IWSG December 2017

It's the final installment of IWSG for 2017, and I just can't understand where the year's gone! It's been a good one, though, and I'll talk more about that when answering this month's question. Hosted as ever by Ninja Cap'n Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writer's Support Group is a safe haven where writers of all kinds can share their doubts and insecurities with their fellow scribes. If you haven't already joined, doing so would be a great new year's resolution! This month's co-hosts are Julie Flanders, Shannon Lawrence, Fundy Blue and Heather Gardner.

So this month's optional question is "As you look back on 2017, with all its successes/failures, if you could backtrack, what would you do differently?"

Hmm. Well, this question kind of has a philosophical bent for me. I'm a believer that everything basically happens the way it's supposed to, whether that's for good or ill. We could get into all sorts of time travel, alternate universe scenarios by going back. All that said, I'm pretty happy with how 2017 went. I became an admin of a certain amazing group (clue - it's in the title of this post!), got the first part of my trilogy out (a big thing for me, as this had been a long time coming), and also got asked to be part of an anthology that's raising funds for military veterans. All great stuff. Yeah of course, I could have done some things differently. I haven't actually got a final ending for my trilogy yet - it would be good if I had that down - but I'm ploughing through edits and polishes for book 2 and hoping that'll help strike some synapses together to trigger it. I guess I'm pantsing this series the same as I do any other story! I could always wish I'd done more marketing, but that's an ongoing process and I am doing things I haven't done before - excerpt tweets, a Facebook author page and a newsletter being three big ones.

So yes, I would have to say I'm pleased with 2017 overall, and I'm already looking forward to 2018 being even better. How about you?

Check out the other great IWSG posts here.

Update and Goals

I wasn't around much last week, so I thought I'd leave a quick update to let you know what I've been doing and what I've got planned next. I do have a good reason for not being around though - I've been reading through the entries for the next IWSG anthology, ranking them in order so our collective favourites can go to the judges. The bar is extremely high on the entries, and the talent of the group really shines through - so it was hard to whittle them down. You can expect another stellar collection!

In other news, I've submitted a short story to a separate writing contest - they required a hard copy as well as an email submission. I've never actually sent a story via snail mail before, so that was a novelty at least!

It's a goal to submit to more competitions, including sending previously rejected stories. I've got a bunch that have only had one outing each, so I really want to give them another chance. The aim is to submit to at least one contest or journal per month - I'll keep you updated on progress here.

Of course, editing continues on part 2 of my trilogy - the aim is to have a polished version by the end of the year - and I will keep exploring ways of marketing the first book, including on Twitter.

Do you have any news or goals to share?

Mistakes of the Past release day

Happy Friday! Today I'd like to give a shout out to Patricia Lynne, whose new book released this week. The cover looks great and the blurb sounds really interesting too.

Blurb:

Luc seeks atonement for the actions that banished him from his home. Living as a priest in a small town, he strives to show how much he’s changed with the hope that one day he can return to his family.

Haunted by the guilt that destroyed her family, Rose has shut her heart off. She vows to never let anyone near again lest she hurt them. When she meets Luc, she can’t deny the draw she feels to him.

But the past is not easily forgotten. When Luc’s past finds him, Rose is caught in the middle. Forced to face who he used to be, Luc must decide if he’s willing to give up his chance at redemption to save Rose. But doing so means he won’t be able to hide who he is. Will Rose be able to reconcile the man she knows with the devil he used to be? Or are the mistakes of the past too damning?

Buy Links:

Amazon

Smashwords

B&N

Kobo

iTunes

About the Author:

Patricia Josephine never set out to become a writer. In fact, she never considered it an option during high school and college. She was all about art. On a whim, she wrote down a story bouncing in her head. That was the start of it and she hasn't regretted a moment. She writes young adult under the name Patricia Lynne.

Patricia lives with her husband in Michigan, hopes one day to have what will resemble a small petting zoo, has a fondness for dying her hair the colors of the rainbow, and an obsession with Doctor Who.

Links

Twitter

Website

Newsletter

Books

Google+

Wattpad

Goodreads

IWSG November 2017

Here we again for our monthly posting of the Insecure Writer's Support Group - who can believe for the penultimate time this year? Craziness. Of course, this is the day when we can gather to share our writing insecurities and woes without fear of judgement. Hosted as ever by the erstwhile Ninja Cap'n Alex J. Cavanaugh, today's excellent co-hosts are Tonja Drecker, Diane Burton, MJ Fifield and Rebecca Douglass!

