Tag: writing

insecure writers support group, writing

Fewer Adverbs, More Creative Writing in School #IWSG

Jennifer Lane
A monthly group to support neurotic writers, started by Alex Cavanaugh. Join us!

Thank you to this month’s co-hosts: Beth Camp, Jean Davis, Yvonne Ventresca, and PJ Colando!

September 4 question – Since it’s back to school time, let’s talk English class. What’s a writing rule you learned in school that messed you up as a writer?

The first answer that comes to mind is adverbs. My teachers encouraged their use, but adverb abuse led to bloated and boring writing. Learning to tighten my prose has been a steep mountain. To climb perilously and precipitously? I’d rather wriggle and inch up the incline. While I’m not a fan of Stephen King, I agree with him that snappy, active verbs are better than mundane verbs + adverbs.

Upon further thought, I also wish my English classes focused more on creative writing in general. I adored writing wild stories in elementary school, but my middle and high school teachers favored structured essays over creative writing. And though my undergraduate institution (Kenyon College) was renown for its English department, I neglected to take creative writing classes at the collegiate level. I regret the missed opportunities to build skills and let my imagination fly.

I decided I will end my posts with a little WIP update for motivation:

Novel in Progress: Low Water 19,000 / ~85,000 words

insecure writers support group, writing

High Water #IWSG

Jennifer Lane

It’s the first Wednesday of the month and time for the Insecure Writers Support Group, started by Alex Cavanaugh. Writers, join us here to share our hopes and fears!

I’m grateful to this months co-hosts: Feather Stone, Kim Lajevardi, Diedre Knight, C. Lee McKenzie, and Sarah – The Faux Fountain Pen!

Today’s optional question is about using artificial intelligence as a writer. I have not even started to use AI, so I will skip that question and hope to learn more about possible uses from fellow writers.

Thanks for the accountability, IWSG! This monthly post helps motivate my writing, however slow it may be. I’ve written around 15K words for my next novel, Low Water. In the midst of writing, I’ve had the opportunity to experience the high waters of my first tropical storm (Debby) in my new South Carolina home. I’m thankful I’ve only faced heavy rain and winds without flooding or a loss of power.

However, there was a 9-foot alligator roaming the streets of Hilton Head island:

Image by Christian Sudduth in The Island Packet

And a gator in a woman’s swimming pool!

Image courtesy of Lisa Bisgard in The Island Packet
insecure writers support group, writing

Word! #IWSG

Jennifer Lane
I’m grateful to Alex Cavanaugh for starting the Insecure Writers Support Group.

This month’s co-hosts are so kind to take time out of their busy schedules. Thank you,  JS Pailly, Rebecca Douglass, Pat Garcia, Louise-Fundy Blue, and Natalie Aguirre

July 3 question – What are your favorite writing processing (e.g. Word, Scrivener, yWriter, Dabble), writing apps, software, and tools? Why do you recommend them? And which one is your all time favorite that you cannot live without and use daily or at least whenever you write?

I feel old (and old-school) reading this question, because I only know Microsoft Word. I’ve used Word for all of my writing, personal and professional, since starting psychology graduate school in 1994. I think Word is quite user-friendly.

While I’ve heard of Scrivener, I don’t know much about the other writing tools, so I look forward to learning more from fellow insecure peoples.

How’s your writing coming along? I haven’t made much progress on chapter three of my new novel, but I did send the first two chapters to my critique partner.

Meanwhile, my homeowner’s association has tantalized me with this gorgeous pool…

But they haven’t opened it yet!

I moved to a new-construction community in South Carolina last fall. Now that steamy summer weather has arrived, I sure would like to cool off in these serene waters. I hope my HOA gets their butts in gear and opens the amenities soon.

The middle section of the pool appears 25 yards long, and I plan to turn it into my personal lap pool, hehe. And a relaxing adult beverage at night will be nice.

insecure writers support group, writing

Balancing Your Writing #IWSG

Jennifer Lane
Thank you to Alex Cavanaugh for starting the Insecure Writers Support Group.

Time for another monthly meeting across the blogoverse for all writers who second-guess themselves. *raises hand*

Thank you so much to this month’s co-hosts: Liza at Middle Passages, Shannon Lawrence, Melissa Maygrove, and Olga Godim!

