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#IWSG: What’s the one thing about your writing career you regret the most?
This month’s question for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group makes me a little sad but it also addresses a topic that I’ve been thinking a lot about. I just turned 59 (isn’t that the new 39?) I regret not having a cozy mystery published by this time in my life. I’ve written articles for trade magazines. I’ve written non-fiction articles for my current position for a nonprofit and there are several for which I am proud. I also regret not carving out more dedicated writing time daily and have thought about it every day for the last 20 years. If I actually spent the time writing, instead of flogging myself…
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IWSG: Being a reader is key to writing
Question for October IWSG: It’s been said that the benefits of becoming a writer who does not read is that all your ideas are new and original. Everything you do is an extension of yourself, instead of a mixture of you and another author. On the other hand, how can you expect other people to want your writing, if you don’t enjoy reading? What are your thoughts? Above is a sculpture I liked during my recent travels to Phoenix/Mesa, Arizona. Old Scottsdale had a lot of beautiful images forged from steel and imagination. These images are just as encouraging as the reading of other people’s fiction, to an aspiring writer.…
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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: 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: 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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IWSG: What writing rule do you wish you’d never heard?
When I went to journalism school at the University of Colorado, Boulder, we were taught to report the facts – the who, what, when, where and how. And, to get that information into the first paragraph (the “lead”). So, when writing fiction, it’s nice to have more leeway in including emotion and description into my imaginary stories. Fewer rules result in more creativity! However, there are a few rules that still drive me to drink (or at least to ponder a glass of wine). One of the rules that I’d wish I’d never heard of was to never begin a sentence with “And, …” In marketing and creative writing, it…
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IWSG and CTST: Favorite aspect of being a writer?
Celebrate the Small Things – Being a creative writer! Entry for November’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group: If you enjoy writing, which I do, there is nothing in the world like the feeling of writing fiction. There is something magical that happens when I begin to think about a story idea, then imagine characters and what their lives might be like and then proceed with the plot. It’s my favorite aspect of being a writer. I’ve written short stories and then, years later, re-read those stories and it’s like I’m reading them again for the first time. Some days I can’t believe that I’ve written them. Let me be clear – it’s…
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IWSG: When do you know your story is ready? 5 tips to consider …
Entry for October’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group: Although I haven’t had a fiction story or novel published, I have published “for hire” articles in B2B magazines. One article was for Energybiz magazine on the benefits to companies of offering recurring online charge payments for things like utility bills. Another article discussed the challenges to Florida public safety communications during a hurricane. In my personal and professional writing, I know my article is ready when: · I’ve reviewed it and taken out as many extraneous words as possible. I write my first draft and then go back and only keep what is absolutely necessary. · I feel like all the questions…
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No writing is a waste
It’s Wednesday! Besides hump day, it’s the day that I begin a monthly blog hop with the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. Just one blog a month, on the first Wednesday of the month. Surely I can do this! Today’s question: What happened to your first pieces of writing? I recently found a three-ring binder with my writing from a college creative writing class. I was a freshman and many entries weren’t very good. In fact, I remember that I didn’t get to spend much time on the various projects the professor assigned because I was working 25-30 hours per week, work-study, to help pay for my tuition. One of the…
