IWSG 114: How to Stay on Target

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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

Victoria Marie Lees | Kim Lajevardi | Nancy Gideon, | Cathrina Constantine

OPTIONAL IWSG DAY QUESTION

How do you deal with distractions when you are writing? Do they derail you?

Where I started

The first thing I did was go online. Oh, was that a distraction or digging for information? A bit of column A and a bit of column B. 🙂

You see, some people—me—have huge blocks of time without distractions. I’m not raising children or have a demanding spouse. My house is already a mess, so I don’t have that to do.

Sure, I’ve got a crowd of pets—two dogs and two cats—but they suck up what they can get and know when I’m at the keyboard I’m working.

Yes, they test that boundary until I yell out: “I’m working here!”

Then they skedaddle, laughing all the way.

My findings

Managing External Distractions: Identify it, then take action.

• social media, research bingeing, or just the internet… turn off Wi-Fi,
• sounds bother you… use music, white noise,
• desktop is full of shortcut icons that must be pushed… use a full-screen when you open a document,
• too busy… schedule a block of time,
• interruptions galore… find a writing space (even if this means leaving the house),

Internal Distractions

• forgotten where you were… try leaving a summary on your next step, writing prompt, or end in the middle of a sentence,
• need to empty the mind first… try mediation,
• thought of something you must fix, add, delete, etc… make a note to follow-up, then get back to your task.

More on the Inner battle

Sometimes battling with confidence or imposter syndrome can be worse than the war going on in your living room, or facing a blank screen or page.

There is no shortcut. And no, you’re not doing anything wrong when you bleed the words or debate your ability. What you’re feeling is natural. Most of us suffer within this spectrum.

If you can’t write your story, try writing about your feelings. Venting can release the tension. Maybe you’ll wind down enough to begin.

My Secret

My secret is I write, knowing no one will read it.

It’s my guilty pleasure, creating something from nothing. Being someone I’m not. Saying and doing things I’d never say or do. Pretending like a child and living in new places with people I’ll never meet during events that never happened.

This bubble of imagination is all mine and will remain so until I decide to share it.

And that too, I have full control over.

Here, I have the power. See me twisting my Snidely Whiplash moustache. hehehe

NOW YOUR QUESTION

Do you have a secret you don’t mind sharing?

Gleaned from:

• https://uwaterloo.ca/writing-and-communication-centre/blog/my-top-three-writing-distractions-and-how-i-deal-them
• https://shortwavepublishing.com/magazine/how-to-write-without-distraction-writing-guide-2/
• https://www.masterclass.com/articles/3-ways-to-stay-focused-while-writing-with-joyce-carol-oates
• https://authornews.penguinrandomhouse.com/five-ways-to-eliminate-distractions-during-your-writing-sessions/
• https://kingsriverlife.com/10/02/subtle-maneuvers-on-writing-in-a-distracted-world/
• https://prowritingaid.com/art/1486/what-kind-of-distracted-writer-are-you.aspx

IWSG 113: Blogging Over 12 Years

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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

Janet Alcorn | T. Powell Coltrin | Natalie Aguirre | Pat Garcia

OPTIONAL IWSG DAY QUESTION:

 How long have you been blogging? (Or on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram?) What do you like about it and how has it changed?

I’ll confess just between the two of us, social media is not for me. I tried it and failed. It felt too much like screaming at a wall. A huge, hard, unresponsive wall. And when I finally got responses, twitter suspended me. So Yay!

Blogging wasn’t much better at first. I’ve done it for years, but I don’t have much of a following compared to some who’ve been doing for half or a quarter of my time. That said, I wouldn’t have an online writing community without it.

Why, you ask.

I live in vanillavile with very few writers amongst us. We—the writers and I—have mingled and chatted but never really got down to critiquing each other. Their meetings are more reading their latest aloud and everyone there raving over them.

I need a street of two-way honesty. A way to offer feedback that didn’t take the light out of someone’s eyes but put determination in them. Or inspired the imagination. Or solidified roads to where our writing would go. I turned to the virtual world for something my little community didn’t have.

Has it changed? No. I did.

I was fearful at first. I didn’t know who was on the other end of the virtual world I’d dip into. Caution and suspicion is hard to let go of. But I’ve never met anyone that was malicious in the writing community. Maybe I’m lucky or too naive to get it, but the worst thing that happened was several one-way critiques.

If I called that paying my dues, I’m good with it. Now, I have critters I trade with weekly.

Fantasy Writer’s Week is Coming Up

And if anyone is interested, ProWritingAid is hosting Fantasy Writer’s Week in April. Click here if you want to learn more.

NOW YOUR QUESTION

I don’t know if it changed, but I know I have. What about you? Have you changed over the years of blogging, etc.?

IWSG 112: Paraphrasing or Plagiarism

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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

Kristina Kelly | Miffie Seideman | Jean Davis | Liza @ Middle Passages

Optional IWSG day question:

Have you “played” with AI to write those nasty synopses, or do you refuse to go that route? How do you feel about AI’s impact on creative writing?

