, daily goals, and organization tips. While many have been planning for NaNo for weeks, months, or even all year, I have personally been going back and forth all week on what to do in November this year.

NaNo holds a special place in my heart because two years ago I used it to get back to writing fiction after a five year hiatus. As a new mom, I’d found it almost impossible to find the time to write, and when I did the pressure to produce something fabulous prevented me from putting anything down on paper. Enter NaNo. Admittedly, I “pantsed” it, planning very little and writing whatever came to mind within a large story context and the recommended daily word count. And it worked.

While I didn’t make the word count that month, I did write 35,000 words of a new novel, which was 34,000 more words than I’d completed on any fiction project in five years. In 2011, I used NaNo to finish the first draft of the novel I’m completing now. It took me five months to write the first 20,000 words, and then two months to complete the next 60,000 thanks to the pace I managed to maintain even after NaNo ended.

Which brings me to this year. Originally, I’d planned to write book two in my current series. But then I hired an amazing editor who was worth waiting for, and I just got notes back today. It is not the right time for me to start something new but I don’t want to give up on participating in NaNo.

So my adapted goal this November is to use the energy and the drive that NaNo has brought into my life for this edit. I have thirty pages of notes to address, and 80,000 words. I’m counting on NaNo to cancel that voice inside my head that ordinarily questions if my work is good enough. Because what I’ve learned previously is that if I can stick to the NaNo schedule, everyday the work amazingly gets better.

***

Thanks again to Amy for sharing her process! Be sure to 'click' her name above and give her a follow on Twitter (if you do such things). She's a very insightful and fun follow.

So where do you stand on NaNoWriMo? Did you take up the challenge this year? If so, are you finished? What did it mean for you? If you didn't take part, would you ever consider it?

For those in the thick of it, still 2 days left to meet your writing goals, and I'm cheering you on! 

~EJW~

A Writer Has A Lot To Be Thankful For

I wanted to wish all of you a happy Thanksgiving. Simple. But then the coffee hit my brain and I thought what do I--as a writer--have to be thankful for? Yeah, this could take a minute...

Photo courtesy of Pep Talk Polly, WANA Commons

I published my first work this year. (Just a couple of months ago, in fact.) The nature of the story makes it something I'm not certain would've seen the light of day a few years ago. It's short, but long (a novelette, which is longer than a short story, but shorter than a novella); it's written for/in a category that doesn't exist in some publishing circles (NA); and it's speculative (it crosses over a few genres--paranormal, horror, etc.). Basically, there isn't a shoebox to shove it in.

THANKFULLY, in this day and age I can build my own shoeboxes, and I'm certainly trying. I don't need permission to write and share things, just the desire to do it. 

Writing can be a lonely business. It's difficult to share things after you've created them, and all but impossible to do so as you're creating them. We're those solitary kids in the sandbox, building fragile structures that are always grander in our minds. Try to ask us what we're up to, and we might just shush you and say, "Not so loud! It could fall over any second, and I want see how much I can build before it all goes away."

THANKFULLY, I'm never truly alone. I've met so many other writers online. People who do what I do, and struggle with the things I struggle with. Most of them are quick with an encouraging word when I need picking up, and heap inspiration into my world with the click of  a mouse button. They're my homies--my peeps--and most days, they're all the company I need.

When I tell people I write fiction, a typical response is, "Man, I wish I could do that." My typical response is, "That's funny, because that's exactly how I got started. I wanted to do it." It goes deeper than that, sure, but the idea is a simple one: You must start before you can finish.

I'm THANKFUL every day that I started. Frustration bleeds out my ears at times, sure. Yes, feelings of inadequacy nip at my heels with every success, and damn near swallow me whole with the setbacks. But I'd never know the euphoria of seeing the view from the summit--a finished project--had I not endured the climb.

I've been to Jupiter, and it wasn't all that. I've killed a werewolf--and it was awesome! I saved the world three times last year. Impossible? For most, but not for me...

Writing means you have no boundaries. If it can be considered, it can be done. Good guys can be bad, bad guys can be good, and kids can save the adults. That's the true beauty of creating with words, and I'm THANKFUL for the freedom.

Those are just a few of a long list of things that crossed my mind this morning. What's on your 'thankful writer' list?

Hope you all have the happiest of Thanksgivings, and looking forward to finishing out the year on the other side amongst my many dear blog friends! 

~EJW~