A is for Angels and Ahhh, there you are

Welcome to the 2015 A to Z Challenge. I'll be sharing my favorite things/things I love through photos.

A is for Angels... as in the Blue Angels

They are the flight demonstration squadron for the US Navy. 
I took this photo on our balcony and had goose-bumps as they soared by.
To learn more about the Blue Angels, you can go HERE.

It's also the first Wednesday of the month, which means it's Insecure Writer's Support Group time, hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh! 

A is for Ahhh, there you are

Since I'm doing the A to Z Challenge, I need to stick to an A theme for the IWSG, so I chose Ahhh, there you are, when referring to my inspiration for a WIP I put aside several months ago. I'd originally got the idea for it two years ago, on a pier while on vaca with my family. After awhile, it fizzled, and I just couldn't make any sense of what the heck I was doing with that WIP. Well, on vaca this year, back at that pier, I found it... the inspiration I needed to get on track. It was totally unexpected, but I'm so grateful that it came back to me.
That pier is in the above photo as well. 

Click on the A to Z Badge to check out this amazing blogging challenge!

IWSG is a place to share/write/vent/blog about writing or whatever we feel the need to. Then, hop around and visit other writers, offering support, help, ideas, and so on. It's an amazing group!
There's also the IWSG website HERE that has loads of helpful info.

IWSG - Dec 2014

Insecure Writer's Support Group hosted by Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh is a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds. To join, click on the name links above and post on your blog the first Wednesday of every month. Sign up and meet some awesome people!


I participated in NaNoWriMo last month, and even though I didn't make the 50k mark, I'm glad I tried because I was able to write 36K that I can continue working on.
One thing that NaNo helped me with is my inner editor that usually refuses to go away... with NaNo, I HAD to put the blasted I.E. to the side and just write. And you know what? I loved the carefree-ness of it. I want to do that more often, then do my editing after it's written. I don't know if that will work with future works or not, but I'd like to think that it would. 
This month, I will finish this WIP. And hope that I can edit in January, instead of during... we shall see.

IWSG ~ Nov 2014

Insecure Writer's Support Group hosted by Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh is a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds. 
His co-hosts today are LG Keltner, Donna Hole, Lisa Buie-Collard, and S.L. Hennessy.
To join, click on the name links above and post on your blog the first Wednesday of every month. Sign up and meet some awesome people!

So, I signed up for NaNoWrimo, and as I was writing last night, trying to get my daily word count in, I thought, "What in the heck was I thinking when I committed to this?"
It doesn't seem like 1600+ words a day for a month would be a lot, but it is when you're under a time crunch.
I occasionally stray to edit, but only a few times. Hey, it's a hard habit to break!
But I do like where my story is headed, and I love my characters, so those are bonuses, right?!

Any other bloggers doing NaNo this year? Care to do a word sprint?

~Have a great week and happy writing!

IWSG - Oct 2014

Insecure Writer's Support Group hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh is a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds. His co-hosts today are Kristin Smith, Elsie, Suzanne Furness,and Fundy Blue! 

To join, click on the name links above and post on your blog the first Wednesday of every month. Sign up and meet some awesome people!


Is anyone doing NaNo next month? For the past few years, I've wanted to participate, but haven't because of my inner editor who refuses to shut off. 

But I REALLY REALLY want to do this! It seems a tad daunting, but I think it could also be fun and different. 

Any tips, from past participants, for us newbies?

I was feeling in a bit of a slumpie slump. I've had a lot of those lately. But Morgan Shamy's post was help in the right direction. You can read her amazing post HERE.

Thanks for stopping by, happy writing, and...

And happy anniversary to the Insecure Writer's Support Group website!!! 

IWSG - July 2014

Insecure Writer's Support Group hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh is a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds. 

To join, click on the name links above and post on your blog the first Wednesday of every month. Sign up and meet some awesome people!

It's been a rough few months with this writing slump, but I made it through! *throws confetti* 

It was a combination of taking a little break and encouragement from my close friends that helped. So thankful for them!

