IWSG: 5 Steps to Create a Book They Can’t Put Down
It’s time for another group posting of the IWSG: Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month and encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.
Be sure to link to IWSG and display the badge in your post.
IWSG is the brainchild of our noble Ninja Captain and leader Alex J. Cavanaugh!
Our hashtag is @IWSG
You may have already heard that we’re revving up IWSG Day to make it more fun and interactive! Every month, we’ll announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.
Remember, the question is optional!!!
The co-hosts for the February 1 posting of the IWSG are the awesome Misha Gericke, LK Hill, Juneta Key, Christy and … work-in-progress yours truly, me!
Before we get started, I’d like to share with you the blurb for our exciting new anthology:
Hero Lost
Mysteries of Death and Life
An Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology
Can a lost hero find redemption?
What if Death himself wanted to die? Can deliverance be found on a bloody battlefield? Could the gift of silvering become a prison for those who possessed it? Will an ancient warrior be forever the caretaker of a house of mystery?
Delving into the depths of the tortured hero, twelve authors explore the realms of fantasy in this enthralling and thought-provoking collection. Featuring the talents of Jen Chandler, L. Nahay, Renee Cheung, Roland Yeomans, Elizabeth Seckman, Olga Godim, Yvonne Ventresca, Ellen Jacobson, Sean McLachlan, Erika Beebe, Tyrean Martinson, and Sarah Foster.
Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these twelve tales will take you into the heart of heroes who have fallen from grace. Join the journey and discover a hero’s redemption!
Release date: May 2, 2017
6×9 Trade paperback, Fantasy (FIC009000)
Print ISBN 9781939844361 eBook ISBN 9781939844378
Founded by author Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writer’s Support Group offers support for writers and authors alike. It provides an online database, articles and tips, a monthly blog posting, a Facebook group, and a monthly newsletter. http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/
Freedom Fox Press
A division of Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.
P.O. Box 383, Pikeville, NC 27863-0383
February 1 Question: How has being a writer changed your experience as a reader?
Being a writer has made me a hard-to-please reader. If the book hasn’t been edited properly, if the POV is unfocussed and obtrusive, if the book is full of grammar mistakes, or the dialogue is disjointed and unnatural, I never finish the novel. I want to, but my eyes wander and next thing I know I’m playing hide and seek with my cat. Having said that, I know too well that mistakes do slip by. But typos and comma errors can be forgiven if the characters and the plot move me. As a less than perfect writer, I don’t expect anyone else to be perfect.
5 steps to create a book they can’t put down:
1. Don’t rush to self-publish or send out queries.
2. Edit, revise, and edit some more.
3. Critique and be critiqued.
4. When your manuscript is ready, set it aside for a minimum of two weeks.
5. Read through again, and if you can afford the services of an editor, by all means.
Whatever hurdles you face in your writing career, whether it’s your first novel or your sixth, know that I’m cheering for you. The sky’s the limit, baby.
ps. good writing makes me want to be a better writer.
1. Don’t rush to self-publish or send out queries.
2. Edit, revise, and edit some more.
3. Critique and be critiqued.
4. When your manuscript is ready, set it aside for a minimum of two weeks.
5. Read through again, and if you can afford the services of an editor, by all means.
Whatever hurdles you face in your writing career, whether it’s your first novel or your sixth, know that I’m cheering for you. The sky’s the limit, baby.
ps. good writing makes me want to be a better writer.
IWSG Merchandise
Show your support and let the world know you are insecure and proud! IWSG Pens $10.99 for two (Price includes S and H) IWSG 3×5” Magnet $5.99 each (Price includes S and H)
We have a new administrator at IWSG. Hope you’ll stop by and give Heather M. Gardner a warm welcome. Thanks!
C. Lee McKenzie has just joined our team on Monday as our Media Relations Specialist. Welcome, C. Lee!