My News First:

Some of you might know I’m part of an on-line writing group. We have three members and are looking for one or two more. Usually we sub the first week of the month, we give feedback after about two weeks, then we meet on-line through Microsoft Teams Free that I just use on my browser when it’s meeting time. Most of us are sci-fi fantasy writers that include some romance and mystery elements. I don’t think all of us are exclusive.

That said, if you’re interested or have questions about joining, feel free to reach out below.

Join Critique Circle or Ask a Question Click Here

Back to the question

What comes to mind is copyright infringement and the consequences that can ruin an author’s reputation. As far as I know, there is no legal proof of permission available for directly quoting an AI. Is it smart enough to give permission? I don’t know, but I doubt it.

What I do know is magazine publishers have made a stand. To learn more, check out my post here.

Using AI like the tool is great

The big trick is learning how to ask for what you want, then dig in and get the bot to expand and expand and expand. Got a character that needs a backstory that includes trauma. Okay, ask for a list of long-lasting trauma. Ask for a list about what not being able to cope would do to a person’s life. Ask (for a list) about how they’d get over it? How bad can it get for them? Chase what it gives you for as long as you like. THEN DO THE RESEARCH and gather citations.

Chatbots lie.

They aren’t a shortcut, but they can point at doors we are too close to see. Say that three times fast. hehehe

Other things it can do is list specific tropes for a genre and then expand on the reader’s expectations. No more disappointment or surprises when you finished and there is something missing glaring back at you. And more than that, it can help you visualize your perfect reader. Marketing, marketing, marketing and we all know how much publishers love that. hehehe

Here’s a Huge thought on Paraphrasing

How to paraphrase:

• Express the author’s ideas with your own words.
• Keep in mind the author’s meaning.
• Do not use the original sentence structure.
• ALWAYS give credit to the author. Consult manuals for forms of citations and references in different styles.

Plagiarism occurs when students change words, rearrange sentences, or use synonyms when paraphrasing the original text. Paraphrasing entails expressing others’ ideas in your own words so a citation must be provided. The ideas are still the author’s and credit must be given. Plagiarism occurs not only when borrowing words but also ideas.

From: Florida International University

Note: When researching, don’t forget to acknowledge your sources. 

AI’s impact helps with rejection.

Rejection is hard and if you decided to get published, then it’s harder. We seek it out. We set ourselves up for it. And the big truth is you can’t submit without expecting rejection. So one day I got the good news. Rejected, again. Desperate, I asked a chatbot why. It had a list longer than my arm that had nothing to do with my work. Things like timing, duplicate plots—or close enough, themes, submission guideline error, etc.

It was the biggest and the best bandage for my bruised ego I could have hoped for.

Try it. You’ll like it. *wink, wink*

My answer is all about the consequences

When tempted, what stops me is imagining the moment when I confess to the editor or agent I’m querying that I didn’t write the synopsis. What impression would that leave? I want them to know they can depend on me and I don’t do shortcuts. That I won’t let them down if things get tough. I’ll push when I need to push to meet deadlines.

And because I’m expected to write a synopsis for each project I pitch, I want them to know I can do the job.

Now your question

Do you think its worth chancing?

Gleaned from:

• https://www.makeuseof.com/chatgpt-how-to-master-storytelling/
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/jodiecook/2023/12/18/5-chatgpt-prompts-to-master-the-art-of-storytelling/?sh=45a94d5f2081
• https://promptexplained.com/chatgpt/storytelling/storytelling-with-chatgpt-prompts-for-engaging-your-audience/
• https://www.almondsolutions.com/blog/is-it-legal-to-use-a-paraphrasing-tool-to-avoid-plagiarism
• https://case.fiu.edu/opportunities/internships-jobs/clinical-experiences/plagiarism-tutorial/how-to-avoid-plagiarism/#:~:text=Plagiarism%20occurs%20when%20students%20change,and%20credit%20must%20be%20given.

IWSG 111: One-Way Street Syndrome

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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

Janet Alcorn | SE White | Victoria Marie Lees | Cathrina Constantine

OPTIONAL IWSG DAY QUESTION

What turns you off when visiting an author’s website/blog? Lack of information? A drone of negativity? Little mention of author’s books? Constant mention of books?

My answer may sting, and I’m sorry if it does. Get your bandaids ready and brace yourself.

This answer isn’t pretty, but it’s honest. I think that is what the group is looking for… I hope. 🙂

Insecure Writer’s Support Group:

Kudos to you!

I’ve partaken of many an on-line writing group and this is one of the few that doesn’t spend all its energy trying to get me to read for them or buy from them without returning the favour.

One reason I get turned off and slow down the visits of author websites, blogs, is simple… one-way street syndrome.

