I Am Not God

First off, I apologize for being late again. I really do like contributing to the group here. The truth is, I tend to run out of time. Where has all my time gone lately? I'm continuing on my studies of a foreign language. A not so well known language from Myanmar (Burma). Additionally, I have finally decided it is time to lose weight. This means I've been walking a lot of 5K's after work. No, not every day, but currently 2 to 3 times a week. Then there is the house work and my regular job. So what am I trying to say? My writing, at times, gets pushed to the back burner. So then why do I continue to write?

Well, that brings me to the question of the month. Which is:
November Question – What is your favourite aspect of being a writer?

Even before I began writing, I was enamoured with writers. I was impressed with what they were able to produce. Contriving a story from something in their head only. In middle school, I had an English class where we were required to keep a weekly journal. Everyone complained, because we were given a situation, and expected to write about it. But to my surprise, it came easy to me. I was suddenly filling my weekly journal with stories. Eventually, I began to work on 'extra credit' writing because I enjoyed it so much.

But it wasn't so much that it came easy to me, I was having fun creating worlds that other people were reading about. The teacher (certainly corrected me a lot), but told me she loved the stories. When we had to pass around our journals for others to read, everyone else seemed to enjoy what I wrote also. I was doing something I was good at. I was doing something others enjoyed. But most important, I was doing something I had complete control over. I am essentially god of the worlds I created. No I don't have a power trip, but it is nice to know I can create whatever I want.

I have done a lot of fan-fiction. Mostly for Doctor Who, and mostly for other Sci.Fi.'s, but the point is. If there is a story I wish the show had produced, I simply decide to write it myself. Whether it's well received or not, is not my biggest thrill. It's that I am able to do it at all. I may not be god, but I do have complete control of the worlds I create.


Goals and such:
New Goal:
Work on being more punctual with my writing. I may not have actual deadlines, but I should work on keeping myself in line.


Old Goals:
Full year of posting:
I went AWOL for a couple of months back, and get deleted from the list for doing so. I aim to not let that happen again.
Writing Schedule:
Winter is the time of the year I seem to have more time for writing. I shall continue to work on a new writing schedule.



My Encouragement:
"Would I rather be feared or loved? Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me".
- Michael Scott


Questions to Ponder:
How much do you love the creating process of writing?

Have any of your characters disobeyed your wishes when you tried to direct them one way? But the character simply goes in another direction?


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The Insecure Writer's Support Group posts the first Wednesday of every month. Please follow along as my fellow writers and I relate why we feel insecure, or read as we help encourage others suffering from insecurity.

Are you an insecure writer? Why not join the group? Find out more information via the group HERE.

The site is founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh - Thanks for all the support!

I'm done!

Please don't let the blog title fool you. I know it might do so because for the past few months, my blog has been fairly vacant. I've taken a self-imposed hiatus for various reasons. But I'm back. And I apologize for missing the past two IWSG posts. I was suffering depression and I simply could not bring myself to get online. Yes, that might seem odd, I was so depressed I couldn't even get online to drop a quick note. Well, I eventually did. So what do I mean by my blog heading?

Well, that brings me to the question of the month. Which is:

When do you know when you're story is ready?

This really is a challenging question for me because I continually rewrite and look for improvements in all my stories. Even when I'm done, I usually will go back and rewrite. I've been writing a series for so long, I have finally decided I have it where I want it. How did I decide this? I came to the conclusion that I will NEVER be happy 100% with my writing. I wonder if this is just me, or a typical writer experience. So I had to finally 'call it'. Finish a final edit and let it be. If I don't/didn't tell myself to finally stop, I'd still be working on it and I can't do that. I have to stop looking back, I have to move forward. And that's what I'm going to do. As I mentioned above, a lot of my depression stemmed from things in the past. But I have to stop looking to the past. No more. I need to move forward. In my writing and everything else. Continuing to rewrite and be depressed? I'm done!


Goals and such:


New Goal:
Make it a full year, posting to IWSG, without going AWOL again.

