I Never Intended to Be a Writer #IWSG | September Goals | Bookworm News #SpecFic

The Insecure Writer's Support Group was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh. September's co-hosts are Tyrean Martinson, Tara Tyler, Raimey Gallant, and Beverly Stowe McClure. Find the other IWSG participants here.

September's Question: Have you ever surprised yourself with your writing?

YES! All the time.

While growing up, I never intended to be a writer. Though I've always had a great imagination, I was rather dreadful when it came to writing papers in English classes. The main reason was because I missed learning how to write a paper in high school, and I didn't learn how to write one until a college English class. In high school, I went from regular English 9 to Advanced English 10. Advanced English 9 and College-Bound and regular English 10 learned to write papers. I missed that all so important step. *sighs*

So, as you can probably imagine, I hated writing. In fact, I even told my AP English 12 teacher that I was going to move to a foreign country so I'd never have to write in English again. *laughs* Because I thought I was inept when it came to writing, every time I read something I've written since I've become a writer, I'm surprised and amazed.

Has your writing surprised you? What are your insecurities this month?

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August was a surprisingly good month for completing my goals.

I finished editing Forged (The Fate Challenges #2), and it's now with my critique partners. I completed my outline edit of Destined (The Fate Challenges #3), formatted the manuscript, and have started editing it. I'm hoping to finish this edit by November 15, and I'm planning to work on Destined during weekdays.

I've been using weekends to work on Soul Reaper series, and I'm making progress on editing the outlines so I'll be ready to start edits and write books 3-5 eventually. I was hoping to start writing A Soul to Take (Soul Reaper #3) in October, but now I'm thinking I should finish the outlines and edit the books I've already written before writing A Soul to Take, especially if I want to have 1-2 Soul Reaper books published before the end of next year. We'll see how it goes.

A big shout out to Christine Rains for finishing her urban fantasy series Totem. All nine novellas are fantastic reads!

Untethered Realms is gearing up to publish the fourth Elements of Untethered Realms anthology. Spirits in the Water will be released in early October, and my story "The Folding Point" is in it. In August, I was busy reformatting the previous anthologies and getting some images ready for #4. Besides being one of the editors and having a story in the anthology, I am also the final proofreader and formatter. It's so much fun to see all of it come together.

Here are my September goals:
- Continue editing Destined. Ideally, I'd like to be at the midway point by the end of this month.
- Format, proofread, and publish (likely as a preorder for an October 2nd or 3rd release date) Spirits in the Water.
- Continue working on the outlines for Soul Reaper series.

What are your goals for September?

2017 Stats: 99,493 words written and 766,670 words edited

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BOOKS READ AND REVIEWED

True Shifter by Christine Rains

The Hook Up by Tawna Fenske

SPECULATIVE FICTION BOOKS

RELEASING IN SEPTEMBER

Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King and Owen King

The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding: A Fiendish Arrangement by Alexandra Bracken

Nyxia by Scott Reintgen

Warcross by Marie Lu

Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore

There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

The Han Agent by Amy Rogers

Fireblood by Elly Blake

Invictus by Ryan Graudin

Black Bird of the Gallows by Meg Kassel

Summoner by S.D. Grimm

Zero Point by Adam Quinn
One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
Werebiker by Paige Cuccaro

Hero Lost: Mysteries of Death and Life Release #IWSG | May Goals | Bookworm News #specfic

The Insecure Writer's Support Group was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh. May's co-hosts are Michelle Wallace, Nancy Gideon, Tamara Narayan, Liesbet @ Roaming About, and Feather Stone. Follow the other IWSG bloggers or sign up for the blog hop here.

First, thank you for your comments on my previous IWSG post! I've decided to be kinder to myself by focusing on 1-2 projects a day. Sometimes I still think I have to do ALL the projects NOW, but I know I do not.

May's optional question: What is the weirdest/coolest thing you ever had to research for your story? Maps and map making. Creating a map for the Kingdom of Amora made me realize how much I needed one from the start. I plan to redo the maps I've drawn in hopes to make them even better. *crosses fingers*

May 2 was the release date of the next Insecure Writer's Support Group Anthology, Hero Lost: Mysteries of Death and Life. As part of the first anthology, Parallels: Felix Was Here, I know how much of an honor it is to be a part of these anthologies. Congrats to the authors!

Can a lost hero find redemption?

