Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Insecure Writer's Support Group

Hey everyone! Before I get started, I just wanted to mention that the lovely Crystal Collier is hosting Endless on her blog. So if you'd like a chance to win an e-copy, please head over there and guess which one is the lie. 


Hey everyone! Today's the first Wednesday of the month, so I thought I would stop by and give a bit of an update. For those of you wondering what The Insecure Writer's Support Group is about... We're a group of writers who come together on the first Wednesday of the month to share our insecurities. The idea is to be encouraged, but also to visit each other and find that no, being insecure as a writer really isn't all that strange. If you'd like more information or just to sign up, please feel free to visit the awesome Alex J Cavanaugh (he's the host). 

So. Why am I so quiet? 

Long story. Mostly, I'm busy trying to change up the way my whole social networking strategy works. I know what I want to do and why. The issue is that right now, I just don't have as much time as I'd like. 

Another long story. If you're really interested in what's going on in my life, please feel free to go check out my previous two or three posts. 

So. Big deal that I don't have so much time left, right? (Pun not intended.) 

Wrong. 

See... I have this one thing left where, if I manage nothing else this year, I want to see book 3 in The War of Six Crowns published. We're already past half way and because of my consistent lack of time, I'm nowhere near where I want to be with it. 

So. I'm cutting back for the next month or so just to get myself on some sort of track, because as it happens, I belong to the school of thought that the best marketing to do is to publish a new book. 

Which won't happen if I'm more obsessed with my social networking than... you know... editing my story. 

Speaking of edits... I sent book 3 to my first CP last month. Usually, I send to more people at a time, but right then, I needed someone to tell me if my sneaking suspicions about the book were wrong or not. They weren't. 

Which isn't much of an issue, except that the issues I had been avoiding until now require that I basically re-do the first third of my book to get more information in. 

Excellent. 

Except, I'm currently somewhat stuck on the subject of exactly how I'm supposed to manage it without turning book 3 into a 200k word monster. Right now, it's at 90k because I already split it in two. Now I have to add a third to it. Which means I'm looking at a book that's twice as long as The Vanished Knight. 

And I'm worried that that extra third will throw off the pacing. 

I'm worried, yet again, that this series is just too... big for me. Yes, this has been a reoccurring theme from the first time I started writing the first books. But I don't always think people realize just how big this series is set to become. 

Somehow, I'm supposed to manage the scope of the story while still keeping the pace to at least a reasonable pace. 

Which is just... not something I'm dead sure I can do right now. 

So for now, I'm rereading The Vanished Knight and The Heir's Choice, trying to see which strings I'd left untied and if I've forgotten anything that can be worked in. Or just if anything in the story shakes loose something that I might use to bridge the gap between the end of The Heir's Choice and the start of the main action of Book 3. 

Long story short, I'm super insecure about finishing Book 3 for publishing this year. How are you doing? 

34 comments:

  1. I wish I could reach through the screen right now and give you a hug. A virtual one will to do {{{hugs}}}. Take a deep breath, things will settle down before you know it.

    ~Elsie

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  2. I know you want it to happen, but don't kick yourself if it doesn't. Hopefully re-reading the other two will solve the third book's issues.

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  3. Cutting back is always good practice. Take your time with fixing the first third and don't stress about it. You may figure out the perfect solution when you least expect to. Good luck!

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  4. I'm super insecure about my ability to actually publish book two this year. Or next year. Or any time in the next millennium. I'm nowhere near where I wanted to be with this project, either.

    Cutting back and re-reading the first two installments sounds like a good strategy to me. I'm just trying to keep moving forward, however slowly.

    Best of luck to you!!

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  5. Book three will be the hardest but the most satisfying. It least it was for me. You'll figure it out, but don't get too tied to the publishing date. That seldom works out. Best of luck with everything though, you deserve it!

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  6. You'll get there, Misha, don't despair. You have accomplished so much already. Allow yourself some rest and a bit of self-congratulations. Remind yourself once in a while not what is left to be done but what you have done already. I found it helps elevate you mood, and we all need that. :)

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  7. Hi, Misha,

    First. BREATHE...

    Remember one VERY IMPORTANT thing, a good story needs the time to develop into what will make it shine the brightest. That takes TIME. Especially when it comes to a series and tying things into the next story. Also once you have the draft complete, THEN CUT... It's amazing how many repetitive words, phrases, adverbs, etc pop into an MS. Tha can cut thousands of words. Believe me, I KNOW. It's amazing how quickly they creep into the prose.

    JK ROWLING took her time writing BOOK 5...which WAS her longest in the HP series. She later regrets that she could have cut it down by a lot. But since there was the pressure to get the next book out, she didn't have the luxury of time because of the publisher AND READERS breathing down her neck. You, thankfully do have some time, so use it. Don't pressure yourself. Once you relax, the words will flow and you will find those beautiful tie ins for your story.

    Wishing you ALL THE BEST with you Book... I KNOW it will be amazing.

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  8. I don't think books in a series have to be uniform in length. Mine weren't. Don't panic that it might run longer.

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  9. If it runs longer, no worries. Create the story you want it to be. You've got a massive talent for it.

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  10. You're doing better than me! I too feel strained on time but it sounds like you're actually making progress. Best of luck with the busyness. Sorry I don't have advice. I just publish monsters.

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  11. Sorry about the stress, but I hope that things get better soon. And I can understand about the social networking; it can be very time-consuming. Sometimes I go to a cafe to write and end up Tweeting instead.

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  12. sometimes its better just to go with your gut, add the extra, then see how the editing works out. Could be you can delete a lot in the later half once its introduced earlier.

    Just a thought.

