Category Archives: Writers

10 May 2013 · 9:47 pm

Su Williams in the HOT SEAT

When Su Williams first lays eyes on the HOT SEAT, she begins to whimper and cry. It’s almost as if she’s having an extremely bad dream. But this ain’t a dream, Su. This is real. 

Let the  games begin. :D  

What genre(s) do you write, Su?

Su Williams

Gday, Su!

Well, considering Dream Weaver is my first book, I write in YA paranormal fiction. I went to my first conference about 4 years ago and people were throwing around all kinds of genres I had no clue what they were…steam punk, high fantasy, space opera. Boy, did I get an education. I really didn’t know what genre I wrote in other than YA fiction. I recommend conferences to beginning writers as well as self-published writers. Conferences are a great way to make connections and learn the craft.

[CJ: I agree. I've only gone to one conference but I got heaps out of it.]

Tell us about Dream Weaver in 25 words or less! 

Dream Weaver coverDream Weaver, Nickolas Benedetti rescues tragedy-torn Emari Sweet from the night terrors that haunt her. And draws the living breathing nightmares to her doorstep.

[CJ: Oh no! Tell us more.]

Seventeen year old Emari Sweet has lost her parents in a horrific car crash. Night terrors stalk her sleep and she teeters on the precipice of life, and death by her own hand. Her flesh screams for the razor’s edge, if only to exorcise her inner pain.

Nickolas Benedetti is Onar Caphar (Dream Weaver). He is able to cull and control the memories and dreams of others with a simple touch. Emari’s nightmares evanesce under his fingertips and with one whispered word, ‘forget’, he fades from her dreams with the cool grey mist of morning.
But a darker, more violent terror stalks her and ravages her precarious life. Nick strives to  save her but draws his own nemesis to her secluded cottage. Picketed by a promise, Nick will offer his own life in order to save hers.

Most of us write part time. How do you spend your time when you’re not writing?

When I’m not writing or working I like to read. We go camping during the summer up at my parent’s cabin. There’s always something new to see up there. Baby raccoons, hunting osprey [a bird of prey], beavers, bear, a swarm of butterflies or a nesting duck or robin.  I love to take pictures of the wildlife we encounter. Some of my favorite pics are posted on my Pinterest page.

Tell us a little about your writing process.

LOL. I love this question. I keep telling people I’m a puker…as opposed to a pantser or planner. Random scenes come to me at random times inspired by random events. Then I have to write them down on whatever piece of paper I have available. I’ve been known to use register tape (I work retail.) Once I have my scenes, I tie them all together. And then, I edit, re-edit and edit again. I can’t afford a real editor, so I’ve worked hard at learning as much as I can about writing in general and novel writing specifically. There’s a lot of great books out there. I even used a college writing text book. Two books I suggest are: Manuscript Makeover by Elizabeth Lyon; and Guide to Literary Agents by Chuck Sambuchino.

[CJ: A puker, hey? Nice!]

Who or what are your biggest writing inspirations?

I LOVE vivid, original imagery. I love it when writing is beautiful and poetic and heart-wrenching. The authors that I believe do this for me are Lisa McMann, Maggie Stiefvater, Annette Curtis Klaus and Richelle Mead.   

[CJ: My to-read list just got even longer...]

What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a writer?

Without a doubt, I’d have to say promotion and marketing. It takes a great deal of time to get the word out on your book if you’re self-published. There’s no one to set up interviews or reviews or create ads. It’s all me. The biggest piece of advice I’ve gotten lately is ‘do what you can without sacrificing your creativity. Don’t forget that writing is what you love most and you can’t lose focus on that. :) ’ (Thanks A.L.!).

[CJ: That's excellent advice. And I totally hear you about promotion and marketing - it's incredibly time intensive.]

Time for the HOT SEAT questions!

Hot Seat

*Insert scary music here*

Wow! This is a bit like being on the couch in the psychiatrist’s office. Delving deep into my psyche. Are you sure you really want to know this?