What if Death himself wanted to die? Can deliverance be found on a bloody battlefield? Could the gift of silvering become a prison for those who possessed it? Will an ancient warrior be forever the caretaker of a house of mystery?

Delving into the depths of the tortured hero, twelve authors explore the realms of fantasy in this enthralling and thought-provoking collection. Featuring the talents of Jen Chandler, L. Nahay, Renee Cheung, Roland Yeomans, Elizabeth Seckman, Olga Godim, Yvonne Ventresca, Ellen Jacobson, Sean McLachlan, Erika Beebe, Tyrean Martinson, and Sarah Foster.

Purchase in Print

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books-A-Million

Purchase the Ebook

Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Nook | iTunes | Kobo

Yeah, I totally did not accomplish all my April goals. I am currently caught up on helping my friend with her novella series and am waiting for her to finish the last novella so I can find out what happens. I've been working on editing the stories for the upcoming Untethered Realms' anthology Spirits in the Water. I am also almost finished with my outline of A Soul to Take (Soul Reaper #3) and have started the A-Z Glossary for the Soul Reaper series.

As for The Fate Challenges, I'm hoping to get back to editing it in June. Unfortunately that means the second edition of Reborn and the release of Determined and Marked won't be until July/August instead of May/June. Hopefully it won't take me longer than August to publish them.

So, for May, I've decided to keep my goals simple. My goals include:

- Finish the outline for A Soul to Take. I've written 2-3 sentences for the last few chapters, but I want to expand upon them. So far the outline is over 13,000 words and I have four chapters left to outline.

- Read through and create an A-Z Glossary for the Soul Reaper series. This will include A Soul to Save, A Soul to Kill, A Soul to Reap, and A Soul to Keep. Around 215,000 or so words to read through and write up the main things (names, dates, places, terms, etc.) so I can finish the series (A Soul to Take, A Soul to Give, and A Soul to Bare).

- Edit anything my friend has coming my way for her novella series.

- Edit the stories for Spirits in the Water. We have eleven short stories in this anthology, which will be released in October. So far I've edited two out of the eleven.

What are your May goals?

2017 Stats: 76,231 words written and 342,475 words edited

BOOK READ

Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley

I still haven't written up any reviews lately. I must admit I'm a bit burned out with reviewing books in a more official capacity. As for Robin McKinley's Rose Daughter, I did really like this book--four stars! I read it because of Beauty and the Beast coming out in theaters in March. It has a different take on the "tale as old as time." McKinley has a beautiful way of writing, but I found the poetic prose sometimes got in the way of the action and slowed the pace. Beauty was charming, and I enjoyed the magic and world building.

SPECULATIVE FICTION BOOKS

RELEASING IN MAY

Free Space by Sean Danker

Violet Grenade by Victoria Scott

Owl and the Electric Samurai by Kristi Charish

Assassin’s Fate by Robin Hobb

Hero Lost: Mysteries of Death and Life by Various Authors

Star Wars: Rebel Rising by Beth Revis

Dragon Bones by Jasmine Walt and Ines Johnson

Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton

The Battlemage by Taran Matharu
When Smoke Rains Down by Cecelia Earl

Four Steps Forward, Two Steps Back #IWSG

The IWSG was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh. April's co-hosts are Christopher D. Votey, Madeline Mora-Summonte, Fundy Blue, and Chrys Fey. Visit the other IWSG bloggers here.

The "steps" I am alluding to in this post's title involve months. It's already April, and yet I'm already two months behind in my goals. I must admit it is making me question (almost) everything. If I complete half my goals this month, it'll be a miracle. So insecurity, I'm feeling it in spades this month.

April's IWSG question: Have you taken advantage of the annual A to Z Challenge in terms of marketing, networking, publicity for your book? What were the results? I did use the A to Z Challenge one year to create a flash fiction book set in my fictional world of Foxwick and its neighbors. I've sold 30 copies of A to Z Flashes of Foxwick and have given away 2269 copies. Not bad for a collection less than 10,000 words.

As for my March goals, I pretty much still have everything left over from March to do in April. I did finish editing a friend's novel, and yesterday (April 4), I finished writing A Soul to Keep (Soul Reaper #2). The novel, my ninth completed one, came in just under 80,000 words.

Despite my April goals, I would do well if I could remember I'm not a full-time writer. I tend to forget that. So we'll just see what I can do this month.

Here is my to-do list for April:

- Edit two novellas for a friend.

