IWSG 83: TO BE CLEAR

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This post was written for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group where we share our encouragement or insecurities on the first Wednesday of the month, to join the group or find out more click here.

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co-hosts

Erika Beebe | PJ Colando | Tonja Drecker | Sadira Stone | Cathrina Constantine

OPTIONAL IWSG DAY QUESTION:

Have any of your readers ever responded to your writing in a way that you didn’t expect? If so, did it surprise you?

When I took my first on-line writing course, which seems centuries ago, I learned something about writing I didn’t expect. Within our six lessons, we were limited to a paragraph. Sometimes a page.

I had to edit my thoughts right down to the bone and chose each word carefully. It proved that words came at a cost.

As a group, we’d give feedback on each submission. I was hit with questions like: Where and when am I? Who’s talking? Or the worst: I don’t see anything.

My word choices seemed so obvious to me weren’t communicating clear images to my readers. I sensed something weird was going on, and it had nothing to do with my limited word count.

Why were my readers experiencing things that weren’t on the page, and how could I fix it?

I tried adding concrete details and letting the work rest. But as hard as I tried, they still saw something else.

Truth

No matter how much work a writer puts into a scene it will appear in a reader’s mind as something slightly different. Proofing our craft is art and each of us adds a little of themselves as we read.

What about you: Any feedback surprise you in your early days of writing? Care to share.

IWSG 82: Taking Chances

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This post was written for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group where we share our encouragement or insecurities on the first Wednesday of the month, to join the group or find out more click here.

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Co-Hosts

PK Hrezo | Pat Garcia | SE White | Lisa Buie Collard | Diane Burton

OPTIONAL IWSG DAY QUESTION:

Are you a risk-taker when writing? Do you try something radically different in style/POV/etc. or add controversial topics to your work?

Yes, my style and voice changes with each story, and I’ve been known to discuss controversial topics within my work.

That said, one of my favorite things to practice is third-person omnipotent point of view. If anyone wants to give this a try, you must read this post from Scribophile. It really puts it in perspective. 😉

When giving third-person omnipotent point of view a try, it can get pretty ugly. I don’t hold back and often paint myself into a corner. It can be a slog to revise and more than once I’ve lost interest in a piece because I landed up stomping through the paint to escape.

My only compensation for all my hard work is I keep them short, and I tell myself that what I’ve learned is in there somewhere and once assimilated; it will come out in organically—eventually.

In Other News: ProWritingAid is doing a Crime Writing Week this month. Here’s the webinar link if you’re curious: https://prowritingaid.com/crimeweekhub.

Hope to see you there.

What’s the best thing you’ve learned and tried in your writing?

IWSG 81: You Are What You Read–apparently

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This post was written for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group where we share our encouragement or insecurities on the first Wednesday of the month, to join the group or find out more click here.

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Co-Hosts

Sarah – The Faux Fountain Pen Jacqui Murray | Chemist Ken | Victoria Marie Lees | Natalie Aguirre | JQ Rose

OPTIONAL IWSG DAY QUESTION:

Everyone has a favorite genre or genres to write. But what about your reading preferences? Do you read widely or only within the genre(s) you create stories for? What motivates your reading choice?

I have a feeling I’m going to sound like everyone else this month. You probably read as much or more than I do.

I read everything from how-to-write manuals to the classics and everything in between.

I spent a few months reading Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. All the stories were inspirational and hilarious. Moved on to Jane Austen and Charles Dickens.

Note: Since the classics were free to read, I downloaded them from Project Gutenberg: Free eBooks. They focus on older works for which the copyright has expired.

Then after the classics I jumped into an Atwood trilogy, and that’s where I’ve been living for the last few days.

So I’ve broken away from my usual favorite mysteries by Janet Evanovich, JD Robb, Michael Connelly, James Patterson to name a few. This may mean I’m growing, but don’t count on it. I’m still a child at heart.

I did tons of reading my courses through my local library. They ranged from Writing Effective Web content to Romance Writing. All interesting, but I went too fast, and now I feel I need to stop and revisit each course. This time I’ll take a long hard look and do each exercise with more enthusiasm than just trying to get it done.

And just to add a bit of spice to the mix I attended Fantasy Week Webinar through ProWritingAid and watched several FREE videos which were educational and really fun. Apparently they are doing another called Crime Week sometime in April if you’re interested.

It’s no wonder I don’t write much and when I do I never know where to start. Kidding, actually. I think I’m finally getting a handle on things. What about you, where to do you land in your reading world, and how do you nourish it?

IWSG 80: Hope in the Publishing Industry

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This post was written for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group where we share our encouragement or insecurities on the first Wednesday of the month, to join the group or find out more click here.

