What's personal about my characters #ISWG

The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Purpose: Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Click here to join the group.

I finished my MG fantasy. (Yay!) Queries have been sent. (Fingers are crossed.) And it’s autumn, my favorite time of year. So while I enjoy the leaves changing colors, pumpkin pie, scarecrow festivals, scary movies, not so scary classics, and everything else that comes with this time of year, I’m contemplating what to work on next. Do I revisit one of my unfinished WIP or do I start something new? I wish I knew if my MG fantasy is going to be picked up by a wonderful editor who is as excited about the project as I am because I’d love to turn it into a series. Anyone have a crystal ball?

October’s question - Have you ever slipped any of your personal information into your characters, either by accident or on purpose?

At first, I was going to say no. But Madison Riley from Embrace has long curly brown hair and I have always pictured her hair to be a lot like mine. But that’s where our likenesses end. And she’s so much braver than me—no way would I visit a graveyard at night. Then there’s Logan Ragsdale, from Challenging Destiny. Many of his personality traits are a combination of my hubby’s and one of my sons. I won’t say which. :) 

In other news: Jessica Therrien is celebrating the release of her newest novel, CARRY ME HOME, by hosting a huge giveaway. Click here to learn more about her book and to enter the giveaway. 

Need help bringing a scene to life? Check out my post, FILMING A SCENE WITH WORDS, and be sure to leave your tips in the comments. 

Have you ever slipped personal information into your characters? What do you like about autumn? Did you enter the giveaway? 

Pet Peeves... what's yours?

Hi!

This month's question is a three part question. I hope you'll chime in in the comments.

What are your pet peeves...

... when reading?  I'm not a fan of long exposition or back story. Most of the time it slows the pace and pulls me right out of the story. If it goes on too long, I'll lose interest and the book goes in my DNF pile. And yes, I hate when people dog-ear pages in books.

... when writing?  Hands down when I'm in a good flow and have to stop. This happens to me a lot during the week, because I like to write in the morning before work so I have a hard stop. The only thing worse is having all day to write and barely adding a hundred words to my word count.

... when editing? Working diligently to fix a sentence, paragraph or page only to realize I just spent an hour or longer revising and the scene works better with that sentence, paragraph or page deleted.

How about you? What are your pet peeves?

This has been an Insecure Writer's Support Group post. It's where writers share their thoughts, insecurities, and encouraging words. Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh and our co-hosts for keeping IWSG going. If you would like to know more about the group, just follow the link.

It's a writer's life for me #IWSG

Hi, everyone.

It's time to share our thoughts, insecurities, and encouraging words. Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh and JH Moncrieff, Madeline Mora-Summonte, Jen Chandler, Megan Morgan, Heather Gardn. Not a member? Want to know more about the group? Click here. 

The re-write of my upper middle-grade fantasy is done! A friend beta read the first 25-pages and I was super excited to get her feedback. I've already tweaked the pages. There wasn't much, which is great news. I may read the story one more time looking for sentences I can tighten up. Then I'm thinking of having this one go through a round of developmental edits. Or maybe DE-light. Is there such a thing? I recently signed up for Reedsy so I'll find out.

No matter if you write a story for yourself, your kids, to self-publish, or to publish traditionally, this quote is true. The only way you fail is if you stop writing. Over the years, I've heard agents, editors and authors say it takes a combination of skill, persistence, and luck to be successful as a writer and not always in that order. I think of this when writer's block hits or when an editor passes on one of my projects. This brings me to this month's questions.

Question of the month:
Did you ever say “I quit”? If so, what happened to make you come back to writing?

My answer: No I haven't. Writing a novel is hard work, but it is also thrilling and rewarding. I love the challenge of creating new characters, getting to know them, and becoming lost in their worlds. 

How about you? Have you quit? What made you come back?

Inspiration strikes... sort of #IWSG

Hi, everyone.

It's time to share our thoughts, insecurities, and encouraging words. Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh and our co-hosts Christopher D. Votey, Madeline Mora-Summonte, Fundy Blue, Chrys Fey for keeping IWSG going. Not a member? Want to know more about the group? Click here. 

I never know when inspiration will strike. Although, it would be wonderful if I could turn it on and off at will. Anyway, I was reading blog posts on plot recently when the pieces to an idea I had years ago started to flush themselves out to become a decent plot that just might work.  I'm still polishing my MG fantasy, so I have plenty of time to mull over this new story. I'll let you know if something comes of it.

April IWSG Day Question: Have you taken advantage of the annual A to Z Challenge in terms of marketing, networking, publicity for your book? What were the results?

My answer: I haven't participated in the A to Z Challenge, but I'm looking forward to reading the responses of those who have.

In other news:
There's still time to get Challenging Destiny for only .99 cents. If you've already downloaded your copy, thank you for your support!

