June #IWSG: Summer, Snark, and Survival Tips.

Come join Alex J. Cavanaugh and the Insecure Writer's Support Group. We discuss our fears, insecurities, ups and downs of the writing process and post the first Wednesday of every month! http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html


When life moves pretty fast, hang on for the ride and enjoy it. This guy looks like he's hanging on for dear life.This is exactly how I felt this last month, but I survived. Sort of. Don't mind that twitch. I'll be fine.

Navy Pier Chicago

This past month I watched my oldest son graduate from high school, experienced a monumental anniversary with my hubs and spent Memorial Day Weekend in Chicago. Twenty thousand steps on Friday alone, and I still can say I loved every minute of it. I always find something new in the Windy City. And, yes, it was windy and stormed while we were there. But we survived.

The new blue Ferris wheel

My new MG paranormal mystery made it into the coveted Query Kombat contest hosted by Michelle Hauck! Our queries and first 250 words will appear today on various blogs and will be matched up with similar entries. Over the next few weeks there will be several more rounds. The last standing entry in each age group will win. Well, if you make it past round one, you make it to the agent round, so that's a win. You can check mine out under the nickname, "The Sticky Note Ghost."

The Bean aka Cloud Gate

Sometimes a writer just needs to be reminded they can do it. This business is tough and depressing at times and can leave you full of sarcasm and snark and cynicism. I mean, sometimes a little snark can go a long way. Getting back to my monologue...sincere encouragement can do wonders in the writing world. My writer friend not only encouraged me to enter Query Kombat, but she insisted. She wouldn't take no for an answer. Genuine praise for our work can be what it takes to push us into action and gives us the confidence needed.

I'm pretty sure I have been my son's biggest cheerleader, rooting for him his entire life. Mom's intuition sensed this smart and talented kid would go far. He struggled in his beginning years in school, but has more than made up for it. This kid graduated with honors, is headed into the medical field, and is a top-ranked athlete in the state of MO. So when he spouts out medical information on muscle hypertrophy or sarcopenia or tells me I might need a stress test, I just smile and nod my head.

Don't forget to encourage people whether they are just starting out in this business, seasoned veterans, or your own kids who are smarter than you. It could be just what they need and can make a huge difference in their lives.

After someone encouraged me, I paid it forward and encouraged another writer, giving them a query/first chapter critique. Now, we are good friends! How are you encouraging others this month? Are you ready for summer? Any fun vacation plans?

Chicago River

February #IWSG: Fun with Photography and Phone Booths and Ferris Bueller Quotes

Come join Alex J. Cavanaugh and the Insecure Writer's Support Group. We discuss our fears, insecurities, ups and downs of the writing process and post the first Wednesday of every month! http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html










As the Midwest frolics in fifty degrees (be jealous), I've been hard pressed to find quantity writing time what with trips to the park and wearing flip-flops and all. This unfrozen winter feels oddly calming. So I dove write in (get it?) to take the February #AuthorLifeMonth challenge on Instagram (when I should be writing.) Snap a pic of the topic for that day and post it with the hashtag. Even if you're not a published author you can still participate.

This writer's journey can be a long and hard road to publication. Some in this group have already been published, but we wait on other things like finding  the perfect agent, publishers and contracts. The journey takes time and patience for all of us. Ferris Bueller has some words for those who spend every waking minute obsessed with writing, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile. You could miss it."

So in the meantime, get your camera (so retro) most likely your phone and snap some snazzy pics of you and your writing dreams and pass the time (when you should be writing). Get yourself out there. Remember you are selling not only your book (or future book) but yourself as an author.

My daughter and I played in a phone booth in an antique store over the weekend. Can someone call that number and tell me to GET BACK TO WRITING?! Thanks. 

Are you up for the photo challenge? Getting any writing done this year? Freaked out that we're already in February? You're still here? Go live life.

January #IWSG: Clear and Present Danger

Come join Alex J. Cavanaugh and the Insecure Writer's Support Group. We discuss our fears, insecurities, ups and downs of the writing process and post the first Wednesday of every month! http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html

Jack Ryan, Jason Bourne, James Bond all have one thing in common besides the first letter in their names: a clear and present danger. The stakes are always laid out before them and are never lost in wordy prose or the muddy middle. It's pretty clear they will die if they don't act. The sense of an immediate threat always lurks in the foreground.