Don't forget today is the closing date for the IWSG Anthology Contest 2017, so you still have a few hours to polish and submit your entries on the theme of Tick Tock - so remember it has to involve a clock, a specific time, or is time-sensitive in some way. Look forward to reading those latecoming entries! Find more details here.

With that wonderful annual event NaNoWriMo kicking off today, and many of you potentially taking part, today's IWSG question is well-timed: Win or not, do you usually finish your NaNo project? Have any of them gone on to be published?

Well, I have to say that NaNo has been good to me, although I've only taken part three times - 2012, 2013 and 2014. That first year was when I started writing Black & White, and although I didn't win, I was excited enough about the story to take it forward and eventually publish it this year. In 2014, I "rebelled" by going in with a draft already started - part 2 of the trilogy - and won. 2013 - well, I started writing (with a completely different story) and was right on track until a devastating personal event cut it short on November 9th. Many of you will know about that. Who knows where that story could have gone - maybe one day I will pick it up again, but at the moment the associations are just too painful.

So yes, overall I would encourage anyone to give NaNo a try if you're struggling over getting started on a project, or even finishing one. It doesn't give you a lot of time to think or hesitate - it's just about jumping in and feeding off some of that adrenaline that seems to course through the writing world in November. Oftentimes, gut feeling and instinct take the upper hand - which is usually a good thing for any story.

Good luck to everyone taking part this year! Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year, or have you done so before? If not, would you consider it? 

Full Dark release day!

It's here! After a lot of hard work on the part of its creator, Melissa Maygrove, this fantastic anthology is available to buy now. I'm really honoured to be a part of this alongside some outstanding authors, especially with the proceeds going to such a great cause.

Tagline: What happens in the dark will come to light.

Official blurb:

Full Dark is a collection of eleven short works with impressive depth and range. Twisted tales of ghosts, villains, and the paranormal await you—mystery, heinous fantasy, and pure suspense. Acclaimed and award-winning authors as well as a few talented newcomers have joined forces to be your guide. Venture into the dark if you dare.

Just A Matter Of Time by Loni Townsend

Forerunner by David Powers King

Taking Care Of You by Carrie Butler

The Apartment by Lisa Buie-Collard

The Caricature by Nick Wilford

Shifting Sands by Elizabeth Seckman

Shadows Falling On Rainbows by Celeste Holloway

Meringue, Murder or Marzipan by Tonja Drecker

Haunted Lake by Michelle Athy

Soul Coin by Laura Rich

Retribution by Melissa Maygrove

FULL DARK is a benefit anthology. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Gary Sinise Foundation, an organization that does many wonderful things for our country's active military, its veterans, and the countless first responders who sacrifice so much to keep us safe.

Publisher: Obsidian Books

Official release date: October 30, 2017

Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9960397-4-1

Amazon links: US / UK

Barnes & Noble 

Goodreads

Twitter: #FullDark11     @MelissaMaygrove

Cover designed & donated by Dark City Designs. Thank you, Harper L. Jameson! https://www.facebook.com/groups/darkcitydesigns

Editing services donated by Truelove Press and The Write Word

Please click the below if you would like to help spread the word via Twitter:

Tweet: New Release: FULL DARK! Supporting #veterans & #first #responders. Kindle https://ctt.ec/G94cK+ Nook https://ctt.ec/zbid1+ #FullDark11

Will you be picking up a copy? I think this would make the perfect read for Halloween.

Last week to submit for the IWSG anthology, and Full Dark coming soon!

Hope you're enjoying the season of spooks, witches and ghouls! I'm just here to post updates on a couple of things. In particular, a reminder that the competition for the latest IWSG anthology is still open until November 1, the theme being Tick Tock - so stories should involve a clock or a specific time in some way. The clock is ticking on this one, so get your entries in! Here's a reminder of the rules:

Eligibility: Any member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is encouraged to enter – blogging or Facebook member. The story must be previously unpublished. Entry is free. 

Word count: 3500-6000

Genre: Mystery/Crime/Thriller

Theme: Tick Tock. The story revolves around a clock, is time sensitive, or has something about a specific time. This theme has plenty of scope and we’re open to pretty much anything along these lines. No erotica, R-rated language, or graphic violence. 

Story deadline: November 1st 2017

How to enter: Send your polished, previously unpublished story to admin @ insecurewriterssupportgroup.com before the deadline passes. Please format double-spaced, size 12 font, and no headers or footers. Include your contact details, your social links, and if you are part of the Blogging or Facebook IWSG group. 