Now, I just need to have faith in myself to keep going, to keep writing.

“Who wants to become a writer? And why? Because it’s the answer to everything. … It’s the streaming reason for living. To note, to pin down, to build up, to create, to be astonished at nothing, to cherish the oddities, to let nothing go down the drain, to make something, to make a great flower out of life, even if it’s a cactus.”  ~ Enid Bagnold

IWSG

Insecure Writer's Support Group hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh is a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds. 

To join, click on the name links above and post on your blog the first Wednesday of every month. 

Sign up and meet some awesome people!

I've been in a bit of a slump, stemming from some promises that were made several months ago, and weren't followed through. It stung. Big time. And while I know that's the nature of this business, I can't seem to climb out of this ... whatever this is. 

I've tried taking a break, I've vented to two close friends, I've even tried delving back into my projects... those things help, but I just can't shake this "blah" feeling.

Sorry I'm not chipper in the IWSG world today. I almost didn't post, but I know that I'm in good company and that you would understand. I hope to be back on track soon. 

I hope you all are doing great!

Happy writing, my blogging friends!

IWSG - Post #17 - inspiration

Insecure Writer's Support Group, hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh, is a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds. 

To join, click on the links and post on your blog the first Wednesday of every month. Sign up and meet some awesome people

Sometimes, I can write from the top of my head without needing props, if you will. Other times, I need some sort of inspiration, especially during those moments where the words won't flow or at a part that I'm stuck on.

For those times, I have some "go-to" ideas for inspiration. 

*Social network sites, mainly Pinterest for the amazing photos, but I have to be careful, because I can get sucked in to those and lose track of time

*music

*movies

*a walk (though, now that it's cold, indoor track doesn't have the same view, but it serves its purpose, all the same)

*a drive

*work - my mind wanders, and while I'm at work using creativity, I find that my brain works out other ideas of my stories for me

*the library - one of my favorite places to be, so peaceful and invigorating

What do you guys do to spark some inspiration? 

Do you have any places you like to visit that help in your writing endeavors? 

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy writing!

Insecure Writer's Support Group

It's Insecure Writer's Support Group time, hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh!!!
IWSG is a place to share/write/vent/blog about writing or whatever we feel the need to. Then, hop around and visit other writers, offering support, help, ideas, and so on. It's an amazing group!
There's also the IWSG website HERE that has loads of helpful info.


Last month, I'd discussed how I was 3/4 done with my current manuscript, but an idea for another story had filtered in and wouldn't leave me alone. I'd tried different things to tame this idea and put it on hold, but nothing worked. My thoughts were a chaotic mess! 

I finally figured out why... this idea was the missing link to the WIP I'd been finishing up! I always knew something was off, and it's happened with other manuscripts, but I usually figure it out during revisions. 
This time, it happened early, and I'm happy with how it's coming together. 

At times, I get discouraged. I think every writer does. It's natural. But it's times like the above that helps me to appreciate the writing process. Thank you, IWSG bloggers, for listening and coasting me through it. You guys are the best!

"Strong characters are brought out by change of situation, and gentle ones by permanence." - Jean Paul 

~ Have a great rest of the week!

IWSG October 2013

It's Insecure Writer's Support Group time, hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh!!!
IWSG is a place to share/write/vent/blog about writing or whatever we feel the need to. Then, hop around and visit other writers, offering support, help, ideas, and so on. It's an amazing group!


My current manuscript is going well. I'm at around the 60k mark and have a little more to go until I'm finished. But, a few days ago, an idea for another story snuck its way into my head and will NOT leave me alone.
I wrote the idea down, thinking that it will stay put until I'm done with my current MS.
Yeah, right. So, I decided to write out my outline for the new story, which I didn't want to do because that meant taking time away from the current WIP. Well, coming up with an outline didn't help either... in fact, it only made me want to continue on.
I really want to finish this current WIP before delving into another because I'd rather not work on two projects. I've tried it before, and while for some, it might work, for me, it's daunting. But maybe I should try it again.... anyone else deal with this? What do you do when this happens? I'm thinking of just going with the flow and see where it leads.