Old Goals:
Test readers:
In the next few months, I'm going to be looking for someone to exchange a YA manuscript with, to test read. I have a few sites others have suggested for me to check out. I shall be doing so.
Find Writing Schedule:
Still looking to time my non-negotial time. Summer is a bad time for me. So much going on. Can I still find the time?



My Encouragement:
"In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity".
- Albert Einstein


Questions to Ponder:
Outside of school, what was the first thing you wrote that others enjoyed?
 
Have you ever written something, put it away for a long period of time, then returned to rewrite it years later?


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The Insecure Writer's Support Group posts the first Wednesday of every month. Please follow along as my fellow writers and I relate why we feel insecure, or read as we help encourage others suffering from insecurity.

Are you an insecure writer? Why not join the group? Find out more information via the group HERE.

The site is founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh - Thanks for all the support!
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I.W.S.G. (11) - This Is Amazing

I'm pleased to announce I'll be co-hosting the IWSG this month along with: Yolanda Renee, Tyrean Martinson, Madeline Mora-Summonte , LK Hill & Rachna Chhabria. 

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For a writer, every kind word about our writing, even a simple one, can be a big deal. When I write, am I looking for the phrase, "This is the best thing I have ever written!"? No, not really. Because that would be very unrealistic, and for a writer, we have to be realistic. Would I love it if someone said that to me? Of course, but I don't expect it.

Well, that brings me to the question of the month. Something new we are doing here in the IWSG. Asking a question and seeing how we all answer it. So on to this months question.

What's the best thing someone has ever said about your writing?

Outside of my blogging, I really have not received a comment about my writing in a long time. As some of you are aware, I've been trying to rewrite a series I started almost thirty years ago. In fact, I finished another chapter for episode three this weekend. I know I must have received a well word abut it, because I had several people who loved reading it. I guess the best thing someone has said about my writing is, "When is the next one finished"? Yes, thirty years ago I had a loyal readership. There were several people who read it, but two people were really into it and read each of my then finished episodes, seven in total. Several times before I was finished they would ask when the next one was finished. That made me feel more like a writer than I have ever felt. Just knowing someone wanted to continue reading something I had written was a big motivation. It gave me the courage and confidence to keep writing. Without people like Virginia and Joel, I'm not sure I would still be writing today.


Goals and such:

Old Goals:
Test readers:
Last month a few expressed an interest in being a test reader for me. I'm kind of new to this so I'm going to suggest those interested to let me know via email so I can send a copy of what I've writte.
My email is a gmail account, jeffreysg. If anyone has other suggestions, please let me know.

Find Writing Schedule:
Still looking to time my non-negotial time. Summer is a bad time for me. So much going on. Can I still find the time?


New Goal:
Make it through my IWSG duties to the best of my ability.


My Encouragement:
Only YOU can give your story that special touch. Oh sure, if you give a room full of monkeys a typewriter and enough time, they could re-produce the works of Dickens' - A Tale of Two Cities. But most likely it would read like, "It was the bast of times, it was the blurst of times."


Questions to Ponder:
Outside of school, what was the first thing you wrote that others enjoyed?
 
Have you ever written something, put it away for a long period of time, then returned to rewrite it years later?


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The Insecure Writer's Support Group posts the first Wednesday of every month. Please follow along as my fellow writers and I relate why we feel insecure, or read as we help encourage others suffering from insecurity.

Are you an insecure writer? Why not join the group? Find out more information via the group HERE.

The site is founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh - Thanks for all the support!
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I.W.S.G. (10) - Making Time

I took the rest of May off from blogging with one goal in mind. Get more writing done! Can anyone guess how much writing I actually got done? Class, anyone? Anyone? Hardly any at all.

Why is it, I take a month off, and I still can't get any writing done? It's not like I don't want to write, I do. I'm just starting to think blogging is not the problem I have in writing. Neither is having a writer's block. I have the story I'm working on already mapped out. So why is it so hard to find time? Well, I'm not so sure that's the right question. I'm starting to think it's not making the time and sticking to the time I've mapped out. I have a hard time when a friend invites me over, or suggests we do something to tell them I've already got plan. If I tell my friends the reason is because I'm writing, I worry they will not understand I'm ditching them to do something personal. And not just something personal, but something (they think) I can just schedule any time. For the most part, I can't schedule any time. Most week nights are so full of things I need to do, I don't have much time to write. Weekends are better, but that's generally when I'm called upon to go out and do something. I need to get a better handle on this.