Being Chosen is a terrible thing when there is no one you can trust. 

Logan Ragsdale and his younger sister, Ariana, have been marked, chosen to be unwilling participants in a war between angels and demons. Together, they must derail the biblical event if they hope to save themselves and the future of mankind.

Buy on Amazon         Amazon UK          Barnes&Noble

Can you turn inspiration on and off at will? Do your ideas percolate a while before you start to write? Are you participating in the A to Z Challenge?

Take 2: Reworking an Old Story #IWSG

Hi, everyone.

It's time to share our thoughts, insecurities, and encouraging words. Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh and our co-hosts Tamara Narayan, Patsy Collins,  M.J. Fifield,  Nicohle Christopherson for keeping IWSG going. Not a member? Want to know more about the group? Click here. 

March IWSG Day Question: 

Have you ever pulled out a really old story and reworked it? Did it work out?

Yes! I'm working on it now. So far, I think it's working.  :)

Today I thought I'd share some encouraging words from professionals in the business that I picked up from writing conferences I've attended. 

“What would ten-year-old Tony want that old Tony can now make?” –Tony Diterlizzi

“A book becomes timeless when a story captures a moment of intimacy between author and reader.” – Arthur Levine

“There are no shortcuts. Slow down. Focus on what you can control.” – Steven Malk

How are you doing? Any insecurities? Have you reworked an old story? Any encouraging words to share?

Reading will never be the same #IWSG

Hi, everyone.

Welcome to my IWSG post. It's where writers share their thoughts, insecurities, and encouraging words. Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh and our co-hosts for keeping IWSG going.  Click here to learn more about the group. Co-Hosts this month: Misha Gericke, LK Hill, Juneta Key, Joylene Buter.


I'm doing okay with my insecurities, which I shoved in a box at the end of 2016. I haven't had time to open it, which is okay by me. Since my insecurities are tucked away, I thought I'd share some inspiration instead. So the next time you're feeling insecure remember:

Believe in yourself. 

Appreciate your unique perspective.

Write what speaks to you.

First drafts don't have to be perfect.

February's question:

How has being a writer changed your experience as a reader? 

I've always been a finicky reader. A book has to hook me with beautiful writing, relatable characters, or a kick ass plot. That hasn't changed. What has changed is that I'm more aware of a story's mechanics. This can be a good thing and a bad thing. When a book is well-written, I'm not only engaged by the plot, but I find myself paying attention to how the author puts together her prose, describes scenes, weaves together plot lines, builds worlds, and creates intriguing characters. The bad is that I notice when these things are missing from a book. I'm pulled out of the story. If it keeps happening, I end up putting down the book.


In other news:

Chris Fey has a copy of Seismic Crimes up for grabs. Click here to learn more about her exciting new book and to enter the giveaway.

Any words of inspiration you'd like to share? Are you a writer? Has being one changed your experience as a reader? Have you checked out Tsunami Crimes? 

Thanks for stopping by!

Do you break the rules? #IWSG #amwriting

Happy New Year! 

Here's wishing us all a wonderful 2017.

The past couple of years have been trying, so my hope for 2017 is that it's a happy year for us all. My goal this year is to get out more. To explore, to hike, to bike ride, and of course to keep writing and to find a home for my finished novels. I have a couple that I'm extremely excited about and that I'd like to share with readers everywhere.

This month's question: What writing rule do you wish you'd never heard?

This is a hard one for me. When I started writing, I hadn't known the "rules". Then I joined a writing group and found out I broke several rules. I revised and tweaked to conform. Then learned that it's okay to break the rules if it's important to the story. So there isn't one rule that I wish I had never heard. I'm just glad I became comfortable enough in my writing abilities to break the ones that aren't working for a particular story.

How about you? Is there a rule you wish you never heard? Any goals for 2017? 

This has been an Insecure Writer's Support Group post. It's where writers share their thoughts, insecurities, and encouraging words. Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh and our co-hosts for keeping IWSG going. If you would like to know more about the group, just follow the link above. 

Fast Forward Five Years #IWSG

Hi everyone!

It's time to share our thoughts, insecurities, and encouraging words. Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh and our co-hosts for keeping IWSG going. Not a member? Want to know more about the group? Click here. 

The first Wednesday of December snuck up on me. Things are busy right now, so I just don't have time for insecurities. I've shoved them in a box to be open... well, maybe I'll leave them there.

December's question of the month:

In terms of your writing career, where do you see yourself five years from now, and what’s your plan to get there?

Easy. Still dreaming up new stories and sharing them with readers. To get there I plan to keep writing. How about you?

Have a safe and happy holiday season!

My Christmas village, 2016

Enjoy the holidays!

#IWSG When do you know when your work is ready?