Judging: The IWSG admins will create a shortlist of the best stories. The shortlist will then be sent to our official judges.

Prizes: The winning stories will be edited and published by Freedom Fox Press next year in the IWSG anthology. Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title.

Elsewhere, Melissa Maygrove's anthology, Full Dark, is set for release next Monday, October 30. As I mentioned before, I have the honour of appearing in this book alongside some world-class authors. If you would like to help out with the launch, either on Monday or another day next week, let me know and I'll send details. Greatly appreciated! Also, if you'd like to help generate some pre-release buzz, you can click the below link to tweet about the anthology:


Tweet: Coming soon! FULL DARK #anthology benefiting #veterans & #first #responders Find out more: https://ctt.ec/XbaHR+ #FullDark11

On the writing front, I'm working on another competition entry with Halloween as its deadline, and after that I'll be into edits for part 2 of my Black & White trilogy. That will probably take me up until the end of the year, and I'll be looking at a release date in the spring. Next month, I will definitely be back to regular updates in terms of posting about goals and keeping myself accountable. This month, I've been a bit swamped with other work, but I think I've got a handle on it now.

Are you getting into the Halloween mood? Working on a story for the IWSG anthology, or have you already submitted? Would you like to help out with the launch of Melissa's awesome anthology?

Black & White blog tour giveaway winners, and Full Dark is coming!

Hope everyone's doing well. I'm here to announce the winners of my Black & White blog tour giveaway - sorry it's a bit late, I got kind of swamped with work after the tour wrapped up. So without further ado...

Winner of $10 Amazon giftcard - Lynda Dietz
Winners of ecopies of A Change of Mind and Other Stories - Will Griesmer, Brent Strassburg and Mary Preston

Congrats, guys! I'll be in touch about your prizes shortly.

Now, onto some other exciting news. I'm pleased to announce that I'm involved in an anthology put together by the wonderful Melissa Maygrove, which is set for release at the end of this month (just in time for Halloween). Melissa's been through some trials and tribulations recently, to say the least, so I'm super impressed that she's managed to pull this project together so well.

Title: FULL DARK: An Anthology

Tagline: What happens in the dark will come to light.

Official blurb:

Full Dark is a collection of eleven short works with impressive depth and range. Twisted tales of ghosts, villains, and the paranormal await you—mystery, heinous fantasy, and pure suspense. Acclaimed and award-winning authors as well as a few talented newcomers have joined forces to be your guide. Venture into the dark if you dare.

Just A Matter Of Time by Loni Townsend

Forerunner by David Powers King

Taking Care Of You by Carrie Butler

The Apartment by Lisa Buie-Collard

The Caricature by Nick Wilford

Shifting Sands by Elizabeth Seckman

Shadows Falling On Rainbows by Celeste Holloway

Meringue, Murder or Marzipan by Tonja Drecker

Haunted Lake by Michelle Athy

Soul Coin by Laura Rich

Retribution by Melissa Maygrove

FULL DARK is a benefit anthology. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Gary Sinise Foundation, an organization that does many wonderful things for our country's active military, its veterans, and the countless first responders who sacrifice so much to keep us safe.

Publisher: Obsidian Books

Official release date: October 30, 2017

I'm excited to be a part of this book alongside a stellar line-up of authors, and also very happy that the profits are going to such a superb cause, especially in light of the various disasters we have seen lately.

You can add it to your Goodreads list here and below is a Tweet if you'd like to help spread the word:

Coming soon! FULL DARK: An Anthology - Proceeds benefit #veterans & #first #responders Please share! #FullDark11 https://ctt.ec/stcn3+

IWSG Contest Winners Announced!

Monday again, and it's a great start to the week as the IWSG Show Your Writer Insecurity contest winners have been announced!

Thanks to all the participants - there were so many excellent and creative image. But we only had three prize packages with dozens of books, audio books, IWSG features, and IWSG erasers… (drum roll)

Third place goes to: J Lenni Dorner

Second place goes to: Mary Aalgaard

And the grand prize winner who also finally told all his Facebook friends he’s a writer: Ken Rahmoeller

For more awesome images, visit the other participants:

Sarah, Karen, SE White, Carrie-Anne, Tyrean, Fundy, Sandra, Erika, Olga, Toi, IB Nosey, Morgan, Nancy, Deniz, Zan Marie, Allison Kathy, and Sharon.