I’m excited that I finally have some momentum on my new novel, Low Water. I’ve written about 10,000 words (out of a probable 80-90K), and I’m hoping that the upcoming therapy scenes in my story will flow more easily since my day job immerses me in psychotherapy.

After falling in love with a trauma treatment I learned called cognitive processing therapy for PTSD, I wanted to write a story about a swim coach not only healing from a horrific event in his life, but also experiencing post-traumatic growth. It’s not a psychological thriller, though. More like a mental health drama, but that’s not really a thing. Have you ever written a story that doesn’t fit easily into existing genres?

Balance is on my mind while writing this story. Cognitive processing therapy utilizes cognitive-behavioral therapy, an approach that helps you balance your thinking so that you feel better. Trauma survivors sometimes get stuck in the past when their thoughts are full of self-blame, self-doubt, and/or self-directed anger.

Speaking of writing therapy scenes, I want to balance the five elements of writing (mentioned in this insightful Writers Helping Writers post) and avoid too much dialogue. I hope to portray evenly the elements of setting, action, reaction, and inner thoughts/feelings along with the dialogue. How well do you achieve a balance in your writing?

Image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay

(Have you ever tried to paddle board? That’s one area where my balance is HORRIBLE! I spend way more time in the water than on the board, but it does elicit plenty of laughs.)

insecure writers support group, writing

Driven to Distraction: Insecure Writers Support Group

Jennifer Lane

Have you heard of the Insecure Writers Support Group? Started by author Alex Cavanaugh, it’s a monthly blog post to vent our fears and share our dreams! Join us here, where you can also find great content to help your writing.

Today’s co-hosts: Victoria Marie Lees, Kim Lajevardi, Nancy Gideon, and Cathrina Constantine! Thank you–you’re awesome!

May 1 question – How do you deal with distractions when you are writing? Do they derail you?

This question reminds me of strategies I review with athletes and other performers to help them focus. The first step to overcome distractions is to identify the ones that plague us most–external and internal.

External distractions may include cell phones, social media, noise, people, and obligations. My biggest external distractions? Busy day job that drains me, four email accounts, Facebook, American Idol and other TV shows, audiobooks, construction noise outside my new-build home, decorating said home, helping my 87-year-old dad adjust to a new state, and cleaning up cat barf.

Internal distractions typically include thoughts and emotions like frustration, anxiety, and INSECURITY (*points to the name of our group*). I imagine that physical and mental health issues could also distract us. Of all my internal distractions, I think that perfectionism slows my writing and derails me most.

Image by Richard Duijnstee from Pixabay

How do I deal with distractions? Not well. I’ve written about one paragraph a month this year! But when the writing flows better, I take long walks to the beat of music instead of audiobooks, which frees my mind to plot novels. I keep in touch with my critique partner and schedule writing sprints with friends. And I carve out time for writing, mostly on weekend mornings.

insecure writers support group, writing

JenniferLaneBooks Blog History #IWSG

Jennifer Lane
Feeling insecure? Join us to bolster your confidence! Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh, our captain.

Some of my favorite group members are today’s co-hosts–I appreciate you!  Janet Alcorn, T. Powell Coltrin, Natalie Aguirre, and Pat Garcia!

April 3 question – How long have you been blogging? (Or on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram?) What do you like about it and how has it changed?

What a great question to prompt reflection. My fledgling blog (and social media) started in 2010, right before the publication of my first novel, With Good Behavior. Book bloggers were a fierce force in the publishing industry then, and I participated in blog hops and book tours galore.

Almost 15 years later, blogging in general has seemed to become less influential and mainstream. I’ve seen author blogs like mine shift away from a sole focus on book promotion. I moved from Blogger to WordPress in 2020, and I still haven’t gotten to the housekeeping I want to do on here. But one constant has been meeting wonderful writers and readers like YOU! Book nerds like us are special people.

As my writing has slowed, so has my blogging. I’m quite grateful to the insecure writer’s support group for nudging me to blog at least monthly, which has kept me in touch with writing. Hey, Alex Cavanaugh, when did IWSG start? I’m proud to have been part of this gregarious group from just about the beginning.

Image by Roberta Radini from Pixabay

Here’s to 15 more years(?) of blogging!

