Tag: amwriting

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#IWSG Celebrate Writing Goals…Take a Break?

jenlanebooks

Happy March, Writers! Thank you to Alex J Cavanaugh for starting the Insecure Writers Support Group, where we air our hopes and fears.


Make sure to visit this month’s cohosts:

 Mary Aalgaard, Bish Denham,Jennifer Hawes, Diane Burton, and Gwen Gardner!

IWSG Day Question: How do you celebrate when you achieve a writing goal / finish a story?

I haven’t paid enough attention to celebrating in the past, maybe due to my worried brain and achiever personality. Instead of basking in the glory, I often jump to the next goal.

But my psychologist friend, Karen, insists on taking me out to dinner when I finish a novel, and it is important to revel in satisfaction after a completed goal.

Upon finishing a novel, I typically have a sequel or new story hopping in my brain. Since I finished Twin Sacrifice, though, it’s been pretty quiet up in hearrre. 

I pushed hard at marketing my latest release and have felt bummed by sales, although the reviews have been very kind. Maybe my overall lack of plot ideas and return on marketing investment are a sign to take a break from writing for a while.

Have you taken a lengthy break from writing? How’d it go?




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#IWSG: Good luck #NaNoWriMo !

jenlanebooks

Happy November, writers! Once again I almost forgot to post on the first Wednesday of the month for Insecure Writers Support Group, but I saw a post on my lovely critique partner’s blog and got busy writing this at work! (Thanks, Nicki Elson.)

How’s your writing? I’m hustling to finish my WIP by the end of this month to squeeze into my editor’s schedule. I only have two chapters left to write, but one is rather pivotal to the plot and I haven’t figured out the details yet. I also am writing what I DON’T know by deciding to include chemistry in this story. Not the romantic kind, but the lab chemicals kind. If you’re a chemist and want to take a stab at an aspect of my plot that’s vexing me, please let me know!

IWSG question of the month:

Win or not, do you usually finish your NaNo project? 
 
I’ve never tried NaNo. Combine my busy fall schedule at the day job with my anxious tendencies and I think it would feel like way too much pressure. I like writing to be fun and refreshing, so a daily goal might not work for my style.

But I wish much productivity for those writers undertaking this November adventure!


This post is part of the monthly blog hop/therapy session known as Insecure Writer’s Support Group, founded by the one and clonely Alex J. Cavanaugh. Click below to join the group!


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#IWSG Inserting Yourself into Your Characters #amwriting

jenlanebooks

Doh! I almost forgot IWSG two months in a row (busy fall at my day job). Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for creating this supportive group.


October’s Question: Have you ever slipped any of your personal information into your characters, either by accident or on purpose?

Oh, yes, in multiple books, on purpose. (That sounds narcissistic!) As a psychologist/author (psycho author), I throw all of my characters into therapy, and the therapist character often channels me in some way. And in my swimming novel, Streamline, the heroine’s friend was a backstroker who struggled with her body image–also autobiographical.

I look forward to hearing how other authors have inserted themselves into their characters.

How is your writing? I’m 80% done with my romantic suspense and I’m really excited about releasing it into the world maybe January or February of 2018. I keep changing the title (my original idea was Twin Sacrifice) and my latest brainstorm is My Life For My Brother. How does that title sound to you?