~Happy writing!

IWSG - 2 yr anniversary!

It's Insecure Writer's Support Group time, hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh and his co-hosts: Chemist Ken, SL Hennessey, Michelle Wallace, and Joylene Nowell Butler.
And happy TWO YEAR anniversary to the IWSG!  Woot! I'm so thankful for this amazing group and for a place to learn, grow, and chat with other writers!


I'm at 30K with my current manuscript. If I would quit going back through it to edit/revise, I'd probably be at 40-50K. I really wanted to write, to get it all out, then go back after the story is finished and start the revisions. The problem is I don't know how to turn off the "editor" part of it and save it for after. That internal/inner/whatever editor is ingrained in me to edit/revise as I go. Why can't I just overlook that extra space or squiggly red line under a misspelled word? Why can't I just add/delete that dialogue tag later or move this such and such part to that such and such part later? 
*sigh* Anyone else deal with that, too?

I found some amazing quotes to share:

"Every character should want something, even if it is only for a glass of water." Kurt Vonnegut

"Write. Rewrite. When not writing or rewriting, read. I know of no shortcuts." Larry L. King

"If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it." Elmore Leonard

"Remember, writing doesn't love you. It doesn't care. Nevertheless, it can behave with remarkable generosity. Speak well of it, encourage others, pass it on." Al Kennedy

Have a great week! 
Happy writing and happy reading!

IWSG - Post #13

Insecure Writer's Support Group, hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh, is a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds. 

To join, click on the links and post on your blog the first Wednesday of every month. Sign up and meet some awesome people!

My WIP is coming together *woot!* and I've decided to delve into organizing things visually, more than I normally do, so it's not all stored in my head. In the past, I've used a notepad, pencil/pens, and laptop, but this time around I wanted to try something different. 

So, with this manuscript, I use my laptop as well as:

post-it notes

index cards (lined and unlined, different colors)

notepads

steno pads

maps

different colors of pens

What things do you use to help with telling your story? Any suggestions you have for staying organized? Thanks for any and all advice!

Check out other bloggers at Insecure Writer's Support Group.

IWSG post #12 and EYM

Insecure Writer's Support Group hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh is a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds. 

To join, click on the links and post on your blog the first Wednesday of every month. Sign up and meet some awesome people!

I'm feeling "eh" lately. I think it's because I have so much going on. Between my fam, the boys ballgames, writing, work, revising and editing, trying to maintain the house, critting, and blogging, I don't know which end is up sometimes. But I LOVE all of those things. I just need a time-out.

The thing that comes to mind to try to help me get out of the "eh" ness.... Dory's mantra....

Check out other bloggers at Insecure Writer's Support Group.

For Express Yourself Meme of the week, Dani and I would like to know...


What could you eat every day and not grow tired of it?

• mushroom, tomato, and green pepper pizza
• chips and salsa
• popcorn
• trail mix: banana chips, cashews, dried pineapples, raisins, and almonds
• cereal: Fruity Pebbles
• I do love chocolate, but not sure I'd actually want to eat it every single day. 

How about you? What could you eat every day and not grow tired of it?

And don't forget to join the Heroes and Villains blogfest tomorrow - Thursday, June 6. Come share your favorite hero and villain. They can be from comics, TV shows, movies, books, or even real life. Your choice. The main thing? Have fun! CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP!!!

IWSG - Feb Post #11

Alex J. Cavanaugh's IWSG is a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds. To join, go HERE and post on your blog the first Wednesday of every month. Go sign up and meet some awesome people in the process!




The commercial below is perfect for how I feel right now with my writing. 
(clip is 31 seconds)

In the above clip, the man juggling three chainsaws is the equivalent of writing.
And the man saying, "I got this. Give me one." -- is the equivalent of me thinking I have this writing stuff down ... and then I realize, I don't. 

I love to write... that's what matters most. I just need to remember that instead of letting insecurity creep in. Easier said than done, as are most things.

