IWSG: Author Envy

Welcome to the Insecure Writer's Support Group. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: 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! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world!

The awesome co-hosts for the March 1 posting of the IWSG are Diedre Knight, Tonya Drecker, Bish Denham, Olga Godim, and JQ Rose!

Am I the only one who thinks 2023 is flying? February didn't start out well, not with a dead computer and the prospect of buying a new one. My wonderful tech guy neighbor was able to retrieve my files that weren't backed up to the cloud, including a whole bunch of family pictures. The transition to the new computer has not been easy. Same company, but they put some of the keys in different places. What the heck was that for??? Anyway, I don't have an excuse for not writing much this month, although I have read a lot. Refilling the well. I hope March will be better.

One thing I did in February was awesome. My former RWA chapter disaffiliated from RWA and started up a new writers' group. I'm so glad. I had to quit the chapter last February when my RWA dues were due. How I missed our monthly meetings--the programs but especially the members. Fortunately, our group offers virtual meetings along with in-person ones. We cover most of Michigan, except the Detroit area, and distances to meetings can be great. I attended (virtually) our first meeting. Yay! Great to see so many familiar faces. Groups that support writers are so essential, well, to my sanity at least. That's why the Insecure Writers Support Group is wonderful. Thanks, Alex and all who work hard behind the scenes to keep this group going.

Now, on to the optional question.

March 1 question - Have you ever read a line in novel or a clever plot twist that caused you to have author envy?

I sure have. I'm always amazed at the way some writers produce atmosphere--especially spooky, creepy, chilling. A shoutout to one of our members who does that: Nancy Gideon. The atmosphere in her books draws me in and doesn't let go until the final page. 

I love a plot twist that totally surprises me. You would think with all the mystery stories I read that I could foresee what will happen. Some authors are so good at leading the reader down the primrose path. LOL Then, wham. To borrow a line from a Bruce Willis movies: I didn't see that one coming.

Hope you all have a great writing month.

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today.

IWSG: My Word for 2023

Happy New Year and welcome to the first meeting of the Insecure Writer's Support Group in 2023. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: 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! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world!

The awesome co-hosts for the January 4 posting of the IWSG are Jemima Pett, Debs Carey, Kim Lajevardi, Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, and T. Powell Coltrin!

First, apologies for November and December. I fell down on the job. On November 1st (IWSG Day), my husband went into the hospital for 8 days with RSV, V-tach (very rapid heartbeat), and acute bronchitis. Meanwhile I was sick with (my guess) RSV, since our grandsons shared it with us. Thank goodness for our adult children who took their dad to the ER, visited him every day, and kept me informed. I owe a special apology to Alex because I was supposed to be cohost in November. I'm sorry I let you down. In December, I just plain forgot. Shame on me.

Enough chest beating and mea culpas, on to 2023. It has to be better than last year.

January 4 question - Do you have a word of the year?

Every January, I plan what I want to accomplish for the year in my writing career. Aren't we supposed to make a biz plan? A 10-year, 5-year, 1-year plan? Not this year. While a good business practice, a plan doesn't allow for "life's" intrusions. Sometimes, you can't control the things that happen around you. I have to keep repeating the Serenity Prayer and learn to accept the things over which I have no control. 

Acceptance is my word for 2023.

What's yours? I can't wait to visit to see what word you choose.

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today.

 

#IWSG: Favorite Genre

Happy Insecure Writer's Support Group Day. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: 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! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world!

The awesome co-hosts for the October 5 posting of the IWSG are Tonja Drecker, Victoria Marie Lees, Mary Aalgaard, and Sandra Cox!

This month's question: What do you consider the best characteristics of your favorite genre?

My favorite genre is science fiction romance. When I say that to those who don't know me well, I get strange looks. Science fiction? I answer "yes!" with all the enthusiasm of a true fanatic. Romance is a bonus. Even better, the two have one big thing in common--hope. Hope for the future. With science fiction, the possibilities are endless. Traveling to the moon? Been there, done that. And beyond? Why not? Habitats on planets in our solar system? Sure. Finding Goldilocks planets (where everything is just right for humans) can't be far behind. Building our own worlds, creating our own rules? What's not to like about that?