One-Way Street Syndrome:

Additional Notes: Two things I’ve forgotten: 1) I had to set up a Blogspot blog to comment on some blogs. 2) I’ve been forced to use Chrome because other browsers blocked me from commenting.

This may hurt a little for some and we all know who you are.

I visit the blogs in this group and comment to let the blogger know I was there and sometimes, when I’m feeling goofy, I try to make them laugh. That’s me. I know I’m not always great at it, but I try to be supportive and I can only visit so many.

I’m not a very outgoing person by nature and it’s taken a lot of time to get to know the bloggers who post on this hop. I visit the blogs I know well. The bloggers I like. I pop in on most everybody and make an effort to let them know I was there.

Much like Kilroy.

But not everyone understands netiquette. This is very obvious when I compare how many sites I visit and how many repay the kindness. Yes, I’m the one that leaves a link within my comment to make it as easy as possible to return the favour.

Here’s the code if you want to do the same:

<a href=”YOUR BLOG URL”>YOUR MESSAGE</a>

My example:

<a href=”https://emaginette.wordpress.com”>Anna from elements of emaginette</a>

Note: Copy it into notepad to clear up apostrophe error in the string above, then you can include it within your comments. WordPress is being weird.

Liking my comment on your site and not visiting me in return hurts. It’s discouraging.

But I don’t let it get me down forever. I still visit because this is a blog hop, and that is what we signed up to do. Hop. Hop. Hop, meaning each of us visits as many sites as possible and gives out virtual hugs by commenting.

When I completely stop visiting

Some blogs I don’t visit anymore. And here’s the second half of the answer. I can’t stand anyone that thinks that screaming, “GIVE ME! GIVE ME!” in this hop is okay. I am one of the team and not your full purse. On the off chance it’s bad timing, I’ll visit a couple of times, and if all I get out of it is more “BUY MY WORK” shouted at me over and over again,

I stop and don’t look back.

Don’t mix this up with news like…

Guess what! I just sold my first work.

Guess what! I’m doing a cover reveal. Any volunteers?

Guess what! I’m doing a blog tour and need some places to promote my latest.

Those are all great things and I rejoice with you.

OR

Guess what! I’ve gotten rejected for the umpteenth time.

It’s what stops me from submitting, and I cry with you—every time.

My News

Guess What! I love being part of this group because we share our joys and our disappointments and it’s okay to be who we are and where we are as writers. Without you, I don’t know where I’d be.

So thank you. Thank you so much for being in my life. You know who you are. 😉

NOW YOUR QUESTION

How do you deal with one-way streets? What keeps you strong when there is little choice?

IWSG 110: Review or Critique, that’s the question.

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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.

~~~oOo~~~

CO-HOSTS

Lee McKenzie| JQ Rose |Jennifer Lane | Jacqui Murray

OPTIONAL IWSG DAY QUESTION

Book reviews are for the readers. When you leave a book reviews do you review for the Reader or the Author? Is it about what you liked and enjoyed about your reading experience, or do you critique the author?

I’ll start with Critiques

I critique often mostly because I’ve learned a few things, but even if I hadn’t, it’s great a way to show support to my fellow writers. Some don’t like my style and that’s okay.

Some come back for more. I hope it’s because I don’t just point out what doesn’t work, I’ll make suggestions on how to fix them. Making a point of also including immediate reactions (lol, gasp, etc.), missed opportunities for characterization, description, or dropping an Easter egg and asking questions so their next reader will get a few teasers.

I’m a full service kind of critter. hehehe

There is also a disclaimer that makes clear that they are the captain and I’ll accept any and all decisions because only the creator knows where the story must land up.

On to Reviews

In my whole career, I’ve done three very uncomfortable attempts, then gave them up.

One story was romance, and I discovered as a reader and a writer I don’t like just romance in any story. Lesson learned. I did an interview as a compromise, and that worked out rather well. It wasn’t the story; it was me.

Another was so full of mistakes I decided to track them all and passed on my 100+ discoveries to the author, who was shocked and disappointed because she paid for a full proofread. It was an eBook—luckily—and was corrected and re-uploaded. I think she was another happy customer. Again opting out of a review.

The third, and the worst, was reviewing for a friend. I didn’t like the story, however I did give it a three star rating and I’m still not sure it earned that much. But because she was so dear to me and I was so frightened that I’d hurt, I did what I did. Even then, I found it hard to face her.

She was thrilled with the three stars.

After that, I stopped. My nerves couldn’t take it.

Why the pressure

Besides my love of community and writing friends, I’ve heard things. Seen things over the years and know that some writers only want good reviews and insist if you can’t do a four-star or higher, then don’t post at all. Or if they don’t get the review they think they deserve they attack. I’m not up for that.

I’m an honest person and sensitive—or at least try to be, and prefer to help from the shadows.

NOW YOUR QUESTION

Do you believe every review you read? What makes you buy anything? It doesn’t have to be a book.