IWSG: The value of writing contests

I have mixed feelings about entering my stories into contests. On one hand, it's great exposure if I get an award, or even final in a contest. On the other hand, it can open up a can of worms I may not be prepared to deal with.

A few years ago, for instance, I entered what I thought was a wonderful paranormal romance into a romance contest. Some writers look down on romance writers as not serious enough, not dedicated to their craft, etc., but that has never been my attitude, or my experience. The judges in this particular contest made no bones about picking apart my entry. They slashed the hero, and pretty much everything about the story.

Now, I am a serious writer, and I am always appreciative when another writer takes the time to critique my work. It hurt, of course, because I'd considered this a good story. But I went back to the drawing board and revised it, and revised it a few more times, and after I finally published it, reviewers gave it top ratings. In retrospect, I'm glad I invested in the entry fee.

This year, I entered several of my stories into another annual contest. Every year but this year, my stories have finaled in it. This year? Zip. Nada. Nothing. I scanned through the list, and, not finding my titles, checked it again more slowly.

I have to admit, it rattled me. What does it mean? Has my writing declined?

This, by the way, is not a contest that provides feedback from judges. The entry fee is a little steeper than I normally would spend, but again, the finalists and winners get great exposure.

But now, I'm second-guessing myself in every aspect.

Do you enter writing contests? Do you agree they have a value?

Thanks again to Alex J. Cavanaugh for sponsoring this group! Now go lend a supportive shoulder to another author.

Insecure Writers: Exposed!

Many professionals suffer this fear - that one day, someone will walk in, point an accusing finger and state out loud what everyone everywhere has been secretly thinking: "You are a fraud!"

I like to take the positive approach that maybe the fear arises out of the desire to be better at what we do. It's not as if others don't struggle with the same insecurity; at some point, I think most people harbor this type of self-doubt.

The cure? For me, it's to work harder. And always strive for the next level.

I think I read somewhere that it takes at least ten thousand hours to become an expert at whatever you do. That's a very long time, and speaks to the old adage that perseverance is every bit as important as talent. It's some consolation to believe that my best writing is still ahead of me, and I can't get there unless I just keep writing, writing and writing some more.

It seems my every Insecure Writers post always ends with: never never never give up! But it's true.

Hang in there, everyone. And visit the Ninja Captain Alex for links to the others in this great group. Thanks, Alex, for launching the Insecure Writers.

Insecure Writers: Discouragement

Wow, it's so easy to get discouraged in this writing biz. And let it throw us off track. It presents itself as an almost palpable obstacle now and then, so I overcome it by reminding myself why I write - because I love it. It's my joy and my escape, my nurturing and sometimes tearing-down. But always, it's part of who I am. All the other nits about this business won't stop me from doing what I love.

I came across this graphic online, and it seemed perfect for today. For anyone finding themselves in a slump, know that it's perfectly natural. Just keep your eyes on the prize, and remember what's important. Never never never give up.

Thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Ninja organizer of Insecure Writers. Go visit some other writers and spread some good will!

Insecure Writers: When to type "The End"

I should start another support group for writers like me, who can't stop revising. I go through multiple revisions before sending work to crit partners, and afterward, at least another two or three rounds. But I never feel like a story's completely finished. Even after subbing it, I can't help revising again.

I have so many other projects I want to work on, but constant revisions slow me down.

I actually just pulled a sub - one I was invited to submit - because the story didn't feel complete, and the sub call limited the word count to 15k. In the end, I don't think I'll regret it, though I had the feeling it was a slam dunk. *sigh*

Does anyone else have this problem? Or am I taking perfectionism too far?

Thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh for launching the Insecure Writers Support Group! Hop on over to the other authors' posts. It's wonderful to lend support to fellow authors.

Insecure Writers: How can I shed the cloak of invisibility?

