Insecure Writer's Support Group

It's time for another addition of ISWG, created by Alex J. Cavanuagh.

Today I'm going to make this short. In the post below you'll find my two newest e-books. Both are flash fiction stories and in the next couple weeks I'll have an additional 5 join  them. I'm hoping that readers will finally discover me. Trapped Memories Linger will be free as soon as Amazon changes the status.

Why am I Insecure?

Well, that has to do with my general inability to believe in myself. All I can say is; how we raise our children matters. What we instill in them is important. Even so, life sometimes leaves a stable person wounded. I am one of those. But I have the attitude. "Never give up, never surrender." Galaxy Quest.

I'll let you know if my strategy works.

Nancy

Now Available:

Links are on the side bar.

Nancy

Insecure Writers Support Group, Critique

Time again for the ISWG post, created by Alex J. Cavanuah. To read what others  have posted go here.

I'm not feeling insecure at the moment, but I am feeling a little frustrated. I've been trying to find quality critique partners for some time. My health is finally on the mend enough to allow me to concentrate on my writing and my art for book covers. Critique is an integral part of writing.

What is critique? You may ask.

There are two kinds of critique, maybe more.

Line critique which generally checks for grammar and spelling.

Story critique which checks for the following:
Back story
POV shift
Show don't tell
Hook
Description
Pacing
Plot and more.

I'm very good at the latter.

It is very important that when you send your writing to a critique partner that you first re-read what you have written more than once and correct as much as you can. Our time is valuable, to send off your rough draft is rude.

How to read your critique:
It's important to remember that all critique is opinion. However, much of it is educated opinion. 99% of the time it will be spot on, so consider revising what has been recommended. However, if you really disagree with the comment you shouldn't revise it. If your critique partner didn't understand something, there's a good chance the reader won't either.

So now you've written your story, you've had it critiqued, do you need a beta reader. Not really. Do you need an editor? Absolutely. Especially for those of you who are self publishing. Hire and editor. I know several if you need a reference.

So, that's it for now.

Come and join me for the Write...Edit...Publish challenge later this month. Title: Changing Faces. Go here to learn more.

Nancy

Insecure Writers Support Group, Plot

Greetings everyone. It's time for the ISWG post, created by Alex J. Cavanauh. Great idea don't you think? If you would like to read what others have written in this insecure bloghop click here.

For my submission I'm going to talk about plot.

Oh yeah, plot.

I have never liked the word 'plot.' Sorry but it sounds too much like plop.  So what do you do? Do you plop down a plot? I mean, really. Couldn't we find a more descriptive word to discuss and use to replace the word plot?

What about the word structure? Doesn't a good story have structure? Every detail in it's place. Mapped out to perfection, or at least an attempt at perfection?

Or how about the word framework? When you build a house it must have the frame in place before you can put up the walls, paint it, clean it and arrange furniture.

I recently received a critique about a story I wrote that said I didn't have a plot. It's a romance. You know, boy meets girl, love and marriage. Isn't that the plot of a romance? I don't know. I don't usually write romance. 

I had a book on plot and I wanted to re-read it, but we have moved so many times in the last four years that I fear it has been lost or packed away in a mysterious box. So for now I will just ask the questions above.

Advice is welcome. What do you think?
Nancy

I am looking for experienced critique partners. I have more than 25 years of experience to offer you. Let me know in the comments if you're interested.

If you would like to read my epic fantasy, 'The Treasure of Carmelidrium,' click the link on the right hand side below the book cover. A reveiw is appreciated.

ISWG Emotions and Characters

Today is another addition of the insecure writer's support group or ISWG, brain child of Alex J. Cavanaugh. To read other post go here.

In am a writer. I lay claim to this title by right of my abilities and talent and by the fact that I have written and are still writing. If you are reading my post you are probably also a writer. Why? What drives us to write?

Excellent questions but I'm not going to answer them this time. Rather I want to talk about emotions, both mine and my characters. Some people don't care much about characters. But for me it is the characters that drive the story. If I'm going to invest my time in writing or in reading I want to have interesting characters.

In case you don't know, I am too honest and haven't hidden the fact that my personal life has been difficult and continues to be a challenge both medically and emotionally. I believe this very fact is what makes me a good writer. I have experienced so much sorrow and disappointment coupled with triumph and joy. So in light of all this I am going to make a little fun with a few emotions.

Can you guess the emotion, the health, or the attitude?