Yep, there’s no getting out of it now! Here we go…

Which fictional character are you most like and why?

Definitely Emari Sweet. She’s a bit quirky, a bit dark. Emari is kind of a compilation of myself, my daughter and every goth/emo girl I’ve met or read about. We call people who know who they are and aren’t shy about sharing it ‘characters.’ There aren’t enough ‘characters’ in the world these days. Everyone wants to fit in and becomes a cookie cutter of everyone else. I don’t mind being called ‘weird.’ Good, that means I’m not like you. And my daughter, Sarah inspires me too. She is not like every other teen girl. She’s Sarah. A bit of a geek with a quirky sense of humor and a side of dark. I’m so proud of her just for being herself. 

[CJ: 'Weird' works better for me than 'normal' too. Normal = boring!]

Finish this sentence from your character Emari’s perspective.

I’m embarrassed to admit this, but… I’m a big wuss. If it weren’t for Nick, I’d be a hotter mess than I already am.

Now finish the same sentence from your own perspective.

I’m embarrassed to admit this, but... despite not minding people thinking I’m weird, what other people think of me matters more than it should..

[CJ: Someone wise once told me that 'what other people think of me is none of my business'. Easier said than done though!]

Cally, thanks so much for hosting me on your blog.

[CJ: You're very welcome. It was great having you, Su.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Like the sound of Dream Weaver? Grab your copy now from Amazon (paperback and Kindle) (only 99c for a limited time!), Barnes & Noble (Nook)  or CreateSpace.

If you’d like to hear more from Su, check out her website, her blog or like her on Facebook. 

If you’d like a turn in the HOT SEAT, let me know in the comments and I’ll schedule you in for a buttocks burning. :D

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3 October 2012 · 8:36 pm

Insecure Writers’ Support Group: typo-phobia

Insecure Writers Support Group Badge

“Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!” Alex J Cavanaugh

It’s time for this month’s Insecure Writers’ Support Group post! Can you believe that? September just flew by. Some lovely friend on Facebook tells me that Christmas is only eighty-two days away. Gah! Add another 18 days to that and you’ve got the due date for my baby. That means I’m going to be a Mum in about one hundred days. Oh my goodness!!!

So anyway, some exciting news for you. Yesterday, I received five proof copies of The Big Smoke, so I got to experience the thrill of seeing my writing in a physical book for the first time. Such an awesome experience! (In case you’re wondering, I ordered five copies to spread the America-Australia shipping costs and to have some hard copy ARCs up my sleeve). Mark, my thoughtful husband, video-taped the experience so I could share it with you:

Unfortunately, about sixty seconds after Mark pressed stop on the recorder, he uttered those words no author wants to hear: ‘There’s a typo.’

‘Haha, good on you,’ I said, confident he was joking.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t. As you would expect, I’d checked the final manuscript over and over again, scouring it for any errors. But I hadn’t been quite so fastidious with my final electronic book proof, which includes the ‘About the Author’ and ‘With Thanks’ sections that were never part of the manuscript. And sure enough, on the ‘About the Author’ page (which is the FIRST page of the book), I’d typed ‘thier’ instead of ‘their’ (in a sentence I’d changed at the very last minute). NOOOOO……

Thankfully it was identified at the proof stage, right? Crisis averted! But as a result, I’m now paranoid that the story itself is littered with typos that both I and my copy editor have somehow overlooked. I’ve given two proof copies away to people to read, under strict instruction that they’re to let me know if they spot any errors. So they will share the blame if any suckers slip through!  ;)

I know that, at the end of the day, a couple of typos in a book of more than 130,000 words is not the end of the world, but the perfectionist in me is losing sleep over it. What if it’s not just one or two that have slipped through? I wonder as I lay in bed. What if there are ten in there? As a reader that would drive me crazy, and I’d lose respect for the author. What if I become one of those authors even though I’ve tried so hard?

And then I say to myself, ‘Get over it, Cally. You’ve tried your best, and that’s the beauty of self publishing – if there are errors, you can go back and fix them at any point.’