- Edit Marked. This goal will contain a content edit, a line edit, and a Kindle proofread.

- Edit Determined. This goal will contain a line edit and a Kindle proofread.

- Outline A Soul to Take (Soul Reaper #3).

- Create mock-up covers for Reborn, Determined, Marked, Forged, and Destined.

- Read through and create a glossary for the Soul Reaper series. I have around 217,000 to read through so I can catch up where I'm heading in the series. I know I've gotten details wrong, so it's important not to make things worse. *sighs* Yes, I should have taken better notes all along. Next series, I promise.

I don't expect to get through that last goal this month, but we'll see.

2017 Stats: 61,770 words written and 275,965 words edited

In March, I read Alex J. Cavanaugh's CassaDawn short story. I really liked it. It's a fun read, although I would have liked a little more buildup surrounding Byron's conflict. I will write a proper review soon. I'm nearing the end of Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley. It has such beautiful descriptions, although I wished for more action. I've enjoyed how it plays off the Beauty and the Beast tale.

Have you seen the Beauty and the Beast movie? We went the Saturday after it premiered. It was magical.

SPECULATIVE FICTION BOOKS

RELEASING IN APRIL

Toward a Secret Sky by Heather Maclean

Red Sister by Mark Lawrence

Gauntlet by Holly Jennings

The Witchwood Crown by Tad Williams

Tyrant’s Throne by Sebastien de Castell

Skullsworn by Brian Staveley

Long Black Veil by Jennifer Finney Boylan

The Castaways by Jessika Fleck

Glass Faerie by Rachel Morgan

Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray

The Breaking Light by Heather Hansen

True North by L.E. Sterling

Given to the Sea by Mindy McGinnis

Rescued by the Space Pirate by Nina Croft

Stolen by the Space Pirate by Nina Croft

Saving the Space Pirate by Nina Croft

Star Struck by Kalli Lanford

Falling for the Billionaire Wolf and His Baby by Sasha Summers

Drakon’s Prey by N.J. Walters

Once Bitten by Heather McCorkle

Brimstone by Cherie Priest

Locked Tight by Susan Kaye Quinn

Looking Back to See Ahead #IWSG | March Goals | Bookworm News #SpecFic

The IWSG was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh. March's co-hosts are Tamara Narayan, Patsy Collins, M.J. Fifield, and Nicohle Christopherson. Please visit the other blogs participating in IWSG here.

First, thank you so much who commented last month. I'm still searching for images, but I have a clearer idea what I'd like to do for The Fate Challenges' covers.

March's Question: Have you ever pulled out a really old story and reworked it? Did it work out?

My answer is a big YES. Reborn is the first novel I wrote back in 2009. In 2012, I pulled it back out after writing three other novels and numerous other works. From November 2012-May 2014, I rewrote, edited, and published that book. In 2015 and 2016, I wrote the other stories to The Fate Challenges and am now editing them for publication in 2017-2018.

In January and February 2017, I've been doing a read-through/second edition of Reborn, and I've discovered I still stand by that story. It pulled me back in. Yes, I've found typos and errors. Yes, I've found 500 minor things to change about the writing, but while reading it, I fell back in love with the world and the characters. At times, I couldn't believe I'd written this--a real book. It was surreal. So, yes, I stand by pulling out those old stories and seeing what can be made of them. You might be surprised by how it all turns out.

I wish I could say I pulled off my February goals, but that would be one big lie. February was a hard month. First, I was assigned a HUGE project at work. True, that's what the day job pays me for, but it flared up my carpal tunnel and tendinitis and drained me mentally and physically. I wrote little, although I have finished through Chapter 30 of 38 in A Soul to Keep. Then, my grandfather died on February 14. He was my last grandparent, so it hit me harder than losing the other ones. It made it seem more real that they were all gone. I did manage to keep writing a bit, but editing fell apart. I only managed to finish my edit/read-through of Reborn.

So I have a LOT to do in March. My March goals include:
- Finish writing A Soul to Keep. Just eight chapters to go!
- Outline A Soul to Take (Soul Reaper #3).
- Continue my read-through and edits of The Fate Challenges. I'm hoping to make a pass or two of Determined and Marked.
- Edit a friend's novel.
- Edit a friend's novella.
- Edit "The Folding Point" that'll be published in Untethered Realms' Spirits in the Water anthology in October.
- Search for images and decide on a cover artist for The Fate Challenges.