1. My gray shades have all turned black.

2. What's the point of trying?

3. I need a nap.

4. Arrgue

5. Interrupted by meaningless tattle.

6. The T.V. is on all day.

7. Pain...pain...go away.

8. Did you see that? Or that? Or what about that?

9. I heard this, because someone said that, because I did this, because, I don't know why.

10. What the heck am I supposed to do now?

The bottom line is that we all have things happen whether we are clear headed, rattled brained or in pain. Sometimes we are all the above. Dust yourself off and type away anyway.

Nancy

In case you didn't notice I have two e-books available. The Treasures of Carmelidrium, an epic fantasy and The Magic of Windlierwoods. Just click on the link below the picture of the book on the side-bar to buy and please remember to leave a review. Thanks, Nancy

ISWG Why

It's the first Wednesday of the last month of 2013 which means it's time for the Insecure Writer's Support Group or ISWG. Brain child of Alex J. Cavanaugh. When your finished reading my post (and after you comment hopefully,) I have provided a link so you can read other post.

The idea behind this blog hop is to be encouraged or provide encouragement to the blog author who is participating. This month I need a virtual tissue.

It is Monday night as I write this and I have been crying for two hours. Why?

Because I have a demon that follows me around. He is a big blue blob with a down turned mouth and droopy eyes and his name is 'Why should I bother.' Another name he goes by is depression. Oh yes, I suffer from this terrible illness and it has me in its grip tonight. Why?

I have been working hard on a series of short stories with a goal to put them up two weeks apart starting the week of Christmas. My goal is to allow readers to find me. Readers haven't discovered me in any number even though I've got two e-books available. Sadly, I won't achieve my goal. Why?

My computer has been attacked by numerous virus over the last three years and this week it stopped allowing me online. So I put all my stories on a USBkey and dug out my old computer. When I transferred my stories they disappeared from the virus computer altogether. Tonight I tried to put them into the old computer. This monster is very, very, very slow. My stories are not on the USBkey. They have all vanished. Not all is lost though because I don't erase my important emails and my first short story was edited. So I downloaded it. That worked but was very slow. So much so that I fear this computer will not last long enough for me to find enough money to replace it. This means that my almost completed second short story is dust. I have an excerpt here on my blog but that is all and I only had a little more to write. It also means that all the work I did on the sequel to my epic fantasy is also lost, as well as numerous ideas and notes.

I bet a lot of you have had similar things happen to you and you are wondering why I am so down. Let me explain a little further. This kind of thing happens to me all the time. This year alone I have faced one crisis after another. I've listed them.

I need to save $3,000.00 to get my teeth pulled. That doesn't count the dentures I will need. The insurance pays half which means it will really cost over $6,000.00 and no Dentist is willing to help me without the money up front.

I've been trying to save. Because I have a heart murmur this is a life and death crisis. I'm not kidding.

Last spring I was rear ended. They totaled the car. My husband was between jobs so we had to keep the rental past the time frame the Insurance co. paid for it. We had it for six weeks total. Out of pocket cost for us was over $1,000.00.

Three months later I was rear ended again. Everything was paid for by the Insurance co. however that was the week we had hail and flooding here in Colorado. We have a $500.00 deductible. The car repair place said we'd have our car back in 5 days. Because of the weather we added out of pocket Insurance in case the car was hailed on or someone ran into it. Our car took 11 days. Out of pocket cost for us was over $300.00. that is all I had saved for my teeth.

The starter went out on the car the first week of November. We had to go to a loan shark. $600.00

My husbands hours have been cut back. They aren't as busy this time of year.

Last year the company my husband worked for was based in Nebraska. Unknown to us they didn't pay any income taxes to the State of Colorado. We don't owe a lot and we assumed that Colorado would simply keep our tax return. No. Two weeks ago we received a letter stating that his new job had to pay an additional 25%. That equals $200 on $800. I can't pay all the bills now let alone save for my teeth.

Now, my computer has died and I've lost all my stories.

So you see, I have a good reason to cry. And because these kinds of things happen to me year after year, I have begun to ask the question. Why should I bother?

If you'd like to help my stories are on Amazon in e-format. Click the links at the top left banner of this blog. they are both only 99 cents. If you'd like to read an excerpt from my short story scroll down to the post below this one. (The Treasures of Carmelidrium, an epic fantasy and The Magic of Windlier Woods, a children's story.) Some of you have already purchased and read them, thank you.

Thanks for your time.
Nancy

To read other post click the link below.

http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html

PS. It's Tuesday night. My eyes are burning due to all the crying I did. My emotions are better so it's back to work. I must write. I'm a writer. Nancy