#IWSG: Writer Updates and Difficult Scenes

 

What is the IWSG? Read on!

Purpose: 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!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting!

 
You ready?
Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!


March 2 question (always optional!) - Have you ever been conflicted about writing a story or adding a scene to a story? How did you decide to write it or not?
 
The awesome co-hosts for the March 2 posting of the IWSG are Janet Alcorn, Pat Garcia, Natalie Aguirre, and Shannon Lawrence!
 
I'll start with my writing update...
I'm making good progress with my total rewrite on the new book, which has acquired a tentative title of A Coastal Corpse (though every time I think that, several more ideas pop into my head, so it's far from a sure thing). I'm up to about 40 thousand words, so about halfway through the rewrite. I'm pretty sure it's in better shape than last time, and will be easier to edit into an actual novel. I'll know more when I get done and start revising. 

Planning for the story I want to write next week at my 5-day artist's residency has so far pretty much stayed in my head. I'm thinking about doing something pretty challenging, so we'll see. If that's too much, I'll fall back on working on the novel.
 
One story still out on submission, and I got rather sidetracked in my search for the next place to send the one that came back in February.

And then there's the rest: I've set March 24 as the day for my house to go on the market, so things are in that intermediate state of chaos where I'm packing and shedding unwanted stuff so it can look fantastic for the photos. I've had a ton of help from wonderful friends and family, some of whom traveled long distances to get here and enjoy a blend of good food, good conversation, nice walks, and of course a ton of hard work. It makes my head rather full, but actually makes sitting down and writing the novel seem kind of easy by comparison.

Now for the question...
For sure! Oddly, since I can't sustain anything serious in my writing, I have had a number of occasions where rather grim histories try to get into the novels. I've resisted putting that in, for the most part. But now I'm thinking about writing about grief and loss, and I'm definitely conflicted about that (not a specific scene at this time, just addressing the elephant in my room). I hope it will happen in a good way, but I'm not going to push it.

How about you? Let me know about your difficult scenes, or just tell me how the writer life (or the rest of life) is treating you!
 
And... my obligatory gratuitous pretty picture, one of my husband's from our 2020 trip to Patagonia: 
Cerro Torre, Los Glaciares National Park, El Chalten, Argentina


Comments

  1. Hi,
    Congrats on your writer residency. I so desire to go on one. I think they are fabulous. Enjoy it.
    All the best.
    Shalom aleichem,
    Pat G @ EverythingMustChange

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I'm very excited to have been selected :) Hope I can get some good work done; I think right now 5 days when I can't distract myself with moving stuff is really a gift.

      Delete
  2. It's I, again. I forgot to say the pic is simply awesome.
    Thanks for sharing.

    Shalom aleichem,
    Pat G @ EverythingMustChange

    ReplyDelete
  3. I really like your title idea. It's great you're making progress in your writing. Hope you make lots more at your writer's residency. And good luck in selling your house.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Natalie. I'm looking forward to all of the above. Making huge leaps of progress on the house this week.

      Delete
  4. Yes, it’s going well. Keep up the good work. I’m in awe of you doing a complete rewrite! Although I got close to that with Bravo Victor, come to think of it. It’ll be good, anyway 😀
    I’m going to sign up again for the feed. It’s definitely not coming through.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not sure what's gone wrong with your feed. Since I hauled all mine out of the junk mail folder, I'm getting the notices :)
      As for the rewriting, well, drafting has always been my happy place, especially when I know where I'm going and what I'm doing, so this is pretty nice!

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  5. I like your tentative title.
    Congrats on your coming artist's residency.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good luck with the house. Selling and moving are always a pain.

    And congrats on the residency. That sounds amazing!

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    Replies
    1. Selling and moving are a pain in many ways this time. Also daunting, flying solo. I'm doing it.

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  7. Good luck getting your house on the market! I don't know how the housing market is where you are, but if it's anything like ours, it should sell easily. That being said, I totally understand that you feel your head is full with all the planning and packing and stuff and this makes writing feel easy. That's wonderful in a way!

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  8. that is a glorious picture!!
    We've been dealing with dementia for much of the last decade. It's not the same kind of grief, but there is a lot (a lot!) of grief involved with the disease. Writing my nonfiction on dementia was incredibly challenging and cathartic at the same time. I found writing in small time chunks helped me get through it. Good luck with your writing!

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