Lidy

IWSG Day & Reorientation

Insecure Writers Support Group New Badge

I’m taking a short break from my break to say Happy IWSG Day! As always, the first Wednesday of the month is when we gather to share not only our insecurities. But also our triumphs. Giving encouragement and lending each other support as we continue on our writing journey. And all thanks for this monthly get together is the ninja extraordinaire Alex Cavanaugh.

To find out more about the group and/or maybe even sign-up, click on the badge above.  And don’t forget to check out the co-hosts for July: Yolanda Renee, Tyrean Martinson, Madeline Mora-Summonte , LK Hill, Rachna Chhabria, and JA Scott!

Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

So, what’s going on with me this month?

Well I’ve entered the second half of my blogging break this week. It’s also my week as co-moderator on Unicorn Bell.  I’ve spent May and June, the first half of my break, reading so much I’ve lost count of how many books I’ve read.

But now that New Year’s 2017 looks so much closer now that it’s July, I have some thinking to do. Especially that NaNoWriMo will soon be upon us. I’m taking Harbingers of El Tinor out of hiatus and splitting it into two books. And reorienting myself with the characters.

That’s it for now.

Well back to reading (maybe a little less), more writing and being…

 

on a blogging break

JULY 6TH QUESTION: What’s the best thing someone has ever said about your writing?

Up until recently I would’ve said my college professor. When towards the end of my senior panel after reviewing the writing I’ve done for the past four years. When she leaned over, took my hand, squeezed it and said “you deserve to be published.” Now, the best thing someone has ever said about my writing was from a Goodreads giveaway winner. She’d won an autographed copy of my poetry chapbook Can You Catch My Flow? which she read with her daughter. She said it was beautiful and thought provoking in her review. Other reviews said it was deep (thanks again Stephanie) and enjoyable.

What’s going on with you this month? Are you already prepping or given any thought about what you’ll be writing for NaNoWriMo?

39 comments

  1. I’ve not given any thought to the NANO – but yes it is creeping up isn’t it! Love those wonderful review words. So awesome to get such wonderful feedback. I’ve sent out a lot of books and not heard word one, so disappointing! So it’s awesome that you’ve mentioned Stephanie by name and that her words mean so much to you!
    Congratulations on all that reading. Love when I get the chance to forget numbers! 🙂

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    • The great feedback I’ve received gives me the warm fuzzies so bad that I can not not say thanks. And it amazes me that I’ve been able to get so much reading done. It might be because I’m reading from my phone and on the Kindle app. Though I much prefer an actual book I can hold in my hands, I’m still not complaining.

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    • I only started thinking about NaNo because this year has passed by so fast. And before I know, it’ll be November. I just want to be ready before I wake up next week only to find out it is November.

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    • Yes, I was sincerely touched.
      When was the last time you participated? I’ve done NaNo 3x but I did skip one year to participate in Nina Amir’s National Non Fiction Writing Month

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    • It was and I didn’t expect it. And I can’t think of a better way for a book lover like me to spend the summer. Hope you enjoy your summer as well.

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  8. There’s no way I could do the November NaNo, but I am doing the July camp and I love it. I’m hoping to do the one next spring as well. It’s a great way to focus and work with other people towards goals at the same time.

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    • I did camp NaNoWriMo in April once which was a bad idea. 1) April was National Poetry Month and 2) The charger for my laptop started shooting sparks and wasn’t charging.

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  10. Enjoy your blogging break.
    Wow, I’d love to have a collection of my poems published. I was just reading some of them last night.
    I’m quite diverse in themes. Flora, Fauna, Religious, Romantic, Depressing, Funny, what have you.
    It’s amazing you were able to do so. Many gratz

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    • Thank you Jeffrey. Looks like you already have a collection you can publish yourself. Review them and choose those you feel are your best. Group them by a similar theme or subject, sort them in order of tone, style, etc. Pull out whatever poem(s) that doesn’t flow/gel to the whole of the collection. Your collection will increase or decrease. Then think about what the title of the collection should be. Last, do your research on the presses you want to submit it to or platforms you want to self-publish it through. I did both. Sent my collection to presses and even though I did get a publishing contract, I decided to self-publish instead. Good luck! 😀

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  11. It’s always so nice to get positive comments.

    I’m more of a visual artist than a writer. I teach graphic design and illustration in college. Lately I’ve been trying to illustrate, and paint more things. It’s going pretty well. I get distracted with kids at times though.

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    • It is. Positive comments to the writer is the yellow rays of the sun is to Superman. It’s great that you both teach and try your hand at design and illustration. I can’t draw for nothing. My kids draw better than me yet they keep coming to me to draw something for them, smh. Bless their little distracting hearts.

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    • Thank you Diane. I wasn’t sure what the response will be for my chapbook. But the reviews that I got certainly touched me as much as the reviewers were touched. 😀

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    • Hope you enjoyed your vacation. And thanks again Stephanie. It’s not easy staying away from reviews. It’s the flame to our moth. But it’s better to focus more on the good and not too much on the bad. To the point that you contact those bad reviewers.

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  14. It must have felt great, hearing that about your writing. NaNoWriMo isn’t even on my radar this year because every time I think I’m going to participate, I realize that the story isn’t ready. That’s okay, though. I’ve finally accepted the fact that my stories just take a bit longer to simmer. I hope you’re enjoying your break:)

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    • Same thing happens to me when it’s NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month). When I think I’m going to participate, I’m either not ready for it as I thought. Or too busy with my other poetry celebration projects to do so. Happy simmering and writing to us both! ;-D

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  18. I love those compliments on your writing. Super awesome.

    Hey, can I join you reading? (I really can’t, but I’d love to.)

    Nano… I find that writing that fast kills the natural process for me. My characters need time to evolve and really tell me their story. Otherwise I end up with goulash and have to rewrite everything fifteen times to get a decent draft…and that’s just discouraging. I could Nano a novella, methinks.

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  19. Congrats on the great feedback that you’re getting on Goodreads, Lidy!
    I love that you mentioned preparing for NaNoWriMo. I did it in 2014 and started prepping in July. I want to do it again and it does mean thinking of how to get some prep time in before the writing happens. Yes, the year feels like it is flying by pretty fast now.

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    • Thanks Michele. Right now I’m in the middle of the Wattys on Wattpad. So focusing on my romance WIP. Afterwards I’m going back to one of the two YA fantasy WIPs before I start prepping. If you do decide to do it this year, let me know and we can be buddies.

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