IWSG November: My favourite part of being a writer is...

I feel like I’ve been so wrapped up in life lately, I completely forgot it was IWSG until I happened to check my blog this morning and see everyone else’s posts. I was originally going to post today on some other stuff but I think I’ll save that for December, after the craziness of NaNoWriMo has passed.

This month's IWSG question is:

What is your favorite aspect of being a writer?

I instantly knew what my answer to this question would be – world building. I adore getting lost in a book where the world building is so complete and intricate that you could believe that that world actually existed. I’ve read books where the world building has been so good, it’s taken me a few moments to readjust back to reality once I’ve stopped reading, or I’ve felt gutted when a book/series has finished and I know I have to leave that world behind forever.

I love good world building – I’m not just talking about descriptions of places, I’m also talking about the history of the world, its rules and regulations, its political system, its currency, different races and religions, gender and their roles in society…it’s all these things that really bring a book to life. As a reader, I think it can be obvious when an author doesn’t put as much thought or time into their world building as they should – but if they do put in the effort, it makes the whole book flow and reading it a joy.

In terms of being a writer, this is my favourite part of writing because although it can be a challenge to bring a world to life on a page, I love exploring the possibilities of new worlds and coming up with the little details that all add to the overall picture. In the fantasy novel that I’m currently working on, I’m taking the time to explore the backstory of my fantasy world and I’m absolutely loving it – whenever I don’t feel like writing a proper scene, I’ll write some folklore or dream up a new location in my world, and write about that for a while instead. It’s actually a surprisingly good way to get myself into the writing mindset – and I’m planning on using this technique to up my word count during NaNoWriMo if I get desperate!

What about you – what’s your favourite aspect of being a writer? Have you read any books lately with brilliant world building? What brings a book to life for you? If you’re participating in NaNoWriMo, don’t forget to add me at: REPattinson1!

IWSG September: Finding time to write and introducing the IWSG Anthology Contest 2016!

Hello everyone! It's been a long time since we last spoke - there are several reasons for this, the main one being that I've been to four weddings in the space of two months (including my own, and one I was bridesmaid for at the weekend). However, I'm back now, well rested (kinda) and ready to write once more!

I have the huge privilege of being one of the co-hosts for this month's IWSG - I'm so excited! What better way to reacquaint myself with you all than getting to visit lots of fantastic blogs?? Your other awesome co-hosts for this month are:

C. Lee McKenzie, Rachel Pattison, Elizabeth Seckman, Stephanie Faris, Lori L MacLaughlin, and Elsie Amata!

First things first - this month's IWSG burning question is: How do you find the time to write in your busy day?

I have a confession to make: I haven't written anything since about June, apart from a brief writing session sitting in the airport on my way back from my honeymoon. Wedding fever and juggling a new job have essentially taken over my life for the past few months, but now that my wedding season is over for this year, I'm determined to pick it back up again. So I've decided to make a pledge to you all to ease me back into the writing game - while I can't promise to write every day, I'm going to write 500 words at least a week. I know this may not sound like much, but I think it'll be a good way to get back into the swing of things for now. And these 500 words don't have to be on my novel - I'm including blog posts in that word count too, so my blog doesn't get neglected either!

And now, onto the exciting news of the day!!

Announcing the 2016 IWSG Anthology Contest!

Last year’s contest was science fiction – parallel world/alternate history, and the result was Parallels: Felix Was Here. This year, we have a new theme and invite all members to submit.

Eligibility: Any member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is encouraged to enter – blogging or Facebook member. The story must be previously unpublished. Entry is free.

Word count: 5000-6000

Genre: Fantasy

Theme: Hero Lost. It could be about a hero turned villain, a villain's redemption, a hero's lack of confidence, a hero's lack of smarts, etc. It can be about any kind of hero including superheroes, mythological heroes, unexpected or unlikely heroes, or a whole new kind of hero. This theme has plenty of scope and we’re open to pretty much anything along these lines. No erotica, R-rated language, or graphic violence.

Deadline: November 1st 2016

How to enter: Send your polished, formatted, previously unpublished story to admin @ insecurewriterssupportgroup.com before the deadline passes. Please include your contact details and if you are part of the Blogging or Facebook IWSG group.

Judging: The IWSG admins will create a shortlist of the best stories. The shortlist will then be sent to our official judges.

Prizes: The winning stories will be edited and published by Freedom Fox Press next year in the IWSG anthology. Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title.

We’re excited to see the creativity and enthusiasm that’s such a part of this group put into action. So don your creative caps and start writing. And spread the word!

