neurotic writing

When One Door Closes, Kick Another One Open

It’s summertime soon, which means the next book in my Super Love series will be coming out. And guess what, anxiety flavored with impostor syndrome is already starting to kick in. What makes me think I can do this? How crazy do I have to be, to think I can run with the big dogs and not get eaten? My newness will shine out, a giant neon pimple, and everyone will laugh and no one will buy my book. It…

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#AuthorLife: Tell Me How to Show

This post was part of the author toolbox blog hop, created and hosted by Raimey Gallant. It has gone on hiatus, but there are still plenty of great posts in Raimey’s archives to help you out! Do you know how to tell, at a glance, that you’re dealing with a new, inexperienced author? Telling. When the writing is chock-a-block full of telling, it’s a gargantuan, neon clue blaring out: This author is still learning. This author is hacking out the…

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The Insecure Writer’s Support Group is Delightfully Un-Stressed

The awesome co-hosts for the December 1 posting of the IWSG are PJ Colando, Diane Burton, Louise – Fundy Blue, Natalie Aguirre (hi Natalie!), and Jacqui Murray! Stop by their pages to wish them a happy IWSG Day and some happier holidays. And the optional question for the December 1st posting is: In your writing, what stresses you the most? What delights you? I have already semi-seriously answered the question of what stresses me out the most in a giflist, with many silly gifs (my favorite)…

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Why Titles are Literally the Worst

Inquiring authors want to know: What’s harder for you to come up with, book titles or character names? (It’s me. I’m inquiring authors.) My answer: Titles. Titles are the hardest thing ever. Titles are horrible, nasty, no good, very bad, brain-killing beasts. Compared to titles, naming my characters is a breeze. And not like, a fourteen-kilometer-per-hour windstorm breeze, one of those gentle zephyr kind. So many options, all of them easy breezy. I can use names I like the sound…

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10 Reasons Writers Are Definitely Creatures of the Night; Author Toolbox Post

We function best with comfy, secluded, darkened spaces. In a house, there was a writing cave. Inside that writing cave, there was a desk. At that desk, there was an author and an empty notebook. Under that desk, there was a blanket fort, and in that blanket fort there was . . . a writer’s block. See? It just works. 2. Random screams into the void have high probability. Also we’ll hiss at our Word program, to assert dominance, after…

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The Insecure Writer’s Support Group Has Secrets

Happy Insecure Writer’s Day! Prepare to bask in the support and let your insecurities go, at least for a little while. To join in the hop yourself, head to their website here. The awesome co-hosts for the June 3 posting of the IWSG are Pat Garcia, J.Q. Rose, and Natalie Aguirre! Don’t forget to go thank them as you’re hopping today. June 3 question – Writers have secrets! What are one or two of yours, something readers would never know from your work? I’m going…

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No Filter in Your Author Toolbox

This old post has been brushed up for this month’s Author Toolbox Blog Hop, hosted and moderated by author Raimey Gallant. Authors at all stages of their writing/publishing journey are welcome to hop in and bring new ideas and tools. Did you know there are such things as “filter words” when writing? I did not as a smol writer but now, thanks to the Tunnel of Everlasting Rejection which was 2017, I do. In the course of a) submitting my…

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The IWSG is Into Role-Play

It’s the first Wednesday of the month and that means it’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group day! Connect. Comment. Comment back. Enjoy the support and know that together we’re rocking the neurotic writing world. December 4 question – Let’s play a game. Imagine. Role-play. How would you describe your future writer self, your life and what it looks and feels like if you were living the dream?  Hello future author-self! Thanks for joining me today. What can you tell me about…

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