Created and hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writers Support Group posts the 1st Wednesday of every month. Click here to learn more or sign up.
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Optional Monthly Question: When the going gets tough writing the story, how do you keep yourself writing to the end? If you have not started the writing yet, why do you think that is and what do you think could help you find your groove and start?
In truth, sometimes I don’t. There have been times when I’ve been able to push through a rough patch and make a story happen, but I never feel satisfied when I do that. I often would rather walk away from a story than force it. Fortunately for me, I usually end up going back to it, but that’s part of the beauty of working on multiple WIPs at once. There are those rare times when no writing is happening. Again, I’ve forced it a few times, but now I don’t. If it feels forced, that means I’m not enjoying it and it isn’t helping me in any way. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to complete a longer writing project because of this but I’ve learned that I don’t have any deadlines other than the ones I’ve put on myself.
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IWSG BOOK CLUB ON GOODREADS
Member Spotlights
#iwsgbookclub
The books we’ve chosen to spotlight in the month of June are Wielder’s Prize (Wielder’s Prize #1) by Elle Cardy (Amazon.com & Bookshop.org) and The Futhark Chronicles Book One: Keepers of Sulbreth by Susan Gourley (Amazon.com). Please check these out and consider giving one or both of these a read this month. If you’re not up for reading them, no worries, you can still help spread some love for these publications and or participate in the book club activities.
Feel free to share this image on social media to help spread the word.
My co-mods and I have done a lot of research into the books written by IWSG members to help facilitate the current direction the book club is taking. In the process, I’ve learned about how readers find and don’t find books by our members. So, I’ve put together some, hopefully, helpful tips I like to call…
Ways to Make Your Book(s) “Findable”
…and increase their chances to be featured and discovered.
10) Another great way to make your books findable and or grow your readership, is to post articles on your blog about your books. Not just samples from the text, but articles of interest- things people might want to know or like to know that are somehow related to the content and or themes within your books. These are the types of articles that get shared organically on social media. For those who are a bit more daring than the average writer, also consider creating video content in the same fashion. When I first published, my now unpublished paranormal series- pending a rewrite, I posted a short video series explaining my geekish inspirations. Many people discovered my videos and later showed interest in the books. You can create posts about your inspirations, important themes, and even advocate for causes that line up with the content of your book, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction.
Reminder: Here’s our spotlight schedule.
IWSG blog list 1-50 = Feb, Jun, Oct
IWSG blog list 51-100 = Mar, Jul, Nov
IWSG blog list 101+ = Jan, May, Sep (IWSG Anthologies)
IWSG Registry (Facebook) = Apr, Aug, Dec
Remember, if you are not currently on the IWSG blog hop list and don’t plan to join, the registry is the only way for your books to have a chance to be spotlighted by the book club. If you are on the blog hop list, please don’t join the registry. We want to be fair and give everyone an opportunity to be featured, which means some of us will have to wait our turns, including me (the book club admin) and the co-mods.
Please click this hyperlink to fill out the form to be added to the IWSG Book Club Spotlight Registry, and please help us spread the word.
Now, on to the personal updates.
I really like my job and love the company I work for, but some days are harder, plain and simple. Yesterday was one of those days, so I took some time to process, thus this late post. Outside of that, I’ve been hanging in there. I’ve been dealing with some pain in my shoulder that I still haven’t had any major resolve to, but I keep moving forward. Hope to find some relief soon.
I’ve been writing and illustrating a lot and have a lot to share with my YouTube and Patreon community in the coming weeks. I’ve done two live events and now need a break. I know I should probably be trying to build on this momentum, but I know my limitations. I have some ideas for events in the Fall.
I’m halfway through the process of redistributing all my ebooks wide. Once I’m all done I’ll share all my new links here. For now, as the process rolls out, I’ve been updating the links on my individual/category book pages.
Here’s the latest on my YouTube series, The Read Local Show (Hampton Roads, VA, USA) and The Read All Over Show (global). I’ve been having so much fun with this.