Our amazing judges this year:

Elizabeth S. Craig
Richard Harland
Laura Maisano
Russell C. Connor
Dawn Frederick
Michelle L. Johnson
Ion Newcombe
Lynn Tincher

Best of luck to every who enters! I can't wait to read the results!

How do you find the time to write in your busy day? Do you have a set writing plan, or do you just see what happens? Will you be entering the IWSG Anthology Contest this year?

IWSG August: This is a recorded message...

Hello my lovelies!

If you're reading this, then you're reading a pre-recorded blog post. Right now as you read this (not at time of writing - at time of writing, I'm sitting in my office drinking tea...), I will be in sunny Italy on my honeymoon because (providing everything went to plan)....I got married on Sunday!!

So my apologies for not being able to visit anyone this month and for ignoring my blog for the past few weeks - but to be honest, I'm not sorry enough to stop drinking cocktails by the sea to check my blog and emails. 

I'll be away for two weeks - two weeks of eating pizza, pasta and gelato and drinking all the cocktails I can handle. I can't tell you how excited I am - after months of (let's be frank here) tantrums, tears and feeling generally frazzled, I'm so looking forward to having some quality time with my other half and just enjoy being newly-weds.

Hope you all have a lovely August, and I'll see you all when I get back!

Have you ever been to Italy? Where did you go on your honeymoon? What's your favourite Italian food?

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IWSG July: Wedding Panic

Hello everyone! It's time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group post - once a month, writers from around the internet get together to encourage and cheer each other on. This fantastic group was set up by Alex J. Cavanaugh - if you'd like to find out more or sign up, check out the official IWSG website.

I have a confession to make: I haven't done any writing since my last blog post. In all honesty, trying to learn a new job and organising a wedding has been taking up all of my time lately - I've barely had the time to stop and breathe, let alone write. Which although makes me a tiny bit sad, at the same time, I don't really mind because I know after my wedding/honeymoon I'll once again be free to write as much as I like at nights. And I. Can't. Wait.

I've already had several breakdowns over the wedding - if you think it's all made up about how a bride bursts into tears because some tiny insignificant detail isn't right, or she threw a hissy fit because the shoe shop where she ordered her shoes from didn't get them in the right size - trust me, it's all real. But it's probably not because the poor girl is a bridezilla - she's probably just extra stressed because of all of the extra demands being laid on her, and she doesn't know what she's doing but everyone is expecting her to be in control, and her mum won't stop talking about the wedding even though there are 1000 other things on her mind too. And don't even get me started on the cost of a wedding - despite trying to keep to a budget, somehow costs just keep spiralling (guys if you're wondering what job to do next, I seriously recommend starting up some kind of wedding company...).

But I digress - the main point of this point is to a) reassure everyone that I'm still alive, b) apologise to those of you who have been in touch lately but I haven't replied - I'm not ignoring you, I'm just trying to do 100 things at once and c) to let you guys know that although this post isn't about writing (again), I'm going to just be visiting blogs this week and trying to spread the writerly love/cheer. I seriously can't wait for this month to be over so I can get back to some kind of normality. On the plus side, I'm still thinking/dreaming about my characters amongst all the mayhem, so when August rolls around, I'll be able to dive straight back into writing once again.

Have you ever majorly stressed about your wedding? Or your writing? What are your writing insecurities this month?

IWSG June: The Guilt Trip

Morning everyone! It's that time of the month again where writers from across the blogosphere get together to share their fears and encourage one another - if you'd like to find out more about the Insecure Writer's Support Group, you can check out their official website here.

As you're probably all aware, recently I moved back to Cumbria with the Engineer, and since then, I feel like I haven't really stopped. From helping my dad milk the cows every morning and most nights, to working in the cafe most days, then doing various wedding bits and bobs in my spare time (both for my wedding and the several others I'm attending this year), having my hen party this weekend (so good, but so so tired now), entertaining my friend that came to visit me from London, preparing for a job interview next week and just generally trying to sort my life out now that I've moved...you can guess where I'm going with this. I've barely had time to stop and catch my breath, let alone write.

I feel guilty for not having the time to write - I know that when I normally say that, generally I mean that I DO have the time to write, I just couldn't be bothered. But this month, time just seems to be slipping away from me. Plus, now that I live with my parents, I feel kinda awkward sitting at the laptop all day. I love my parents, but they are definitely the kind of people who, when they see you're sitting at a computer, will stop and ask, 'oh, what are you up to?' or (more likely in my parent's case) say, 'Great, you're not doing anything - can you come and help with X,Y and Z?' - which makes me feel like I can't just sit and write, even if I did have the time.

On the plus side though, my characters are popping back into my head more and more. Even though I can't sit and get the words out onto the page, I love thinking about my characters and my story and generally just musing over what I'll write next, when I do get the chance. So it's nice to know that my characters haven't completely abandoned me, even if I do feel guilty for not writing about them more often!