Goals and such:

Old Goals:
Find test readers for my story.
So far I have one person expressing interest in my YA story. The next step is now to actually follow through. If anyone else is willing to be a test writer for a YA story, let me know how I can get a hold of you to do so. I will do all I can to return the favour.
Go Blogger-lite:
I failed in this. Well, I didn't fail, but the reason for wanting to go blogger lite (get more writing done) was a failure.


New Goal:
Find a new writing schedule:
I need to find a non-negotiable time, earmarked for writing only.


My Encouragement:
The question isn't "what are we going to do," the question is "what aren't we going to do?"  - Ferris Bueller


Questions to ponder:
Am I doing myself a disservice by not sticking to personal plans?

Have you ever scheduled time to write only to do something else because someone 'requested' you to do something 'fun'?

How do you handle those situations?

I have some family/friends who don't realize how important writing is to me and act as if I'm wasting my time. How can I show them I'm serious?  
Signed, Willing Writer 
(For fun, give your best Dear Abby response)


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The Insecure Writer's Support Group posts the first Wednesday of every month. Please follow along as my fellow writers and I relate why we feel insecure, or read as we help encourage others suffering from insecurity.

Are you an insecure writer? Why not join the group? Find out more information via the group HERE.

The site is founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh - Thanks for all the support!

I.W.S.G. (9) - Back to the Writing

I'm frazzled. It was a hectic April. There was so much going on because of the A to Z challenge, there was absolutely no way I was going to get any writing done. But I planned on that. In fact, I declared this month I was going to go blogger lite. Which means, I should probably post less this month, and write more. But I'm starting to feel burnt out. So much so, I even forgot today was IWSG day. So I apologize for my late posting.

So this month, I aim to blog less, and work more on my writing. This week was still pencilled in for catching up, but starting next week, I want to make a goal of writing something every day. I've heard different different suggestions. Write one paragraph a day, write for thirty minutes a day, write for an hour, finish one chapter. I'm considering all of these. Considering what I want to work on is rewriting an older manuscript I wrote in the late 80's and updating it, most of the work has been done. In fact, so have the next four or five stories. So that's where I am. I have a 'somewhat' plan and I need to figure out what my exact strategy will be. By the end of the month, I would LOVE to finally have this third episode complete and ready for editing.

PS - To all of you who participated in the AtoZ challenge, I hope it went well for you. (I will be doing a reflection post next week)



Goals and such:

Old Goals:
Find test readers for my story.
Something I have put off till third episode is complete.


New Goal:
Go blogger lite
This is going to be a challenge for me because I love blogging so much. And I love to visit my blogger buddies. But I may end up feeling bad I'm neglecting others, even though my ambition is something I really need to work on.


My Encouragement:
Be positive about what you can do.  
"If you want to play the Minuet in G, think the Minuet in G." - Harold Hill


Questions to ponder:
Were you engaged in the A to Z challenge?
If not, did you get some writing done? What did you work on?
If you did do AtoZ, how did you do?
What was your theme? My theme was classic TV theme songs and vintage commercials. You can find the 'A' posting HERE to give you a sample of what I offered all month.
How would you advise for someone to go blogger-lite?


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The Insecure Writer's Support Group posts the first Wednesday of every month. Please follow along as my fellow writers and I relate why we feel insecure, or read as we help encourage others suffering from insecurity.

Are you an insecure writer? Why not join the group? Find out more information via the group HERE.

The site is founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh - Thanks for all the support!

I.W.S.G. (8) - Thank You To All Who Encourage Me

Short and sweet this month because of all the activity going on in the A to Z challenge hundreds of bloggers are participating in this month.