From what I’ve read about the “new world” of publishing, visibility seems to be one of the most important factors in sales. I don’t mean this as a rant against Amazon, but they certainly aren’t making things any easier for small-pubbed and indie authors.

Here’s a great post by Russell Blake, who understands Amazon’s new system of weighting better than I ever will.

In essence, they’re skewing the visibility factor toward bigger publishers who price their books higher. That way, Amazon will see greater profits because they’ll rake in greater percentages from those bigger pubs.

Did someone toll the death bell for big publishers? Seems to have been premature. They’re adapting to the new market, with the assistance of distributors like Amazon.

It’s discouraging. Just when I thought the playing fields were leveling out, they’ve padded the other half, the one with the goal. Like Russell Blake, I’ve jumped on the KDP Select bandwagon, held free days and rode the crazy roller coaster of seeing thousands of downloads. The after-bump sales held for awhile, which was also fantastic. But if Amazon has weighted their system against indie pubs, what’s the use?

I’d love to get this @&!! cloak of invisibility off my books. And then a little alchemy to get them to spontaneously combust and light sales on fire would be great, ha.

Any industry news you can share that’s in a similar vein? I try to keep up but Blake’s article surprised me.

Thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh for launching the Insecure Writers group!

Insecure Writers: Writing outside the comfort zone

Hey, I actually remembered it's Insecure Writers Day. Just in time for my latest insecurity - writing outside my comfort zone.

Yep, that could be me, scaling that gigantic phallic rock. (Sorry, that pic cracked me up and I couldn't resist posting it.)

I'm a big believer in writing from the gut - going where the characters lead, following my writerly instincts, taking a flying leap off the edge of the cliff, as Ray Bradbury so aptly put it, and building my wings on the way down.

I've written a few stories that are outside my comfort zone. Mostly the discomfort came from the erotic scenes. Sometimes the characters seem to demand the sex be hot and nasty. In some cases, I follow along, though I may close my eyes while typing. :)  Sometimes, I insist on toning it down a bit. Sometimes, when it feels necessary to the story, I just go with it.

For one novel, I actually stopped writing it a few times because the sex was very intense. It's set in the Underworld, and most of the erotic scenes involved a demon and his concubine. Once I realized that those scenes were actually less about sex than the underlying power struggle, I gave in to the demons' demands.

But I'm worried that some readers won't perceive the story as I'd hoped. A great deal of research goes into my stories (yes, even those set in The Undeworld - mythology plays a big part). And I am a serious writer.

Do you view such stories in a negative light? Do you view such writers as less than serious?

Thanks to all who share their views on this subject, and especially to Alex Cavanaugh, who launched the Insecure Writers Support Group!

Unrelated news, but visits are appreciated!

I'm at Romance Book Junkies today, talking about writing across genres and my dark paranormal, Dead to Rights (not a romance! Shh, don't tell.). I'd love for you to come over and keep me company! This kicks off my month-long blog tour. Just a word of warning. :)

Insecure Writers: Multiple pen names?

This probably falls less under insecurity than I'm just casting about for the appropriate thing to do, and could really use some feedback.

When I began writing, I used my maiden name of Masterson, and my first two initials, C.A. I wrote mostly literary short stories then, but a few mainstream/literary novels too.

Then a friend suggested I submit to one of the online publishers which had accepted one of her stories. A romance publisher. I did, but decided to shorten my name so it was a little snappier. So I became Cate Masters. (Seriously, I think of myself more as Cate Masters than anyone these days - a strange identity crisis.)

I'd already put up a Facebook identity as C.A. Masterson, and so had to make a page for Cate Masters, but whenever I post, I show up as C.A. Masterson. (Confused yet? Join the club!) It seems to confuse and/or disappoint some readers who download my mainstream/literary shorts, and find no romance.

I have some story ideas that are not romance, but wondered - as a reader, does it confuse you to have authors you like write across genres? Do you prefer they keep separate pen names for separate genres, or is that more confusing than one pen name?

Thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh for launching the Insecure Writer's Support Group! I need all the support I can get. :)

Insecure Writers: Negativity everywhere

Have you noticed it lately? It's all over the Internet. And man, am I tired of it.

Venomous comments on Facebook concerning politics or other public figures, frighteningly vehement. I've noticed juvenile feedback on web articles, and even YouTube videos (thankfully, none of my own, but it still bothers me). Authors who blog about what other authors shouldn't say on their blog.

Even nasty feedback on free reads. Free reads! A story given to you by an author. If someone handed you a gift in real life, would you say nasty things about it? Doubtful, but if you did, it would only be shared in confidence. So why do that to an author?

For awhile, some negativity made me doubt myself. I wondered: Am I doing everything wrong? Should I not talk about my writing, or writing in general, or mention nice reviews on my blog? Well, for goodness sake, what is a blog for if you can't share a good review? I'm happy for other authors who receive good reviews. Show a little generosity of spirit and say, "nice job." And writing is my passion. In fact, it's my escape. It's why I began this blog.

Sorry if this post comes off as negative. I work very hard at trying to remain positive, but sometimes the naysayers drag me down. I'm not saying it's all aimed at me. Much of it isn't. There's just been so much of it - on blogs, on Facebook - too many places.

We're all doing what we love, and doing the best that we can. And I love helping other authors, so I post plenty of tips both here and on my Facebook page.

I'm a big believer in karma. Negativity comes back around, maybe when you least want it to revisit you.

But beyond that, I think of myself as a professional. And in a professional world, we should conduct ourselves as such, and show some grace, some encouragement, some friendship. I have no respect for anyone who tries to elevate themselves by bashing others.

So this is my advice to anyone who visits, today or any day - believe in yourself. Love what you do, and let it show. Don't let anyone else tell you it's wrong. And if you don't like what I share on my blog, well, I'm sorry, but it's what I love. My passion. If you want to see pictures of the snow, or the sunrise or my dog, they're on my personal Facebook page. I have nothing against sharing that sort of thing on blogs, and I like seeing it on others' blogs, but it's just not my focus. Writing is.

Getting off my soapbox now...

And thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh for coordinating the Insecure Writer's Support Group! It's a great way to connect with, and support, other authors.

Insecure Writers: Self-doubt

I try to hit the mute button on my inner critic while I write. In the best of times, I sink into the story and let the flow take me away. Other times, it's more of an effort to craft the story, and it plods along. I go with that, too, because I know it's most important to get that first draft down. Revisions always follow. Multiple rounds of revisions. Followed by multiple critiques, after which there are more revisions.

Lately, I've been locked in the grips of self-doubt. It goes way beyond writer's block, which I always manage to write around by switching to another story until the problem blocking the other story comes clear. My self-doubt is so overwhelming, I couldn't write for most of December.

I forced myself to revise a story I wasn't quite satisfied with, and now it's much better, but I want readers to love it as much as I do.

This self-doubt is absolutely paralyzing. I'm simply lost. Have you ever dealt with such writing fears?

Forgot to add this earlier! Visit the rest of the Insecure Writer's Support Group here.

Insecure Writers Support Group

Love this idea! Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for organizing the Insecure Writers Support Group. And you should follow Alex's blog, which always has something interesting.

Hm, where to start? :)  I've been epublished for a little more than two years, but every year I think I feel more like a newbie than ever. I suppose because the industry's in such a flux, and a writer never knows what's coming next.

My biggest insecurity, I suppose, is marketing. How much is too much? I'm not inclined to share every occurrence in my life, so I tend to ignore the advice that the writer is the brand. Do you buy into that? 

I also avoid Amazon reader threads, which can lean toward the vicious at times. I've also heard the threads hate hate hate authors who promote there, so how can an author introduce him/herself without getting slashed?

I guess the main question is, how much marketing is too much?

Thanks for any feedback, insights and tips! And check all the participating authors here.