Tag: writers

Insecure Writer Support Group

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle21 Comments

Or, 7 days away from finishing my fourth round of edits. More on that in a minute.

InsecureWritersSupportGroup

Big thank you and congrats go out to Mr. Alex J. Cavanuagh and his team for taking IWSG to the next level. If you haven’t read about the big announcement, click here.

Thanks to this month’s co-host  Chemist Ken, SL Hennessy, Michelle Wallace, and Joylene Nowell Butler.

Ok, back to the topic at hand.

Write the first draft – check
Let it sit for three weeks – check
Read through and find the big mistakes (edit #1) – check
Read through and find the big mistakes you missed on the first read through (edit #2) – check
Read through and find the small mistakes (edit #3) – check
Read out loud and find the not so obvious mistakes (edit #4) – Finish in 7 days. 

But, then what?

I love this story. It has consumed all of my free time over the last four months.  I’ve put in the work to turn it into a story that even after reading through it 10,000 times, the parts that are supposed to make me laugh, still make me laugh and the parts that are supposed to make me cry, still make me cry and I can’t wait to see what happens even though I know the ending.

But, is that enough to put it out there for the world to see?

I know about beta readers and critique partners and editors, I’ll do all that, too. What I really want to know is even after all that, will there be a clear sign that let’s me know, ok, publish it?

How do you know when your story is good enough for public consumption? 

Insecure Writer’s Support Group – Envy

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle37 Comments

InsecureWritersSupportGroup

Support Group time. Thanks to super host Alex J. Cavanaugh and his co-hosts Nancy Thompson, Mark Koopmans & Heather Gardner! Click the badge to visit other group members.

My insecurity stems from the green eyed monster creeping into my psyche and I don’t like.

Three things happened in the last two weeks:

I read debut novels by two talented young authors and before I could stop myself, I uttered, “Well, their novels aren’t any better then mine, are they?”

I sent out four query letters and received three rejections.  I think I handled it pretty well, until I researched tips on query letters and came across a story about a writer who sent out one query letter, signed with that agent and now has a 3 book deal.

And,

I drove down the highway yesterday and was cut off by a cute red Mercedes convertible. Now, I don’t typically have car envy, but this car’s personalized license plate said, WRITER. Obnoxious, I know, but kind of cool.

I don’t like being jealous or envious. I know everyone gets what they get when they get it.  There’s room for all of us to be successful in whatever we choose to do, but it’s hard when every where you turn, it seems to be happening for others.

Do you suffer from the green eyed monster?  How do you deal with it? 

My Weekly Update – JuNoWriMo

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle8 Comments

JuNoWriMo

It is that time of year, again; JuNoWriMo. This writing challenge is very special to me because it was this time last year that I wrote my first full length novel. I also meet some great blogging writers who are actually active in all stages of this writing process and are great resources for any writer. Special shout out to the creators of JuNoWriMo, A.E. Howard and Becca J. Campbell.

And, this year, I was asked to be one of the sprint leader for JuNoWriMo and I am honored because the sprint leaders from last year made all the difference in the world in me not only writing 50,000 words, but writing an additional 25,000 to finish the novel.

We are just on day three, it’s not to late to sign up and join me every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 7:00 to 9:00 pm for some writing sprints. #junowrimo #wordsprints

Post to Ponder

Writer Wednesday Blog Hop – Flash Fiction – The Space Stations – Just a short piece I wrote. Hope you like it.

So, You Want to Write a Book? Let Go of the Guilt by Angi Black – Life is always there to get in the way, but no need to feel guilt when your doing what you love.

June is for New Goals & JuNoWriMo by Felicia Scotzig – More JuNoWriMo motivation.

Writing is Best When we Get out of our own Way by Kristen Lamb – Kristen say writing fast helps keep us out of our own way.  Another yea for WriMo.

The Art of Milking a Critique by Jodi Thompson – Great tips if your ready to join a critique group.

Coolest Things

I participated in the coolest blogfest last week, The Whip It Good Blogfest where we shared our WIP.  Here are the ones I would purchase.

  • Nick Wilford – Sci Fi – Man has neurosurgery to increase his confidence.
  • Tina at Life is Good – Worlds Colliding – Space Opera meets Tom Clancy
  • Hunter – Blue Popcorn – Psychological Thriller – nationality and generational clashes.
  • Silver Lining – YA Romance – it was this line in her synopsis that got me, “She buys fries from the McDonald’s on Dover Street; he can buy the McDonald’s on Dover Street.”
  • Kate Larkindale – Stumped – YA Contemporary -It’s American Pie meets The Sessions as a 16-year-old double amputee struggles to dump the burden of his virginity.
  • PK Hrezo – Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc. – New Adult light Sci Fi romance – Anxious to attend that relative’s wedding you missed a few years ago? Or curious to see how your children invest their inheritance after you’re gone?
  • JE Fritz – Collapse – YA Dystopian/apocalyptic – Bullies used to be a problem for her. Now she’sslightly more worried about being gunned down by people she once called “neighbor”

Check them out and tell me which one look good to you.