I’m trying to listen to that logical voice. Honestly, I am. But if you pass me in the street and notice that I’ve developed a facial tic, it’s probably a side effect of my latest ailment: typo-phobia. Ahh, the joys and woes of an insecure writer…

In other news, I’ve nailed down another few planks in my social platform, creating my very own Goodreads author profile and Facebook author page. Like me, friend me, follow me, make me feel loved! :-D

Your turn

What do you think when you read typos in a published novel? How many will you put down to ‘mistakes happen’ before it affects your view of the author/publisher? If you’re a published author, have you learnt of typos in your own work? If so, what did you do?

P.S. Don’t forget to support other insecure writers!

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5 September 2012 · 9:59 pm

IWSG: Are Australians more worried than Americans about political correctness in fiction?

Insecure Writers Support Group Badge

“Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!” Alex J Cavanaugh

For this month’s Insecure Writers’ Support Group post, I’d like to talk about political correctness in fiction. Do you temper your writing style to accommodate other people’s insecurities or do you throw political correctness to the wind for the sake of ‘real characters’?

I take somewhat of a middle road. I want my characters to be as authentic as possible, but I’d prefer to do that without offending people.  I’m sure writers’ and readers’ opinions fall across the whole spectrum on this issue, but I noticed something interesting during my beta reader stage for The Big Smoke. I had a number of beta readers from both Australia and America, and several of my Australian readers pointed out phrases that could potentially offend people’s sensitivities. None of my American readers made comments of a similar nature. Is there something in that, do you think? Does it say something about our different cultures? Are Australians more worried than Americans about political correctness in fiction?

Obviously, my sample size is quite small, so I wanted to see what you think. These are the phrases that some of my Australian readers suggested I re-word:

  1. Robert forced a laugh. ‘Don’t worry about Cindy. She’s a schitzo.’
  2. I nodded in the direction of this fat chick in super-short shorts. ‘There’s your talent. Whatchya waiting for? Make a move.’
  3. She named me after the opera singer. Seriously, could you get any gayer?
  4. I was about as coordinated as a nine-year-old girl with bow-legs.
  5. And that hair. That fake, slutty red hair.

I took my readers’ advice on board and changed these phrases, but I’m interested in what you think. Would you suggest re-wording any of the above to avoid potentially offending people? Or do you thinks it’s OTT to even consider these phrases potentially offensive? I’ve numbered the phrases so you can be specific if there are particular ones you’d  like to refer to.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. In your comments, please identify where you live (country) so we can see if  cultural influences could be at play. Looking forward to hearing what you think!

P.S. Don’t forget to support other insecure writers!

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1 August 2012 · 8:12 pm

IWSG: Are we jeopardising the indie book industry by being ‘nice’?

Insecure Writers Support Group Badge

“Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!” Alex J Cavanaugh

For this month’s Insecure Writers’ Support Group post, I’d like to discuss something that’s been on my mind a little bit lately, thanks to Andrew Leon’s two-part post titled, Is It Better To Be “Nice” Or Honest?

You can read the full post part one and part two by Andrew (and I recommend you do, it’s very thought provoking), but in the interests of time, I’ll give you the extremely abridged version. Essentially, what I took from Andrew’s post was that we are doing the indie book industry a disservice every time we write a positive review for a self published book that doesn’t deserve it. Why? Because reviews are the only currency independent authors have, and if we discredit that, then readers will assume all self-published books are as rubbish as each other and stick with traditionally published books, which have been judged as worthwhile by someone they trust (mainstream publishers).

I agree with Andrew on this point. Writing a good review just to be nice doesn’t do anybody any favours. It tarnishes your reputation as a writer/reviewer, it tells the author they don’t need to grow, and it turns readers off the indie book industry.

However, I’m not entirely comfortable with the extension of this argument, which says that we must write negative reviews for books that deserve it. While I agree this would add to the overall credibility of the industry, I just can’t bring myself to publicly criticise another author’s work. If they asked for my opinion, I would give it to them – in an email, not a public forum. I would rather recommend the books I enjoy and not mention the ones I don’t. I guess this is because I understand what it’s like to be an insecure writer, and I don’t want to cause others pain.