Thankfully, I'm taking a few days off from the day job for my birthday (March 8). I hope to get some of these things crossed off my list then.

What are your March goals?

2017 Stats: 42,894 words written and 176,166 words edited

I only finished reading one book in February, which was Susan Kaye Quinn's Indie Author Survival Guide, which I do recommend and gave it five bookworms, but I haven't written up a review for it yet.

SPECULATIVE FICTION BOOKS

RELEASING IN MARCH

Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop

Finding Jade by Mary Jennifer Payne

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

Spymaster by Margaret Weis and Robert Krammes

Shadow Hunted by Jasmine Walt and Rebecca Hamilton

Redux by A.L. Davroe

MIND: The Message by Jenn Nixon

Taming the Pack: Box Set by Wendy Sparrow

The Black Lily by Juliette Cross

Extracted by RR Haywood

Fanning the Flames by Chris Cannon

Scorched by Magic by Jasmine Walt

As Long as the World Keeps Turning, I'll Keep Writing #IWSG | Bookworm News

The Insecure Writer's Support Group was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh. December's co-hosts are Jennifer Hawes, Jen Chandler, Nick Wilford, Juneta Key, JH Moncrieff, Diane Burton, and MJ Fifield. Please visit the other blogs!

December's question: In terms of your writing career, where do you see yourself five years from now, and what's your plan to get there?

Since the election, I must admit it's hard to imagine what the world will look like in five years, much less my writing career. The status quo is gone, but the world keeps on spinning, and I'll keep on writing. After all, writing is good for my equilibrium and gives me a way to make sense of the world and the people in it.

I do hope to keep publishing too.

Within five years, I'd like to have two author names established (Cherie Reich for YA+ Speculative Fiction and a pen name for adult urban fantasy). I'd like to increase my productivity so I can write at least 6+ novels a year (three books per author name per year). Since I've been writing every day since July 2015, I've been on track to writing 4+ novels a year, so writing more seems doable. I'm also reading books to help with outlining/plotting/character development and increasing my writing productivity (spreadsheets/timer/etc.).

For example, it's my hope to start publishing the rest of The Fate Challenges (Cherie Reich) in 2017 and start publishing Soul Reaper (Pen Name) in 2018. Before the end of 2018, I want to start publishing Cherie Reich's next series (most likely Folding the Future, set in my Paperist world). In 2019, I would publish Pen Name's next series and Cherie's next series, and so on and so forth.

The biggest obstacles to this plan are time and money.

I've done well with making the time for writing, but editing has fallen to the wayside more times than I care to admit. This coming year I hope to change that. Whether it means having a set amount of words/pages to edit a day/week or some other way to keep track, I need to edit my work if I hope to ever publish it.

The biggest costs to publishing I have are cover art and marketing (buying ads). Money, in some ways, is hard to come by even with a full-time job, but I've been putting some money aside to make an investment in my career and business in the coming year. I'll do what I can because I'll need to make money back on my books if I hope to continue publishing them, and the best ways to do those things are to have great covers, to write great books, and to keep publishing.

What are your insecurities this month?

I can't believe it's December already. Where has this year gone?

Last month I wrote nearly 15,000 words in outlines for books 2-5 in my Soul Reaper series. I finished writing A Soul to Reap (#1), which came in at a little over 79,000 words, and am on Chapter 5 of 38 in A Soul to Keep (#2). I continued to help my friend with editing her novella series, but I failed again to get any work done on The Fate Challenges.

My goals for December include:

- Writing at least an hour a day in A Soul to Keep (Soul Reaper #2).

- Editing, formatting, and proofreading my friend's novella series (#4-#6).

- Reading through and making notes on Reborn. To save time, I'm not going to read through and write notes on The Fate Challenges series in its entirety before editing said series. I'll do it as I edit.

What are your goals for December?

2016 Stats: 332,302 words written and 2,109 pages edited

I'm in the process of reading five books. Unfortunately, I haven't finished reading any of them since last Bookworm News, so I have no reviews at this time.

SPECULATIVE FICTION BOOKS

RELEASING IN DECEMBER

Fallen Ashes by T.F. Walsh

A Measure of Gloom by Nicole Zoltack

Mend by Elana Johnson

Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill

X Dare and the Keys to Nin by PK Hrezo

Deceived by Magic by Jasmine Walt

San Francisco Wolf Pack Box Set by Kristin Miller

Drakon’s Promise by N.J. Walters

Shade Chaser by Clara Coulson

I've turned off comments now since I will be offline from December 21-January 2. I hope everyone has a good holiday. Happy New Year! I'll be back on IWSG day (January 4), and I also have a special post on the Parallels' blog coming up on December 28.