It's time to share our thoughts, insecurities, and encouraging words. Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh and our co-hosts for keeping IWSG going. Not a member? Want to know more about the group? Just click here. 

This months question: 

When do you know your story is ready?

At first, I found this question hard to answer. But it's my week to submit to my critique group and I realized the answer is simple. I know my story is ready when the my critique partners no longer have questions on plot or my characters' choices. When their suggestions start to be about word choice or small details, I know the story is working, the characters are strong and well-rounded, and the scene came alive as intended. At this point, my story is ready for line edits. Since I've never been good at spotting typos in my writing, that means sending my manuscript to my amazing editor.

~~~~~

My agent and I received positive feedback on my YA realistic fiction currently out on submissions. So far, editors enjoyed the story, liked the characters, and found the situations they faced realistic. And I've received some very nice comments regarding my writing. Unfortunately, we haven't had an offer for publication, yet. It's still with other editors. My fingers are crossed we get a yes soon. Why am I telling you this in my IWSG post? Because sometimes I wonder if that yes will come. I've chatted with Madison, my brave and loyal protagonist in the Embrace Series, about casting a spell for me. A little witchy intervention can't hurt. ;)

Be sure to visit my Monday post and enter the giveaway. You could win a signed copy of Margo Kelly's newest YA novel, UNLOCKED.

How's your writing coming? Are you good at spotting typos in your writing? Did you enter the giveaway?

Inspiration for the Soul #IWSG

The question of the month:

How do you find the time to write in your busy day?

Lately, my internal time clock has been oh so kind to wake me up in the wee hours of the morning. I've decided to go with it and use the time before I have to get ready for work or start my day to write. Since I'm a morning person anyway, this works out well. 


Onto insecurities. Well, I've had so much to juggle this year that insecurities have been shoved in a corner. When they rear the ugly head, I push them back. I just don't have the mental capacity to deal with them right now. The verdict is still out on if that is a good or bad thing. I'll let you know if I figure it out.

I did want to share a bit of inspiration. I was chatting with a friend recently about life and he made a comment that is so very true.

You only fail when you stop trying.

It resonated with me. Maybe because it was said at a time I needed to hear it. And even through we weren't talking about writing, it applies here too. So keep at it! Don't give up! If you do that, you are doing a great job and you should be proud of that.


In other news: 

Challenging Destiny is available on NetGalley this month. I'd be forever grateful for help spreading the word. I made up a quick tweet for those who'd like to share the news:

#BookBloggers! Challenging Destiny by @CherieColyer is on #NetGalley Get it today! https://s2.netgalley.com/catalog/book/96880 #YAlit #PNR #angels #demons

How have you been? When do you find time to  write? Are you keeping your insecurities at bay?

Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh and our co-hosts for keeping IWSG going. For those who aren't familiar with Insecure Writer's Support Group, just follow the link. It's a wonderful group. 

Oh the places it went... or didn't #IWSG

Hi everyone! 

It's time to share our thoughts, insecurities, and encouraging words. Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh and our co-hosts for keeping IWSG going. For those who aren't familiar with Insecure Writer's Support Group, just follow the link. It's a wonderful group

This month's question:

What was your very first piece of writing as an aspiring writer? Where is it now? Collecting dust or has it been published?

My first piece of writing was a middle grade fantasy titled Book of Shadows. A year or three later, the title changed, the plot shifted, it had a new beginning, and the characters were renamed. The thing I remember most about that time was the positive feedback I received from agents and editors. It didn't land me an agent or a publishing contract. Every few years, I'd dust if off and try polishing it up. But it wasn't quite working. So, this year I tossed the plot and started fresh. It's the novel I'm currently working on. 


I saw this on Pinterest and thought it was perfect for an #IWSG post...

When it comes to writing, I'm sailing through quiet waters right now. My agent is looking for a home for a couple of my books, I have two novels I'm working on, and a couple of idea I hope to flush out one day. With work and family, that's all I can handle right now. Although, I do need to make more time for marketing my published books. I keep pushing marketing off, because I'm in a nice flow with that MG fantasy I mentioned above. And, well, let's face it, writing is so much more fun than marketing. 


In other news: 
Last month, I shared tips on writing for a young adult audience.  If you missed that post, you can click here to check it out.

How's your writing coming? Have any cool marketing tips? Are other things keeping you busy? Where's your first piece of writing?

Checking in

Hi! 

We've reached the halfway point of 2016. I figured this was a good time to check how I'm doing on my goals. I'm happy to say I finished the first draft of one WIP. I'm really excited about this book. It's my baby, and while I say this about my other books, too, the characters in this story are the ones who got me hooked on writing. They've grown and changed over the years, and so has their relationships and the intricate details of the plot. This version is a fresh look into their exciting world. It's all new with lots of fun, magical, and sometimes dark things happening. Next up: polishing the manuscript to smooth out the rough spots and really make it shine.