Getting back to the basics of writing this holiday season, I was inspired as I picked up James Scott Bell's Write Your Novel From the Middle. Your writing must have clear stakes whether you write sci-fi, fantasy, contemporary. Knowing the stakes will make your story a page-turner. Great book for both plotters and pantsers!

Over Christmas break Missouri experienced some wild weather. We enjoyed sixty degree days, flash flooding and tornado watches. Last week I had to make a pizza run smack dab in the middle of a storm. Well, I didn't think about the clear and present danger until I had jumped in my car with my youngest teenage son and looked out the window. He said, "Drive, Mom. We can make it." I have two teenage boys. Of course, it was an emergency...to get pizza...in the middle of a tornado watch.

I binge-watched the Bourne movies recently and realized the incredible resourcefulness of Jason Bourne. He drives a stolen car at breakneck speed while pouring alcohol over his non-lethal gunshot wound, tending to his injuries and dodging an assassin and a dozen police cars. He gets away, silently slipping into the night without any recognition that he's awesome or a pat on the back for beating the bad guys at their own game. One thing I love about Bourne is that he never gives up; he never quits. He just keeps pressing toward his goals.

What clear and present goals do you have for this year? Write them down. Stay positive in 2016 as you balance writing with life and kids and laundry and interruptions and pizza runs in the middle of life-threatening weather. Remember, we're in this together!

December #IWSG: Things Are Getting Pretty Serious

Come join Alex J. Cavanaugh and the Insecure Writer's Support Group. We discuss our fears, insecurities, ups and downs of the writing process and post the first Wednesday of every month! http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html

Did you finish NaNo? Whether your answer is yes or no, it doesn't really matter. As long as you planted the story seed and watered it, you win. I started two novels and got almost halfway finished with each, so there's that. In the words of Napoleon Dynamite: YES. And as his brother Kip would say, "Things are getting pretty serious."


The fall season continues to inspire me with endless amounts of writing energy. No, my stories aren't set on a farm and aren't about horses or cowboys. There's just something about my favorite season that wrangles my senses and returns me to my childhood. Over the Thanksgiving holiday I traveled with my family to the outskirts of Chicago. You can see I had a captive audience as I pitched them ideas for my new stories.

If you want to continue NaNo every month of the year, I challenge you with three goals. First, carve out a time everyday to write. You already know this, so then why do you resist and fail far too often? Turn off Twitter or Facebook or fill-in-the-blank! Second, spy on your kids or other people's kids, but if you're not writing MG or YA, this will come across as creepy. Last, but not least, read widely. But, once again, you know this. Now, get your butt in gear and just do it. This year I've read almost double the amount of books I read last year. Read the good, the bad and the ugly chic lit that you can't stand or the epic regency romance slash paranormal space opera that everyone is talking about.

Here's your photographic inspiration for the day. Now go find your own colorful tree to sit underneath, and I better see you reading or writing.

Did you enjoy the long holiday weekend? What are you reading at the moment? Did you finish (or at least start) any new stories this past month? Are you a fan of Napoleon Dynamite?

November #IWSG: NaNo Anyone?

Come join Alex J. Cavanaugh and the Insecure Writer's Support Group. We discuss our fears, insecurities, ups and downs of the writing process and post the first Wednesday of every month! http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html


Living in the Midwest for most of my life has been a dream come true for this lover of fall. Who's gearing up for NaNoWriMo? The National Novel (in November) Writing Month kick starts my brain into high gear. Every year I participate, but I never register. One year while teaching fifth grade I registered my entire class. Every kid in my class wrote a novel. Achievement unlocked.

I must confess, I always begin writing my new novel a few weeks earlier in October. My goal is to finish it by the end of November with the rest of the NaNoers. So my goal remains the same every year: roughly six weeks and I have myself a brand new novel. I'm already 10,000 words into my precious, another upper middle-grade contemporary fantasy, but I fear I am quickly falling behind. I do love a challenge though!