So many things we thought were fiction back in the 1950s and 1960s are here, now. Many people who work for NASA say it was science fiction (esp. movies like Star Wars and a television shows like Star Trek) that made them see possibilities and gave them the desire to try to accomplish them. 

As I mentioned, adding romance to science fiction is a lagniappe--something extra, an unexpected benefit. Many readers enjoy relationship stories. Watching two people fall in love and create a family gives proof that humanity will continue. That we have a future. 

Whether that future is here on Earth or on a planet far, far away, it doesn't matter. What does matter is that life will continue. We have a future.

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today.

#IWSG: August

 Happy Insecure Writer's Support Group Day. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: 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! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world!

The awesome co-hosts for the August 3 posting of the IWSG are Tara Tyler, Lisa Buie Collard, Loni Townsend, and Lee Lowery!

OMG, I forgot today is the 1st Wednesday. I saw a couple of notices from people I follow and thought, Wow, they are really jumping the gun, a whole week early. LOL Just goes to show how unawake I am this morning. Hubs, get me another cup of coffee! Please!

July was a pretty good month. I wrote almost 4k words. The best part of July is I read about the coolest way to outline a story. Well, many cool ways. I'm not an outliner. Tried it once and thought, "I told the story, don't need to write it now." Outlining the whole story doesn't work for me. I always have a beginning, and I know the end. I might have an idea for a twist but that's it.

Back to the outline that struck me. The flashlight method. I've also heard it described as the headlights method. Write the points to the story only as far as the light shows. Does that make sense?

I tried it. I thought of three key things that need to happen next in my WIP (The Case of the Wedding Wrecker). Once I've added those points, I shine the flashlight again for the next however many points that need to happen. I'll let you know next month if it works.

August 3 question - When you set out to write a story, do you try to be more original or do you try to give readers what they want?

That is a tough question. I write what I want to write. I take into consideration what readers expect from the genre, whether it's a cozy mystery, romantic suspense, or a sci-fi adventure/romance. Every genre has certain tropes. Readers know when they pick up a romantic suspense they'll find two people who either dislike each other or don't know each other or are best friends. They'll have to put their feelings toward the other aside to solve a major problem. Readers expect the story to end with the problem solved and the two with a happy-ever-after or a happy-for-now. I know that's rather simplistic. 

Whew. It's 9:09. I got this post done in record time. Have a great month.

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today.

#IWSG: World of the Outer Rim

Happy Insecure Writer's Support Group Day. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: 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! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world!

The awesome co-hosts for the July 6 posting of the IWSG are J Lenni Dorner, Janet Alcorn, PJ Colando, Jenni Enzor, and Diane Burton! Me? Wow. I love being called awesome.

June was a terrific month. Thank you to everyone who gave me so much support last time. That's what this group is all about, supporting each other, encouraging those who are having a tough time (like me) and celebrating with those who succeed. 

I'm back on the arts & crafts/vendor show circuit. Thanks to some wonderful readers at the White Lake Area Arts & Crafts Festival in Whitehall, MI and at the Lakeshore Arts Festival in Muskegon, I am so pumped about my writing again. Some readers bought books, others said how much they enjoyed my books, and others stopped by to see my tablemate's chicken. Yep, Jean Davis (one of our own IWSG'ers) brings her tame chicken to the shows. That's one way to get people to stop and talk books.

After each weekend, I was exhausted yet energized about my writing. That's a feeling I haven't had in months. I attribute it to the shows, but also to you for your support. Thank you so much.

July 6 question - If you could live in any book world, which one would you choose?

That's easy. I would choose the world in my Outer Rim series, three (almost four) sci-fi adventures. I'd hang out with Celara, Jileena, Rissa, and Genna, strong women on the frontier of space. I admire these fems who carved out their place in a world as harsh and violent as the Wild West of the 1800's United States. Best of all, I'd get to pilot a starship, drive a speeder, and meet the handsome guys who are strong enough to love those enterprising women. 