But maybe I’m just soft and my reluctance to criticise is actually harming the industry. Almost every self published book you see has a handful of glowing reviews, even those that clearly don’t deserve the praise. I assume these reviews are written by family and friends who would love whatever the person wrote regardless of the quality. By not balancing these reviews with honest, critical ones of my own, am I contributing to the erosion of review credibility, thus diminishing the indie publisher’s only currency?

I’m really keen to hear your take on this. Do you think I(/we) should be tougher and write critical reviews of self published books? Do you write reviews like that? What would you think if you read an ultra-critical review on my blog? And what effect do you think the absence of these reviews has on the industry as a whole? Let me know what you think!

P.S. Don’t forget to support other insecure writers!

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18 July 2012 · 7:53 pm

India Drummond in the HOT SEAT

It’s a bit awkward watching a grown woman cry. India Drummond tries to pull herself together, but she’s just too frightened. Oh well, no sympathy from me. She got herself into this situation. Welcome to the HOT SEAT!

India Drummond

Gday, India!

Let’s get started. What genre(s) do you write?

Mostly urban fantasy, but my books also stray into “epic fantasy” territory as well. They have a splash of murder and romance to boot! 

Tell us about your recently published book, ENEMY OF THE FAE (Caledonia Fae, Book 3), in 25 words or less.

With a young, inexperienced monarch on the Caledonian throne and traitorous plots implicating those nearest Queen Eilidh, unrest is rife in the kingdom.

Most of us write part time. How do you spend your time when you’re not writing?

Writing is my full-time job. I also do freelance cover design from time to time, but all the many tasks associated with publishing books take up nearly all my time, so I accept a few jobs here and there, but don’t actively seek out new clients. When I’m not working, I’m spending time with my family and enjoying living in Scotland, the most beautiful place on earth.

[CJ: Sounds awesome! Living the dream... ;) ] 

Tell us a little about your writing process.

I begin with a one paragraph statement about the main conflict in the book, then I expand that to 2-3 paragraphs about each third of the book. In the first third, I set up the characters and conflict, but by the end of that third, the main character needs to be in trouble. In the second third, the trouble gets doubled, until by the end of that section, I’m not sure how to get them out of it. Then the last third is for resolution. After I get this finished, I write a detailed outline that is usually about 4000-5000 words where I divide that general outline into chapters, and detail what needs to happen in each one. Then I start writing!

After I finish a draft, I muck around and polish until I’m happy with it, then I send to beta readers. After another round of self-editing, I send it to my professional editor. I take her suggestions and edit and polish again, then I listen to the book using Kindle’s text-to-speech feature to help me catch any lingering errors.

It’s a lot of work, but it’s the only way I’ve found to produce as polished a product as I can.

[CJ: Sounds very thorough. I found your post about how to choose a freelance editor extremely helpful. :) ]

Who or what are your biggest writing inspirations?

I’m constantly inspired by things I see every day. I love watching strangers and thinking about their lives, their secrets and dreams.

[CJ: Yep, I'm a people watcher too.]

What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a writer?

Without a doubt it’s getting through the initial period of learning, struggling, rejection, starting over. So often, writers face a long battle of trial by fire, working to catch a break in a difficult industry. It took me a long time to find success, and it’s so hard to continue to plug away in a situation where I just wasn’t sure it was ever going to happen for me.

[CJ: Congratulations for breaking through! :) ]

Time for the HOT SEAT questions!

Hot Seat

*Insert scary music here*

Have you ever considered giving up writing? Why? What made you continue?