Entire Worlds in My Mind #IWSG

IWSG was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh. November's co-hosts are Joylene Nowell Butler, Jen Chandler, Mary Aalgaar, Lisa Buie Collard, Tamara Narayan, Tyrean Martinson, and Christine Rains. For a list of other IWSG posts, click here.

November's question: What is your favorite aspect of being a writer?

This is a hard question. I would find it easier to list my least favorite aspect of being a writer, but then again, that aspect usually falls in the published writer area. *coughs*Marketing*coughs*

I think my favorite aspect of being a writer is creating something out of nothing. I have entire worlds in my mind, and I'm lucky enough to be able to share some of them with others by writing the characters' stories down.

Last month, I was considering joining NaNoWriMo. Unfortunately, I came down with an upper respiratory infection, which slowed my brain down and continues to linger on (week and a half and counting). Even though I still wrote a bit every day, some of my word counts were lower than I needed to finish A Soul to Reap by October 31 and have my outline for A Soul to Keep ready for November 1.

That said, I am on the last chapter of A Soul to Reap and will go through it to fix some minor plot things I thought up while writing. Major stuff will have to wait until after my critique partner reads it. Although I usually wait to send a new work to anyone until after my self-edit, I know she's looking forward to finding out what comes next after reading the prequel A Soul to Kill.

Beyond writing A Soul to Reap, I didn't get much done in October. So my November goals include:

- Finishing A Soul to Reap and fixing minor plot issues in it and sending it to my CP.

- Outlining the rest of the Soul Reaper series (Books 2-5). This will be my two 30-minute writing sessions a day as it's still creative writing.

- If I finish the outlines, I will start writing A Soul to Keep (Soul Reaper #2).

- Continue notes/read-through of The Fate Challenges series.

- Continue helping my CP with her novella series.

Since I'm taking a week off at Thanksgiving, I'm hoping to get a few of these goals accomplished.

What are your goals for November?

2016 Stats: 302,816 words written and 1,907 pages edited

BOOK READ

Cloak of Snow by Christine Rains

BOOK REVIEW

Cloak of Snow by Christine Rains

What Saskia Dorn, a polar bear shifter, discovers in the tundra of Alaska might be more than she bargained for in Christine Rains' Cloak of Snow. The third Totem book raises the stakes. Saskia is a determined and head-strong woman, and her relationship with Sedge is explosive as the two buttheads at every turn. Yet together they will have to destroy the Jinxioc, which are not your average garden gnomes, but fierce little people with sharp teeth and a vicious appetite. As soon as a boy was taken on Saskia's watch, I knew she wouldn't abandon the people of Kuci. The emotional turmoil Rains creates in this novella is just as strong as the physical action. And the ending, my heart hurts for Saskia. Cloak of Snow by Christine Rains continues the Dorn sisters' plight to find the totem tokens, and I'm looking forward to see what will come next for them.

#SPECFIC BOOKS RELEASING IN NOVEMBER

Lodestar by Shannon Messenger

Flashfall by Jenny Moyer

The Burning Isle by Will Panzo

After Atlas by Emma Newman

Highway Thirteen to Manhattan by Kourtney Heintz

Cloaked in Christmas by T.F. Walsh

Cloak of Snow by Christine Rains

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Timeless by Crystal Collier

Raven by Rachel Morgan

The Jekyll Revelation by Robert Masello

Infinity by Jus Accardo

Arena by Holly Jennings

Huntress Found by A.A. Chamberlynn

Forever Charmed by Dawn Chartier

Flying Through Fire by Nina Croft

Catalyst by Kristin Smith

Saving Hamlet by Molly Booth

Once Upon a Happy Ending by Various Authors

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling

Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson

Unreal Encounters by Milo James Fowler

The Timer Is Set #IWSG | September Book Releases #specfic

The Insecure Writer's Support Group was created by the awesome Alex J. Cavanaugh. September's co-hosts are C. Lee McKenzie, Rachel Pattison, Elizabeth Seckman, Stephanie Faris, Lori L MacLaughlin, and Elsie Amata. Click here for a list of participants.

