Happy IWSG Day!
March IWSG, plus a general update
March 2, 2022
Purpose of IWSG: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting!
You ready?
Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
The awesome co-hosts for the March 2 posting of the IWSG are Janet Alcorn, Pat Garcia, Natalie Aguirre, and Shannon Lawrence!
Have you ever been conflicted about writing a story or adding a scene to a story? How did you decide to write it or not?
Oh my gosh, yes. Every single book has at last one scene (usually multiple) that I'm conflicted about. Sometimes, there are bigger story issues that are difficult. Should I allow One More Soldier to way the end it wanted to? Should I really do that thing I didn't want to do, halfway through Trailer Trash? In some cases (specifically Release and Spare the Rod), I wasn't sure I should write the book at all. In fact, in the book I'm currently writing (which I'll talk about below), I just had to decide whether the backstory I came up with was too dark for the book, even though it perfectly explains everything about my protagonist.
So, how do I decide? In most cases, I err on the side of writing it. It can always be revised or deleted later, but I won't know how well it might (or might not) work until I've actually explored it. Plus, if the scene (or book) feels risky, then it probably means it's unexpected, and unexpected is often good. So generally, I think the best policy is to GO FOR IT. Just because you write it doesn't mean it's set in stone. 😁
General Update
The rights to Winter Oranges recently reverted to me, and Trailer Trash will revert to me in the next month. I'll be republishing them both, with no significant changes to the text. Trailer Trash will have the same cover (because that's one I contracted myself before agreeing to sign the book with Riptide). As for Winter Oranges, I have a brand new cover, and I am so excited about it. This is not an easy book to make a cover for, and I like how this one shows the two worlds (or eras) meeting. Winter Oranges will be re-released in July.
I have also finally started writing the follow-up story about Dylan. I'm a little over halfway through, and I've had to accept that these two books couldn't quite be the same tone. Ben, after all, was very sweet and innocent. And Dylan? Well, he can be sweet, but he is far from innocent. His story is going to be a little bit darker than Winter Oranges, but hopefully people will enjoy it nonetheless. I think it will be called Winter Fantasy, but I could still change my mind about that. I'll have that available for preorder in July, and it will be released in either November or December. Exact details TBD.
I'll also have a Christmas novella titled Stolen Christmas, which will be released in November or December. I think people will be very excited about this one, but I can't really say much more at this time.
Heretic Doms Club Box Set
Also, for a limited time, you can get the entire Heretic Doms Club series for the low price of $9.79. This will only be available through the month of March, so don't miss it! Find it HERE.
That's all I have for you this month! Have a great March!