Wednesday, March 1, 2017

IWSG: (Re)Working It


This first Wednesday of the month is The Insecure Writer's Support Group day, the day when writer's post about their insecurities--we all have them--and offer support, advice and share experiences of this writing life we have taken on.

Thank you to Alex Cavanaugh and his co-hosts this month,  Tamara Narayan, Patsy Collins, M.J. Fifield, and Nicohle Christopherson, for all their hard work in bringing this endeavor together.

This month's question is: Have you ever pulled out a really old story and reworked it? Did it work out?

The short answer is: No.

What I am in the process of doing, however, is taking a Young Adult series that never made it for various reasons, mostly inexperience, to Adult. So in a way, it's a bit of reworking in the sense that it's the same characters, different stories.

I've branched out and tried my hand at writing different things over the last couple of years. I was going to write more grown up stuff, and not be so "vanilla", if that's the right term. But either I'm not ready or it's just not me. I enjoy writing cozy mysteries and I don't want bad things to happen to my characters and I want there to always be a happy ending. It's quite the quandary, and quite the balance, to introduce conflict and maintain tension.

But--I enjoyed writing my YA series and now I'm enjoying writing these characters as Adults. I hope I've grown enough as a writer to pull it off. In any case, I'm working it--to the extent that I've had a new header made based on the series.

So...check out my new blog header! It's based on the world I created. My series takes place in Sabrina Shores, England, a modern day medieval village that's incredibly haunted. The ghostly residents seem to want to stay, so of course it creates lots of havoc for Indigo Eady (pictured in the forefront), ghost whisperer, and my main character.

Here's a shout out to Corona Zschusschen, my illustrator, on creating it for me! It's such a visual motivator, bringing to life the village and characters that I pour my heart into through my writing.

What about you?

Have you ever taken your characters from one age group to another? Did it work out?

Do you use visual motivators?

35 comments:

  1. At least you have simething on the cooker if you ever need an idea :)

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  2. I like the new header!
    I know the same feeling of not wanting to be vanilla.

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    1. Yeah, I don't know what it is, Alex. I haven't experienced a vanilla life, quite the opposite. That's probably why. LOL.

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  3. Love your new header. And awesome that you are reworking an idea into an adult novel. Good luck!

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  4. I'm currently reworking an MG novel into YA, and I feel you there. It's fun and challenging taking it to a different audience. The only concern I'd have is in theme, because it's typically so different between age groups.

    YES! Visuals are vital, eh? I usually put the most important ones on my desktop...for at least one of the two screens.

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    1. MG into YA would be difficult, Crystal. You really have to make them grow up--it's a definitely a dilemma. LOL. Good luck!

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    2. It's not so much making them grow up as turning the themes. An older audience typically thrives on a different set of internal conflicts, so that's where the challenge is, but I've totally got this. Cake and cheese. Or cheesecake.

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  5. LOVE that new header! It is definitely inspiring. :)

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  6. Perfect header. I've never written anything but adult so I'm in awe of writers who can move character from one level to another.

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    1. The header is definitely motivational, and helps with the world building, including the characters growing into adulthood.

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  7. Very cute header! It's a little slow in loading though, at least on my computer.

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    1. Thanks, Maria, Corona is a very talented illustrator. I haven't experienced any slow loads yet, it comes right up for me. I did notice my word count meter loses color after the page has been open a while. Huh. Weird.

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  8. I haven't changed the age of any characters yet. There is one I've been considering aging up, but I haven't gotten around to it. Nice header, even thought it has snow in it. ;)

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    1. Haha, I love snow! But I can see how people can get tired of it.

      As for aging up, I originally had my characters at middle grade, then ending up writing them as young adult. Now they're adults!

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  9. I've not adjusted the age although my series started as YA until NA came into being. (Which is where they actually belong.)

    I love your new header. It's very friendly and inviting.

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    1. So true, Diane. Young Adult is the new New Adult.

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  10. I'm a very visual person, so yes! I originally started out writing a kids chapter book, but it wasn't speaking to me. I started writing a YA (but didn't know it at the time), and things really flowed.

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    1. I'm very visual too. This makes me so happy. LOL.

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  11. I'm a very visual person, so yes! I originally started out writing a kids chapter book, but it wasn't speaking to me. I started writing a YA (but didn't know it at the time), and things really flowed.

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    1. I'm very visual too. This makes me so happy. LOL.

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  12. Your header is awesome. Yes I often cast my characters and insert into doc as I write. Blog looks great.
    Happy IWSG Belated Day!
    Juneta @ Writer's Gambit

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    1. Thank you, Juneta. I love these characters so it helps.

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  13. I love the new header! And it is re-working a story in a way to take the characters from YA to adult. You do well with cozy mysteries. :)

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  14. Your new header is amazing! Corona did such a phenomenal job on it. No wonder it helps inspire you. Best of luck with this series!

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  15. I really like your header! Good luck on your writing.

    www.ficklemillennial.com

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  16. Love that header, Gwen! Just beautiful! I have a novel in the works ~ on the back burner until I finish my memoir ~ and the characters age over several decades. I'm very visual, but ironically I use music as a motivator. Happy writing in April!

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    Once the app has installed, launch it on both devices. On the Android device, tap Create Group.

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