First, thank you so much for your responses on last month's IWSG post. For now, I've decided to use a pen name for my urban fantasy work, although I won't create the name and the information for her until I finish writing the series. After all, a lot can change in publishing between now and then.

This month's IWSG question is: How do you find the time to write in your busy day?

My answer is I pencil it in, so to speak.

Since July 1, 2015, I decided to write for so many minutes a day. I started at a total of twenty-two minutes, and by November 1, 2015, I was writing forty-five minutes a day. I use a timer to keep track of my writing time.

So far I haven't missed a day. Even on the days I really don't want to write, I sit down and do it. If nothing else, the timer and dedication gets me to open up my document and put my hands on the keyboard. Whether I write 100 words or 1500, it all counts.

From July 1, 2015-August 31, 2016, I've written 388,061 words.

Of course, now I'm still majorly insecure on finding the time to edit all those words.

What are your insecurities this month?

August was a pretty good month goal-wise. Of course, if I hadn't taken a week off work, I wouldn't have gotten nearly so much finished.

On August 13, I finished the rewrite and first edit of A Soul to Kill (A Soul Reaper prequel short novel). My critique partner loved it, so I'm excited to be writing A Soul to Reap (Soul Reaper 1) again. On August 28, I finished writing a new short story in my Paperist world. Look for "The Folding Point" to be in Spirits in the Water (Untethered Realms' anthology 4) in October 2017. For Labor Day weekend, I finished my edits on A Soul to Save (A Soul Reaper novella, previously titled A Soul to Protect), and it's now with my critique partner.

The rest of the year will be a busy one with helping a friend publish her urban fantasy series and publishing Ghosts of Fire (Untethered Realms' anthology 3), but I'm hoping to find some balance between that and editing my own work *coughsTheFateChallenges* while continuing to write the Soul Reaper series.

My September goals included:

Write for at least forty-five minutes a day in A Soul to Reap.

Final proofread and formatting for Ghosts of Fire.

Help my friend with her series (editing, proofreading, formatting).

2016 Stats: 238,135 words written and 1417 pages edited

I've been reading not yet published books and am in the midst of several published ones, so I unfortunately don't have any reviews this time.

#SPECFIC BOOKS RELEASING IN SEPTEMBER

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

The Ones by Daniel Sweren-Becker

Bury the Living by Jodi McIsaac

Ninth City Burning by J. Patrick Black

And the Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich

The Lying Planet by Carol Riggs

Prodigal by Jody Wallace

Unthinkable by Nina Croft

Forsaken Skies by D. Nolan Clark

Chasing Embers by James Bennet

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists by J.K. Rowling

Hogwarts by J.K. Rowling

Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies by J.K. Rowling

I'm Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl by Gretchen McNeil

The Dark Talent by Brandon Sanderson

The Family Plot by Cherie Priest

Ghosts in the Machine by Richard Farr
The Unbroken Line of the Moon by Johanne Hilderbrant

#IWSG: The Pros and Cons of Writing Every Day | A Cover Reveal of Misha Gerrick's Endless

IWSG was created by the Captain Ninja Alex J. Cavanaugh. Click here to visit the other IWSG participants. The co-hosts are Megan Morgan, Christopher D. Votey, Viola Fury, Christine Rains, Madeline Mora-Summonte, L.G. Keltner, Patricia Lynne, and Rachna Chhabria.

"Write every day" is common advice given to writers.

When I first started writing, I wrote most days, but I was only writing in other people's worlds via online roleplaying games and fan fiction. That dedication to writing most days changed when I started writing for publication. I wrote in spurts. Some months I would write 20,000+ words. Others, I was lucky to get in 2,000 words. On July 1, 2015, I decided to spend a number of minutes a day on writing.

Now I don't believe you have to write every day. It's what is working for me now, but that doesn't mean I won't skip a day or more in the future. Like all advice, writing every day has its pros and cons.

Three pros are consistent writing, easier to remember where you left off in a manuscript, and completing works in a timely manner.

Two cons are you never get a day off and the necessity of having a new project ready to go when you finish an old one. That last con is my big insecurity for the day. I'm a few weeks away from starting a new novel, A Soul to Reap (Soul Reaper #1). In three or four months, I will start a new series, To the Future (YA Urban Fantasy). I've been panicking the last few weeks and wondering how in the world will I be ready to write these new books.

What is your insecurity this month?