I want to take the time to give a big, BIG thank you to all those who have come to support and encourage me. It means a lot to me. I finally came to the decision yesterday to stop posting blog updates to my facebook page. There really isn't any interest from my friends and family except an occasion 'like'. But my fellow bloggers are truly supportive and I great appreciate that. I appreciate each and every one of you! You are the best! Have a great April!


My Goals:

Old Goals:
1.) Find test readers for my story.
I have one niece who was looking to make some money so I offered to give her some funds in exchange for reading and making some notes on my YA short story. It's targeted for her age. I have another niece I may do the same thing for. I also plan on finding a site where true authors exchange stories and beta read for each other. But that'll be after next month.

2.) Prep a few entries for the A to Z challenge I'm engaged in this month.
I'm happy to report I finished all 26 days of the challenge and have them prepped and ready to go. Now comes the task of visiting others and giving support and encouragement to them in this challenge.


New Goal:
May I aim to go blogger lite and concentrate on finishing the third story in my Writers Block series. I want to have it all done, or mostly all done by the end of May.


My Encouragement:
Don't worry, be happy. (Sorry if I get that song stuck in your head now. Forget, and just be happy.)

Questions to ponder:
Are you engaged in the A to Z challenge?
Do you receive any support from friends or family?
Has there ever been a song that has stuck in your head all day?



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The Insecure Writer's Support Group posts the first Wednesday of every month. Please follow along as my fellow writers and I relate why we feel insecure, or read as we help encourage others suffering from insecurity.

Are you an insecure writer? Why not join the group? Find out more information via the group HERE.

The site is founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh - Thanks for all the support!

I.W.S.G. (7) - Sick of Failed Goals

Last entry, I decided it would be a good idea to stop dragging my feet and move forward with my writing goals. Per a few suggestions, one of the things I did accomplish was to take down sample chapters I earlier posted online. I think I need to have something complete before I start asking people to peruse it. Additionally, keeping the entire story posted online may work against me in the long run. Once I've complete the first four stories in the series, I think I shall then start looking for test readers. A few suggestions would be nice.

I also ran into another wall. I was sick, which didn't help. As such, I was unmotivated to work on the goals I set out. As a few of my regular blog readers are already familiar with, I'm still feeling under the weather. This means I'm still dragging my feet to get the goals from last month accomplished. Am I biting off more than I can chew? Are my goals too large? Am I doing far too much blogging and not enough story writing? I guess I shall be exploring that this month.


My Goals:

Old Goals:
1.) Finish the next chapter in my 'Writer's Block' series.
(I failed to do this, this month. I will try again this month.)

2.) Remove the sample chapters of my story from my blog.
(This was one goal I accomplished. I hope this will encourage me to move forward with the goal above.)

3.) Start compiling a list of what I need to be working on and questions I should be researching in regards to my writing and what to do with it.
(Perhaps I shall put this goal on the back-burner till I get nearer completion of the four story YA series I'm writing.)

New Goal:
April is going to be a blogging explosion here. My goal this month, is to get a few posts prepped and ready to post before April 1st.


My Encouragement:
If you think you are a writer, you are a writer. So write something grand!


Questions to ponder:
How do you deal with a failed goal?
Do you think it's better to set difficult goals? Or simple baby-step goals?
Should an unfulfilled goal with a time limit be scraped, amended, or extended?

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The Insecure Writer's Support Group posts the first Wednesday of every month. Please follow along as my fellow writers and I relate why we feel insecure, or read as we help encourage others suffering from insecurity.

Are you an insecure writer? Why not join the group? Find out more information via the group HERE.

The site is founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh - Thanks for all the support!

I.W.S.G. (6) - Lost in Writing

Last entry, I promised I would complete editing one more chapter in my 'Writer's Block' series. It's a YA series and so the chapters are not extremely long. Truly, a manageable task. So I'm happy to report I accomplished that goal! I even got a few more ideas about the direction I want the series to take. But! I hit a road block as well.