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CO-HOSTS

Louise – Fundy Blue | Jennifer Lane | Mary Aalgaard | Patsy Collins at Womagwriter | Nancy Gideon

OPTIONAL IWSG DAY QUESTION:

Blogging is often more than just sharing stories. It’s often the start of special friendships and relationships. Have you made any friends through the blogosphere?

This is going to be short. I keep wondering if I should go back to writing for personal enjoyment and leave the industry to the masters.

It’s not the pain of rejection, surprisingly enough. It’s the combo of the stress of submission, almost constant rejection and my partial success.

Being published years ago then making into a recent anthology only to be dropped because there were not enough high quality submissions.

If there is a crack, I seem to find it.

I need someone to hold up a flashlight in this damn dark tunnel that never seems to end.

Is it worth it? Share some success from yesterday, last week or even ten years ago. Tell me there is a light at the end and I just need to take one more step to see it as you do.

 

 

Chrys Fey Guest Post: What did you research while writing A Fighting Chance?

What did you research while writing A Fighting Chance?

I read a book called Whatever Gets You Through: Twelve Survivors on Life after Sexual Assault (edited by Stacey May Fowles and Jen Sookfong Lee) that really helped me when writing the romantic scenes between Thorn and Amanda. The things I read opened my eyes and gave me ideas for what Thorn should ask, say, and do, as well as how Amanda would react in those intimate situations.

The second thing I researched was tornadoes and Florida, and I found out about the 1998 Kissimmee tornado outbreak, which produced the deadliest tornado event in Florida history and is known as The Night of the Tornadoes. In the Greater Orlando area, the tornadoes were F3, near F4. There were 42 deaths and 260 injuries. With this knowledge, I knew that it would be possible for an EF3 to touchdown and cause devastation in Central Florida.

The third thing I research a lot was…Thai food. Yup. Thai food. I’ve never tried it, but my characters wanted to eat it for a date, so I had to know what they might eat. I tend to do a lot of food research when I’m writing and always manage to sneak in food descriptions in some way. I love describing food and reading about food in fiction stories.

A Fighting Chance

by

Chrys Fey

Pages: 154

Genre: Romantic-Suspense

Heat Rating: Hot

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

*A FIGHTING CHANCE is Book 6 in the Disaster Crimes series, but it’s a spin-off featuring a new couple, so it can be read as a standalone.*

Thorn has loved Amanda from afar, giving her whatever she needs as a survivor of abuse—space, protection, and stability. He yearns to give her more, though, to share his feelings, kiss her, love her, but he’s worried the truth will frighten her away.

And Amanda is afraid. She’s scared of her attraction for Thorn. Most of all, she’s terrified of her ex-boyfriend, who is lurking nearby where no one can find him. When she grows closer to Thorn, Damon retaliates, jeopardizing their happy ending.

Up against an abusive ex and Mother Nature, do Thorn and Amanda have a fighting chance?

Book Links:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iTunes

EXCERPT:

Amanda looked up from the current list of up-to-date payments for classes. A movement outside the glass storefront caught her eye. She tilted her head to see a man coming up the sidewalk from the side where the picnic bench sat. Through the vertical blinds, she glimpsed a square face—a short, rugged beard and long, dark hair pulled into a man bun. Her breath fled from her lungs. Her body went from icy cold to flaming hot in the span of a millisecond. She dropped to the floor and slid under the counter, beneath the ledge where they put their purses and cell phones.

“What—” Beth peeked at the windows. Then she snapped her fingers at April and pointed at the stools.

April jumped into action. She pushed the stools in so they blocked Amanda. The bell attached to the door jingled as April removed the jacket she wore and draped it across the stools, creating a curtain to shield Amanda.

From a crack, Amanda watched Beth move to stand in front of the twins, who were in their walkers playing peacefully. “I’m sorry, but we’re going to be closing.”

“I don’t give a shit. I’m here for Amanda.”

The sound of Damon’s voice had her heart beating even harder. That voice had haunted her nightmares, had come back to life in her memories.

Beth cocked her head to the side. “Who? There’s no one by that name here.”

“Don’t bullshit me. I know she works here.”

His voice was closer now.

***FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME***

THE DISASTER CURSE

Get it Here:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iTunes

 

About Chrys Launching a New Website

is a website dedicated to domestic violence and sexual assault awareness. Inspired by the Disaster Crimes series.

 

 

 

 

Giveaway Link

Prizes: Hurricane Crimes (Disaster Crimes 1) and Seismic Crimes (Disaster Crimes 2) eBooks (mobi or epub), Hurricane Crimes Playing Cards, Girl Boss Sign, and a Volcanic Blast Scented Candle

ABOUT Chrys:

Chrys Fey is author of the Disaster Crimes Series, a unique concept that blends disasters, crimes, and romance. She runs the Insecure Writer’s Support Group Book Club on Goodreads and edits for Dancing Lemur Press. https://www.chrysfey.com

Author Links:

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