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IWSG: What do you love about the genre you write in most often?
I write in two different genres. I’m currently writing a fiction mystery but I confess that I haven’t worked on it in a while. I also enjoy writing a non-fiction blog but, again, I haven’t been adding to it as consistently as I’d like. I love writing mysteries because that’s my favorite genre to read. I like all mysteries but am partial to cozies where character development, and setting, are as important as the plot. Cozies are usually written as a series so I also enjoy the progression of the main characters (at least those who don’t get killed off). A few writers that I prefer are: Janet Evanovich, Diane…
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#IWSG: End-of-year musings
I can’t believe that it’s the first week of December and the end of the year (although those two things usually go together – ha!) This year has flown by, and so have some of my resolutions that I made at the beginning of 2017. I have not, as I planned, made time to write in my daily schedule. I feel bad about this which creates guilt which creates frustration, which does NOT motivate me. It makes me feel sorry for myself. Does this ever happen to you? So, I have a 12-day vacation coming up around Christmas and my new end-of-year goal is to write a bit every day…
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IWSG: Do I use personal information with my characters?
In answer to the Insecure Writer’s Support Group question for October: Have you ever slipped any of your personal information into your characters, either by accident or on pupose? My answer is yes and no. For the fiction, mystery novel that I’m writing, my voice at times comes through loud and clear in my heroine. I haven’t given her physical characteristics similar to mine because I think somehow she won’t be as interesting. I gave her two cats because I am an animal lover and I can’t imagine writing about someone who doesn’t like dogs or cats or … The way she sees the world is similar to me because…
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IWSG: Have I ever surprised myself with my writing?
The answer to this month’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group question is a resounding yes! You’ve heard it said that “Hindsight is 20/20”. This is true for my writing many times. Periodically, what I begin writing doesn’t at all resemble what is finally published. I start with an idea and let it evolve, based on my personal experiences. I’m also a photographer so I may take a photo and that helps form my blog or article. There are also times when I go back and read a blog that I wrote awhile ago and I’m surprised. I’m surprised at how it started in one direction and ended up in an entirely…
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#IWSG: Pet peeves when reading/writing/editing
The question for today’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group blog hop is, “What are your pet peeves …” The only pet peeve that I can think of is when writers misspell words or have typos in their articles. In this quick-publish, post-everything-to-the-web culture, it’s easy to find spelling mistakes in blogs, articles and even in printed pieces like magazines and newspapers these days. I’m sure I am as guilty as others. I do my best to edit before I publish online and then proof my work again once it’s visible on the screen, in case I’ve missed something. Invariably sometimes things slip through the cracks. I wonder if because we text…
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IWSG: What fuels our writing?
We recently experienced a loss in our family. Our cat of 12 years, Tikey, had to be euthanized because he had cancer and he was in pain. I used to have trouble writing with so much emotion built up, but I find that it is now cathartic. I returned home from the vet and the words began to flow. It’s at those times that I write without a lot of editing or going back and reviewing, until I’ve gotten out all that I wanted to say. I also find that my writing seems better at these times. I’m not worried about what words to use or sentence structure. I’m concerned…
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Five Minute Friday: A bittersweet BLESSING
Usually when I think of blessings, I think of positive things that I find incredibly heartwarming or awesome, that have happened in my life. Today, I’m counting a blessing that is bittersweet. Our tabby striped, 12-year-old Maine Coon cat, Tikey, had to be euthanized last night at the vet, amidst hugs and an ocean of tears. What my husband, Joe, and I thought was an aggressive ear polyp that was next to his eardrum and had begun bothering him (with dizziness and nausea which had caused him to stop eating), was compounded by stomach/colon lymphoma. A good quality of life was no longer possible for him and I believe he…
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#IWSG: How to find blogging topics?
The first Wednesday of the month is the official Insecure Writer’s Support Group day! When I first started my blog, it was as much for my own sanity as it was for others. I hope that doesn’t sound too selfish! I’ve always written for my day job/career but most of my writing has not been “creative”. I do remember when I was a copywriter for Joslin’s Department Store in Denver, Colorado (think Macy’s but on a smaller scale). I wrote a few punny paragraphs about athletic shoes or dreamy text about an evening dress. The pay was horrible. I then got involved in B2B publishing after that (layout, collecting ads,…
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#AtoZChallenge: Zee end!
Okay, I might be cheating a bit with this last entry. I was thinking that while the A to Z Challenge is coming to an end, and April for that matter, spring is beginning to rock! Weeks ago, I saw our pair of foxes romping through the backyard, playing in the tall grass and pausing to eat something. Since it was probably a squirrel or rabbit or other cute, furry creature, I didn’t want to dwell too much on the circle of life. I was just glad to see that the foxes were back again this year. For the past five years, at least, the momma fox has had (at…
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IWSG: Chicken or the egg?
What comes first, the chicken or the egg? The question I’ve been asking myself lately in the same vein is, should I go to a writer’s conference this year, to help motivate me to finish my first book, or, should I commit to finishing the book and then reward myself with a writer’s conference? Having the discipline needed to write consistently is something I’m struggling with, so I feel like I shouldn’t invest the money to attend a conference until I’m willing to put in the work. However, going to a writer’s conference (like Bouchercon, Killer Nashville or Malice Domestic), may give me the encouragement needed to move my story…
