So, I was riding around town with my hubby the other day, and we had our usual debate over what music to listen to. Usually, I let him choose. However, I just wanted to hear my music. I tend to like all kinds as long as I connect with the lyrics or sometimes just the vibe coming through. Well, I played him a song that I love because I feel like it contains a good portion of the thoughts running through my head ALL OF THE TIME. He didn't care for it. He thought there was too m

So far, 2023 has started off well. I spent the first thinking about what I wanted to accomplish this year on several different levels. The process actually matches up with this month's IWSG question, so let's get right to it. January 4 question - Do you have a word of the year? Is there one word that sums up what you need to work on or change in the coming year? For instance, in 2021 my word of the year was Finish. I was determined to finished my first draft by the end of the

Last month I talked about how writing takes an emotional toll on us because we pour our hearts and souls into our stories. Shortly after that, I started getting feedback from beta readers on the book coming out next week. Everything was great until the last one. Oh, boy, here we go! The logical side of me knew the last reader wasn't my target audience for this story, but I also knew she had a valid point for her criticisms. All of my insecurities crushed me despite the fact t

That's the question I kept asking myself the last month. It doesn't seem like life in general is slowing down or cooperating at all. That means the writing is sporadic and much harder because I'm not staying in "the zone." However, every time I think all is lost and there is no way I can meet my deadlines...I do. How? By sitting down and slogging through all of the emotional crap that's keeping me from doing anything. How do I do that? By writing. Yep, every issue I've ever d

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! Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word

As part of my "pause and regroup" of the last few weeks, I attended a Josh Groban concert here in my hometown. At first, I wasn't sure about it. I've listened to his music since he first came on the scene back in 2001 but didn't know how a live performance would be. And, his early music is tied to a traumatic experience for me. I clung to one of his songs, You're Still You, during a time when I felt like everything about me had changed, because it was the message I needed to

It's so easy to get caught up in all the insecurities that weigh us down as writers and authors. Today I thought I'd share something positive instead. Learning to recognize what is going well and remembering those things often really helps me to keep moving forward. On July 1st, I launched a Kickstarter with 5 other authors. The idea was two-fold: build buzz for our Seasons of Sugar Creek series and sell book boxes for the series. All of us were excited and nervous. Would peo

It has been almost two years since I've taken part in the Insecure Writers Support Group blogshop. I've missed it! Seems like this first month of blogging is about a lot of things I've missed. One of the reasons I love this group is because you can see others struggling through various aspects of what I like to call Author Imposter Syndrome (AIS). Published authors struggle with this as much as unpublished writers. AIS can manifest itself in a couple of ways. For instance, "f