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today.

#IWSG: When the Going Gets Tough

 Happy Insecure Writer's Support Group Day. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: 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! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world!

The awesome co-hosts for the June 1 posting of the IWSG are SE White, Cathrina Constantine, Natalie Aguire, Joylene Nowell Butler, and Jacqui Murray!

June 1 (optional) 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?

Is this an apropos question! The going hasn't been going for the past two years. Closer to three now. I can blame covid, I can blame Hubs and his illnesses. I can blame--well, anything except my own inertia and procrastination. Okay, let's call it what it really is, laziness. I hate admitting that, but that's what it is. Too lazy to open the d@mn file.

You've heard this story before. Every month??? How did I write and publish 12 novels and 2 novellas? The creative spirit was there. The desire to write, to explore, to finish. My muse whispered amazing inspiration. I was on that rare high that I didn't appreciate enough.

I've been in this place before. I remember how I got out of that slump. I wrote something wild and crazy for myself. So, you may ask, why haven't I tried that this time? I have. I wrote a short story. I write my monthly column for Paranormal Romantics. I don't miss IWSG Day. I love the two stories that are in progress. And I do write. I go along in fits and spurts. I get excited and write hundreds of words. Then, nothing.

 I'm anxious to read what the rest of you write about how you deal with this problem.

 Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today.

#IWSG: Best & Worst Times

 First, Happy Star Wars Day! (May the 4th Be With You.)

Happy Insecure Writer's Support Group Day. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: 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! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world!

The awesome co-hosts for the May 4 posting of the IWSG are Kim Elliott, Melissa Maygrove, Chemist Ken, Lee Lowery, and Nancy Gideon!

Today's (always optional) question: It's the best of times; it's the worst of times. What are your writer highs (the good times)? And what are your writer lows (the crappy times)?

Boy, oh boy, have I had lots of the latter. To be honest, I've had some good times, too. I'm going to start with the lows so I can end on the highs. 

The worse times were the countless rejections. Back in the day (1990s), you printed out your submission and mailed it to the publisher then haunted the mailbox for the reply (in the SASE you included with your submission). I never wanted to see those. Sometimes, they came with a real letter (not a poorly copied form) saying this isn't what they're looking for. Or, they just bought something too similar. The best part was when the editor added a little note of encouragement. Even better when she asked to see something else.

The worst times came when close relatives (my mother, MIL, and beloved aunt) became very ill, plus I worked in a hostile environment and couldn't quit because of the heath benefits. I stopped writing. That was in the mid-2000s, then repeated nearly 20 years later (except for the job situation) with Hubs. So, twice my life turned ugly and I couldn't write. Truly, the worst of times.

The best times overshadowed the worst.

First best time was when Switched was accepted by a publisher, who said she laughed so hard at certain places in the book she fell out of bed. 

Another best time was when I returned to writing (early 2010s). I decided to forget writing for a publisher and write for fun. How liberating! Then I discovered indie publishing. And saw actual money for my hard work.

Gradually, I'm finding my way back from the second cessation of writing. Thanks to the encouragement of so many friends--many of them right here at IWSG. Thanks, too, to the kick in the pants from real world friends, like Nancy Gideon, whose leg must be getting tired by now. (Keep on kicking, girl. I need it.)

Probably the very best is encountering so many writing friends here online and in the real world. It was with sadness this year that I left Romance Writers of America after nearly 30 years. Not because the national organization meant so much but because I had to leave our local chapter. Those wonderful people were my first cheering section, fellow writers who cared for and about each other. But thanks to the miracle of technology, I can keep in touch with them. This group has been like that in many ways. You share the good times and the bad ones, congratulating each other and offering support. Thank you!

Hope you have a great month!!! Ya think Spring is finally here?

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today.

#IWSG and Alex J. Cavanaugh's New Release CASSADARK

 Happy Insecure Writer's Support Group Day. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: 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! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world!