Have a great week!

IWSG October 2017 - Show Us Your Writer Insecurity

Time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer's Support Group and it's a busy one today. If you don't know, the first Wednesday of the month marks the day when writers everywhere can gather to share our doubts and insecurities without fear of being judged. Hosted as always by Ninja Cap'n Alex J. Cavanaugh, today's co-hosts are Olga Godim, Chemist Ken, Jennifer Hawes and Tamara Narayan. Onto the first item of business...

This will be a lot of fun - today we've asked you to pose with any item of the IWSG swag or the IWSG logo. Once you've done that, leave a comment at the IWSG website or Facebook page directing us to your photo. The admin team will visit each one and pick the top three, who will receive the following enviable prize packages:

Third place – EBook of A Change of Mind and Other Stories by Nick Wilford, eBook of The Remnant by William Michael Davidson, eBook of Cling to God by Lynda R. Young, eBook of Already Home by Heather M. Gardner, and eBook of Dragon of the Stars by Alex. J. Cavanaugh. 

Second place – The entire eBook collection of the Totem series by Christine Rains, eBooks of Princess of Las Pulgas by C. Lee McKenzie, audio book of CassaSeries by Alex J. Cavanaugh, eBook of Black and White by Nick Wilford, and your choice eBook from J.L. Campbell. 

Grand prize winner - IWSG website interview, IWSG newsletter spotlight, IWSG pinned tweet for one week, C. Lee McKenzie's Featured Follower for the month, the IWSG Goodreads book club eBook for October/November, a short chapter critique, and a pair of IWSG erasers.

Onto the next item of business... submissions are currently open for the exciting next IWSG anthology.

Eligibility: Any member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is encouraged to enter – blogging or Facebook member. The story must be previously unpublished. Entry is free. 

Word count: 3500-6000

Genre: Mystery/Crime/Thriller

Theme: Tick Tock. The story revolves around a clock, is time sensitive, or has something about a specific time. This theme has plenty of scope and we’re open to pretty much anything along these lines. No erotica, R-rated language, or graphic violence. 

Story deadline: November 1st 2017

How to enter: Send your polished, previously unpublished story to admin @ insecurewriterssupportgroup.com before the deadline passes. Please format double-spaced, size 12 font, and no headers or footers. Include your contact details, your social links, and if you are part of the Blogging or Facebook IWSG group. 

Judging: The IWSG admins will create a shortlist of the best stories. The shortlist will then be sent to our official judges.

We know there's an incredible amount of talent in this group, so we can't wait to see what you've got! If you haven't entered yet, give it some thought and see what you come up with. This theme could go anywhere and we're excited to go through the entries.

So, onto today's post. I'm not feeling particularly insecure at the moment - having just finished a blog tour for my first ever released novel, I've been heartened by the support and encouragement that's out there in the writing community and I'm thankful to all the bloggers who hosted me and all those who commented and shared the posts. With this book being nearly five years in the gestation, having it out there feels like turning a corner and I'm optimistic about the future. Of course there is work still to be done with remaining edits on the subsequent parts, but it feels like it's within my grasp, which hasn't always been the case!

Are you showing your insecurity today? Submitted to the anthology or still crafting your masterpiece?

Don't forget to check out other IWSG contributors here!

Black & White blog tour Grand Finale

So, I have reached the end of my blog tour for my YA dystopian release, Black & White! It's been a blast - I had a lot of fun coming up with and writing the posts, and hopping around to the various hosts. A humble thanks to each and every one of you who has left best wishes, shared the posts, downloaded a copy of the book or added it to your TBR piles. I'm still working on getting back to everyone - I've been using a borrowed laptop since the light went out on my screen earlier this week, but I should be returning all your comments in the next few days. I'll also be announcing the winners of my giveaway, hopefully next Friday.

For my final post, I'm visiting Lorna at The Writing Greyhound with some closing thoughts on what keeps driving me forward on this crazy writing journey.

Have a great weekend, and thanks for reading!

Black & White blog tour Day 11

Happy Friday! It's the penultimate day of my blog tour, and today I'm visiting Patricia Lynne where we're being treated to a rare interview with the Supreme Grand Ruler of Harmonia, Lord Hubert Histender. Let's hear what he's got to say for himself.

Hope you have a great weekend! Up to anything nice?

Black & White blog tour Day 10

I'm rolling on with the tour for my YA dystopian release and today you can catch me at the following stops:

Julie Flanders - excerpt
Home of a Book Lover - a broadcast from Dr George Tindleson about the importance of science in Harmonia

Hope to see you there!

