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| INSECURE WRITERS SUPPORT |
So, today is my first day joining the insecure writers support group, hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh. If you haven't visited his blog, please check it out, he's amazing! If you'd like to know more about IWSP, please click the link under the pic.
Anyway, apparently this is the place I come to express any fears or doubts. Strange, because it's been a very high and low month, so I should have some doubts. Lets see...I made it through to the finals round on GUTGAA Agent Pitch. Three agents voted me though and I was super excited, but then I didn't get a single vote/request from my pitch. Very disappointing.
Then, EVERYONE who follows my blog knows I've been in the Kiss/Kiss Off contest for about a month or so. It ends today. The last I looked at the poll, I was in second place, but I'm being beaten by over one-hundred votes. Ouch. Painful! But hey--congratulations to the girl who won, right? :) She had a good story.
I also sent out three queries (I decided I needed to revise before sending out more) and got three form rejections.
And, sadly--get ready to get your tissues out--my poor pony from PonyFest12 is getting NO votes. Sniff. This was definitely the most heartbreaking thing that has happened to me recently. Please click HERE and vote if you like her. :)
BUT, in the meantime, I was lucky enough to win a fifty-page critique from RuthAnne at And Then She was Like blah blah blah. She pointed out some stuff that was really lacking in my manuscript and now I know exactly how to fix it. I was thinking for awhile that I was just being too chicken to really query (sending out three doesn't count too much haha) but I think, in my heart, I knew the book wasn't completely done. So, it's revision time again, but that's okay by me because I want my book to be the best it can be. At the same time, I met Stacy Stokes (Thinking to Inking) through Write On and she ended up being an awesome beta reader. She wrote an amazing book so it was no problem at all to beta for her!
Also, most of you already know that this month my critique partner, Karen Denise at I Am Always Write, also got signed by Sheldon Fogleman Literary agency, so that was AWESOME news!!
I also met some really amazing people this month through my blog, so that's been awesome. Right now, I'm participating in two contests, the Small Press Pitch (I have two votes, fingers crossed that I get another). Deana Barnhart is amazing!! I can't believe how much work she put into GUTGAA!! I'm so grateful I found her blog. :)
I'm also a finalist in the Ghostly Blog hop for my short story, Beyond. Voting is closed, but it you want to check it out it's HERE.
So, all in all, it's been a lot of ups and downs this month--but I'm cool with that. I am not currently feeling insecure. I said to my husband the other day that I've decided the more rejections I get and the harder I have to work, the cooler my story will be when I finally succeed. And that's my new motto.
Thanks for checking out my post. Before I go I also have been wanting to participate in WWW Wednesdays. To play you just have to answer three questions:
How about you guys? How is your month as a writer going? What are you reading this Wed?
Welcome to the group. You weren't wrong when you said you'd had ups and downs, hopefully there will be even more ups this month!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Annalisa! Yeah, ups are always nice. :)
DeleteDon't lose hope. I've found that in life, if you get nos, just keep trying, keep asking and eventually you'll get a yes. Children seem to know this when they whine and nag until they get their way, but somehow (through our parents being annoyed by us, I'm sure) adults learn not to do that. So keep at it! Besides, I've read your ghost story and your kiss story and they were good!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sus!
DeleteAlways nice to hear. Getting far in these contests (even if I don't win) has actually given me a lot more confidence. I have no plans on giving up! :)
Welcome to the ISWG. Writing is such a roller coaster ride. Sometimes the highs and lows come in the same hour, depending on the e-mail. :))
ReplyDeleteI hear ya! I figure you have to deal with the lows if you want the high's though, right? thanks for coming by! :)
DeleteGreat that you got a critique that could help you so much.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that was really awesome. It was the first time I ever won anything like that so I was really excited. haha. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteThanks, Karen! And, believe me, I have no plans to stop. :)
ReplyDeleteWelcome to IWSG! It sounds like you've had an exciting month. I know what it's like to get back a critique and say . . .oh, back to the drawing board again. However, it's also exciting, because it's time to begin again! September is a time of new stuff in my household and I struggled to fit writing into our new routines. It seemed like I got thrown off again and again, but now I'm determined to get back in the groove.
ReplyDeleteI feel a little thrown off whenever I'm not steadily working (which I'm not right now) I'm kind of letting my revisions settle into my head before trying to get them down on paper. And I'm getting ready to leave town for a week which will totally throw me off. But, I just remind myself that I need to have a life outside of writing and I'm allowed to put it down for a week. haha Good luck and thanks for stopping by!
DeleteIf you go read my entry, we can share in our *sniff sniffs* and offer (((hugs)))
ReplyDeleteThe week isn't over yet, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed you will grab at least one more vote!
My fingers are crossed for you too! I actually left you a comment yesterday, or at least I think I did. Are you number thirty on Tara Tyler's blog? Let me know. And hugs to you too. I read your blog--I hope you feel better!!
DeleteDon't give up! We all have or are going through the same thing. Being a writer is not an easy business even though non-writers think you can write a book and click your heels and voila it's published. Obviously, that is not the case. It's good to submit your work to contests because it really helps you grow and learn. Good luck ! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! No, it's not easy. And yes, people always seem surprised when I start talking about what steps you have to go through to get a book published. They make it look so Easy on TV. haha. Good luck to you too and thanks for stopping by!
