BOO YA!

Hey! It’s the Monthly Blog Hop for the Insecure Writers Support Group founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh.

The first Wednesday of every month, we announce an optional question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience, or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. Remember, the question is optional!!! 

The awesome co-hosts for the August 2 posting of the IWSG are Kate Larkinsdale, Diane Burton, Janet Alcorn, and Shannon Lawrence!

August 2 question: Have you ever written something that afterwards you felt conflicted about? If so, did you let it stay how it was, take it out, or rewrite it?

 

My book, Azael's Lot has some scenes I debated about keeping...

Though conflicted, I kept them.

The story is about fallen angels, demons, and witches.

Too often movies and TV shows... 

Make the dark side is seem not so dark...

Cozy witches cooking potpourri and making candles...

And cute love potions and spells.

Not my witches...

They’re evil and I wanted people to detest them. 

That’s what the darkness is.

Years ago... 

Harriet, my 76-year-old neighbor in Ohio...

Asked to read the manuscript...

So I gave her the whole enchilada.

A few days later Harriet came to my door... 

And shoved the manuscript at me and and said: 

“Oh, Leigh! I couldn’t finish reading your manuscript…

All the blood! The filthy rituals!  What those witches did 

to that boy! I just didn’t want those visions in my head. 

I was afraid of getting nightmares. I’m sorry. I thought

the story was about angels…not witches and demons.”

“But there is a redeeming factor in the end, Harriet.”

“Sorry dear, I just can’t read anymore.”

So? 

That fact that my story scared the bejeebers out of Harriet…

Was that a good thing? 

Always.

Em-Musing

 

VALIDATE ME

 

It’s the monthly blog hop/ known as the Insecure Writers Support Group founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. You’re invited to join if you're a writer, insecure, or just supportive of writers. It happens the first Wednesday of each month, and it would be sweet of you to visit at least a dozen or so new blogs and leave a comment. Your words are appreciated. Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.   Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!  

The awesome co-hosts for the September 1 posting of the IWSG are Rebecca Douglass, T. Powell Coltrin @Journaling Woman, Natalie Aguirre, Karen Lynn, and C. Lee McKenzie!

  September 1 question - How do you define success as a writer? Is it holding your book in your hand? Having a short story published? Making a certain amount of income from your writing?

I've been a copywriter for decades...

So, writing something and having it published or produced...

Always felt successful.

Not to mention getting paid was great.

But for me...

Writing a novel and getting it published meant real success. 

Two years ago... 

I pulled out an old manuscript...

Edited my heart out and self-pub’d.

Trust me...

That monumental feat alone felt successful...

As I’m sure other self-pub’d authors have felt. 

And then just the other night...

I was watching a YouTube video with my daughter...

When she said, “Mom! This is the story in your book!”

Yup! It is.

Well, truth be told...

I fictionalized parts cause that’s what we authors do, right?

But seeing the visuals... 

And hearing the voiceover telling the story...

I didn’t feel successful...

I felt validated...

That all my years of research was spot on.

Because back then...

Doing research wasn’t a simple Google click away.

So? What about you?

When do you feel success?

And is success the same as validation?

 

Always,

Em-Musing

 

In case you haven’t seen the Video Trailer for my book, Azael's Lot here it is.

?And did I miss a notification 

from Blogger that there would 

be changes to the formatting? 

It's taken me several hours to get my template back to normal.