Black & White blog tour Day 9

Today on the blog tour for my recent dystopian release Black & White, I'm visiting the following two excellent writers:

Darla M. Sands with a post about reasons for including romance in non-romance books
Sandra Ulbrich Almazan where my character Mallinger is giving you a guided tour around his home town of Fusterbury.

Hope you can join me!

Black & White blog tour Day 8

The tour for my YA dystopian release, Black & White, rolls on and today you can find me at the following stops:

Unicorn Bell - where I pose a "what if" question
Ctrl Alt Books - where my protagonist Wellesbury is giving you a tour around his hometown.

Hope you can check them out!

Black & White blog tour Day 7

Did you have a good weekend? I did, and I'm ready to go with week 2 of the blog tour for my new YA dystopian release. Today I'm at the following stops:

Susan Kelley - guest post
Sherry Ellis - info and review

Hope you can join me there!

Black & White blog tour Day 6

A fine Saturday and today on the blog tour for my YA dystopian novel, Black & White, I'm cruising with The Cynical Sailor and his Salty Sidekick (that's Ellen and Scott Jacobson by another name) where my character Ezmerelda is undergoing a careers interview at school. Let's see how she gets on!

Black & White blog tour Day 5

Happy Friday! For Day 5 of the blog tour for Black & White, my YA dystopian release, we're cutting live to Annalisa Crawford's blog for some exciting commentary on a gravball match, a futuristic version of football. See you there, and have a great weekend!

Black & White blog tour Day 4

Hello! I've reached Day 4 of the blog tour for the first part of my YA dystopian trilogy, and I'm over at Mark Noce's blog, where you can find an excerpt showing the moment where my two young protagonists, Wellesbury and Ezmerelda, start to form a bond. Check it out!

Black & White blog tour Day 3

Happy Hump Day! Onto day 3 of my blog tour for my new YA dystopian release, Black & White, and today I'm over at Alicia Dean's blog for an author interview, which was a lot of fun. Hope to see you there!

Black & White blog tour day 2 and Jessica McKendry book release

Onto day 2 of my blog tour for my new YA dystopian release, Black & White. Thanks for all the well wishes from everyone who stopped by and commented yesterday. Today it's on to the following stops:

Tyrean Martinson - author interview
The Howling Turtle - guest post on tips for writing a dystopian trilogy

Hope you can join me!

In other news, blogging friend Jessica McKendry has just released her new book, The Inferiors, and is holding a bloghop to celebrate. You can sign up here, get a copy of her book on Amazon, or add it on Goodreads. Congrats, Jess!

Black & White Release Day and Blog Tour Day 1!

Today's the day - part 1 of my YA dystopian trilogy is out there in the world, and to celebrate the occasion I'm embarking on a two week blog tour, which is going to be a lot of fun. If you care to follow along, you'll meet some of the main characters in Black & White and get a glimpse into their world, as well as gaining an insight into some of the mechanics underlying the universe. Today I'm kicking off at the following stops:

L. Diane Wolfe - guest post
Jeff O'Handley - author interview

Hope you'll join me! There'll be a giveaway running throughout the tour, in which you can win a $10 Amazon giftcard or an ecopy of my collection A Change of Mind and Other Stories. And of course Black & White is available at all the usual outlets:

Amazon US / Amazon UK / Smashwords / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iBooks

Add it on Goodreads

If you read and enjoy it, I'd hugely appreciate if you could leave a review to let me know.

Have a great week!

Announcing my Author Newsletter!

It's the start of another week and I have some exciting news. Well, it's exciting to me, because it's something I've been meaning to do for a long time, but I finally got my act together and created an author newsletter! Updates will come every two to three months, so no need to worry about your inbox getting clogged up, and will feature things like news of upcoming releases, giveaways, and promotions. Basically, whenever anything exciting is happening. I'll also be including things like deleted scenes and some exclusive flash fiction. As a taster for that, all subscribers will receive a copy of the prequel to my Black & White series, entitled The Treatment. This novella of around 17,500 series, which I wrote in between Parts 2 and 3 of the trilogy, isn't available anywhere else.

The prequel is a separate story to the series, with its own characters, and you can read either as a standalone, but it does provide a bit more background on the world I've created. If you enjoy it, it would be immensely appreciated if you shot me a message to let me know!

You can subscribe to the newsletter by clicking here or completing the handy-dandy form which is just in my sidebar over there.