Do you feel guilty for not writing, even though you have a valid reason not to? Do you feel awkward writing in front of other people? How's your writing going this month?

May IWSG: Wading through treacle...

I'm such a ditz. I've been lying on my bed since 6pm this evening, bored out of my mind - five minutes ago I just happened to be scrolling through Twitter on my phone when I saw someone's link to their IWSG post for this month. I can't believe that I forgot about it AGAIN - not only that, but I could've been crafting an amazing post all night (yeah, right), but instead, you're going to have to make do with this thrown together one. Sorry folks.

I'm actually glad that today is an IWSG post day, as the next blog post I was planning to write about was all to do with insecurity/fear - not to do with my writing, but in other areas of my life. I won't go into detail here, as I'm well aware the last IWSG post I did veered away from writing too, and I don't want to deviate from the the rules again. But at least today's post has got me up from out of bed and actually sitting down at the computer and writing - something I've been sorely lacking lately.

My insecurity this month does indeed stem from my lack of writing. I can't decide if I'm procrastinating in every way possible, or if it's just apathy. I'm kinda hoping it's the former. If I'm completely honest with myself, I've had such a long break from doing any serious writing, I can't justify it to myself anymore. I need to get back into the swing of it. But every time I think to myself that I'll sit down and write, it feels like I'm wading through treacle (both physically and mentally).

Here in England, we've just had a three day weekend to celebrate May Day. Oh, the luxury of having an entire extra day off work! When I woke up on Saturday morning, the weekend seemed to stretch out endlessly, full of exciting possibilities. And for the first time in months, I actually felt like writing. I even had an idea for the sequel to Synthetica, something which has been a long time coming.

But did I do it? No. Of course I didn't - because I managed to convince myself that other things were more important (actually, in all fairness, I do need a new job ASAP as I finish work for good on Friday, but apart from that, everything else could probably have waited). Housework, eating, playing the sims, more eating...all so much more important than writing - something I'm desperate to make a career out of.

I need to get out of this mindset. Like I said, there's no logical reason for me to put it off for so long. Yes, I am moving house and have a wedding to plan for July, but even so, if I really wanted to, I could write at least 100 words a night. But instead, I've spent the past two weeks watching Netflix and looking up funny cat videos on my phone (I wish I was joking, but I'm really not). And now, because my life just isn't complete without bouts of crippling anxiety and self-doubt, there's a part of my brain that feels like it's somehow too late to start blogging/writing again now - which is utterly ridiculous.

I'll admit it - I need your help, guys. I need someone to tell me to get my shit together and stop whinging and just do it. After all, the only thing that's holding me back is myself. Please send help...and cake if you have any ;)

How do you get back into writing after taking a long break? What are your insecurities this month?

March IWSG: When does a 'break' become 'procrastination'?

Welcome back to the Insecure Writer's Support Group - a monthly blog hop where writers across the internet get together to share their insecurities and encourage each other to keep going. The IWSG was set up by the fantastic Alex. J. Cavanaugh, and you can check out the official website/sign-up list here!

If you've been following my blog for a while, you've probably guessed that I've been taking somewhat of an extended vacation from any serious writing. Yes, I've been working on a new fantasy project, but it has nothing to do with the sequel for the book that I've actually published (Synthetica).

I went to Oxford to meet up with my uni friends last weekend, and they all wanted to know if I'd finished book two, when it would be out, how the writing was going etc etc. And although it was lovely to know that they were rooting for me, I was kind of embarrassed to admit that, well, there isn't a book two - yet.

It made me realise that I can't keep putting it off forever. And although I keep telling myself that I 'deserve a break' and that 'writing something new will keep my writing fresh', the fact is, is that I'm just having a very very long procrastination period. Synthetica came out nearly a year ago - it's high time the sequel came out too.

But then that decision comes with it's own set of insecurities and issues: what if this book is awful? What if it makes no sense? What if I can't write another book?

All my life I've had a serious issue with starting things, losing interest and then dropping them before moving onto the next shiny thing that catches my attention. I told myself that if I published Synthetica, that that wouldn't happen, but I have a horrible feeling that it might. How do you get back into the rhythm of writing a book/series that you haven't even looked at for about six months? How do you recapture that passion and enthusiasm you had the first time around? I genuinely don't know if I can do it....but I'm going to give it my damn best all the same.

How do you start to write a series/book that you've left for a long time? How do you 'recapture the magic'? Or is there no magic? What are your insecurities this month?

First Vlog! And a huge thank you to the IWSG!