I started writing fiction in university, and it took me a long time to find my voice and the style and genre that I enjoyed the most. But I worked hard all along the way to get published. At one point, I had an epic fantasy novel that an agent was looking over. She asked for more pages, then more, then finally the entire manuscript, but each step took months, and I was constantly getting emails from her saying “Oh sorry, I haven’t gotten around to it, but I love the book and I need a few more weeks.” Finally after nearly a year of giving her an exclusive look, she wrote and said the book wasn’t for her, but she recommended this book doctor who was a personal friend, and he only wanted about a thousand pounds for reading the book and giving me a one-page report. I was devastated and felt like my trust had been broken. I quit writing for a couple of years, having decided that the entire industry was crooked.

[CJ: That would have been a very disheartening experience.]

In the end, though, I came back to it and wrote a different book altogether, and this one was picked up by a small publishing house. A lot had changed since I first started submitting though. I decided self-publishing was a smarter way to go for me, so when I started my next series (Caledonia Fae), I intended from the beginning to self-publish it. It was with this series that I finally found the success I’d been dreaming about for so many years.

[CJ: Hooray! :-) ]

Finish this sentence from your character’s perspective: I’m embarrassed to admit this, but…

… I loved him from the beginning, but I couldn’t tell him because he was human.

[CJ: Ooooh eeee!]

Now finish the same sentence from your perspective: I’m embarrassed to admit this, but… 

I don’t usually admit to things that embarrass me! [CJ: yeah, but this is what the HOT SEAT is all about! :D ] But… most people think I’m very confident, and in some ways I am, but I have a horrible fear of new situations, especially ones in which I don’t know anyone else who will be there. I don’t mind public speaking or talking to strangers… it’s more about going into a situation where I don’t know what is going to happen or what will be expected of me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

More about Enemy of the Fae (Caledonia Fae, Book 3):

With a young, inexperienced monarch on the Caledonian throne and traitorous plots implicating those nearest Queen Eilidh, unrest is rife in the kingdom. She must sift through the intrigues and lies to survive, all while trying to discover which of her trusted companions hates her enough to commit mass murder.

Pressures threaten to overcome the young ruler, and to protect Quinton Munro, her bonded druid, she must send him away. His journey becomes a mission when he stumbles on an ancient truth that will shake the foundations of the entire faerie realm. Confronted by infinite danger and the promise of limitless power, Munro faces the most difficult choices of his life. Will he hide the truth to preserve stability in the faerie kingdoms or embrace the promise of his true druid heritage?

One friend will die because of that truth, one friend’s betrayal will cause irreparable scars, and the once tightly-knit band of druids will learn that not all magic is benevolent.

If that’s whet your appetite, you can buy Enemy of the Fae from Amazon. Or, start at the beginning of the series with Blood Faerie.

If you’d like to hear more from India, check out her website, follow her on Twitter or like her on Facebook.

Are you tough enough for the HOT SEAT? Let me know in the comments and I’ll schedule you in for a buttocks burning. :D

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15 June 2012 · 3:02 pm

Michael Offutt in the HOT SEAT

Michael Offutt has been putting this off for ages now. He was able to hold me off for a while, saying he had no books to talk about, but now that he’s officially a published author, his excuses have run out. He must face his fate. And that fate is… the HOT SEAT!

Yes, that’s right folks. You thought you were safe, but it’s back! Prepare for further buttocks burnings! :D

Michael Offutt

Gday, Michael!

Let’s get started. What genre(s) do you write?

I write science-fiction/dark fantasy in third-person omniscient. My science-fiction takes place on Earth instead of in outer space. Plus I like young characters, so my story features a boy protagonist that is 17-years-old. 

[CJ: That's my kind of sci-fi. I much prefer stories that are earth-based, don't ask me why!]

Tell us about your recently published book, Slipstream, in 25 words or less!

Jordan Pendragon is a brainy jock who falls in love with a guy and discovers he’s an archangel created to fix a broken computer.

[CJ: Wow, that sounds like a lot to deal with! I'm assuming that computer is kind of important?]

Short answer: Yes. Long Answer: The computer was designed to prevent humanity from going extinct, and it’s really powerful. In my story, it went insane and Jordan is supposed to restore its programming.

Most of us write part time. How do you spend your time when you’re not writing?