What's so special about the fall season and writing books? Inspiration. My favorite season rapidly spreads inspiration into my veins like a flesh eating bacteria. Maybe that's a visual you weren't expecting, but it works.

Sometimes we just need a good excuse to get our butts back in the writing chair. And the fact that thousands of writers all over the world are participating in NaNo gives us a powerful motivation to join the party. Facebook, twitter, and critique groups all offer support and endless writing articles during this crazy month of cranking out a novel in thirty days.

So as you cozy up to the fireplace, your ten cups of coffee and your computer, remember to harness the inspiration all around you. Take my youngest teenage son, for example. I seriously can't make this stuff up. He came home from football practice the other day and said, "Mom, guess what we're reading in lit class? To Kill a Mocking Jay."

He was clueless. I laughed until my sides hurt.

So who's with me? Writing this month? Finishing up edits? Enjoying this season? Just for the record, the city of Hannibal is stunning in the fall.

October #IWSG: No Character Left Behind

Come join Alex J. Cavanaugh and the Insecure Writer's Support Group. We discuss our fears, insecurities, ups and downs of the writing process and post the first Wednesday of every month! http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html
 
I'm seriously late to the #IWSG party this morning. Instead of verbalizing the stress of a writer's life this month, I decided to offer a little bit of advice. Even with all of the ups and downs writing still remains my biggest passion.

In my finished WIP, I created a personality for each of my secondary characters. Some were quirky, funny, pranksters, annoying, smart-mouthed, you know, your typical teenager. I have two, I should know.

My writing mantra of "no characters left behind" was applied to all of my secondary characters. But I had glossed over a few minor ones. Those are typically the people who appear in only one scene and are forever forgotten. So I fixed the problem. I went back to each scene and created a personality for each of my minor characters. One of my previous chapters in my contemporary fantasy wreaked of a hurried, bored writer. Now, it's one of my favorite scenes in the entire story!



Whether your a newbie writer or a seasoned vet in this industry, it happens. Those minor characters get overlooked: gas station attendants, librarians, school nurses, lunch ladies. Even though they are very temporary characters in a quick and necessary scene, they are worthy of all your attention as a writer. Just as no two buildings are alike (okay, I'm stretching this a bit) and no two people are alike, so each person in our stories should be unique. Don't forget to breathe life into every last one of your characters.

Until next month!

Tell me if you've ever overlooked a minor character and how you fixed the problem. Are you enjoying writing this month? Call me crazy. I'm working on two new books!

September #IWSG: Don't Quit

Come join Alex J. Cavanaugh and the Insecure Writer's Support Group. We discuss our fears, insecurities, ups and downs of the writing process and post the first Wednesday of every month! http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html

Roller coasters. We've all been on them unless you aren't human. When I was fifteen, I landed my first job at a Six Flags where I worked in food service. It sucked, but it was pretty cool because one day I met Tone Loc. (80s rap star) Before his concert, he ordered two foot long hot dogs and handed me a one hundred dollar bill. In his gravely voice, he told me to keep the change. But sadly, we weren't allowed to keep the change.

I've been to many a Six Flags, Great America, and amusement parks over the years, but there's one coaster in the Wisconsin Dells at Mount Olympus that would make Rick Riordan proud. Hades. Yes, they don't call it Hades for nothing. Welcome to the world's first upside-down, underground wooden roller coaster. One minute you are high in the sky, enjoying the ascent overlooking the vast, lush, rolling hillsides along the Wisconsin River. The next moment you are plummeting in a death drop, feeling your spine ripped from your body. Just when you think it can't get any worse (and you're hoping the big guy in front of you doesn't lose his lunch), you plunge into complete darkness, racing along at 70-freaking-miles per hour as the the ride shoots through the parking lot under tons of cement. You pray none of the bolts are loose, because derailing from a freak coaster accident in broad daylight is one thing. Cashing in complete darkness would be the end of me, literally.

Welcome to Hades

Okay, I give you my comparison between coasters and a writer's life. One day you are up soaring above the sweet clouds taking a sweet look at the sweet horizon before you. The writing life is good. The next scene, you on a downward spiral of fear and rejection, realizing your spine has been ripped from your body and you will never get out alive. Everyone goes through the good, the bad, and the ugly as a writer. Some days will be better than others and some days you will feel like quitting and getting a job at Six Flags selling hot dogs. Don't quit.You're almost there.

