IWSG April 2022

Have any of your books been made into audio books? If so, what is the main challenge in producing an audiobook?

In order for that to happen, I would first have to publish the damn things. Which means I need to finish writing them. Which means I have to get off my ass and actually work.

What the hell? I thought this group was all about supporting each other with our insecurities, not calling people out. I feel so attacked right now.

Okay. On with the question.

I think my main problem will be, aside from having a finished product, funding and all that, would be finding the right voices. It can be a great story, but if the narrator’s tone and speech patterns don’t line up just so, it will absolutely suck.

Some books I would want one overall narrator. Others I want two. My first ever kinda romance novel, I would want Bruce Campbell as the male narrator. Or at least someone that sounds a lot like him. I have no idea why, I just know that in my head that’s whose voice I hear. Patrick Stewart would absolutely not be a good fit. For the fantasy novels, sure, Patrick Stewart would work out okay, I guess.

But I’m leaving my options open. No offense to Stewart, but I’m leaning more towards Anthony Head or James Marsters for the fantasy books.

Oooo. Just had a thought: James Marsters would be AWESOME as the male narrator for the second romance novel.

Crap. Now I’m stuck with that voice in my head.

Check out the Insecure Writer’s Support Group to see more writers dish about their concerns, their solutions to various problems, or their personal struggles with earworm therapies.

March 2022 IWSG

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?

Conflict is the name of the game, though, isn’t it?

Oh, wait. You’re talking about personal storytelling angst that goes into the work of the plot making sense.

There have been a number of scenes and characters that I absolutely fell in love with, but just couldn’t make them work, despite my Tetris skills.

But I sense this question speaks to a different side of the story.

I’ve known that certain characters had to die–it was not just necessary to the plot, but I had specifically designed the character to die. I knew the character’s end result was death from their very inception. The heroic deaths from awesome fight scenes are easy to write. You may not like it, but you have the feeling of completion–this character died for a reason

The scenes that are hardest are the more common deaths–the ones that just happen. An accident. A heart attack. An ill-trained child soldier. A man killed for doing the right thing instead of the easy thing.

I have a lot of reservations when it comes to writing those scenes. The banal deaths are some of the hardest to write, to witness. I’ll slave for weeks over the scene, examining every word, every sequence, every reaction–writing, editing, re-writing, deleting, writing again.

Those scenes are hard. They’re gut wrenching. I’ll squirm and wiggle every which way to avoid them, knowing in the end it has to be done.

But it has to be done right. Just the right amount of shock, a touch of panic, pain, rage, loss–done right, it hits hard every time it’s read, even a one-shot character.

Done wrong, and at best it’s called clumsy or ham-handed.

Scenes of personal, intimate violence can be just as hard. How much is too much? Is this enough description or do I need more? In reality it would be far worse, but this isn’t reality, this isn’t a gratuitous scene just to satisfy a hard crowd that enjoys sadistic realism. This is a harsh scene that I can’t get away from, a key scene to show how far a character has fallen, or why they make the choices they do. Can I get out of writing this scene? Is it really needed? Can I just handwave this thing off in a sentence or three or just cut it out entirely? Ohgodwhatifmymomreadsthis?

All the scenes I’ve roughly described are ones I agonize over. Some I find a way to wiggle free and not go through the scene. Others simply can’t be cut, as much as I would like to, because the plot locomotive doesn’t run well with only one track rail and three wheels.

And my mom has already told me she can’t read my writing anyway (because I’m “not old enough to write about those things”), so I know I don’t have to worry about criticism from that corner.

Check out the Insecure Writer’s Support Group to see more writers dish about their concerns, their solutions to various problems, or their personal stories that are just a little bit too much information, but you can’t stop yourself from reading them.

Space…The Next Frontier – IWSG February 2022

I’m being pushed out of the house.

There is not enough room in this house for myself, 2 children and someone who is trying not to be a hoarder a spouse (along with one of the children desperately trying to earn his stripes to become officially recognized as a hoarder).

