revise – Jennifer Lane Books

Thank you to Alex Cavanaugh for creating this awesome group. Join us!

Holla to this month’s co-hosts: Joylene Nowell Butler,Louise Barbour, and Tyrean Martinson! We appreciate you.

February 5 question – Is there a story or book you’ve written you want to/wish you could go back and change?

Oh, YES! I wrote my first two published novels in third person omniscient point-of-view. Though this POV provides a broad perspective to the characters and story, the downside is unfortunate head-hopping within the scenes. Cringe-worthy! I did seize the chance to edit my debut novel seven years after its initial release. To tighten the story, I chopped about 30K words, but changing the point-of-view would’ve been too extensive. My publisher released the edited ebook version but did not update the print copy.

Speaking of revising stories, I’m preparing to self-publish Behind the Catcher’s Mask, a short story that was part of the 2019 IWSG anthology, Masquerade: Oddly Suited. The theme of the anthology was young adult love featuring a mask of some sort, so naturally I turned to my favorite genre (sports romance) to pen a romance between a softball pitcher and a baseball catcher.

I hope to rekindle my writing and publishing mojo in 2025. I even signed up for a book event in Savannah, GA this fall!

Novel in Progress Update: Low Water 40,000 / ~85,000 words

Welcome to February’s edition of Insecure Writers Support Group, the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. Hop on board at Alex’s blog!

How was your January? I had to replace my furnace/AC/water heater and let’s just say I’m relieved I don’t have to survive on my measly author income after getting that bill. Luckily the system died when we had unseasonably warm temperatures in Ohio.

Are you ready for Singles Awareness Day on February 14th?

February Question: How has being a writer changed your experience as a reader?

Positive change: A greater appreciation for well-written books.

Negative change: Less enjoyment of many books. Before starting as a writer, I didn’t notice misspellings (like blond/blonde) or excessive verbiage. In the past, I skipped over cliches and telling instead of showing. Now those errors disgust me.

I feel fortunate fellow authors had the patience to read my debut novel, considering all my fledgling writer mistakes. I just re-edited With Good Behavior and chopped off 33,000 words, yahoo! The manuscript is with my publisher for a copy edit before we re-release it.

Speaking of revising, my website is over six years old and in need of an overhaul. Any web designers you’d recommend?

Thank you to this month’s co-hosts: