Happy New Year! I hope you had a restful and rejuvenating holiday season, whatever and however you celebrate. Now it's time to reconvene for the first Insecure Writer's Support Group meeting of the year. Hosted as ever by Alex J. Cavanaugh, the aim of the group is to offer a safe space where writers can share doubts and insecurities without fear of being judged. This month's co-hosts are Shannon Lawrence, Olga Godim, Jean Davis, and Jacqui Murray.
Let's have a look at this month's IWSG question.
Is there anything in your writing plans for 2026 that you are going to do that you couldn't get done in 2025?
Well, I guess this will handily double up as a 2025 roundup and a look towards plans for 2026. There's loads I planned to do last year, and I just hope this is the year I can get them wrapped up! The first month of 2025 I was still laid up in hospital having suffered a mini stroke and a leaky heart valve. Upon release it took a couple of months to get myself together to think about writing again. It started with gaining feedback from critique partners on the book I had previously finished. That was encouraging enough to make me start a brand new project, based on a vision I had of a girl waking up in a forest with no memory of how she got there. I optimistically hoped I could get a first draft down by the end of the year, but around September I set it aside to work on edits for my previous WIP. (One thing I'd like to achieve for 2026 is to learn to juggle multiple projects, but it's looking less and less likely!) I have now made two intensive passes and this week I returned to my unfinished draft. Surprisingly I had got as far as 40,000 words, and it goes to some very strange places. I've already got ideas for how to make the opening stronger.
So - I have my plan for 2026, to finish that draft and continue refining Artificial Life. Yes, I have a title now - it might stick around, it might not. This is where I'd like to call upon the assistance of my dear IWSG friends. I have never used beta readers before, but I think I'm going to need them to get this book over the line. I would be honoured if you would consider beta reading Artificial Life. Here is a (hastily knocked together) blurb:
As a superfan of the hit teen show Blue
Heart Bay and an influencer posting content based on her favourite
character, the charismatic Randall, Corin has one thing on her bucket list: to
enter a VR experience based on the show and meet her idol in the flesh. Or as
close to it as the AI will allow. But she’s also a struggling student working
two jobs, and the admission price is tantalisingly out of her reach. That is
until she unexpectedly receives a complementary ticket from a mysterious
benefactor.
Despite some reservations, this is
an opportunity Corin simply can’t pass up. After being hooked up to a feeding
tube in a Glasgow townhouse holding the mainframe that supports the program,
she enters the world and meets Randall, and they become closer than she could
ever have imagined. But when a mystery she’s tasked with solving takes a dark
turn, she finds herself trapped in a universe where everything is turning
against her. To escape and save her own life, she’ll have to take on a
murderous artificial entity that’s become far too intelligent for its own – or
anyone else’s – good.
Genre: YA sci-fi
Length: Approx. 70,000 words
Mainly, I would be
looking for advice on pacing (do any parts need tightened up, do any
paragraphs need shortened), characterisation and authenticity of dialogue, but
all comments are welcome. I would ask for all feedback to be in by February
28th, but just let me know if you need more time. Hopefully, this will be on a reciprocal basis, so if you've got anything for me to take a look at, I would be more than happy to. Drop a comment below or email me at mcwilfo(at)gmail(dot)com.
Well, that's it. I hope in 2026 all your plans come to fruition! As ever, the full list of fabulous IWSG contributors can be found here. See you next month.
28 comments:
Good luck on your goals to finish your draft and edit a manuscript you've already written. Juggling two projects can be hard because you have to remember so many details about each story, but hopefully you'll figure it out. Most of the authors I've interviewed are working on more than one project and marketing their books, so it can be done.
After a rough start to 2025 glad you are back in the groove again!
It sounds like your doing better, which is good. That's important! Glad to hear your getting back into it. Good luck hitting your goals!
What I like about your new book (blurb at least) is that its speaks to our world. If you're not a content creator, then you most likely watch their videos and enter the virtual world regularly. Good luck!
Strange places can be good. Hope you find some good betas.
Most importantly, I hope that your health is good. I'm not much of a sci-fi reader so don't think I'd be a good beta. Best wishes though. Intriguing premise!
Health issues can really knock you down and change perspective. Glad to hear writing is still part of your future.
I did not know about your mini-stroke or leaky valve. So sorry to hear this. Artificial Life sounds fascinating. I just don't know if I could get it done by Feb 28.
Well, that would definitely slow you down a bit. Glad you were able to get back into writing. I'm sure it was hard as you recovered.
Your new project sounds intriguing, Nick. A girl waking up in a forest with no memory of how she got there. Excellent premise. All the luck with that.
I cannot juggle more than one focused project at a time, myself. I know NOTHING about AI, unfortunately. I don't know enough about sci-fi to be helpful. Sorry.
Stay strong, sir! A healthy 2026 to you!
Hi, Nick, thank goodness your health has bounced back from a rough start last year. Juggling multiple projects wouldn't work for me, especially with my day job. That's cool to start a story based on a dream! Unfortunately, I am not a sci-fi reader.
Way to go on making progress after a hard year! Juggling projects is tricky, and still not something I have down. I've been listening to folks in rapid publishing groups and they keep strict deadlines, write one story, set it aside, edit another, set it aside, then do the publishing. Write another story, edit that last one they wrote, publish that last one they edited. I feel like they have to have good, strict plans to produce a ton of books, so it's interesting to learn from them, whether rapid release is something you're interested in or not.
Hi Nick - being ill is a real struggle I do hope you continue improving ... all the best with that. I'm afraid I'm over the yard-arm as far helping with your new book ... it's got beyond my ken now! All the very best - cheers to you and family in 2026 - Hilary
Yes, hopefully I can get there. It's hard as my attention tends to fragment.
Thank you sir!
It's been nearly a year, so I feel almost normal - whatever that means! Thanks!
Yes, I can't help pondering and wondering about our current world and it tends to come out somehow. I'm not such a viewer, but family members are so there is consistent exposure.
Always interesting to see where things end up. Thanks.
Thank you!
Thanks. I believe it formed a big part in my recovery.
The deadline is flexible as I know people are busy. I'd love it if you did have time to give it a look.
I'm not as bad as I was. If I had two things to do then one would invariably go AWOL.
No worries. The same to you!
Thanks for the kind words.
I think I would get kicked out of that group quite rapidly! I tend to dwell on things too much. Still, good lessons to be learned I'm sure.
Thank you, Hilary!
Im glad you're recovering from your surgery. I had a major surgery about three years ago and I dont miss it.
You're novel sounds like it has a neat plot! I would like to beta read it, but im a slow reader so I may have to only read a part of portions of it. You have my email address so just let me know when you're ready to send it.
And thanks again for beta reading my book! Your comments have been very helpful!
Health issues can knock at the door without prior intimation and turn our world upside down. I am glad you are better now and already working on your writing project. Wishing you the best for your health and your writing, Nick!
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