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Ups and Downs #IWSG

Jennifer Lane
Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for starting this group. Join us!

Many thanks to March’s wonderful co-hosts: Kristina Kelly, Miffie Seideman, Jean Davis, and Liza @ Middle Passages!

I’ll be brief this month as I’m rather tired in the midst of some family stuff. Life sure presents ups and downs.

The positive aspects of my life include longer daylight starting this weekend in America (can we PLEASE keep Daylight Savings Time?!?), writing a little bit, and my 87-year-old dad moving from Ohio to South Carolina (where I live, along with one of my sisters).

A sad reason for my dad’s move is the death of my 87-year-old mom in February. We are fortunate that Mom lived so long, and it was scary and surreal to witness her health decline the past four months to the point where her body was done with this world.

Mom endured a rough upbringing, and my childhood attempts to soothe her anxiety were likely the foundation for my career choice of psychologist. She was a teacher who loved crafting, swearing, laughing, and Jumbles puzzles. I hope she has found some peace.

Here are my parents in their 40s:

I hope you stay strong as you navigate life’s highs and lows!

insecure writers support group, writing

Visiting Writer Blogs #IWSG

Jennifer Lane
Join us for monthly blog posts at The Insecure Writers Support Group, created by Ninja Captain Alex.

Thank you to this month’s co-hosts! Janet Alcorn, SE White, Victoria Marie Lees, and Cathrina Constantine.

February 7 question: What turns you off when visiting an author’s website/blog? Lack of information? A drone of negativity? Little mention of author’s books? Constant mention of books?

One aspect I enjoy most about IWSG is the opportunity to check out different writer blogs. It’s fun seeing how creative minds design their blog or answer the question of the month so uniquely. I like to see published authors’ book covers, and attempts at humor endear me to the writer.

I do find it frustrating when I have trouble locating the blog URL or IWSG post for that month. I’m even more frustrated when Blogger won’t let me comment from my MacBook. I also prefer to avoid reading political commentary, which seems to polarize and infect almost every aspect of life.

How is your writing coming along?

Image by Markus Winkler from Pixabay

I haven’t made much progress on my new novel, but a recent swim vacation to Belize inspired my thinking about plot and characters. This school of blue tang mesmerized me.

insecure writers support group, writing

Insecure Writers Support Group: Who Do You Review For?

Jennifer Lane

Thank you to Alex Cavanaugh for creating this awesome group. Join us here. It’s great to cohost today along with are C. Lee McKenzie, JQ Rose, and Jacqui Murray!

I’m excited that I started writing my next novel! It’s a sport psychology story with a tentative title of Low Water. My progress is slow, partly because I’ve been traveling to Ohio to help my aging parents, but it feels good to write again.

December 6 question: Book reviews are for the readers. When you leave a book reviews do you review for the Reader or the Author? Is it about what you liked and enjoyed about your reading experience, or do you critique the author?

It depends. If I’m reading a book that is published by a Big Five publisher, I tend to review more for the reader. If the book is published by an indie author (who I may know), I tend to leave a review more for the author. I like to function at Goodreads in both capacities (as reader and author).

Happy writing to all!

insecure writers support group, writing

#IWSG No NaNo

Jennifer Lane
Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for starting this awesome Insecure Writer’s Support Group!

I appreciate the efforts of Alex and this month’s cohosts: PJ Colando, Jean Davis, Lisa Buie Collard, and Diedre Knight!

November 1 question: November is National Novel Writing Month. Have you ever participated? If not, why not?

I have never participated, though the idea of writing 50,000 words in one month intrigues me. I find that working a full-time job and carving out some time to exercise every day leaves little free time to write during the week, so I don’t think I could win NaNo as long as I keep my job. (And I don’t even have a spouse and kids to care for!)

Lately, I’ve also been consumed by moving, unpacking, assembling furniture, re-assembling furniture after I screw up, and spending time with my sister and her family in my new home in South Carolina. It was a treasure to trick-or-treat with my 5-year-old niece, who dressed as Barbie (of course). She had fun at a Halloween dance competition but couldn’t compete with a manic T-Rex:

Happy Halloween, happy writing, and good luck on NaNoWriMo for those who accept the challenge!