I work full-time programming environmental control units for quadriplegics and setting up computer systems for disadvantaged people who are looking to find a job or to further their education in order to get a job.

[CJ: Sounds like rewarding work!] 

Tell us a little about your writing process.

I get an idea for a novel, plot it out, and then write it.

[CJ: You make it sound so straightforward! :) ]

Who or what are your biggest writing inspirations?

Writing something and then having one person say they liked it is the biggest inspiration. It makes me want to write something else for them..

[CJ: I know that feeling. It's amazing - and definitely inspirational. :D ]

What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a writer?

Finding people supportive of my writing.

[CJ: Hooray for the blogosphere, hey? :) ]

Time for the HOT SEAT questions!

Hot Seat

*Insert scary music here*

Have you ever considered giving up writing? Why? What made you continue?

Yeah. I continued because I asked myself, “what else am I going to do?” 

[CJ: Fair enough!]

Finish this sentence from your character Jordan’s perspective: Something most people don’t know about me is…

I’m really scared of failing.  

[CJ: Aww, poor Jordan! I feel ya, buddy...]

Now finish the same sentence from your perspective: Something most people don’t know about me is… 

I don’t have many actual friends.

[CJ: Quality over quantity, right? :) ]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

More about Slipstream:

Jordan Pendragon is crazy good at fixing situations that have gone bad. It’s a talent prized by his high school ice hockey team. However, when a car accident puts Jordan in the hospital, he wakes up with more than just an amazing slapshot in his toolbox. Jordan can manipulate space-time and in just a few weeks, he’ll depend on it to save his life.

If you’re interested in buying Slipstream, visit Michael’s books page.

If you’d like to hear more from Michael, check out his blog or follow him on Twitter.

Think you’re tough enough for the HOT SEAT? Let me know in the comments and I’ll schedule you in for a buttocks burning. :D

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6 June 2012 · 8:47 pm

Insecure Writers’ Support Group: review-phobia

Insecure Writers Support Group Badge

“Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!” Alex J Cavanaugh

It’s time for this month’s Insecure Writers’ Support Group post! I’m going to preface this post by re-stating one of the key reasons the blog-father, Alex J Cavanaugh, founded this support group:  ”Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak.”

So no teasing! Cos I’m about to tell you one of my real, genuine fears.

Now that I’ve decided to indie publish my first novel The Big Smoke, I’m faced with the fact that people everywhere around the world will be able to purchase my writing and then tell everybody else what they think about it. That’s AWESOME but it’s also FREAKING TERRIFYING.

I fear that, soon after The Big Smoke is released, my Amazon page will be swamped with bad reviews by people who absolutely hated my book.

Thumbs down

Bad, bad, bad.

Now, I know that bad reviews are par for the course. I know that every book is bound to get a few negative reviews in its time. But what if they come first? What if the very first reviews that appear on my Amazon page all say my work is rubbish? Then no one else will give it a chance – including the people who just might love it.

Don’t get me wrong. I have confidence in my writing. I do. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have decided to put it out there. But that confidence doesn’t negate the fear. And I think indie publishing perhaps makes that fear a little stronger. If I had the tick of approval from a publisher, I don’t think I’d be as concerned about reviews. But for indies, reviews really are the make or break. Hence, the fear.

I know a lot of you reading this have published your own work – either traditionally or independently. Did you fear bad reviews too? Have you had any? I don’t mean luke warm, I mean reviews where the reviewer seems to believe your fingers should be chopped off so you can never write another word. Any advice on how to quell those nerves?

P.S. Don’t forget to support other insecure writers!

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4 April 2012 · 9:06 pm

Insecure Writers’ Support Group: perfecshunism

Insecure Writers Support Group Badge

"Let's rock the neurotic writing world!" Alex J Cavanaugh

It’s time for this months Insecure Writers’ Support Group post!

I have a bit of a problem, and I have a feeling I’m not alone. I have a feeling this problem is shared by many writers. So here it is… I want everything I write to be perfect. No errors. See, the onley reason I feel comfortable with this going live is becuase I figure you’ll cotton on to what Im doing.