Insecure Writer's Support Group: http://bit.ly/1KN4btz

A to Z Blogging Challenge: http://bit.ly/O0tGe6

Hope you enjoyed the video! Let me know what you thought in the comments below :)

February IWSG: New things are always the scariest...

Hello my lovelies! Welcome back to the Insecure Writer's Support Group - a monthly blog hop where writers across the internet get together to share their insecurities and encourage each other to keep going. The IWSG was set up by the fantastic Alex. J. Cavanaugh, and you can check out the official website/sign-up list here! I'm super excited to be co-hosting this month - every month I tell myself I'll visit more blogs, but I never seem to get round to it - but this month, I'm SO EXCITED to be visiting all you awesome people!

So, if I'm completely honest, my insecurities this month don't stem from my writing - BUT, if you're thinking of starting a new writing project, or even if you're just thinking about starting to write altogether, I think you'll know what I'm talking about. If you've been following my blog for a while, you'll know that the only writing I've been doing lately is when I've been working on my fantasy novel project - this is something that I'm writing just for me, with no intention of being published (yet). So there's no pressure to write, or to get it perfect first time, which is great.

However, over the past couple of weeks, I've been wondering about setting something else up - something that's (shock, horror), nothing to do with writing. It's actually to do with YouTube. Whenever I think about this particular project, I get super excited but equally...I'm terrified.

What if I'm a big failure? What if everyone hates what I do? What if I give up? What if I can't do it? What if the YouTube craze is 'over' and no one will care anymore? What if, what if, what if?

Are you noticing a pattern here?

But whenever these doubts creep in, I have to stop and reason with myself. How will I ever know if I'll be a success or a failure, if I don't even try? I've already failed.

So people might not watch my videos. So what? So I might get negative comments. So what? I'm a writer, I'm used to less-than-perfect reviews and I know how to handle them (i.e. don't take any notice of them).

Yes, it's super scary to put yourself out there - but you won't know what you're capable of until you at least try. And if you do fail? Does it really matter? All that means is that you're one step closer to finding the right method of writing, or career, or whatever it is you're searching for, for you.

I am so scared right now in case I fail. But equally, I will never know what could've been if I don't at least try.

I'm going to leave you with this quote that completely sums up how I've been feeling this week - it was completely incidental that I found it before writing this post, but I can't think of a more perfect quote to leave you all with:

What have you done lately that's scared you? How did you get over your fears? How's your writing going this month? What do you think of the new IWSG badge??

January IWSG: Show me the grit...

Welcome to another Insecure Writer's Support Group post! I must apologise for how late this post is - I'm a day behind this week, as we had a training day on Monday and the kids came back in on Tuesday so my routine has been thrown. I totally thought all of yesterday was Tuesday until a parent told me otherwise...whoops.

Anyway, firstly - if you'd like to get involved with IWSG, you can find out all about this lovely group on their official website. I strongly recommend you take the take to visit all the other awesome blogs out there on the list - they tend to be more punctual than me.

I don't have any insecurities to share with you this month. That's not to brag, it's just the truth - I haven't done much writing since before Christmas, so really, my main goal this month is just to get back into the routine of blogging and writing again. Whenever I have been writing, I've been working on my new project that I've been writing just for me, and if I'm honest, I'm still in that honeymoon everything-is-wonderful phase. No doubt the feeling will wear off soon enough, but for now, I'm just going to enjoy actually enjoying what I'm writing.

Actually, the main thing I wanted to share with you all today is a concept that we strongly promote throughout my school - grit. I'm not talking about tiny rocks - I'm talking about grit and determination. Every single day, we encourage the children to never give up, and to keep going, no matter how hard they might find the challenge. The look on a child's face when they accomplish something they never thought they would achieve is simply amazing. It honestly makes my job worthwhile.

But it's only recently that I've started to use this concept in my own writing and indeed, in my life goals. Instead of throwing in the towel when things get tough, I've found myself taking a step back and thinking, 'okay, this is the problem. What can I do to solve it?' And when I've worked through a difficult scene, or that character that's given me issues, or even when I've finished a draft - there's nothing like that rush of thinking, I did it. Seriously, I think I am forever indebted to my school and the children and the staff there for teaching me this valuable lesson. Grit is something that everyone needs, no matter what job you have or where life chooses to take you. But I think that as authors, especially self-published ones, we find it easier to throw in the towel and quit, because we're not answerable to anyone but ourselves.

So the next time you feel like giving up your writing - don't. Show your grit and determination to get the job done. You can do it. Below is a video also about grit that I found online - I could't find the one I saw in school on Monday, but I love this one anyway. Even if it is mainly talking about grit in children, I found myself relating to large parts of this video. It's only five minutes long, so if you've got a spare couple of minutes with a cup of tea, watch it and let me know what you think.