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If you haven't guessed by now, I'm a big overachiever. I finished last month's goals. Two months in a row! On March 14, I completed the first draft of A Soul to Kill (Soul Reaper #0). The first draft came in at 40,905 words. Of course, two days after I finished it, I've been wondering if the story should have been told in first person point of view instead of third. If so, then I have a big rewrite to do in April/May. *sighs* Destined (The Fate Challenges #3) continues to progress, and I've completed 17 chapters out of 41. I finished edits on "Folds in Life and Death" and the bonus woodwose section, which I  plan to make available for free on my website in the coming months. I also outlined "A Soul to Protect" and have been writing it since March 15 and am on scene two out of five. I've made some progress with marketing, but we'll see how it goes the next few months.

My goals for April are:

• Write for 30 minutes a day in Destined.
• Write for 15 minutes a day in "A Soul to Protect." When I finish this short story, I'll start writing A Soul to Reap.
• Outline A Soul to Reap.
• Edit Marked based off my first critique partner's notes.
• Start rewriting/editing A Soul to Kill.

What are your goals for April?

Current 2016 Stats: 90,027 words written and 705 pages edited

I'm over at the Parallels' blog today for the A-Z Challenge: Emotions. I have an excerpt from "Folds in Life and Death."

“First, do no harm.” Blake Ryan swore that oath to become a doctor. Ironic, given that he spent most of his thousand year life sucking souls out of other immortals. 

Things are different now. Using regular shots of morphine to keep his inner monster at bay, Ryan has led a quiet life since the Second World War. His thrills now come from saving lives, not taking them.

Until a plane crash brings Aleria into his hospital. Her life is vibrant. Crack to predators like him. She’s the exact sort of person they would hunt, and thanks to a severe case of amnesia, she’s all but defenseless.

Leaving Aleria vulnerable isn’t an option, but protecting her means unleashing his own inner monster. Which is a problem, because his inner monster wants her dead most of all.

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Misha Gerrick lives near Cape Town, South Africa, and can usually be found staring at her surroundings while figuring out her next book. Tumblr | Twitter | Google Plus | Writing Blog

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#IWSG: 2016 Goals

IWSG was created by the Captain Ninja Alex J. Cavanaugh. To visit the IWSG participants, please click here. The co-hosts for January are L.G. Keltner, Denise Covey, Sheri Larsen, J.Q. Rose, Chemist Ken, and Michelle Wallace.

Wow. 2016. We made it! I hope everyone had a good holiday and end of the year.

Today, I have my 2016 goals post. Of course, any goals are subject to change, but it's always nice to plan big to start out with and be full of optimism that I might actually accomplish what I set out to do. *laughs*

READING GOALS

I'd like to read at least twenty-four books in 2016.

WRITING GOALS

I want to continue writing thirty minutes a day in a primary project and fifteen minutes a day in a secondary project. So far I've kept up with writing every single day since July 1, 2015.

Some of the projects I'd like to write, although not necessarily finish this year, include Destined (The Fate Challenges #3), A Soul to Kill (Soul Reaper #0), a Soul Reaper short story for Untethered Realms anthology #4, A Soul to Reap (Soul Reaper #1), and either Fall of Gravity series or To the Future series or something else in that secondary spot once I finished Destined and move Soul Reaper series to my primary spot.

HEALTH GOALS

Since I've been exercising every single day since May 24, 2015, I would like to continue exercising. Right now I'm at thirty minutes a day and am slowly increasing the intensity. I'm also hoping to learn how to cook. Yes, yes, I know. I'm thirty-three. I should know how to cook by now, but beyond frozen pizza, I'm rather hopeless, but I can learn and will learn.

What are your goals for this new year?

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In December, I finished the bonus woodwose section for the boxed set of The Fate Challenges as well as the second novel in that series, Forged. The first draft of Forged, which I wrote from August 31-December 31 came in at 74,006 words. According to the handy minute tracker in Microsoft Word, Forged took me 68.6 hours to complete. I've been writing A Soul to Kill and have edited "On Day 168."

My 2015 total stats were 172,920 words written and 1775 pages edited.

My January goals include:

Write thirty minutes a day in a main project. This project is Destined.

Write fifteen minutes a day in a secondary project. I'm still working on A Soul to Kill.

Continue outlining the Soul Reaper series.
Continue outlining Destined.
Edit a friend's novelette.
Edit a friend's novel.

Edit Marked.