It was nice to accomplish one task, but I realized I have many more goals which need fulfilling. It's like the series, 'Lost'. To any who followed that show as much as I did, each episode delighted and angered you. They promised to answer a question we had about the cast-aways, but in answering the question, a few more popped up. But that was smart for them to do. For me, it's what kept the series interesting. However, in the writing process, it can be annoying, frustrating and maddening. I solve one rewrite problem, only for two more to arise. It's a never ending battle.

And that is just the story itself, never mind the additional tasks I need to start trying to solve. When the story is finished, what do I do with it? Is it a good idea to publish myself on-line (I mean to my blog)? Should I find test readers? These and many others goals I need to work on.

Yes, I know I need to continue my previous goal of finishing the next chapter. Each month I should be working on that. But if I am to move forward, I need to keep working on new goals. Additionally, I need to start identifying additional questions I need answering. So from here on out, each month I'm going to continue to work on one old goal and one new goal. It's what will keep me motivated and as I answer each question or complete each goal, I'll feel less and less lost.

My Goals:
Old Goal: Finish the next chapter in my 'Writer's Block' series.
New Goal: Start compiling a list of what I need to be working on and questions I should be researching in regards to my writing and what to do with it.

My Encouragement:
You are never to old to start. Laura Ingalls Wilder was 44 when she began her writing career as a columnist. It wasn't till she was 64 her "Little House on the Prairie" books began to be published.

Questions:
Do you ever feel lost working on your writing?
Do you think posting stories online is a good thing?
Is there one question you feel every writer should ask himself?

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The Insecure Writer's Support Group posts the first Wednesday of every month. Please follow along as my fellow writers and I relate why we feel insecure, or read as we help encourage others suffering from insecurity.

Are you an insecure writer? Why not join the group? Find out more information via the group HERE.

The site is founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh - Thanks for all the support!

I.W.S.G. (5) - Something Old, Something New

Well, it's 2016. You know what that means right? That means we are going to be writing 2015, cursing, crossing out and rewriting 2016 for the next month or so. It's the same old story. Speaking of the same old story, let's pick up where I left off in the last IWSG posting. I talked about making a list and keeping to it.

Unfortunately, it was a disaster. I started out with good intentions, but failed to deliver. That's not to say my goals have been written off. It was a goal I set in the last (old) year. But they can be dusted off for the (new) year. Right?

Last entry I talked a bit about what I needed to include on a goal list. This entry I am only going to concentrate on what the 'W' refers to in IWSG. Because, that's what this is all about, isn't it? I still think I'm trying to find my footing in this series. You know, get to the root of my writer's insecurity. Stop wasting my time and actually getting back into my creative writing. Of course I'd like to try and encourage others as well. So a bit of positive...

The good news is, 2015 was not a total waste. (This is where a bit of encouragement comes in.) I finally finished editing two complete episodes in my eight part YA series. So that's something good that happened. And if I can do that, so can you! Truth be told, I had hoped to be finished with the first four parts, but I let things get in the way. So I'm promising before the next IWSG article, I will have at least one more chapter complete of the third story. I shall strive to find the perfect time for me to get my writing done. I've found I don't like writing at home. Too many distractions. I need to get back to going out and about (i.e. coffee shops and airport) and get back to my writing. It's what I love!

Questions:
Where do you like to write?
What encourages you the most to get your writing done?
Does something besides Writer's Block get in the way of your writing? What have you done to overcome it?

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The Insecure Writer's Support Group posts the first Wednesday of every month. Please follow along as my fellow writers and I relate why we feel insecure, or read as we help encourage others suffering from insecurity.

Are you an insecure writer? Why not join the group? Find out more information via the group HERE.

The site is founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh - Thanks for all the support!

