Urban Fantasy Author
Book Bling Blog
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officiallyInsecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. 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. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time. Be sure to link to this page and display the badge in your post. Let’s rock the neurotic writing world! Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG The awesome co-hosts for the April 6 posting of the IWSG will be Megan Morgan, Chris Votey, Viola Fury,Christine Rains, Madeline Mora-Summonte, L.G. Keltner,Rachna Chhabria, and Patricia Lynne!
I write quite a few reviews, and edit other people’s manuscripts every single week, but there are only a few blogs that I write just because I want to with any regularity. Yes, I can see your eyes rolling, those that wonder what I dare define as regular. Hey, just remember that everyone has problems you know nothing about.
Two groups I try to push myself to blog in are groups in which writers must post excerpts of their WIP. Why? To force me to create an excerpt so that I work on my WIP instead of someone else’s. And I swear I wonder sometimes why I bother posting in one of them because all they seem to care about is how many sentences you write, not what you write. And all I care about is that I DID write. I regress. Don’t get me wrong, I love to read other author’s works. Isn’t that what they say all great writers must do? Read. Read. Read. Of course, but at what point does it become an excuse to avoid facing critique on one’s own work? Or perhaps even the lack of critique? Since moving across the country, one of the things I miss most is the fun, eclectic group of 8 POTL women who made up my critique group. We used to meet once a month for plot brainstorming, critiquing, laughing and whatever else was happening, be it book signings, guild meetings, wine tasting tours, or tarot card reading character development sessions--or just life, such as personal events or problems that came up. Oh, how I miss that food for the writer’s soul. It’s been so long since I wrote anything substantive that my writing “buddies” don’t even know I’m writing again, and don’t even know to “follow” my writing fb pages or blogs or comment on them, or…sigh. Who can blame them? I have no one to blame but myself. The writer in me has forgotten to send out invites to my friends letting them know the right side of my brain is alive and well, though it may be living in AZ rather than MI. My writing has suffered for many reasons since I moved here, but I have not finished a novel since I arrived, and I can’t help but admit the lack of writing comradery is probably a major reason. So today I sliced a juicy organic tomato, some smoky gouda cheese, and layered them on thin slices of feta/spinach/onion bread from Beyond Bread, opened a bottle of my favorite Late Harvest Riesling and wrote an entire chapter in my WIP—and all that before I painted a modern abstract acrylic on canvas “Sunflowers Swim in Lilacs”. How’s that for right-brain regeneration?
17 Comments
Elizabeth Alsobrooks
4/6/2016 08:14:01 am
Thanks, Debra. Normal is relative...LOL! ...but, I am kicking myself in the virtual tush and moving ON with my writing career.
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4/6/2016 08:08:21 am
Moving can be quite tiresome. Glad that you are reading, writers must read. I am curious about the tarot card reading character development sessions, would love to know more about it.
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Elizabeth Alsobrooks
4/6/2016 08:24:18 am
Thanks, Rachna. Character development with tarot readings is something we started many years ago, with late night sessions in our hotel room at writing conferences. Instead of giving a "person" a reading, I would do a reading on a writer's main character. They would ask a question they had about motivation, or such and the reading would reveal information that would guide the writer in fleshing them out as a "real" character with individual goals, motivations and pasts... It was always amazing how inspired writers would become and how shocked they would be by, yes, tha'ts exactly what they are like, or that's just what they would do, etc. Lots of fun! And now it's so funny to me that decades later I see they were having a talk about just that topic at a local RWA meeting! Wait..does that just mean I'm old? LOL!
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4/6/2016 07:43:23 pm
Wow, that sounds really cool! I use tarot cards sometimes, but I'm going to try that for my characters. Thanks 4/6/2016 11:39:20 am
Moving is disruptive, and so is losing great writing buddies. I don't know what I'd do without my critique partners and writer's group. Yet you sound like you're slowly getting back to normal. Have a lovely week!
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Elizabeth Alsobrooks
4/6/2016 02:57:20 pm
Thanks Christine! I'm trying to reorganize my life, one section at a time. You have a great week too.
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4/6/2016 01:58:59 pm
Moving already makes writing difficult, but losing such a wonderful writer's group in the process would make it really rough. Congratulations on sitting down and getting some done. It sounds like you're slowly gaining steam again.
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Elizabeth Alsobrooks
4/6/2016 02:59:37 pm
Thanks, Tonja. I've gone through some pretty rough upheavals, but I'm trying to get it back together, one goal at a time!
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Elizabeth Alsobrooks
4/6/2016 03:04:15 pm
Mary that is such sage advice! It took me quite a while to figure that out, longer than I care to admit. However, you saying it made me realize that's what I've been doing, tackling one problem at a time. Here's to not letting ourselves get overwhelmed! Good luck with putting your own pieces back together and thanks for the encouragement you've offered me!
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4/6/2016 04:21:36 pm
I'm sorry! Sounds like you left a good group behind. Hopefully you can find another where you live now. And of course, the IWSG is a great group of writers.
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Elizabeth Alsobrooks
4/6/2016 05:22:52 pm
Thanks Alex! You sure do have a great group of folks here! So now all I need to find are some fellow wine tasters and folks who like to swap tarot card readings for their characters! LOL!
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4/6/2016 08:11:38 pm
I haven't moved in awhile, but I know it's been hard to get my mojo back after loosing a good writer's group. That empty space is hard, but eventually, I did find other like-minded writers again. Hang in there! I liked how you cheered yourself up. :)
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Elizabeth Alsobrooks
4/6/2016 09:49:48 pm
Thanks, Jenni. It's really encouraging to hear that others have lost their writer's groups and managed to find another good fit. I sure hope I do, too!
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4/7/2016 03:30:14 am
This is me . . . kicking your butt all the way from Michigan! Glad to hear you're back at the keyboard! Ready to read what you've been doing anytime!! (and wishing, since snow is in the forecast, that I was doing it at your place!)
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Elizabeth Alsobrooks
4/7/2016 08:47:25 am
It's my and then there was ONE! Yeah! ::insert sound of one hand clapping:: Did my cheer-me-up snack attack bring back memories of fall leaves and Traverse Bay wine tasting? I've been really missing our ice wine celebrations! Thanks, girlfriend! Your probe has been cultivating the local book community and is working up her nerve to join the local RWA. I am trying! Promise!
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