DeleteYour new motto is a great one. With all your dedicated writing, you will continue to perfect your craft. As for WWW Wednesday, I just read Faith by Jennifer Haigh. I'm about to read I See You Everywhere, by Julia Glass, and next I would like to read the Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D. by Nichole Bernier. Thanks for your kind comment on Middle Passages!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Again, it was just really nice to meet someone in the same situation as me. :) I haven't read any of those books. haha. Are any of them YA? Let me know if any of them are good!
DeleteI am exhausted just reading your post! You were right - highs and lows. I did vote for the Kiss Off contest. Will go vote for your pony now.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for joining the IWSG!!
Got another High! :) I JUST found out I made it through to the finalist round in the small press pitch. YAY!!! Hopefully this time it goes somewhere. Thanks for voting in the Kiss Off. It seems as if someone was cheating, so the winner wasn't announced today cause it has to be sorted out. But we find out Friday, so that's good. And thank you for voting for my pony!! haha. I appreciate it. And you're very welcome for joining, IWSG, it's an awesome group!
DeleteGreat to meet you Tamara! Thanks for stopping by and commenting on my blog. You've got a nice spot here and I'm happy to follow back. (: And congrats on your 50 page critique, they can be so helpful. Also, good for you for submitting your work for contests, that takes courage but it's a great learning experience and you're on the right track!
ReplyDelete"...the more rejections I get and the harder I have to work,
the cooler my story will be when I finally succeed..." <--Love your motto!
Nice to meet you too! It is a nice spot, isn't it? Haha. It's been up just under a month, so I'm really enjoying it. I've met SO many cool people. And I just got through to the finals in the small pitch press!!! I'm excited, even though last time it didn't go anywhere. Fingers crossed for this time! Thanks for coming over. :)
DeleteGreat bumping into you, Tamara. I relate with the ups and downs. I'll go see if I can add to your votes. Glad you joined IWSG and I look forward to getting to know you better.
ReplyDeleteThanks M Pax! My pony is feeling much happier. haha. Yeah, it's a crazy roller coaster field we all decided to choose. Do you ever wonder if that makes US crazy? haha
DeleteIm excited to hear your feedback on Waalflower. I loved it! And welcome to the support group.
ReplyDeleteCool. I can't believe I'm not done reading it yet, but it's been a crazy busy week. Nice to meet you.
DeleteWelcome to the IWSG honey, just stopping by to say hi :)
ReplyDeleteWow, it really has been an up and down month for you, but you sound very positive :)
Just keep going, never give up, you'll get there!
xx
Sounds like you've been super-busy! You seem to be managing the ups-and-downs... taking it in your stride. That's a great attitude!! Love your positivity!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the IWSG!
ReplyDeleteI voted for your pony. :) You and your daughter did an amazing job!
We vote by saying so on your pony post, correct? Or is there another way to vote?
DeleteYup! Thanks so much. Me and my daughter are very happy at how many votes our pony got. :)
DeleteWow - your month was so busy it leaves me breathless. Keep up that fantastic determination and don't let the rejections get you down. :-)
ReplyDeleteYeah, it was busy. But all of a sudden my luck seems to have taken a turn. I won the kiss/kiss off contest I was in, which gets me a twenty page agent critique. And I made it through to the editor round on the small pitch press. And I made it to the top six finalists with my story in the ghostly blog hop. So I'm feeling pretty happy right now! :)
DeleteWow! That is a lot going on for you.
ReplyDeleteStill sounds like you are doing all the right things! Stick with it! You never know where it might take you.
Heather
That's the plan!! :)
DeleteThe Shining is so good! I hope you like it!
ReplyDeleteThat is definitely some ups and downs. Good luck in anything still going on. I hope you win one of them!
Shannon at The Warrior Muse
I'm sure I'll love The Shining, cause I'm a HUGE Stephen King fan, it's crazy that I've never read it. And I did win one--the kiss/kiss off. Turns out I wasn't beaten after all!
DeleteSo, I'm pretty happy about that. Thanks for stopping by. :)
now thats determination & perseverence! keep at it! sounds like you know what you're doing by submitting, revising & submitting some more! great job!
ReplyDeleteNaaah, I have no idea what I'm doing--this is just me imitating someone who ACTUALLY knows what they're doing. haha
DeleteHappy IWSG. I'm #192 and already I'm exhausted after what you've been putting yourself through. Bravo for forging ahead. Not too many writers would be so bold. Your perseverance will pay off, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteThanks Joylene,
DeleteIt did pay off a bit this week! I won the kiss/kiss off contest that I thought I'd lost. Turns out someone was cheating, so they had to turn the whole thing over to an unbiased judge. I was chosen as the winner. And I got through to the finalists in the small pitch press, so I'm hoping something pans out with that!! Thanks for stopping by. :)
A month of highs and lows for me too. I swear it must be in the air. Welcome to IWSG!! It's a wonderful community, and I'm positive you'll love it. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Candilynn,
DeleteI hope things get steadily better for you! :)