Insecure Writer's Support Group...Do You Put Up Walls?

Yay! It's the first Wednesday of the month and it's time for the Insecure Writer's Support Group posts. If you haven't heard of the group, pop over to the blog and check it out, then check out the Facebook group. It's a great group full of supportive people including our leader Alex J. Cavanaugh. Who continues to motivate us even in his busy published life.

We've even put together an anthology packed full of helpful hints about the publishing industry. It's available on Amazon for the amazingly low price... of free! All you have to do is download it on your kindle app. (I'm in there, talking about editing.)

So..... on with my post!

Do you put up walls? 

How many people know you are a writer? For a long time I was a closet writer, until I discovered one of my friends was a closet writer too. We both came out of the closet and started telling people we were writers. It's really scary at first. You know why, right? They are going to ask you the dreaded question... "So what books have you written?" Gulp! But you shouldn't gulp. Whether you have published a book or not you have written more than one I would suspect.  So, answer fearlessly...."I have written 777 books (or however many you really have written) and now I'm working on editing, revising, and submitting them to agents and publishing houses."  Do you see how strong that sounds? It takes a little of the scary away, I hope.

Do you use walls to hide yourself? Would  you rather be hidden inside your house creating new worlds than being outside experiencing this world?

When you push yourself to get out of your comfort zone you will have more voice for your characters and more genuine experiences for them. Personally, I would have a hard time writing about a place unless I had been to it. Research is great, don't get me wrong. I research the places I write about, even if I have been there or know them well.  I used to push myself to do things out of my comfort zone (helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon) to show my daughter I was capable of pushing myself. Now I do it because I know it makes me a better person and writer. So, don't hide behind a wall to keep safe, get out there and experience life!

Sometimes walls are put up because you or your character have been hurt. Finding a way to open that wall and let people in with help both you or your character have a more full life.

 

Walls are often put up to mark a territory. They show ownership and often wealth. When you are locking yourself or your character in a bubble of life, you or your character are getting a limited vision of the world.

But they can be put up as a warning to other that danger is ahead if you continue on this path. Sadly, sometimes people ignore those warnings.

Nature often provides us with walls. You know when you get that feeling in your gut that something feels wrong in a situation? That's Nature putting up a wall for you. It's up to you (or your character) whether you pay attention to the wall.

Crumbling walls aren't always a bad thing. As things in your life or your character's life change you need to knock down some walls and experience new things. They could be good, they might not be, but the only way to grow is through moving forward.

 So be prepared...

 to make some changes...

 push through some old walls...

 in search of new challenges.

 And perhaps...

you'll walk down a public path, beside the wall of an old castle with the person you can let all your walls down with.

And you'll learn from his wisdom that you must take chances to succeed.

Thanks for stopping by today. My pictures are all from my trip to England last month. The gentleman at the end is my inspiration, my hero, and my grandfather. I'm more free to be me with him than with anyone else in the world. I hope every one of you have someone that you can have no walls with.

Have a wonderful and safe Fourth of July!

Insecure Writer's Support Group

I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel pretty knowledgeable. People ask me questions. I know the answers or how to tell them to find the answers. But then you get this one person, they're intelligent and well connected and a lot older than you. They want your advice and help. You try for several months to help them. Then they don't take your advice or only take part of it. They do their own thing....Then they come back and want more advice and you don't know how to help them.

I think I was probably born a teacher. I've always liked helping people. But I'm at the point of frustration. I do want to help this person, I just don't know how.

(Light bulb moment) Maybe I tell him. I don't think I can help you with your current works. Perhaps if you write a new manuscript, I can help you with editing and your query letter, because that's what I do best.

Have you ever had a situation like this? It doesn't have to be a writing situation either...
What did you do?

Did you know you can get this kindle book free on Amazon? Guess what? I have an article in it.


If you didn't see my last post and would like to win a copy of Learning to Read is a Ball. Please hop over and make a comment.

When To Hire An Editor or When To Throw In The Towel

When To Hire An Editor or When To Throw In The Towel

• You've written a complete first draft.
• You've checked for plot holes, grammar, spelling and usage errors.
• You've double checked all your seeds of truth in your manuscript.
• You've traded manuscripts with your critique partners.
• You've revised based on each critique partners suggestions.
• You've read your manuscript out loud from beginning to end and made more revisions.
• You've entered contests, gone to conferences, and gotten feedback.
• You've revised some more.
• You queried and got form letter rejections.
• You revised again and are quite sick of your manuscript and want to throw it away...

But throwing your baby away isn't an option. You've invested so much time and energy into it. So what's the next step?

Ask yourself, is this manuscript worth investing in? Do you have the funds to invest in it?  If the answer is yes, you should start thinking about hiring an editor. If the answer is no, it's time to put this manuscript away and start on something new.

Then you have to ask yourself how much do you have to invest in your manuscript?  The amount you pay will  depend on your budget and the editor's skill set, experience and name. You can spend a lot or a little. Ask around before you choose an editor. There are lots of options: literary agent interns, published writers (published in magazine), retired editors, people who just love the editing process, published authors, and other writers. Find out who they've edited for and if they were helpful. Did they move the manuscript forward to publication or positive feedback from agents or publishing houses?

Before you commit to paying an editor, ask yourself if you're willing to take advice on your manuscript? If you aren't willing to make changes or listen to advice, you shouldn't spend the money. If you have an open mind and are willing to listen to suggestions, you believe in your story so much that you have a burning need to published it, and you have some money saved to pay an editor then it's time to start looking around for an editor.

Have you hired an editor? How helpful was it?

***permission to be printed in the ISWG Anthology