If you’re interested in being featured: check out the Read Local/All Over Sign-up form here.
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What do you do when the writing gets tough?
Gonna check out one of the IWSG Book Club Spotlight reads?
It may take some time, but I promise, I will eventually stop by your blog. My response time has gotten slower but I’m still making my rounds.
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After hanging out with Alex, be sure to stop by and visit this month’s co-hosts:
SE White,
Cathrina Constantine,
Natalie Aguire,
Joylene Nowell Butler, and
Jacqui Murray!
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Click here to visit other IWSG blogs and sites to receive and share more inspiration and support. (This month, I’m #31).
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords #blacklivesmatter
24 replies on “#IWSG June 2022- When the going gets tough.”
[…] Post went up 6/1/22 at 9:14 am. […]
When you have multiple works-in-progress going at the same time, have you ever found your attention *too* divided and had to put some of them back in the drawer for a while?
Absolutely. That’s why I do it. I know I can’t focus on too many at once, but I like having a backup plan. I like knowing that I’ll never run out of ideas to develop.
I can’t force it either.
Wielder’s Prize was a great choice this month.
It’s so good. Glad it made the list.
I’ve read and enjoyed both of those books for the IWSG club!
I’ve also learned to trust my gut. It’s never a good idea to force things. I now know to delete the previous chapter and start again – that almost always solves the problem.
Deletion is hard for me. I usually put it away somewhere, never to be seen again, or perhaps revisited on a whim down the road.
I agree with Alex about Wielder’s Prize. Great story. Forcing the writing never works for me, either.
I really enjoyed it. Only have a few pages to go but I know I love it.
I generally don’t force it either. I get up and walk away and if the answer comes to me then great. Sometimes it just takes time for my brain to figure it out.
Yes. I have walked away from stories that came back to me two years later. Some never do and that’s okay too.
That’s why I work on multiple projects. If one becomes a slog, I move to another.
Yes, I like having options.
Forced writing usually ends up in the “what was I thinking when I wrote that” category on revision. Although truthfully, sometimes I just do it to keep moving.
Loved Weider’s Prize! Great choice for the book club. The whole series is wonderful!
I’m loving Weilder’s Prize and will continue the series.
Hi Toi. There was a lot to digest in your post and I need to come back and reread. I’ve been waiting for your rewrites so I can buy/read/review for you. Excited about that. My post is about rewrites this month, too. Thanks for featuring Betrayed in the IWSG Bookclub. Was totally blown away.
I love being part of the IWSG Book Club. It’s so much fun getting to spotlight member’s books.
I wrote about this on my blog… sometimes a little forcing seems to be the only way to get me to tie up a story. It doesn’t make a good ending—but it gives me something to work on. As for the why, it’s mostly due to a few reader who consistently let me know they like my work and wish for more! I don’t seem to do well with multiple projects. I keep wanting to work on short stories to try to sell while I’m working on the novel, but I just can’t switch like that.
Multiple projects doesn’t work for everyone. I too have struggled to shift from short stories to novels, sometimes I get it and sometimes I don’t.
Forcing the story never works for me, either. I’ve always ended up rewriting everything I wrote when the words just weren’t flowing. I’m currently reading Wielder’s Prize and enjoying it. I hope you have better days at work and get answers for your shoulder pain. Good luck with all your projects!
Thanks for the well wishes. I’m excited to continue the Weilder’s Prize series. Only a few pages left in book one.
I think your brain is telling you take a break when the words don’t come easily. It’s a good idea to take that break.
Yes, whether big or small, sometimes taking a break is the best idea.
“I don’t have any deadlines other than the ones I’ve put on myself.” So true. Sometimes we put unnecessary pressure on ourselves.
I’ve made it a must to have fun when I’m writing. If it’s not fun, then I’m doing something wrong. Of course, there are ups and downs – it is still a rollercoaster ride – that won’t change.
But the fun factor must be present in some way… if that makes any sense?