Doh! IWSG

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

Also, for the IWSG members, don't forget about the Anthology Contest -- Open now until November 1st 2015.

So this month finds me grappling with the reality that writing a synopsis for book three before even writing book one was a MAJOR waste of time.  *sigh*

Yes, it was required as part of the submission process. And I knew going into writing the synopses for the trilogy that I would most likely go off script...but wow!  The end of book two sort of--happened. I love it compared to what I had originally planned, but now the beginning of the third book doesn't make sense.

Like...at all. *rolls eyes at self*

So now I have to go back and strip down my plot blocks to what I know I can keep. The think is I don't want to make the same mistake again and overthink it.

Anyway, this is a new one for me and could really use some help from you guys. How do you all deal with a book that kind of goes its own way on you?

+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, 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.