I'm going to leave you with two quotes from the video that I think will resound with authors everywhere:

"Grit is passion and perseverance for long term goals."

"Talent doesn't make you gritty."

Who else wants that last quote on a mug or a t-shirt? I know I do!

Do you show grit and determination in your writing? What did you think of the video? How's your writing going this month?

December IWSG: Hitting the pause button

Welcome to another Insecure Writer's Support Group post! If you'd like to check out the list of participants, and discover more about this awesome group, you can check out the official IWSG website here.

I can't believe it's been a month already - where has the time gone??

In all honesty, I've been struggling with my writing this month. I don't think I've actually touched my WIP for about three weeks. It's frustrating not being able to write, but I do have (kind of) valid reasons. Mentally, I haven't been in the best place for the past few weeks - today has been better, but I'm not completely out of the woods yet, unfortunately.

But that's not my main reason for not writing - a few weeks ago I mentioned about how I was trying to juggle work, writing and doing house renovations, and wondering if I would have to give something up in order to get something else done. Well, in the end, it was my writing that I've chosen to put on hold for a little while. It's not a decision I've taken lightly - I still think of writing as being a business, and I know that if I want to be successful, I've got to work on it. However, my fiancé and I have been having a few discussions lately about life and what we want out of it. I don't want to give anything away, just in case it doesn't come off and I end up being disappointed, but at this stage, we got some very exciting (albeit tentative) plans for after our wedding next year. And in order for those plans to work, we need to get the house completely finished so it's ready rent out by the summer. As you can probably guess, this means that at this moment in time I've had to hit the pause button on my writing and instead focus on finishing the house. Which means that instead of coming home and sitting down with a cup of tea and writing for a few hours, instead I'm coming home and picking up a paintbrush and working most of my evenings.

Could I balance my writing with my house renovations a bit better? Maybe. I could always do one night on, night off and alternate between the two, but if I'm completely honest, I'd rather direct all my energies into one thing at a time. The plans my fiancé and I have is basically something I've wanted to do since I fifteen - and I know that if I don't do everything I can make it a reality, I'll regret it. I'm not giving up on my writing, no way - it's still the career I want more than anything in the world, and I'm never going to give up. In fact, I've been thinking of plot twists and the story structure for my second book while working on the house, so I guess that's a good thing. This weekend my fiancé is going out for the day on Saturday, so I've made a promise to myself that if I finish painting the stairs by the weekend, I can spend Saturday writing - I can't wait!

So that's my news. That's also why I haven't been quite as active online lately, although I am hoping to change that. I'm going to try and post up some photos of the house in the next few weeks too :).

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

How's your writing going this month? Have you ever had to stop writing for a while, in order to get something else done? Or do you see writing as being more important?

IWSG November: Marketing Madness

Welcome to November's Insecure Writer's Support Group! We're a friendly bunch of writers that get together on the first Wednesday of every month to post about our writing insecurities, as well as offer encouragement to others. The IWSG was set up by the awesome Alex J. Cavanaugh - if it sounds like your cup of tea, then you can check out the official IWSG website here, or their Facebook page here.

So what's been eating me up this month? Well, I've barely done any writing since mid-way through October, but that's not what's bothering me - I'll write in my own time, once I've done something about my huge to-do list that's somehow appeared from nowhere. No, the thing that's taking up most of my time at the moment is the bane of every introverted writer's life - marketing.

The wonderful Murees Dupe recommended a book about marketing for writers to me, and although it's got my super-psyched to start and promote my work, at the same time, I am finding the thought of starting rather daunting. What if it doesn't work? What if all my ideas are horrible? What if I end up losing readers?

But before I get myself sucked into the void of paranoia, and 'what ifs', I have to remember one thing - just trying something, anything, is better than not trying at all. If I'd let my fears conquer me, I would've never have written my book, and I certainly wouldn't be here blogging today. All I can do is try. And if one thing fails, well then, I can simply move onto the next idea that's on my marketing plan (which, by the way, I LOVED doing - anyone else out there enjoy writing and colour-coding lists? No? Just me then).

I just thought I'd share with you the most crucial piece of information I got from this book - that marketing your book should always be about the reader, and you've got to treat your writing as a business not a hobby. This is a remarkably simple idea, but I never would've thought of it on my own. And it's with this mindset - that my writing is a business, not a reflection on me personally - that has given me the guts to create my own marketing plan for my writing. No doubt I'll be sharing my marketing successes and failures with you over the coming months, so stay tuned!