Do you enjoy author newsletters? Any tips if you have one yourself? What do you like, or not like, to see in them? I'm totally open to any feedback on what to include in mine.

IWSG September 2017: Next Anthology Contest Announced!

It's the first Wednesday of the month, the start of a new season when many of us who have kids might be getting a bit more quiet time for writing, and of course, IWSG post day. This is the day when we can get together and unload anything that might be worrying us, with the possibility of answering an optional question. Hosted as ever by Ninja Cap'n Alex J. Cavanaugh, today's co-hosts are Tyrean Martinson, Tara Tyler, Raimey Gallant and Beverley Stowe McClure! But before I get to today's post, I have a couple of exciting announcements for you.

The Annual IWSG Anthology Contest

Word count: 3500-6000

Genre: Mystery/Crime/Thriller

Theme: Tick Tock. The story revolves around a clock, is time sensitive, or has something about a specific time. This theme has plenty of scope and we’re open to pretty much anything along these lines. No erotica, R-rated language, or graphic violence. 

Story deadline: November 1st 2017

How to enter: Send your polished, formatted, previously unpublished story to admin @ insecurewriterssupportgroup.com before the deadline passes. Please include your contact details, your social links, and if you are part of the Blogging or Facebook IWSG group. 

Judging: The IWSG admins will create a shortlist of the best stories. The shortlist will then be sent to our official judges.

Prizes: The winning stories will be edited and published by Freedom Fox Press next year in the IWSG anthology. Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title. 

We’re excited to see the creativity and enthusiasm that’s such a part of this group put into action. So don your creative caps and start writing. And spread the word!

Sounds good, right? That theme could go in an infinite number of directions. And there's more - next month's IWSG day is set to be a very exciting one. Read on...

Are you proud to be an insecure writer? 

Then show us! 

On Wednesday, October 4 (IWSG Day), post a photo of yourself (or your alter ego) with any of the IWSG swag or with the IWSG logo. Then leave a comment that day at either the IWSG website’s post or the IWSG Facebook post directing us to your photo. (All blog, Facebook, Goodreads, and newsletter members welcome, but photo must be posted on a blog or Facebook to qualify.) 

The IWSG site admins will visit each one and pick the top three. Why? Because there are cool prizes involved: 

Third place – EBook of A Change of Mind and Other Stories by Nick Wilford, eBook of The Remnant by William Michael Davidson, eBook of Cling to God by Lynda R. Young, eBook of Already Home by Heather M. Gardner, and eBook of Dragon of the Stars by Alex. J. Cavanaugh. 

Second place – The entire eBook collection of the Totem series by Christine Rains, eBooks of Princess of Las Pulgas by C. Lee McKenzie, audio book of CassaSeries by Alex J. Cavanaugh, eBook of Black and White by Nick Wilford, and your choice eBook from J.L. Campbell. 

Grand prize winner - IWSG website interview, IWSG newsletter spotlight, IWSG pinned tweet for one week, C. Lee McKenzie's Featured Follower for the month, the IWSG Goodreads book club eBook for October/November, a short chapter critique, and a pair of IWSG erasers. 

We have some great IWSG swag – pens, mugs, magnets, erasers, etc. Proceeds go to fund the upkeep of the IWSG site.

You have two months to prepare – show us your best insecurity!

***

Also today, I've been interviewed over at Operation Awesome in their Debut Author Spotlight. Check it out!

So, on to today's post. Of course, I've got something to be insecure about with my book launch coming in less than two weeks. I'm still finalising tour posts and other things, and this always tends to be a nailbiting time, but I'm trying to channel it into some positive energy, get on top of the nerves, and not get overly insecure. For a distraction, I'm going to look at this month's IWSG question: "Have you ever surprised yourself with your writing? For example, by trying a new genre you didn't think you'd be comfortable in?"

I've had a go at a range of genres over the years - thriller, sci-fi, I even tried writing chick lit for a bloghop once - but I rarely start out with a particular genre in mind, it's just where the story takes me. The label is something that comes afterwards. But for me, writing is about constantly surprising myself - the first time I wrote a short story, completed an entire novel, beat NaNo. I wouldn't have had any guarantees beforehand that I'd be able to do any of those things. The life of a writer is one that's full of surprises... so the next time I'm struggling, I'll remember that I can always have the ability to surprise myself!

Check out other surprising IWSG posts here. 