The awesome co-hosts for the April 6 posting of the IWSG are Joylene Nowell Butler, Jemima Pett, Patricia Josephine, Louise - Fundy Blue, and Kim Lajevardi!

Today's optional question has to do with audio books. I have no experience with audio books, so no answer. I'm glad because now I have more room to talk about and with our Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh and his newest release. Yay!

I've read all the books in his science fiction Cassa series and thoroughly enjoyed them. CassaDark dropped into my iPad yesterday, so I'm looking forward to reading it. I asked Alex why he wrote the Cassa series. Here's what he has to say.

Why a Series? And Why These Stories?

 

It’s funny because I know a lot of authors who write series. Some of them plan several books before writing. Some are even smart enough to write most of those stories before attempting publication with the first book. And then some of us, well, we just sort of fall into a series.

 

The first book, CassaStar, was with me for a very long time. I’d written it as a teen and then it sat in a drawer for about thirty years. Of course, when I read it again, it was garbage as far as the writing quality. But the general idea was good. Inspired by the Battlestar Galactica promotional image drawn by Frank Frazetta, the story and characters really stuck with me. Prompted by my wife, I rewrote it, and eventually it became my first published novel.

 

Dream come true! I wrote a book. Mission accomplished. On to the next thing.

 

Oh wait, the fans want a sequel?

 

A sequel? I had no plans to write another book. But there they were, fans and publisher prodding me for another.

 

So, I dug into my memory and recalled another adventure for my main character I’d never written. One that introduced a new main character. Maybe I could write another story. And in six months, I’d completed and polished the story that would go on to become book two, CassaFire.

 

I didn’t need any prompting to realize I needed one more. Who ever heard of a series of two books? To finish this, it had to be a trilogy.

 

I think I had the most fun writing the third story. I used the same formula as I had from book one to book two—jump twenty years ahead. What would be happening in the main character’s life by then? The story and characters fell into place quickly and I produced what I still feel is the best book I ever wrote, CassaStorm.

 

Trilogy done! Good, because the main character is going to start showing his age soon.

 

I moved on to another book set in a new world and some short stories. Then I took a break. A really long break…

 

Interesting how a story will start to poke at you after a while. How an idea will form and the characters take you off on a new adventure. And you realize this is the next story you must write.

 

Even if it means your trilogy is about to get a fourth book!

 

The main character had a son, so I jumped ahead a bit and wrote his adventure. That resulted in the latest release in the series, CassaDark.

 

So, if you ever think your series is done (or maybe you are done!), don’t count on it. Your imagination might have a different idea…

 

CassaDark
By Alex J. Cavanaugh

His world is unraveling…

Bassan’s father is stepping down from command. His best friend almost dies when Bassan freezes. Now, he’s being sent across the galaxy to speak at an important conference. Despite saving the eleven races years ago, he’s paralyzed by fear and doubt. Could things get any worse?

Once there, new acquaintance Zendar convinces Bassan to visit his planet for a humanitarian mission. Bassan’s special connection to ancient technology is the key to saving Zendar’s people. One problem though—it’s a prisoner planet.

On Ugar, he discovers things aren’t so straightforward. As each secret reveals itself, the situation grows more desperate. If he can’t find the right answers, he might die along with Zendar’s people. Can Bassan summon the courage to be a hero again?

Trade paperback, 226 pages, Dancing Lemur Press, LLC
Science fiction - Adventure (FIC028010) / Space Opera (FIC028030) / Space Exploration (FIC028130)
Print ISBN 9781939844842 $16.95 / eBook ISBN 9781939844859 $4.99

Links:
iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id1574189874
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0982FL3SH
Barnes & Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940164947033
Kobo – https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/Search?Query=9781939844859
Scribed – https://www.scribd.com/search?query=9781939844859&language=0
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58461762-cassadark

Alex J. Cavanaugh works in web design and graphics, and he plays guitar in a Christian band. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is known as Ninja Captain Alex and he’s the founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.

http://alexjcavanaugh.com 

https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/

https://twitter.com/AlexJCavanaugh

 

 

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today.