Next Week’s Schedule
Wednesday – The Casual Vacancy Cast of Characters Insecure Writer’s Support Group
Thursday – Heroes & Villans Blogfest
Friday – SQM – Wreck it Ralph

HvsVblogfest

Z – Zzzz or the End

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle12 Comments

a-to-z-letters-zWhy does Z stand for sleep. I am getting quite sleepy right now just think about it. While I would love to take a break and get some sleep, but I can’t. I have way to much to do. To many things are coming up. Z also stands for the end, the final, the last. For my last post of the A to Z challenge, I thought I would share with you some of my favorite post from A to Z:

A – Avengers, Captain America and As I Am by Alex Cavanaugh – Come on, it’s a post about the Avengers. Nothing more needs to be said. 

B – Best Crying Scenes in a Movie at World of My Imagination – The Steel Magnolia and Pursuit of Happiness scenes get me every time.

C – Getting too Comfortable by BDevereaux – Don’t get to comfortable

D – Disaster Movies at Tossing it Out – Some of my favorites are on this list, Titanic, 2012, Poseidon Adventure

E – Energize Yourself to Write at World of My Imagination – How do you do it?

F – F is for Fear at Scribbling in the Storage Room – “The enemy of creativity.”

G – A Grown-up Kind of Pretty by Tasha Seegmiller – on my to read list

H – How to Be a Good House Guest at Laugh-Quotes.com – read before you visit someones house

I – I is for Imagination at Tasha’s Thinkings – Synonymous with being a writer

J – Joy at Spunk on a Stick – You can’t steal mine. 

K – K is for King at The View Outside – my favorite author

L – L is for The Lincoln Memorial by Lara Lacombe- my favorite monument in DC

M – Memento by Alex Cavanaugh – Also includes the sign up for Alex’s Best and Worst Movies Remakes Blogfest, which is coming up on May 17th.

N – Never-ending at Wrote by Rote – Is your love never ending?

O – Oxford Comma by Margo Kelly – All you need to know about the dreaded comma.

P – A-Z Geek (P): The Favorites by Lynda R. Young – Prince Bride, enough said.

Q – Querying at My First Book – You can’t read enough about how to query.

R – What Makes Us Right? at The Madlab Post – Fair Game illustrates the point well. 

S – Sigma at Tara Tyler Talk – Great tips on show. 

T – The Time Traveler’s Wife by Tasha Seegmiller – On my to read list

U – Unified Theory of Writing at Moody Writing – Do you agree? 

V – V is for Villain (Best Movie Villains of All Time) by Reese Ryan – Who are  your favorite villains? 

W – W is for The White House, the Washington Monument and the World War Memorials by Lara Lacombe – Have you been to DC? 

X – X is for Project X at Blogging from A to Z – I have a project X, do you? 

Y – Y is for Young Ladies of Substance at Pensuasion – Love Jo March from Little Women the best. 

Z – Z is for Zola at The View Outside – Have you read Emile Francois Zola?

Thank goodness, I finished the A to Z Challenge. How did you do? What were some of your favorite post? 

Q – Quotes

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle6 Comments

a-to-z-letters-qAnother quick pause in my A to Z Challenge theme to bring you another cool blog tour.  This guest post includes another of my obsessions, quote.

Let me introduce you to Rebecca Berto.

Favorite quotes for writers and readers

We social media addicts are suckers for a good quote. From our favorite books. One of those inspirational pictures on Facebook. The right quote can make your day, and being the social media junkie I am, I have my favorite ones from books and writing in this guest post to get you going.

As the author of Drowning in You, I have many favorite quotes and snippets, but these are others I’ve collected and I hope they resonate with you, too.

I know. You’re welcome. Here you go:

“First drafts are like falling in love; you think everything is great. Second drafts are like marriage; you see all the faults.”

— Rebecca Berto

I came across these from Tweeters and still I cry, “YES!” when re-reading:

“Overly describing a passing character is like hiring a decorator for a hotel room you’ll only be staying the weekend.”

— @PureText

“Female PoV characters notice more facial expressions, male PoVs typically notice posture more.”

— ‏@RayneHall

And then there are my favorites from awesome authors that make me LOL:

“i have never regretted staying home with a book. i have often regretted having conversations with people.”

— @TaherehMafi

“I’m listening to that Mariah Carey song ‘Always Be My Baby’ because I need to unlock my inner-high school angst to write this book.”

— @MirandaKennealy

And, my bookish addicts, these are some from my favorite books:

“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

— J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

“He’s like a drug for you, Bella.”

— Stephenie Meyer, Eclipse

“The moment my lips touch yours, it will be your first kiss. Because if you’ve never felt anything when someone’s kissed you, then no one’s ever really kissed you. Not the way I plan on kissing you.”

— Colleen Hoover, Hopeless

“There are infinite numbers between 0 and 1. There’s .1 and .12 and .112 and an infinite collection of others. Of course, there is a bigger infinite set of numbers between 0 and 2, or between 0 and a million. Some infinities are bigger than other infinities. A writer we used to like taught us that. There are days, many of them, when I resent the size of my unbounded set. I want more numbers than I’m likely to get, and God, I want more numbers for Augustus Waters than he got. But, Gus, my love, I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I’m grateful.”

— John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

***

DrowninginYouOn book quotes, I truly love those that are about love, but also the struggles in life. Drowning in You is the type of book that will take you on a journey of love and pain. I hope you can find a favorite quote from the novel as I have, too!

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