IWSG, You Can Do the Thing!

Welcome to another installment of the Insecure Writer's Support Group conceived by illustrious Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh! Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG. 

The co-hosts for November are:

Tyrean Martinson  http://tyreanswritingspot.blogspot.com/

Karen Walker  http://karenfollowingthewhispers.blogspot.com/

Denise Covey  http://dencovey.blogspot.com/  

Stephen Tremp   http://authorstephentremp.blogspot.com/

So this month I am all about encouraging my fellow authors. Whether you're taking part in this year's NaNoWriMo challenge or facing a personal writing struggle, I want you to know that its okay to stumble. 

Its okay to feel overwhelmed or lost in your story. Its fine if you don't have the end worked out. Not too big of a deal if life throws you a curve ball and you don't meet your writing goal...

DON'T GIVE UP.

I've met goals and jumped for joy...and failed to even come close and dove into some comfort food. Just sayin' it happens to all of us.

So I'm here to be a cheerleader, an "I believe in you-er," and overall good vibe sender.

I am going to be doing NaNoWriMo again this year so if you need a writing buddy, just look me up by name.  

Otherwise, my best wishes and warmest virtual hugs are coming your way...YOU CAN DO THE THING!

+Raquel Byrnes 

IWSG, Will I Rally?

Welcome to another installment of the Insecure Writer's Support Group conceived by illustrious Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh! Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

This blog post really is all I can do today. I am thoroughly exhausted and worried, actually, that I won't rally...won't keep writing.

What if I devolve into a Netflix watching, sweat pants wearing, Pirate Booty eating mess of a former writer out of sheer exhaustion? I mean, those Psych episodes are looking pretty hilarious about now. How about I watch all 300?

I've just finished and sent off the second book in my Steampunk Thriller series and I have to say, I really need a break. The pace I had to take on was punishing and wore me out thoroughly.

My worry is that I will not come back. Striving to hit the deadline amid the tragedies rolling in this past six months has really tested my love for writing. Maybe even bruised it a bit?

Hubby asked me to take some time off of writing. Two weeks to repair my brain, he said. Here's to hoping it works.

What do you all do to keep your writing pace sane? Do life events slow you down or do you find solace in writing?

I'd love to know if anyone else has struggled with post manuscript blues. That's a thing...right?

IWSG, Must I Corset?

Welcome to another installment of the Insecure Writer's Support Group conceived by illustrious Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh! Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

I'm not sure I can do this cosplay thing...

As you all may know, I am currently two books deep into a Steampunk trilogy. I LOVED H.G. Wells and Jules Verne as a kid and have always lost myself in this type of story. The what if and elegant inventions. Writing in a genre I have always admired is a DREAM!!

But the other day I was talking with a friend of mine about going to a conference as a vendor to offer my book and maybe connect with other lovers of the genre and she asked me if I was going to dress up.

I was confused... "Like, wear a suit?" I asked her.

No, it turns out that she thought I might go all steampunk'd out to the conference since the GearCon's and Gaslight Gatherings celebrate dressing up and cosplay. I knew that attendants did this, but vendors?

In fact she showed me some blogs of other steampunk authors and they are all dressed in period/world attire.

Panic Cat demonstrating my expression.

Panic set in. I'm not sure I can do a corset and not manage to fall all over myself. 

I want to look professional...like an author...not like one of my characters. I mean, I have never seen Stephen King dressed up as Pennywise or Cassandra Clare dressed as a Shadow Hunter.

I write Gothic Mystery also and have never had cause to be all 'ghosty' or whatever.

Not sure what to do. Is this something I should be worried about? Is there a compromise...perhaps some sort of 'nod' to the devices in my book that I can have displayed instead?

Help!!

IWSG, I Panicked

Welcome to another installment of the Insecure Writer's Support Group conceived by illustrious Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh! Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

So I'm plugging away on my WIP and usually a third of the way through I stop and go through a few helpful "how to" lists I have compiled over the years. I check to make sure I'm hitting the right action beats and leaving the proper amount of threads...just sort of taking the pulse of my novel, as it were.

This normally helps to double check my Type A tendency to need order when sometimes in the midst of writing it can get pretty messy.

However, this time I found that I was missing something essential. A truly high stakes, doorway-of-no-return motivation that sets my heroine in motion. I THOUGHT that I had one. Its in my outline and synopsis...but as I wrote it, truly just let the story unfold, I found that it wasn't enough. It was kind of -- well it was a little blah.

I panicked...

Hopefully I've figured out what I need to do, but it requires ripping the story open at the seams and really scooping some stuff out, wrangling some new stuff in, and tying those pesky threads together again. Well, it all seems so intimidating. I don't really know how to begin. 

So glad this all happened so close to IWSG posting time because just reading about how other authors face similar struggles and triumphs really is a great thing.  And actually, now that its off my chest...I'm feeling a little better already. 

IWSG, Shaking in My Boots

Its my first confession via the Insecure Writer's Support Group conceived by illustrious Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh!

Okay, so I have been visiting and reading these Wednesday posts for months. I have to say I really did like feeling like I was not the only one who struggled with freak outs and worries.  I never really thought I had any reason to post myself...I have it all handled, right?

Uh...not so much. 

Right now I am struggling so much with confidence. I had no idea that writing a true trilogy...books with a continuing story line and ever growing characters could be so intimidating. Can I I do it? Am I smart enough? Organized enough? Will my brain explode before this is over? Ahhhh!

All that angst translates into me hiding and not reaching out and blogging or commenting. I know...I KNOW that keeping in touch with other writers is so important. So I decided to take the plunge and join the IWSG.  

So..."Hi, y'all." *waves nervously*