Thankful for the ISWG

It's time for another installment of the ISWG. For those who would like to learn more about this supportive and helpful membership, please click on the name of our illustrious host: :Alex J. Cavanaugh

Hello All,

Time flies. It's hard to believe that June is already here. This said, every month I whine about something or other, which is what this group was designed for. However, every once in a while, it's nice to look at the glass half full. FWIW, this group has seen me through some tough times during the drafting of my first novel. Knowing that other authors shared many of the same struggles I experienced, made me feel less isolated. For this, I want to thank everyone for their support over the years.

Last but not least, I'd like to answer Alex's question of the month: Whats tougher to come up with, Book titles or character names?

For me, it's definitely the tittle. Trying to come up with something catchy that captures the theme of an entire novel is hard.It took me a year to decide on PAWN OF THE GODS for my first book. I'm still struggling to create one for my current WIP. It's a process for sure. How about the other authors out there. Which do you think is harder? Until next time my friends, happy writing and reading.

Comments

You Never Fail Until You Stop Trying

Back in December, I learned about an unpublished novel contest that assessed the following criteria: characterization, setting, plot, dialogue, voice and writing skill. In addition to all this, the MS would receive feedback from the judges. Not a bad deal, right? Although my draft was far from complete, I decided to enter it anyway, reasoning that the critique would identify areas of weakness in my writing. Well, needless to say, I finally heard back last week. The first forty pages of my draft were returned with the following letter attached: The judges had mixed reactions to this particular manuscript, with some feeling it was well- paced and another saying there was not enough plot movement! One questioned whether the dialogue fit the time/ year/culture, while others felt it did. They all agreed on liking the expository details and descriptions, but wondered where the story was going. Consider beginnin...

Insecure Writer's Support Group- Are you a Negative Nelly???

I t's time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group post. I am always amazed at how easily I can list the things I'm insecure about, but ask me to add something positive, and I'm at a loss for words. No matter how much I accomplish, I never stop to enjoy the spoils of my hard work. Instead, I tend to focus on the obstacles I've yet to overcome. After giving this some thought, I concluded that I am a Negative Nelly. For some reason, which is beyond me, I find that it's often easier to see the bad, than to acknowledge the good. For example, if my son brings home a B on a test, I say, "Next time, lets try for an A." Wouldn't it be better to acknowledge his effort, and be happy it wasn't a "C"? If another writer praises my work-in-progress, I immediately think they didn't read it. Wouldn't it be better to say thank you and enjoy the compliment? Life's too short to look down on ourselves. How can we e...

Logline #5...

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and commented on my submission yesterday. As many of you may know by now, Steena Holmes over at Chocolate Reality is holding a logline contest. Young Adult author, Michelle McLean will either critique the winner's query, or the first five to ten pages of their manuscript. This is a great opportunity for one of us to get some professional feedback on our work. If you get a couple of minutes, please stop by Steena's blog and check out some of the other loglines. I've got some stiff competition. (: After mulling over last night's comments, I revised my logline to include some of the issues that were addressed. The fifth submission is the latest version of my logline. I think it is the best one so far, but hey what do I know? (don't answer that). Anywho, it would be helpful if I could get your thoughts on the piece. Thanks...

Aspiring Novelists

Search This Blog