August #IWSG: Back to Writing

Come join Alex J. Cavanaugh and the Insecure Writer's Support Group. We discuss our fears, insecurities, ups and downs of the writing process and post the first Wednesday of every month! http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html

"Trying to clean the house with kids inside is like trying to brush your teeth while eating an Oreo." Writing with kids home for the summer is IMPOSSIBLE. But in less than two weeks, they return to their regularly scheduled programming, er, um, back to school!!!

After surviving TWO family vacations with the kids, I have only outlined, researched, and added a few chapters to my WIP. While vacationing in Michigan, we went blueberry picking. Think of the time it takes for the fruit to ripen before you can actually enjoy them. You can't pick blueberries all year long. The season lasts only a few weeks. Sometimes you just can't write. During those times, I choose to outline or research or read all the books. I can't wait to get back to my regular schedule of writing. I love my crazy kids, but summer is a whirlwind for me.

How's your summer? Have you been busy writing? Taking a break? Looking forward to fall?

Blueberry fields

My daughter experiencing Lake Michigan for 1st time.

July #IWSG: The Waiting Game

Come join Alex J. Cavanaugh and the Insecure Writer's Support Group. We discuss our fears, insecurities, ups and downs of the writing process and post the first Wednesday of every month! http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html

Waiting. That's all we do sometimes. We wait on the kids, wait for CPs and beta-readers (not complaining!), wait for book related news, wait for trains. As a writer, we wait and we wait and we wait. This train lasted FOREVER. It stood between me and my destination: a park next to the Mississippi River.

We can't control the outcome of certain things and we can't control other people (you can try, but that's called being a control freak). However, we can control how we wait: patiently or impatiently. Those are pretty much the only two options we have.

While I was waiting for this train to pass (all one hundred train cars give or take a few, moving at a pace slower than my youngest teenage son trying to clean his room), I was struck with the beauty of the perfect clouds, the bluest skies, and the vivid color swirls of graffiti art. I snapped a few pics while I waited and waited and... 

How do you handle waiting? If you're in the writing game and you think this doesn't apply to you, you're doing it wrong. I wish we didn't have to wait, but that's a writer's life! 

Some of you requested I post photos of the bathroom in Hannibal's newest downtown restaurant overlooking the Mississippi River:

I told you it was fun and photo worthy! Don't forget the 60th annual Tom Sawyer Days starts this week in Hannibal, Missouri, Mark Twain's boyhood hometown.

June IWSG: Writerly Inspiration

Come join Alex J. Cavanaugh and the Insecure Writer's Support Group. We post the first Wednesday of every month! http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html

On the Old Chicago Road about thirty minutes from downtown Chicago you will find an abundance of empty fields filled with windmills and a strong sensation you just crossed over into the fifth dimension. I gain inspiration for my writing through photographs. I can return to the same photo and linger for hours.

I get lost scouring through an endless assortment of Chicago IGers on Instagram. Since I'm several hours away, I must live vicariously, peeking into the Rookery, the Soho House, or catching a glimpse of Calder's Red Flamingo on the sidewalk just outside the Federal Building. Every fall I return to the city. Until then I stalk my favorite Instagram account, Skydeck. With its sweeping views, the Sear's Tower remains the single most photographed landmark in Chicago.

Tornado Alley runs through Illinois (and Missouri, oh joy). Typical flat farm fields stretch forever across this state where each spring and summer clouds swirl with potentially dangerous weather. And who doesn't love writing a good storm scene?


Another source of inspiration for my writing comes from reading books in my genre (and out of my genre). I can't tell you enough how much this inspires me--more than anything else. I'm always on the prowl for unputdownable books.

Did I mention my two teenage boys? Of course, you guys already know how much I shamelessly use them. It doesn't get any better than real live kids in your house eating all of your food, fighting with their siblings, and pulling a million pranks. I'm okay. Deep breath. Summer's just starting. I can do this. OK, who put the traffic cone on top of the house??

Where does your inspiration come from? Need to find some? What have you read lately to inspire your inner Hemingway or Jeff Kinney?