But what about you? DOes this post make your eyes bleed? How would you feel if you discovered that a post you’d published had multiple errors in it? would you be horrifyed? would you be worried what the people who’d read it thought of you? I would. Because writing is what I (try to) do best. Writing is my profesion – both paid and unpaid.

But maybe my fears are a little OTT. I mean, I’ve read posts with errors in them before. I noticed them, sure, but I didn’t assume the author was a terible writer. I just assumed they were in a bit of rush that day and hadn’t been as thorough as they could have been.

What do you think when you see errors in a post? Do you write off the author (pardon the pun)? Or just assume they were in a hurry?

SHould I be as paranoid as I am about making mistakes? Are you? Any tips on how to get over the fear (other than write a post riddeled with them)? ;)

P.S. Don’t forget to support other insecure writers!

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7 March 2012 · 9:15 pm

Insecure Writers Support Group: meh

Insecure Writers Support Group Badge

"Let's rock the neurotic writing world!" Alex J Cavanaugh

It’s time for this month’s Insecure Writers’ Support Group post, and I must admit, it took me a while to decide what to post about. Not because I couldn’t think of topics, but because I was struggling to summon the motivation to write a post. Just like I’ve been struggling to go through my beta readers’ comments and decide what comments to take on board. I’m totally excited about finishing the edits, I’m just not that pumped about actually doing them. Hence, my headline: meh.

I know I’ll come out of this slump and get back into my writing groove, but I also know it will take some hard work to get there. Because, in my experience, the only way out is through. Meaning, the only way I’ll get motivated again is by continuing to chip away until my mojo returns. Because, as someone famous once said, success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.

In saying that, I’m keen to know if you have any hints or tips for other ways to get out of a motivation slump, both with blogging and with writing. Who knows, maybe I’ll summon the motivation to try one of them! ;-)

P.S. Don’t forget to support other insecure writers!

P.P.S. If you haven’t read my Creepy Hollow launch post yet, make sure you do – it’s spruiking Rachel Morgan‘s truly awesome novelette!

P.P.S. In totally un-related news, I’ve got a guest post on my friends Koren and Alana’s blog, Food Without a Face. If you like the sound of Asian dumpling, veg and noodle soup, go check out my very own (adapted) recipe!

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4 January 2012 · 8:49 pm

Insecure Writers Support Group: procrastination

Insecure Writers Support Group Badge

"Let's rock the neurotic writing world!" Alex J Cavanaugh

It’s time for this month’s Insecure Writers’ Support Group post! First one for 2012 – whoop whoop! :-)

I have a confession to make. Lean in so I can whisper it in your ear. That way, not everyone will hear. Okay, here goes…

I’m a procrastinator.

Phew, feels so good to just put that out there.

Now let me explain. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. I am a hard worker, both at work and with my writing. But I don’t necessarily always expend my energy in the right places. If something seems particularly hard, I’ll put it off and keep myself busy with other tasks. For example, when writing, I might edit an existing scene rather than plough ahead and write the tricky scene that I’m not quite sure how to handle. And at work, I might file my emails or do my time sheets rather than start brainstorming how to write a difficult report.

And while I’m putting off that difficult task, I’m usually worrying about it in the back of my mind, building it up to be even harder than it is in reality. Quite often, once I get my act together and start the tricky task, it turns out to be not nearly as hard as I’d imagined. Which makes me wonder why I ever put it off in the first place!

So I’m making a New Year’s resolution: no more procrastinating. Whenever I realise that I’m putting something off, I will call myself on it and tackle the task. Bring it on, I will say! So that’s the plan. Feel free to ask me in a few months how I’m going with it, because I may need a friendly reminder every now and again! :-)

How about you? Are you a procrastinator? How do you stop yourself from putting things off? Have you set yourself any writing-related New Year’s resolutions? (or non-writing-related ones, I’m interested in those too!)

P.S. Don’t forget to support other insecure writers!

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