Insecure Writers Support Group: Police Procedure, FREE eBook

IWSG Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to  the IWSG blog hop. 
What is IWSG? Founder of the Insecure Writers Support Group and author Alex J Cavanaugh explains the group's purpose is "to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!" You're invited to become a member of this supportive group.

The group blogs the first Wednesday of every month, The list of bloggers is always available so you can hop around to the author blogs filled with humor, advice, and thought-provoking topics on writing and publishing. You can find the list of participants at Alex's IWSG page. 

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Caution: Remember today is April Fool's Day. Don't get caught!

FREE eBook today and tomorrow

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Today is no April Fool's prank when I tell you our eBook on gardening is free today!! Yeah, really, go check it out. Quick Tips on Vegetable Gardening: Starting Your Garden is FREE today AND tomorrow. Go get it at Amazon 

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No joking around, today my writing insecurity is police procedure. I write mysteries, but I have no experience in law enforcement, so I have to depend on my own "investigation" into how a crime is committed and how police actually gather evidence, find suspects, and how they handle the aspects of bringing a criminal to justice. 

I am insecure about my lack of knowledge in this department because in Coda to Murder a reviewer called me out on getting a procedure wrong--notifying the family of the murder of their loved one. I know it is a book of fiction, but when readers see a fact or procedure is incorrect, it colors their perception of the whole story. 

In writing my first two mysteries, I relied on my neighbor who is a city policeman and the Crime Scene Writer Group. (My neighbor did not get the procedure wrong. I didn't even ask him about the procedure.) Now well into my third mystery, I realize I am lacking in information on the witness protection program and drug trafficking. 

Where do you find resources for getting the police investigations and procedures correct? Please leave a comment below. Thanks so much. 

Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop: Procrastination and Perfection

Hello and welcome to  the IWSG blog hop. 

What is IWSG? Founder of IWSG and author Alex J Cavanaugh explains the group's purpose is "to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!" You're invited to become a member of this supportive group.

The group blogs the first Wednesday of every month, The list of bloggers is always available so you can hop around to the author blogs filled with humor, advice, and thought-provoking topics on writing and publishing. You can find the list of participants at Alex's IWSG page. 

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Just released!

The Insecure Writers Support Group Guide to Publishing and Beyond
FREE

This information-packed guide written by members of the IWSG is filled with advice for writers. Find it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Smashwords,Goodreads.

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Procrastination and Perfection by J.Q. Rose

Procrastination--the dictionary.com definition is the act or habit of procrastinating, or putting off or 

delaying, especially something requiring immediate attention

Are you a member of the group??? I am. 

I vow 2015 will be the year I do not put things off, but take action to "get 'er done." I even bought a planner with slots for daily, weekly, and monthly planning to actually write down deadlines for me to meet. I must admit I only spent a dollar for it at the Dollar Tree, but I don't need any fancy book cover or graphics to motivate me to use it. Although, the flimsy red plastic cover is not very attractive or inviting for me to pick it up.

I read in an article that perfectionism is a common trait of procrastinators. I thought I gave up being a perfectionist when I was 13. Talk about exhausting! Getting every detail correct can drive a person buggy. I fear there are some areas in my life where those old traits of perfectionism come to the surface now and then. 

The thinking must be that if I can't do a project perfectly, then I'll put it off till I can. Is that how it goes? This is the only explanation I can muster for not writing those deadlines in that planner because I'm afraid I'm not going to make the deadline! 

Perhaps if I use a pencil to set those dates knowing I could erase them??? 

Come on Procrastinators of the IWSG, arise! We must overcome this wretched habit! What's your best advice to conquer this evil frittering away of time? 

Thank you for your support!

Insecure Writers Support Group: Writer's Re-writing Tips

Internet Writers Support Group --What is IWSG? Founder of IWSG and author Alex J Cavanaugh explains the group's purpose is "to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!" 

The group blogs the first Wednesday of every month, The list of bloggers is always available so you can hop around to the author blogs filled with humor, advice, and thought provoking posts. You can find the list of participants at Alex's IWSG page.  

Writer's Re-writing Tips by J. Q. Rose

I was thrilled to finish the first draft of my mystery work-in-progress last week. 

Now begins the fun part, the re-writing.  

There is no great writing, only great rewriting.Justice Brandeis 

Actually I enjoy slogging through the manuscript and "fixing" it up, slashing sentences, paragraphs, or even full scenes. adding the motivation or the one touch that pulls the heart strings of the reader, and finding that perfect verb to illuminate the action. Ah, what joy.

Now that I am ready to finish this third mystery, I would like to learn methods other writers do when re-writing their manuscripts. 

What tips can you share with us to help make the re-writing more productive?