Black & White shortlisted for Book of the Month

Happy Friday! It's the start of a new month and also the start of my favourite season. I'm looking forward to kicking up those fallen leaves. What are your plans for the autumn? To kick it off, I've got some exciting news and a small favour to ask. My upcoming release Black & White was shortlisted for Book of the Month for August at Long & Short Reviews YA, where it received an excellent review.

If it's not too much trouble, it would be very helpful if you could head over and cast a vote for my book here. The poll is only open today and tomorrow, so speed is appreciated!

Do you have any exciting news to share?

Chapterless Writing

This is something I've mentioned before, but I thought it might be worth its own post to talk a bit more about my writing process. I've got a bit of a funny relationship with chapters, I don't work with them in the same way that others might. Basically I will write one long first draft (with breaks) and it might not be until the third or fourth pass that I put chapter divisions in. What are the benefits of this approach?

• It helps me follow the flow of the story more easily. Our lives don't have breaks, it's just one continuous onslaught of events, so it also allows the characters to come alive.
• Once I've refined the story a bit, I can see where peaks and troughs occur in terms of pacing and that helps delineate where chapters start and end.
• Although I've started to introduce a bit more plotting, I'm still a pantser at heart and writing one big block of text allows for various diversions without worrying about how they're going to affect chapter structures.
• The action can be reordered as required to create chapters of roughly equal length, although I don't think this is as hyper-important as ensuring that each chapter works as a self-contained unit.
• I haven't yet gone to the step of publishing a book without chapters, although the majority of Terry Pratchett's books appeared in this way. The advantage of this approach is that it doesn't allow the reader to pause for breath and hopefully they'll keep reading for as long as is practicable.

What's your relationship with chapters like? Do you write in chapters from the start or is it a secondary consideration?

What is speculative fiction?

Today, let's have a discussion about what can be one of the most slippery subjects - genre.

Observant readers will have noticed that I recently decided to call myself a speculative author. I was thinking about why I might have done this and what it all might mean. Certainly I never set out to restrict myself to any one genre - previously, I had labelled this blog, quite generically, as "about writing". But I don't think of speculative fiction as a genre, more as a way of looking at the world - or other worlds. Of course, it can hold a whole gamut of genres inside it - including science fiction, fantasy, horror, steampunk, even romance (anyone want to read about the love between an android and an abandoned server?) - so as far as I can see, the field is wide open.

For me, writing is about the imagination - what can't be seen or doesn't exist (as yet). I'm not that interested in writing about the contemporary world. When I did, with my novella, I introduced the sci-fi-ish element of surgery to alter one's personality - so it was contemporary with a speculative twist. Calling yourself a speculative author is liberating rather than restricting, I think. The story possibilities out there are endless. I also think what we read can have a big influence on what we write, more than we sometimes realise. At the time of writing my book, I was reading a lot of real-world thrillers, so that became the kind of story I wanted to tell. However, I didn't really pull it off effectively - that kind of book requires a certain rhythm and intensity to work and be, well, thrilling. I've found a lot of great authors recently working in the speculative realms, many right here in the blogosphere, and it's rubbed off. In my recent work, I've mixed up the action with more descriptive passages that aim to immerse the reader in the world. With a contemporary thriller, the readers are already in that world. You're not going to spend that long describing an alleyway with a couple of overflowing bins in it. People already know what that look like.

So all in all, I didn't set out to choose this speculative journey, but I'm loving it and looking forward to seeing where it takes me next.

What about you? How important is genre and branding to you as a writer? Do you think choosing a genre is a conscious or unconscious process, or a bit of both? What does speculative fiction mean to you?

In other news; just a heads up that I've halved the price of Black & White to $0.99 during the preorder period (so it'll go back up to $1.99 after release). You can find it here: Amazon US / Amazon UK / Smashwords / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Goals Update August 2017

Hope summer is treating you kindly. For many of us, next week means back to school, including at the Wilford household. It's going quick, and we're trying to make the most of whatever sunshine we get.

I'm a bit late on updating my goals for this month, after being slightly set back by having our internet cut off. As part of the non-stop construction of new housing in my town, a digger rather overzealously sliced through an underground phone cable servicing over 100 properties. But happily we're all back up and running for now. So time for a quick recap on my July goals to see how I did.

• Add 20,000 words to WIP.

Managed 15,000; hit a bit of a snag that I'm still trying to work through. This month, I'm not setting a wordcount goal but simply aiming to finish the draft by the end of the month. With good luck and a following wind, I'm confident it's doable.