I.W.S.G. (4) - Making A List

I hate to admit, I'm not pushing myself very well. There are a lot of writings I could be working on, but I've not been putting myself to task. It's not writers burn out or anything, I'm just bad at scheduling. The up side to this, (if you can call it that), is it's not only my writing that's suffering. I should be trying to lose weight, keeping up on my foreign language studies, working in the home and other duties as well. Instead, I keep putting them off because I don't schedule them. Not that I'm a big procrastinator either. Well, maybe I am. BUT.... If I actually dedicate myself to getting something accomplished, and I make a list and check it twice, it seems to get done. It's the reason when I plan a trip, I make a check-list. I should really do the same thing for my writing. Sure, I'm keeping up on my blog-hops, BECAUSE THEY ARE SCHEDULED. But what about the rest of my writing (and other things I should be working on). I've done this in the past, and it has worked. I've made a list and I kept to it. So why am I not doing this currently? Well, I think it's about time I do that. Check back next month to see what I put on my list, and how well I stick to it.If I'm insecure about anything this month, it's worrying if I can actually pull this off. I've been complaining without doing anything for far too long.

(To Be Continued)

Questions:
Does making a list help you?
If you are a procrastinator, what helps you?
Do you find it hard to 'push yourself' sometimes? What helps?

The Insecure Writer's Support Group posts the first Wednesday of every month. Please follow along as my fellow writers and I relate why we feel insecure, or read as we help encourage others suffering from insecurity.

Are you an insecure writer? Why not join the group? Find out more information via the group HERE.

The site is founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh - Thanks for all the support!

I.W.S.G. (3) - Creative Characters

One of the things that has always concerned me about my writing is coming up with interesting characters. Back when I first started writing seriously, my characters were one dimensional and drawn from real life people. In the series I'm writing, many characters are drawn from real people. So I never gave them much depth because I expected all my friends who read my stories to know everything about them (I was only about 17 at the time). Character development was something I hadn't even thought of. As such, a lot of my dialogue went this way:

Jeff said, "Look!"
Kevin said, "What does she want?"
Jenny replied,"Why are you sitting here?"

Not taking any writing courses, I'm always worried I have not developed my characters fully enough. But I read many articles online and have various times subscribed to Writers Digest. With a lot of practice, my characters now feel as if they have more dimension because I follow tips on how to flesh out characters. In fact, now when I write, I create character sheets for just about anyone appearing in my stories. I try to find three words to identify what sort of person they are, list their likes, their dislikes, and a bit of their background. Even if I don't utilize those aspects in the story, my characters seem to have more depth and my writing has more depth too.

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Erick suddenly felt ill when he saw his ex-girlfriend walking towards him. "Crap, Kenny! Jenni's walking over here. I can't deal with her right now."

"I think she still wants you," Kenny said laughing. "Or she's looking for her lost diary again. Are you sure you didn't steal it?"

Erick realized Kenny was joking, but he didn't appreciate either comment.

"You do realize, of course, you are sitting at my table? I'm going to have to ask you to move."

Erick and Kenny exchanged looks. Who did she think she was? Lord of the Lunch-room?

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So I think my writing has developed, but are my characters truly unique? I'll be exploring that topic next time.

Questions:
What process do you use to create characters?
Do you have any characters based on real life people?
How do you feel you best learned to hone your writing talent?

The Insecure Writer's Support Group posts the first Wednesday of every month. Please follow along as my fellow writers and I relate why we feel insecure, or read as we help encourage others suffering from insecurity.

Are you an insecure writer? Why not join the group? Find out more information via the group HERE.

The site is founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh - Thanks for all the support!

I.W.S.G. (2) - Writing vs. Blogging

It may or may not be news to many, I'm slowly working to complete a project I started nearly 30 years ago...

Has it been that long? Yikes!

You see I have always wanted to be a writer. And I've always enjoyed writing. I started a personal journal in 1984 and continued writing in it till 1992. Why did I stop? Good question. I'll address that in a bit.

Thirty years ago (while in school) I wrote a fun piece of fiction for a friend of mine about the two of us driving around the city, goofing off. We repeatedly and humorously continued to get injured and sent to the hospital. I broke the 'fourth wall' frequently and myself as the Author was a character in the story. It was such a success with my friend we showed other friends who enjoyed it also. From there, I went on to write six more sequels, with a seventh planned. For a time, I literally had several friends waiting to have their turn to read the latest episode. In the ensuing years, interest waned. No, not because people were losing interest in the story, but because life was getting a hold of me. I got married and my wife was not keen on my writing and was not encouraging. ("Why are you writing? There are things to do around the house.") Quite the reverse, to be honest. Needless to say, I pretty much stopped writing. Remember my journal I mentioned before? That too fell by the wayside.

