Hello and welcome to the IWSG blog hop.
What is IWSG? Founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group and author Alex J Cavanaugh explains the group's purpose is "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!" You're invited to become a member of this supportive group.
What is IWSG? Founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group and author Alex J Cavanaugh explains the group's purpose is "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!" You're invited to become a member of this supportive group.
The group blogs the first Wednesday of every month. The list of bloggers is always available so you can hop around to the author blogs filled with humor, advice, and thought-provoking topics on writing and publishing. You can find the list of participants at Alex's IWSG page.
# # # #
Dear Readers,
I'm insecure, really insecure this month. My romantic suspense novel, Deadly Undertaking, will be released by Books We Love this fall. I'm making the final edits on it at this moment. But is Final ever FINAL? Can I tweak it just a bit more to make it better?
This situation reminds me of new floral designers. (Yes, I was in the floral business awhile ago.) They have to develop an "eye" for the design and decide when there are enough daisies, alstromeria, tulips, greens and babies breath to make a pleasing arrangement. Sometimes they cram too many flowers in and cover up the beauty of the individual bloom. They need to discover if adding a spark with purple statice will may make the whole piece pop. But it takes a lot of experience to know when the arrangement is done. No more playing with it. Go ahead and set it on the delivery table. It's ready to go to the consumer. Time to move on to the next order.
It's time to move on to the next writing project for me. I need to let the manuscript be delivered to the reader. (Now that brings up another whole set of insecurities. Will she like it? Hate it? Want to read more of my work?)
Each manuscript adds to my writing experience, but I wonder if any author knows when the writing is Final!
Please leave a comment to let me know when you can say your ms is the final one. Thanks for stopping in today!
# # # #
 |
| Deadly Undertaking Mystery, romance, paranormal coming this fall. |
Back of the Book: Deadly Undertaking
by J.Q. Rose
Lauren Staab knew there would be dead
bodies around when she returned home. After all, her family is in the funeral
business, Staab and Blood Funeral Home. Still, finding an extra body on the
floor of the garage between the hearse and the flower car shocked her. Lauren’s
plan to return to her hometown to help care for her mother and keep the books
for the funeral home suddenly turns upside down in a struggle to prove she and
her family are not guilty of murdering the man. But
will the real killer return for her, her dad, her brother? Her
mother’s secrets, a killer, a handsome policeman, and a shadow man muddle up
her intention to have a simple life. Welcome home, Lauren!
26 comments:
It can be difficult to move on from one project. I had a teacher who said, "A work is never done. There are only deadlines."
Hi TBM, You had a wise teacher. Thanks for stopping in.
Congrats on your upcoming book! I am also of the mindset that I can keep improving a work. When to stop?! Letting go is so hard. I'm facing edits soon, and eventually that will turn into a published book. No more tinkering!
Here's my October IWSG Post
Nano might be the right place to start for both of us. I have big plans with my new idea. :-)
Anna from Elements of Writing
Thank you, Stephsco. I like that--no more tinkering. Okay--maybe. :-)
Anna, I plan on shouting about my new release in November, so I don't think I can take on Nano this year. Go ahead. You can do it!!
Hi Karen, I try to remember there's no such things as perfection, but those tendencies are hard to shake. Thanks for stopping by. Perhaps we could swap blogs since we both have new releases coming out this fall. Congrats!!
I wonder the same. I keep finding the need or desire to revise my writing, months after I published my book. But I'm glad I published, but the process seems never ending. At some point, you gotta let go and hold your breath. Good luck, JQ.
Thanks for bravely visiting and commenting on my blog post.
Congrats on finishing the book and the release date. Wishing much success. I am not there yet, but soon I hope. I hope I know when its done.
Thanks for sending me an inquiry about my Author Spotlight, I am thrilled to help other authors, especially my IWSG friends and community. You guys are so inspiring to me.
Juneta Writer's Gambit
Congratulations on finishing your book, JQ. Funnily enough I was at a panel talk with three successful YA authors at the weekend - they each of them said they wished they could get their published books back and make changes! I guess the urge to perfect never goes away. Wishing you all the best with your edits. I'm really looking forward to release!
It does take experience and knowing when to let go. That's why some new writers tweak their work for years without ever really finishing.
It's hard to let it go.
Even a year after it was published I've found things I wanted to change.
So be it.
Heather
I agree with everyone else. It's hard to let go, but sometimes it's time. Best of luck with your upcoming release!
Oh, my gosh, JQ. You've nailed it. It's never going to be perfect. Can we make it better? Yes, but at some point you have to cut it lose and move on. So tough. Earger to read this new book. Congrats on the upcoming release. Now back to edits on mine that is supposed to come out this fall. Dec is a part of fall here in Texas. LOL
Yes, Helena, getting the ms back and having the chance to further edit it is both a blessing and a curse!
Hello J Q. Congrats again on your new novel. It sounds great!
I can say that the manuscript that I just handed in is the final one. I have been doing content and line edits on three books since this summer. I am ready to be finished with all of them!!!
I can't wait to begin again on my WIP that I had to leave to do these edits. That is one writing problem that I don't think I have a problem, knowing when my manuscript is complete. Sure I see where I could have improved on my first and second published book, but it's author/writing growth.
For each book I write I do several edits looking for different things. By the time I get through all of them, and go through it one last time that's about it. I also don't do deadlines. The Ginseng Conspiracy took 3+ years to write. A book takes as long as it needs to. The second two mysteries took over a year each. I plan to take my time writing the Manhattan mystery I want to savor the thought of just being an author again as I did before I was published.
@RawkinRobin-There is a feeling of triumph finishing a book. Getting it published and into the hands of readers is exhilarating. Love your blog!
Thanks, Juneta. Looking forward to my guest post at your blog Oct. 30 and 31!
L. Diane--I never thought about tweaking actually stops a writer from publishing. I think I have a writer friend who is doing this now. Her ms is fabulous, but she keeps sending it out to professors and respected teachers and beta readers to be sure.
Heather and Loni--Hard to let go and allow someone else to criticize our "baby." Thank you for stopping in.
Marsha--Thanks. Excited to hear your book will be out in December--part of fall?--Best wishes on your new release. Looking forward to reading it!
Hi Susan, I know editing is not the pleasant side of writing for sure. And you'll have to the marketing for your upcoming release. THEN you snuggle into your writing corner and enjoy making up that story. When will your next book be released? Good for you and best wishes on your projects.
That's a problem today's many self-published authors face...they can always go back and release a newer edition, but it can be dangerous to keep going over a book once it's done. With traditional publishing, you write it, edit and revise it to death for a few months, then it's too late to change anything! So you don't even bother reading it because you know it will drive you crazy.
Janet, Murder by Fireworks, the third Kay Driscoll mystery is supposed to be coming out in November. :)
Stephanie, Yes, I learned not to read the published book too. It does drive me crazy seeing the errors. sigh Thank you for stopping in.
Susan--Aha! I'll look for Fireworks in November!! woot woot
Post a Comment