Insecure Writers, ROW80, and Vine Leaves Literary Journal

hew!

The Blogging From A-Z Challenge was quite a ride. I missed out on quite a few other regular items while blogging about my favourite books:

First up, and today's another day, the Insecure Writer's Support Group, the creation of Alex J. Cavanaugh. I've been feeling rather insecure lately, the result of having my first chapter critiqued in awesome detail by Julie while I'm out on queries.

I haven't queried in weeks now, and feel as though I'm falling far far behind. I wish I could write well faster! I wish I could have short stories in the dozens to send to magazines and contests. I wish...

But that's the one thing we Must Not Do, right? Never compare your writing progress to that of others. After all - and here's where I finally update in the other group that I've missed, A Round of Words in 80 Days - I do have one complete novel (with a few tweaks to make to the first chapter) in submissions, and the second one's nearly ready for betas, and I've got at least three full-fleshed ideas for stories to follow, plus quite a few more that are glimmers on the horizon.

My goal for the rest of ROW80 is to finish entering all the edits from this current round of Reading The Printed Version, and then either let the novel sit, and wait (not my strong suit!) or send it to betas knowing the feedback won't be as favourable as if I let the story percolate and edit it myself one more time. I'm just afraid - insecure! - that if I set the story aside, and enter the wonderful frenzy of drafting something new, I won't have the guts to return to editing.

One last thing I missed blogging about - the second issue of Vine Leaves Literary Journal is out! Featuring vignettes from, among others, Theresa Milstein and Glynis Smy!