I've done okay in the patience department. My fingers are still crossed that my agents finds a good home for the novel she has. And I have a few other projects in the works. 

How's your writing coming? Are you on track with your goals? Enjoying the summer?

Thanks for stopping by!

This has been an Insecure Writer's Support Group post. It's where writers share their thoughts, insecurities, and encouraging words. Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh and our co-hosts for keeping IWSG going. If you would like to know more about the group, just follow the link. 

It's a ghostly project update #IWSG

Hi everyone!

It's hard to believe it's May already. I hope 2016 is proving to be a good year for you.

To all my cyber-friends who participated in April's A to Z Challenge, congrats on making it through the month. I know it's not only fun, but a lot of work.

April was a busy month. I finished the first draft of my latest work-in-progress and revised my MG ghost story based on feedback I received. I'm excited about both. I'll be getting the ghost story line edited before it goes out on submission. This way I'll know it's as polished as it can be. And I'm going to try my best to step away from my WIP and use that time to flush out another idea I had. As far as insecurities, I've stuffed them in a box for now. I think it's best to focus on positive things, don't you?

Did you participate in the A to Z Challenge? How was it? How's your writing coming? Do you take breaks between drafts? How long do you wait to dive into revisions?

Thanks for stopping by!

This has been an Insecure Writer's Support Group post. It's where writers share their thoughts, insecurities, and encouraging words. Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh and our co-hosts for keeping IWSG going. If you would like to know more about the group, just follow the link above. 

Out with the old, #IWSG

Hi everyone! 

It's time to share our thoughts, insecurities, and encouraging words. Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh and our co-hosts for keeping IWSG going. For those who aren't familiar with Insecure Writer's Support Group, just follow the link. It's a wonderful group.

I'm feeling pretty good this month, mostly because at some point in March things clicked. I'm more of a panster than an outliner. Most of the time, an idea will percolate in my head for several months before I start writing. By this time I know the characters and what they'll face, and I've usually mentally plotted out several scenes. I've found being a pantser more challenging now that I'm re-writing my middle grade novel. I think this is because I know the old plot intimately and like many of the scenes. Talk about killing your babies, I took a match and set fire to an entire novel. 

(Give me a moment, sometimes I still can't believe I did it.)

Okay, I'm better. So I tossed out the original plot (a.k.a filed the novel in a safe place on my laptop, because one day I may recycle a scene or two) and I started fresh. After a few false starts, some bumps and bruise, wine, chocolate, hair pulling, and binge-watching Charmed, I'm in a nice flow. I just checked my word-count meter and I'm 80% done with the first draft. This past weekend I mapped out the rest of the book. (I might even be able to call what I have an outline!) I'm hoping to have the first draft completed by the end of April. Wish me luck.   :) 

How's your writing coming? Are you a pantser or outliner? Are you participating in the A-Z Challenge? (I'm not, but I'll still hop around the blog-shere to visit friends.)

Happy April, and thanks for stopping by!

Sharing that new WIP can be a scary thing

Hi everyone! 

It's time to share our thoughts, insecurities, and encouraging words. Thanks to Alex and our co-hosts for keeping IWSG going. For those who aren't familiar with Insecure Writer's Support Group, just follow the link. It's a wonderful group.

This isn't so much an insecurity, but something that can be scary for any writer. It's that moment you share your story with someone else and you anxiously await his or her feedback.

You see, I finally got into a nice flow with my MG fantasy, and I reached a point that I felt it was time to share the first five pages with my critique group. This usually means I've hit or passed the halfway point and I'm pretty sure (let's say eight-two percent sure) that these pages aren't going to be cut. Anyway, this group meets in person. We read our work out loud and have a short discussion about the pages, what works, what doesn't, and so on. I find it can be scary to share the first draft of a novel. Will others like it or hate it? Is the voice strong? Does the hook come through? Will they laugh or gasp in the right places? Is anyone yawning or does anyone have a look on his or her face that clearly says WTF? I'm happy to say I didn't notice the latter, so if anyone was thinking this sucks I couldn't tell. The feedback I received was helpful and encouraging, and interestingly divided on if I started the story in the right place. Now that I think about it, I should have asked for a show of hands to see how many people felt that way or if it was just one or two. I have given this some consideration, and I believe I began the story exactly where it should begin. The beginning introduces the world and what's to come in less than three pages. It's not backstory. It's the event that sets everything else in motion. So for now, I'm keeping it as is with several tweaks that tighten things up.

In news: Author Kat Ross is celebrating the upcoming release of her latest novel, The Midnight Sea, with a giveaway. Check it out here. But hurry, time's running out to enter the giveaway!

How's your writing coming? Are you a part of a critique group? At what point do you share your work?

Thanks for stopping by!