Oddly, as we were on our way to splitsville, my interest in writing took a hold once again. Around 2002 I acquired my first real computer. (I was using an Apple IIe till then, with no printer. PS - I still have it set up in my basement bar. Pictures can be found HERE). One of the first things I got involved in was posting to forums and joining such awesome social sites as Myspace. Remember Myspace?

But then the real writing came back to the forefront when I began to blog. Discovering blogger was a blessing as far as I'm concerned. It's been a way for me to spend my time creatively and productively. I've written many a poem via my blog and have appreciated any who were entertained by my rants. I even utilized my blogs to continue my short story writing. One of my favourite projects (though I admit still very sloppy) was a Fan-Fiction I wrote involving the TV series, Doctor Who, Quantum Leap and Sliders. I also incorporated Fan-Fiction from the comic book world, namely the Legion of Super Heroes. To make it even more confusing, (LOL), I decided to include (a non-canon) tale using my short story series from almost 30 years ago. The story can be found HERE.

So this is where my insecurity for the month comes in. After I wrote that story, I started to develop a longing to return to the series. But in it's previous form, it was no where near ready for public display, let alone, submission. So I've slowly been working on redoing the series. Removed the Author as a character and have made it less ridiculous. (One of these days I should scan a copy of what the original draft looked like). My writing has improved significantly too, so I knew it was time to do a final final draft. In fact, a few have noticed I've started to upload the polished off episodes to my blog HERE. It's something I've been longing to do for a long time as you are now well aware. But what about my blogging? I love my blogging friends and colleagues I've become acquainted with. But there is so little time. I want to get back to my YA short story series, but keep finding it hard to get back to. Am I doing this wrong? Should I finally take some ME time, buckle down and get to my series once again? I've loved my blogging because I look at it as a continual writing practice. Yet, m I spending too much time on my blogging? How do I find the time? Am I just insane?

Sorry for such a long blog posting this time. I promise not to run on so much next time. As this is only my second contribution to the IWSG, I felt it would probably be a good idea to inform everyone exactly why I write and the base reasoning why I too am an Insecure Writer who needs a Support Group.

Questions:
What was your first computer?
What was your first social media site?
What is the first thing you remember writing, and being proud of?
How long have you been blogging?
Am I rude to my family and friends if I finally decide to take time off for me to work only on my writing?

My IWSG postings will be done the first Wednesday of every month. My fellow writers will be doing like-wise. Are you an insecure writer? Why not join the group? You can find out more information via the website found HERE.
The site is founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh - Thanks for all the support!

Insecure Writer's Support Group

And now for something entirely different. That's right, this is going to be a new feature on my blog. I've decided to join a support group for writers. It seems I'm not the only one who feels insecure about writing. I guess most if not all writers do? But am I a writer? Do I get to call myself that without having anything published? I suppose this can be the topic of my very first article.

I read in a book (about writing) years ago, that if you write, you are a writer. I see the point, but I often wonder, do others perceive me to be a writer? Yes, that's always been one of my biggest fears. True, some friends recognize I love to write. But am I an author? If I have nothing officially published, can I call myself an author? Or is that title reserved for the lucky ones who have actually been published? Lucky? Or is it hard work and determination? Am I lacking the training I need? Do I not have the correct connections? Is my writing not good enough? All valid questions and ones I shall be addressing in the near future. For today, my fear is solely on the following question.
Am I an author? I do have an eight episode YA short story series. Unpublished, of course. Though I have been posting the polished bits to my blog here. But does that make me an author?
Am I really a writer?
What do you think?

Thank you for joining me, as I explore the rest of my insecurities and a few of the questions listed above in the following months.

My IWSG postings will be done the first Wednesday of every month. My fellow writers will be doing like-wise. Are you an insecure writer? Why not join the group? You can find out more information via the website found HERE.
The site is founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh - Thanks for all the support!