Do you have a dedicated marketing plan for your writing/book? Do you see your writing as a business or a hobby? What are your fears this month?

IWSG August: Writing Blues

It's that time of the month again, where writers from all around the blogosphere share their insecurities and encourage others in their writing. You can check out the full IWSG list here, and you can also check out the IWSG website here.

I haven't actually been doing any writing over the past few weeks. There, I admitted it. And now I feel horrible.

I knew before summer began that I'd probably take the first week off and just relax and do whatever I wanted to do for once. But now it's halfway through the second week of the holidays, and I've been flicking through my diary this morning, only to discover that I'm actually pretty busy over the next three weeks - which means I'm in danger of my whole holiday going by and not doing any writing whatsoever. And because I now have this fear in my head, I'm even more reluctant to start writing, because I'm already panicking over my lack of time.

I always do this. I know a lot of you will probably be rolling your eyes and thinking, 'what does she have to complain about? She gets a five week summer holiday!!' but here's the thing: if you've been following my blog for a while, you'll probably know by now that I suffer from anxiety. This means I get really worked up over tiny things, and I can spend days obsessing over certain thoughts. It's not pretty. And it's exactly what I'm doing now. I'm obsessing over the fact that my holiday will end 'soon' (because I always do this - whenever I take a holiday, I immediately start counting down the days until it ends, which means I never feel like I fully enjoy my time off...does anyone else do this??), and I'm berating myself for 'wasting' last week when I should've been doing work. So I feel like I'm stuck in-between a rock and a hard place, because I feel crappy for not writing, and I'm worried I won't get anything done, and I'm upset because I feel like I'm wasting my time doing other things when I should've been writing...in a nutshell, I just feel like I'm doing everything wrong. And I really hate feeling this way.

Gosh, that was a bit more of a rant than I meant it to be! I think this afternoon I'll do the baking I was planning on doing (because baking always calms me down when I feel myself getting worked up), then sit down with my current WIP and just see what happens. It's not like I haven't had any ideas over the past week, it's just because I've been trying to relax/been procrastinating ever-so-slightly. So we'll see how it goes...

What do you do when you get yourself worked up about lack of writing? Do you ever get worked up by the little things? What are your fears this month? Thank you for stopping by!

IWSG July: Summer's in the air

Welcome to July's Insecure Writer's Support Group post! IWSG was set up by the amazing Alex J. Cavanaugh. It's a place where anyone can post their monthly writing insecurities - to find out more about this fantastic group, visit the official IWSG website.

A few weeks ago I decided to make a writing schedule for the rest of the year. I've never done anything like this before - normally I'll pencil a date in my diary when I want to finish key milestones by (e.g. first draft, final draft) but that's it. Also, I've only ever worked on one project at once before, so it wasn't like my writing schedule was exactly full (although, for a first time author, I still found it very demanding).

This year I've decided to set myself more of a challenge. Instead of just writing one book this year, I've decided to try and write four. Yup, that's right - it's my aim to complete four novels by the end of the year. Why would I put myself through this, I hear you cry? Well, as much as I loved taking my time writing Synthetica, the fact is that I'm not going to grow as an indie author if I don't write more books. I don't want to be an author that churns out a book every month (I doubt I could do that, even if writing was my full time job!), but I do want to start converting all those ideas that are in my head into actual books. I love writing so much, and eventually I want this to be my full time career, which means I'm going to have to start and get serious about how much I'm writing.

I'm actually already behind schedule if I'm honest. But luckily me and the Engineer are currently housesitting for a friend for a couple of weeks, so I'm hoping being in a new place without so many distractions will prove to be a positive (I think it'll also help because that house is the place where I wrote the bulk of Synthetica last summer. So I feel like this house has good vibes). Also, it's nearly the summer holidays (yippee!) which is when I'm planning on getting most of my writing done. I find that the long days and light nights (as well as the six week break from work, obviously!) really help to boost my writing confidence.

However, I'm trying not to get too discouraged by the fact that I'm already behind schedule, and the fact that I'm finding it a struggle to write about new characters and worlds that I haven't invested much time in yet. I know all my characters from Synthetica, and I know their world like the back of my hand (mostly). But I'm so scared that I don't have it in me to do it all over again, with a brand new set of characters in a brand new world. I think I've kinda forgotten how much effort goes into creating new worlds, that I'm daunted by the thought of starting all over again. But I guess we'll just have to see how it goes.

Do you think it's possible to write four novels in six months? Have you/would you ever attempt it? Do you find it hard to write multiple books at a time? Do you find it hard to switch from finishing one series to starting work on a brand new book?

IWSG May: Time to breathe

Good morning! Apologies for this post being a day late - I have no idea what happened yesterday, I did remember it was time for an IWSG post, but then I forgot to post it!!