• Continue working through CP notes for book 2 and come up with ideas to address significant plot points.

I've made an overview and have a lot to think about. This is going to be my focus once I finish the draft of book 3.

• Continue promotion campaign for launch of book 1.

This is going pretty well. I had my cover reveal on 31st July and was heartened by the response, especially as this was my first self-designed cover. Thanks to all who commented and tweeted. I also finally took the plunge and launched a Facebook author page, where I'll be sharing snippets and short pieces of news. If you're on Facebook, please like and follow here. I'm also experimenting with Twitter by posting quotes and nuggets of info. I have several ideas outlined for my blog tour and will continue to work on posts this month. My blog also got a new look. For this month, my big thing is to get my newsletter launched. Stay tuned for that!

Another goal for this month is to beta read a friend's new book. I've made a start and I'm already intrigued.

And finally, I was delighted to receive an excellent review for Black & White from the lovely Darla M. Sands. Check it out here!

How are you doing with your goals?

IWSG August 2017

Time once again for our monthly gathering in which to share our insecurities to do with the writing life. Yes, it's the Insecure Writer's Support Group, hosted as ever by the inimitable Alex J. Cavanaugh and co-hosted by this month by Christine Rains, Dolorah @ Book Lover, Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, Yvonne Ventresca and LG Keltner!

This month's optional question is: What are your pet peeves when reading/writing/editing?

I'm just going to keep this to a discussion of my own work - I've no wish to blast anyone else and the thing that irks me the most when reading is excessively poor editing. I'm happy to say I've not come across any book that falls into that category for quite some time!

No, I think I'll stick to my own particular foibles. Some of these are certainly current insecurities - like not getting as much writing done as I would like. At the moment, I'm working a job where I start at 6am - so I get up at 4/4.30 to do my writing done. If I'm too tired to get up then, it obviously limits what I can do. Something else that I still do - and this is actually where I'm at right now - is getting stuck on a particular plot point and being hung up over it for days (or weeks, although I'm hoping that isn't going to be the case). Sometimes, as with now, it's a matter of logistics - how exactly something is achieved. I need to get over it, write a placeholder solution and come back to it in the edit. Why does that feel like cheating? It's a draft, the most important thing is just to get through it.

I'm really near the end of the last book in my trilogy, but that ending feels like it's taking forever to come. I've had this feeling before, but maybe it's magnified because this is a much larger work that has occupied a significant proportion of my life. Getting everything wrapped up neatly is a giant balancing act. Maybe I'm also reluctant to let go, but of course I won't be - there's a lot of editing to come in the future.

I could probably think of other peeves, but I don't want this to become an extended diatribe! There are other IWSG posts to read here. If you haven't already done so, why not join? You'll get a warm and fuzzy feeling of fellowship as well as many other benefits. Speaking of which, let's turn to some really cool news...

Show Us Your Writer Insecurity!

Are you proud to be an insecure writer?

Then show us!

On Wednesday, October 4 (IWSG Day), post a photo of yourself (or your alter ego) with any of the IWSG swag or with the IWSG logo. Then leave a comment that day at either the IWSG website’s post or the IWSG Facebook post directing us to your photo. (All blog, Facebook, Goodreads, and newsletter members welcome, but photo must be posted on a blog or Facebook to qualify.)

The IWSG site admins will visit each one and pick the top three. Why? Because there are cool prizes involved:

Third place – EBook of A Change of Mind and Other Stories by Nick Wilford, eBook of The Remnant by William Michael Davidson, eBook of Cling to God by Lynda R. Young, eBook of Already Home by Heather M. Gardner, and eBook of Dragon of the Stars by Alex. J. Cavanaugh.

Second place – The entire eBook collection of the Totem series by Christine Rains, eBooks of Princess of Las Pulgas and Sliding on the Edge by C. Lee McKenzie, audio book of CassaSeries by Alex J. Cavanaugh, eBook of Black and White by Nick Wilford, and your choice of eBook from J.L. Campbell.

Grand prize winner - IWSG website interview, IWSG newsletter spotlight, IWSG pinned tweet for one week, C. Lee McKenzie's Featured Follower for the month, the IWSG Goodreads book club eBook for October/November, a short chapter critique, and a pair of IWSG erasers.

We have some great IWSG swag – pens, mugs, magnets, erasers, etc. Proceeds go to fund the upkeep of the IWSG site. Check it out here.

You have two months to prepare – show us your best insecurity!