    At least you are focusing on your writing. Excellent :)

    Good luck Misha.

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  13. Misha, you've come so far with this series already...you can do it!
    Just trust your gut...it's served you well thus far.
    Good luck!
    Writer In Transit

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  14. I know you're going to find a way to get your book out, Misha. May I make a suggestion. If you have a whiteboard, put your plotting points in your first two books on it. Sort of like a timeline with the significant things that happened. That may help you regarding finding your loose strings.
    Stay the course, Lady. You can do it.
    Shalom aleichem,
    Patricia

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  15. I posted earlier, but it seems to have vanished! I think I said something about understanding the need for cutting back to get that book out. I also said I visited Crystal's place and couldn't think of the answer to your truth or lie. Now I think the lie is about the voice lessons. Let's hope this comment sticks.

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  16. Misha, I think we all are insecure in the things we are invested in... I am sure somehow you will figure out how to make it work... I understand about the social media, it can be really time consuming, taking some time off can be great... xox

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  17. You'll figure it out and it'll be spectacular. Trying to get life under control is a challenge for me, too. My writing goals seems to be slipping through my fingers. Best of luck to you!

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  18. Rethinking my social media strategy too lately. The whole deal just tires me out sometimes.:) Wishing you much success with your project! :)

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  19. In general, I'm doing just dandy. As far as writing, you're in a better place than I am right now. You're working on the third book... I'm still putzing around with the first book of a trilogy.

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  20. My trilogy project isn't as large as your mammoth one, but I still have some of those same issues. Right now I'm at the point of making sure I have no loose threads. I'm sure I won't catch them all, so I hope my editor does. The whole social media thing can be a drain. Some days it's a fight for me to keep from being sucked under.

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  21. If the book is a bit bigger and longer it will be fine. Fantasy readers like big books:) Just do the best you can and make yourself happy with your story first. You are a good writer. Trust your instincts. I'm still struggling on with book 2:) It is okay to let your social media suffer for writing. Good-luck.

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  22. I have a series like that I am working on. I have all six books, plus two of their spin offs (and one 1 recently published), just sitting here, laughing at my insecurity and taunting me to write more. I found some tools help like Scrivener, Notebook One, and so on.

    But ultimately, if I feel like adding in a scene, I do, and most times, it ends up making the story shorter, not longer because the scene ties things up nicely by showing something once and properly instead of filtering it in several other times. In a rewrite, never be afraid to add and cut. You can always go back to what you had if you hate it. Forget your timeline, and your lack of time, your story deserves your full attention. Some stories take very little wrestling, and others, it's worth the extra punches.

    Let me know if you ever want new eyes on the project! Always happy to exchange work!

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  23. I think the only thing you can do in this instance is tell the story that needs to be told. Don't worry about length right now.

    Yes, it's a common school of thought that books need to be a certain length, but look at Outlander. Lord of the Rings. There are countless examples that break the mold.

    Tell the best damn story you can and hang the word count!

    I think backing away from social media is a smart decision. What a horrendous time suck it is! I have to be on it for my job and for FB auctions, but I'm trying my best to limit it. It's not easy.

    Good luck!

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  24. Sweet! Heading over to Crystal's blog:)

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  25. It will happen--the whole big, giant series, but don't kick yourself is the publish dates get pushed back. It happens and readers may whine about not having it their hands (I do this all the time :) ), but really we are happier if the book is well done.

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  26. I wouldn't worry about book lengths in a series not being the same. My second book is 200 pages longer than my first one and that hasn't been a problem. It's just how the story went. I think it would be good if you can find a way to take some of the pressure off. Too much stress from driving too hard can take a toll on your health. I know I don't write as well when I'm stressed out. Rereading your first two books is a great way to get the whole story clear in your mind. It's better to write the stories well than to publish them before they're ready. Good luck with it and hang in there!

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  27. Good luck with your story! I'm drafting the last book of my series now, so I'm focusing on getting the gist of the story down. It can always be revised once I have a better view of the overall story. Hope that approach works for you, but if it doesn't, something will.

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  28. Didn't Stephen King go through similar problems with his Gunslinger series? I've got to admire people like King, Rowling, and Martin and other authors with sprawling series. They must have copious notes to keep everything straight.

    I would love to be stuck in the middle of writing, but realistically, I think marketing and editing is all that's going to happen this summer. I've never looked forward to the first day of school so much in my life.

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  29. Time is a massive issue. No matter how much we have, it's never enough. I actually learned that the less time I have, the better I manage it. I'm sure you will get Book 3 done and it will be awesome.

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  30. Don't forget the support you get from your writing friends... I know pulling away from social media is helpful at times, but don't be gone so long you feel lonely. Best wishes on getting book three finished. <3

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  31. I can understand. My summer is packed with non-writing things and as far as reading, writing, and blogging go, I feel a bit behind, but I try to catch up when I can.

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  32. Re-writes are hard, but at least you can acknowledge that you need to do it. Some writers get stuck into the pattern of thinking everything they write is gold, and end up putting out less than high quality work. The quality will show through in the end, and that beats endless social media dumps any day.

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  33. Pat yourself on the back for getting your books out and published. I don't worry about length when I write the story. I just get it all down. THEN I am ruthless about slashing words, sentences, paragraphs, whole scenes. And to tell the truth, the story is always tighter and much better writing when I re-place words with better choices for description, emotion, and active words. I like your theory the best way to sell books is to write another!! You go, GRRL!

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  34. I remember that same feeling when I started Champion's Destiny and I had to read the first two books, as well.
    I know you can do this Misha! You're a talented writer and a determined writer - all that you need to finish strong. :)

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