The Insecure Writer's Support Group was set up by Alex J. Cavanaugh - it's a safe place for all writers to post their insecurities, no matter how big or small, on the first Wednesday of every month.

I'm going to keep this post short and sweet - to be honest, I don't have many insecurities this month, as I haven't had the time to write! But that's what I'm aiming to work on this month - I'd like to get the outline for Synthetica 2 (not it's real title, honest) done and dusted, so I can revise it and then start the first draft over summer. Exciting!

I've noticed over social media for the past few days that a lot of people I follow have been finishing off WIPs, starting new projects, and seeming to write a whole book in a very very short space of time. It's a bit discouraging tbh, but then again, everyone works differently I guess.

I've decided to try and channel these negative thoughts into something positive - it's inspired me to keep going with my own writing and not to give up. I've got a couple of other novel ideas in the pipeline, so I'm currently toying with the idea of trying to get those outlines done too - if the professionals can write several projects at once, I can too, right?? I'd really like to knuckle down and getting serious about writing, and start all those other stories that are floating around my brain...but then again, maybe that'll be too much pressure...we'll have to wait and see!

How about you? Can you work on several projects at once? Do you find it makes you more productive, or not?

Hope you're all having a lovely Thursday, and if you're in the UK like me, don't forget to vote :)!

Happy Thursday, everyone!

IWSG April: Happy Book Birthday to Me!

Welcome to April's Insecure Writer's Support Group post! We're a group of writers that post once month about all the worries that have been plaguing us lately - special thanks go to Alex J. Cavanaugh for setting up this wonderful group! You can find out more about the IWSG on their official website.

As you're probably all aware by now, my debut book Synthetica releases today (as well as the Synthetica book blitz kicking off! Eek!). I genuinely have so many emotions right now, that I don't know how to feel - I'm worried, nervous, anxious, happy, excited, thrilled and everything in-between all at the same time! Phew!

There's not really any one insecurity I can blog about today - I could go on forever about how I'm feeling right now, but instead I'm just going to stop and breathe. Today of all days, I'm going to try and remember that even if no one buys my book today, or if I get bad reviews or no one likes it - it doesn't really matter. I can still keep going. I can still keep writing. If worst comes to worst, I can always take the book offline and no one will be any wiser. But I think that's probably a worst case scenario. Hopefully, fingers crossed, there'll be at least one person out there who will enjoy my book!

So that's it from me! All I'm going to leave you with is that if you would like to check it out, you can find Synthetica on Amazon here. And there's still time for you to sign up for the book blitz here, if you'd like to :).

Enjoy the rest of your IWSG/A to Z Challenge kick off day :)!

Oh, and before I forget - I'm still planning on visiting A to Z blogs daily, but as I'm currently at my parent's farm, it may be a little difficult for me to visit in the mornings, as I'll be out helping them. I'll do my very best to visit in the afternoons/night instead, so don't worry if I don't get back to you right away!

IWSG March: One month to go...

Welcome to the Insecure Writer's Support Group! You can check out the official IWSG website here!

For this month's post, I'm going to rehash a worry I voiced earlier this week in this blog post.

Synthetica is due to be published on the 1st April, and I have A LOT of insecurities around it's release, but my biggest fear right now is that no one will read it.

I'm just so worried that Synthetica will just get lost in amongst the hundreds of other e-books that are released every day, no matter how much promoting I do. What if all my promotion falls on deaf ears?? What if no one wants to read a book by a self published author?? What do I do then??

This fear really does make me feel sick. I've never done anything like this before, so I have nothing to compare it to, or to gauge how well my book promo is going. I don't know how to deal with it. I feel like I'm doing as much self-promo as I can, but what if it's not enough? Do I just keep writing anyway, and hope for the best?

I guess I'll find out soon enough whether or not my book is going to flop. I'll just have to deal with it when it happens.

Have a great month, everyone!

IWSG February: Am I crazy...?

Welcome to February's IWSG post! You can check out the official IWSG website here!

This week I made an announcement about my novel Synthetica – I've decided to self-publish it. My proposed publication date is 1^st April, which is less than 2 months away now. I am so so excited about the prospect of self-publishing. And yet I can't help asking myself: am I completely crazy??

There's a part of me that feels like a huge fake. What on earth do I think I'm doing? There's no way I can organise everything in two months! I've got to do the final tiny edits to the book, I've got to finalise the cover design, I need to email other bloggers to see if they'd be interested in reviewing it, if I'm having a blog tour, I need to book it in ASAP for April. Don't get me wrong, I do love being busy, but there are moments when the panic descends and I completely freeze.

