#IWSG: What Stresses or Delights You?

 

It's hard to believe, but it's December and the last Insecure Writer's Support Group posting of the year. No worries, though. We will be back in January and if you'd like to join us, GO HERE to sign up. 

Thank you Alex J. Cavanaugh for hosting this event every month, and thanks to this month's co-hosts who make it all possible: PJ Colando, Diane Burton, Louise – Fundy Blue, Natalie Aguirre, and Jacqui Murray!

If you're struggling with what to post, here is this month's optional question:

In your writing, what stresses you the most? 

What delights you?

The lack of confidence in my current WiP stresses me out. Part of me wants to skip this book, which is the 2nd draft of book 2 of the series. It needs a lot of work, such as fleshing out the characters to make them feel more real, and establishing a firmer sense of setting... but I've lost interest in it. And that's a huge amount of work to put into something I've lost interest in. 

*sigh*

Instead, I want to start a new series (already outlined) from the beginning and add the details as I go along, those details that I know are missing from my current WiP as noted above. I think (hope?!) that the details will keep me grounded in my own story, unlike in my current WiP. "They" say to get the words down fast and go from there, but I'm wondering if that's not the best way to write for me. 

But, I have to finish my current WiP...DON'T I😵???

What would you do?

Do you write fast, then flesh out? 

Or write slow, and include all the details? 

What stresses you out?

What delights you?

IWSG: Pet Peeves and Procrastination

It's hard to believe we're more than halfway through this year's Insecure Writer's Support Group posts. If you want to join, go HERE. Thank you to Alex Cavanaugh, and this month's co-hosts, Christine Rains, Dolarah @ Book Lover, Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, Yvonne Ventresca, and LG Keltner!

This month's optional question is: What are your pet peeves when reading/writing/editing?

I really don't have writing/editing pet peeves--unless it's frustration with the stupid mistakes I make. I guess that's to be expected though. It comes with the territory and is part of the process and I'm still figuring it all out. Because apparently just because I've written a few books doesn't mean I'm past all that.

But when I'm reading a book for pleasure (i.e., not editing or proofreading for someone else), I do get irritated with typos and misspellings. In fact, I will stop reading a book if I come across more than one or two in the first couple of chapters. To me, it means the book isn't ready to be read yet.

This month's insecurity is:

I'm nearly done (only about 4 chapters to go!) with the first draft of my current WiP and I've sort of lost my way. After letting it sit for three months (or should I call it procrastinating?), I'm having difficulty finding my way back. I do enjoy looking at the word meter up in the right hand corner of the blog to see how far I've come with it, though.

I know it needs some major editing and rewriting, and I guess right now the task seems daunting. Could that be what's holding me back from finishing the last few chapters?

What is your reading/writing/editing pet peeve?

Any other insecurities this month?