There is simply no room for me to work in this house. Not crafting, not writing. I set up in one spot, only to have to move to accommodate another person’s needs, often within two hours or less, despite repeated discussion about the subject.

The barn/shed was installed in late summer 2021, more than a month late in the backyard, and a great deal of my things are already out there, though electrical and drywall will have to wait for late spring 2022.

All of my crafting supplies, all of my writing things (my desk that was parked at another friend’s house, shelving that I have either made or acquired), almost everything is out there.

Waiting in boxes, waiting for me to be able to call it my own and practically live out there.

About the only things staying behind in the house are my clothes.

It’s sad. And irritating. And thought provoking. On the one hand it needs to be done in order for me to actually have space–an actual discrete space of my own that I don’t have to constantly worry about surrendering at any moment. Prior to the shed, I had my things scattered about the house, hiding under furniture and crammed into tiny corners.

It’s painful to see how much more room there is for everyone else as I excise my property, my existence, from the house. Although, the space they gain from my leaving is not what I would call “massive.” Perhaps “less cluttered,” but still noticeable to anyone who is here a lot.

I really don’t have that much, when compared to my husband. 80% of my books have been in boxes for years to make space on the shelves for his.

The gradual eroding of my space began when I gave up my craftroom/office so my daughter could have her own room separate from her brother. There was no space in my husband’s 12×20 man cave/office/superfund site for my things. We’d tried once, a long time ago, to coexist in the same room, but it didn’t work out. Any space I cleared out to work in would be immediately confiscated by my husband to stack his things. I would argue about it and ultimately lose.

The way this barn has finally come into existence (finally, after more than 15 years of promising) is raising a lot of questions for me. A lot of very uncomfortable questions.

It also confirms a number of things I’d suspected over the years.

I’m excited to finally get my own space. For my writing. For my other creative endeavors when my writing brain needs a break, but still needs to be exercised in some way to stay fit. The thought of having an uninterrupted, sacrosanct space is exhilarating. It feels very nearly like that anticipatory sensation of attending a writer’s conference, or even so very close to the high one has in the first 24-48 hours after attending said conference.

I’m also worried about what my shed, my space, my undisputed territory, ultimately means. 

about their concerns, their solutions to variouCheck out the Insecure Writer’s Support Group to see more writers dish about their concerns, their solutions to various problems, or their least favorite holidays (aside from Tax Day).

Excuses – An IWSG January 2022 post

“Nope. You don’t have an excuse. Just sit your butt down and do it,” and older man told me the other day at work.

We were talking about how in my current employment as a part time receptionist/office assistant at a music studio, I don’t know how to read music or play an instrument. I told him I wanted to learn piano and I have my son’s beginner books, but…

He immediately dismissed my “but.”

I get it; excuses are insidious and seductive and they keep us from doing X because”but” is a safe zone. “But” has less risk attached to it. “But” requires no effort. “But” let’s you sit on your ass

But.

There are Reasons, and telling the difference between the two can be hard.

Mental health can be a legitimate reason. However, go too long on the “mental health” reason and it’s a bit like using crutches for waaaaaay longer than you need them.

And it can be hard to know when you don’t need the crutches anymore, especially if your ankle has a chronic history of being jacked up AT THE WRONG DAMNED TIME since it’s originating injury.

I’ve missed a number of IWSG first Wednesday posts. The crutches have been hard to discard this time–just when I think I’m better, something else comes along and I’m all unbalanced again and need the crutches.

But…

It is to be noted (by myself more than by anyone else) that sometimes even tiny efforts to move in a forward-ish direction are better than none at all.

The word I have selected for 2022 in place of a resolution is “Better.”

Working to be better at getting to things. Working on being better physically and psychologically. Being better at time management. Being better with my efforts generally.

And so, we start again.

Check out the Insecure Writer’s Support Group to see more writers dish about their concerns, their solutions to various problems, or their sure-fire New Years Day hangover cures.