• Do you read through without making any changes to get the flow or pacing of the story? Find the muddle in the middle?
• Do you begin by fixing  grammar errors and typos?
• When do you check if characters and descriptions of locations are consistent throughout the entire story? 
• Do you perform all these steps in one reading?
• Do you keep each chapter separate and save it to its own file in MS Word? Or do you write all the chapters in one file? Or do you use a writer's helper like Scrivener to keep track of chapters, scenes, characters, etc

What nugget of information can you share with us? Please leave a comment below.  We'd appreciate all the help we can get!

Thank you!

This 'n That Thursday--Insecure Writers Support Group, Kat Holmes' Summer Bash, My WIP

Summer sunset over Lake Huron July 2014

Taking a page from Alex Cavanaugh's newsy and fun blog, I am throwing a lot of things into one post here. I call it This 'n That, but they're all about writing. Speaking of Alex, he is the mighty captain of the Insecure Writers Support Group. 

What is IWSG? Founder of IWSG and author Alex J Cavanaugh explains the group's purpose is "to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!" 

The group blogs the first Wednesday of every month, so come back on Wednesday to see how insecure I am! LOL The list of bloggers is always available so you can hop around to the author blogs filled with humor, advice, and thought provoking posts.

Cozy mystery/sweet romance

Romance author Kat Holmes is hosting me on her blog today during her Summer Bash party. Inteviews with lots of authors all summer long. Stop over and enjoy the party, take a cruise with me in my red Mustang with the top down, of course, and enjoy fresh summer salads and ice cream!!

Kat's Lucky 13 question is "What are you working on?" I'm so happy she asked that one because I am just finishing my work in progress, a new mystery/sweet romance. The story takes place in the Staab and Blood funeral home,. Lauren Staab, the undertaker's daughter, moved back home to help her father care for her mother who is stricken with Alzheimer's disease. Lauren also stesp in for her mother's responsibilities in the business. Her world is turned upside down when, well let me just share the first part of Chapter One with you so you can get the idea.

Proposed Chapter One

“Lauren, call 9-1-1, there’s a dead body out here in the garage!”

            Lauren frowned. Dad must be joking. This is a funeral home. There’s always a body here. Still, there was urgency in his voice.

            She grabbed her cell phone off the desk in her office, kicked off her high heels, and ran toward the garage at the back of the funeral home.

            Lauren studdered to a stop and stood in shock when she saw a man lying face down in a pool of blood on the garage floor between the black funeral coach and SUV.  Her father looked up at her and shook his head. She felt the bile rise to her throat and turned away from the ghastly scene.

That gives you an idea of one of her problems in the story, but she also has a shadow man who keeps visiting her and sometimes at the most inopportune times like when she and her boyfriend, Chip, are together!

Fun to write this story. It isn't a dark drama. but instead filled with humor, high jinx, and a lot of bad guys too.

I have a LOT of work to do after writing the first draft, but I am anxious to dig in and smooth out the bumps and add a lovely layer of smooth asphalt on top to make the journey down the path an entertaining and thought-provoking ride. I hope you'll come along with me as I share about the writing of this new story. I'll need some of your ideas to help me along...for instance, a Title! 

Thank you for stopping by today and please leave a comment about your writing /reading progress this summer.

            

IWSG Wednesday: Coming to the End of the Story

It's the first Wednesday of the month and time for a post from all the folks in the Insecure Writers Support Group. (IWSG) 

What is IWSG? Founder of IWSG and author Alex J Cavanaugh explains the group's purpose is

"to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!"

After visiting here, please take time to hop over to other blogs and hear their voices. You can find the list of participants at Alex's IWSG page.  

Check out the new IWSG Website for great writing tips.  

Image courtesy of digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Coming to the End of the Story by J.Q. Rose

I have been writing a story for almost a year now, off and on. I remember the excitement of scribbling out the basic outline of the plot in my notebook. With determination and optimism I began writing the first chapter. When finished, my heart soared to finally have a tangible chapter to save to my new folder.  The ideas that had been washing through my brain for months had taken shape into sentences and paragraphs. I was thrilled with the first foray into my new story.

Now in May 2014 I am closing in on the final chapters. My characters and I have gone through a lot together. They have transformed from my first imaginings of them. Some even have different names than they had in the first chapter. Roger is now Emmett, Jessica is now Lauren. And so on, and so on.

 I feel that I am at a precipice and not quite ready to jump off into the ending of the story. I hate to finish it, tie up all the loose ends, and be done with it. It's been such a growing experience for me. 

I realize I have much to do with re-writing this first draft, but let me just take a minute to appreciate all the thoughts and work that has gone on these months. I want to savor it awhile, before I end it.

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How about you? Do you hate to bring the curtain down on your story or are you relieved when you finally write THE END? Leave a comment and let us know. Thanks for stopping by today.