But there's also a bigger issue. Whenever I read about other people self-publishing their novels, I think, that's great, good for you! And yet, the idea of me self-publishing a novel seems absurd. Who am I to think that my novel is good enough for the world? This time last year I didn't even have a novel to publish – what makes me think it's even any good to be published now?? I feel like I'm missing out on some huge secret in self-publishing, or that I'm missing a step and I don't know what it is. Essentially, I think this comes down to the question I seem to ask myself everyday, no matter what I'm doing: Am I doing this right??

There's a lot more leeway in self-publishing that traditional publishing (found a major mistake in your manuscript? Cover not working for you anymore? Simply take it down and re-work it til you're happy!), but even so, I've always been someone who strives to get it right first time. I'm so scared of being a failure before I've even begun. I guess at the end of the day, if I let these doubts overwhelm me, I'll never have the confidence to publish my novel.

It's like anything in life - you don't know until you've tried. But it would be nice to know that I'm not just stumbling my way through everything for once ;).

IWSG December: You've got to accentuate the positive...

Welcome to the final IWSG post of 2014!

Once again, thanks go out to Alex J. Cavanaugh for creating this wonderful group. Why not check out the official IWSG website or, even better, download the Insecure Writer’s Support Group Guide to Publishing and Beyond - it's completely free!

I was planning on writing about how my old fear about no one liking my novel has resurfaced once again, but I've read so many positive and inspirational posts this month, that I decided to write a positive post too.

You're all awesome. Seriously. I genuinely don't know where I'd be in my writing (I certainly wouldn't have written an entire draft of my novel) without this group's constant support and encouragement. It's so lovely to know that whenever I'm feeling down or insecure, I can visit any one of your wonderful blogs and be encouraged to keep writing. So here's my small piece of encouragement for you all:

Your writing IS good - Worried no one will like your novel? Some people might not, but others will fall head-over-heels in love with it. You can't please everyone - if you're writing chick-lit or a family saga, don't expect a hardcore zombie/paranormal romance fan to like it (unless, perhaps, you're writing Zombie Pride & Prejudice...) - but that's just the way writing goes sometimes. Don't write to please others, just write for yourself :).

Your idea IS worth it - see above. But, also, remember this - if you're passionate enough to write a whole damn novel about this characters; if you pour all your love and enthusiasm for these characters into your words, your readers will pick up on it, and they'll end up loving the book just as much as you do.

You ARE a good writer - You wouldn't be here reading my writing blog - or anyone else's in IWSG for that matter - if you didn't love writing. You might not think yourself as a 'true author/writer' yet because you haven't got that shiny new multi-million dollar book/film deal...but the second you start writing that idea that you just couldn't get out of your head, the moment you write that very first word that will be the first of many, many more - you are an author. And don't let anyone else tell you different.


So that's it for now. Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a positive start to your New Year!

P.S. Slight self-promotion here, but it you're in the mood of something not-quite-Chrismassy, check out my short flash fiction piece here, and let me know what you think ;)

November IWSG: Getting over the (random) fear...

This blog post probably would've been more appropriate for Halloween, but seeing as how that was less than a week ago, I'm going to use it anyway ;).

It's that time of the month again, when insecure writers from all over the internet unite and blog about their deepest, darkest fears that have been plaguing them for the last month. Special thanks go out to Alex J. Cavanaugh for setting up the group, and a huge thank you to all of this month's co-hosts :)!

Although I'm not officially participating in NaNowriMo this year, I'm currently in the rewriting stage of my first draft, and my Other Half has given me the deadline of the 30th November to get it done - so in a way, I'm with all you brave NaNoWriMos out there, at least in spirit.

But here's the thing - I'm STILL struggling to get my mojo together to get into my rewrites properly. It's not because I don't know what I want to do, or that I hate my story (actually, I've felt more hopeful about this novel in the last few weeks than I have done for a while) - it's something else, and I only managed to put my finger on it last night.

I'm scared of succeeding.

I know, I know how odd that sounds - but the fact is, writing a novel is something I've been working towards since I was about 15. And the thought that by the end of this month my novel should (theoretically) be in a readable form (i.e. I could send it out to my beta readers if I wanted to) really does scare me. Do I have the dedication and motivation to actually finish something for once? After so many false starts and disappointments, I find it hard to believe. It's almost as though my subconscious is telling me that no, I can't do this, I can't actually realise one of my life dreams, heaven forbid - so why bother working on it?

So that's it for this month - a slightly odd topic, I know, but it's been bothering me for the last few days. Hopefully it'll pass soon - only 25 days to go until the finish line!

Happy bonfire night, everyone! Stay safe out there tonight!