I only hope I can conquer those insecurities and say, "I got this." But truly mean it and believe it. 
AND believe in myself.

I got this, right?!


Thanks for reading and stopping by! 

IWSG - Jan Post #10

It's IWSG time! Its purpose is to encourage each other and share things that we're dealing with in our writing ventures, whether they be joys or struggles.
Alex J. Cavanaugh, the ninja host, states it best... IWSG is a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds. 
To join, click on the pic below for deets and post on your blog the first Wed of every month.

I've sent out my first batch of queries and entered a couple of contests. So far, I've received a rejection from one query and a full manuscript request from a contest entry. Yay! Fingers crossed for me, folks, please. I'm so nervous. I've been down this road before, and it's scary as hell, but a good kind of scary. Healthy, even.

In the meantime, I'm reading one of my CP's new stuff. (I'm diggin' your story, Laura! Amazing as usual!) 
And I'm outlining....er, I mean, attempting to outline a new WIP. Outlining.... my nemesis. You see, I'm a panster/pantser who works with a small outline. For me, it worked before, but with this last MS, the small outline made things harder. 
So, for my current project, I've decided I need more structure, more direction, before I start to write this story that's brewing in my brain. I really, really want to work with a strong outline. It will save me loads of time in the future.
Do you have any advice on outlining that has helped or not helped you? I'd appreciate any input. 

Thanks in advance! Have a wonderful day!

~Happy writing!

IWSG - Dec Post #9

It's IWSG time. Its purpose is to encourage each other and share things that we're dealing with in our writing ventures, whether they be joys and struggles.
Alex J. Cavanaugh, the ninja host, states it best... IWSG is a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds. To join, click on the pic below and post on your blog the first Wed of every month.

Last week, I'd planned to get my query polished and sent out, but I was sick. No, really. For days, I tossed my cookies, and my head throbbed, like something was sitting on the back of my skull and neck. I have no idea what was wrong, but even after that, it's taken me a few days to get back into things. It's so frustrating, because I had goals and time frames and now I'm behind, but I am thankful that I'm feeling better.

What do you do to get caught back up when you've fallen behind? Do you have any suggestions? I've been drinking lots of coffee and staying up late, going on four hours of sleep a night. This is so dumb because I'm afraid I'll have a setback and get sick again. So any ideas are more than welcome. Thanks, blogging friends!

~ Happy writing!

IWSG - Nov Post #8

I'm late for IWSG. My apologies to Alex J. Cavanaugh,  the host, and to all my fellow IWSG blogging buddies. Wednesday was a terrible day. And Thursday? Well, I was still reeling from Wednesday. So, here we are. On Friday. *sigh*
I won't drone on about what happened on Wednesday, because it's depressing, and I have good news to share, so hopefully that will trample over the sucky week!

The news... I'm finished! Yes, it took a long time. Almost a whole year. Well, minus three sporadic months that I didn't write, so really it took nine months. Do I think it will take me that long again? No, because I'm getting better at plotting and time management! :D

What am I even referring to? My MS, Wishful Thinking, is finished. I'd discussed with Kimmy (one of my CP's) about blogging the news, but decided to wait to share it for IWSG. I presented the idea to my CP's back in October of 2011 and took off from there!

The past year, my patient CP's have helped me through this process with their critiques, cheerleading, laughter, tears, phone calls, texts, emails... their help is endless. And for that, I'm grateful.
So, thanks Kimmy, Kim, and Laura! (And yes my lovely girls, I'll be sending the final round to you this weekend/next week for your wonderful eyes to peruse one last time.)

My rough pitch for Wishful Thinking:
When 17 yr old Kara McAdams discovers she's a genie, she freaks, but then her crush, Jagger Donnelly, becomes her master, making her think this genie stuff isn’t so bad.

That is, until Simone Spencer, a girl who wants Jagger for herself, gets a hold of Kara’s magic lamp and uses her wishes to make Kara’s life a total genie-living hell.

Like I said, it's a rough pitch, but you get the idea.
I'm working on a query to go out in the next couple weeks. YIKES! I'm terrified. I've done the query route before. The rejections.. sure they sting at first, but then it's ho-hum. But the rejections on the full requests? Those hurt worse. And then there's those no answer ones. I won't go there. I'm just scared. I want to share this book with the world, but what if I'm still not good enough? What if, after writing three books, my writing is still not book material?
Curse those damned "What if's" and their friends, "I can't's" .... *sigh*

IWSG - Oct - Post #7

Alex J. Cavanaugh is the brains behind IWSG. Click on his name to check out his awesome blog and join in on the fun!

I'm *this close* to finishing my WIP. I really thought I'd have it done yesterday, but a little hiccup occurred (not writing related) so now I'm aiming for this weekend. 

And to be real with myself, I should've had this finished long ago, but I suffer from "I can't stop editing along the way" syndrome. Have you heard of it? It's nasty, but addicting all the same.

One of my CP's suggested opening another word doc while writing, and when something comes to mind, put it there instead of combing through my WIP to fix, change, add, or delete something. I started her idea, and it's working for the most part. (Thanks, Kimmy!) Sure, my mind and fingers want to edit, but I'm trying my hardest to keep them at bay so I can finish my MS.

Do you have any suggestions for NOT editing your drafts until later? 
Or do you edit it as you go, too?


~ Happy writing!!! (and editing... *wink*)


P.S. Check out the Express Yourself Meme as well as Spooktoberfest by clicking on the names or in the tab bar above!!!

IWSG - Sept - Post #6

Alex J. Cavanaugh came up with IWSG... a place for writers to vent, encourage, or both. To check it out, click on the pic below and meet some awesome people.

Outline, read, research, write, read some more, edit, rewrite, read even more...

While I love doing all of those, I know stepping back is important, but I've never really been able to do that. I’m not talking about putting the novel away for a while and coming back to it. I’ve done that and it works wonders. But what I’m referring to is literally taking a break from writing. Period.

I did that this weekend when my hubby and I took the boys on a mini-vaca.
At the beginning, my eyes would drift to my bag, where I keep my notebook and pencil, but I refrained from touching it. I needed to relax, to enjoy family time, and to NOT write.

Now, I come back refreshed, full of ideas, and can see the light at the end of my novel tunnel, which is a goal in and of itself.

Do you ever have a difficult time stepping away? Or can you let go easily?

“Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” -E. L. Doctorow

Happy writing! 

Oh, and please make sure to stop back here on Friday for a spooky blogfest announcement.

Insecurity is winning, but not for long.

I'm a day early for Alex J. Cavanaugh’s IWSG since tomorrow is the 4th of July, and I don't think I'll be around bloggerville much, though I plan to sneak in some IWSG sites tomorrow. I'll also visit some blogs today and on Thursday.

So, a few weeks ago, my 11 yr old gave me a letter for my birthday.  He drew a bookshelf with books by me AND  a cool coupon for one free day of writing. He's the sweetest ever!

I cried. (big surprise) Yes, they were tears of happiness, but I felt a pang of fear as well.

Then, as I’ve been working on my WIP, that fear slowly trickled over into a full blown fear-fest. I became terrified that I’d let my family down.

And the wretched “What if’s” tormented me.

What if I don’t ever make it in the writing world? What if I never have a book pubbed? What if my family becomes disappointed in me?

I mean, my family is amazing, so I really don't think they'd think less of me. They are my biggest supporters. But deep down, I still get nervous.

And I know that I don’t need a book pubbed to acknowledge that I can write. Sure, I won’t lie, it’d be sa-weet, but being pubbed wouldn't prove that I'm a writer if I don't tackle my insecurities.

I just don't know how to go about doing that. I try to keep reminding myself that it’s up to me to stomp on those negative thoughts, but it's still difficult.

Figuring out a way to push the insecurities aside is important so they don't suffocate me and my dreams.

LOVE this quote below. Now if I would put it to use!

What do you do when the insecurities take over? Any tricks you'd care to share? Bottom line, I know it's going to take me to stop, but still, some ideas would be so helpful.

Thanks so much!