I am so excited to add the latest IWSG anthology to my keeper shelf alongside all the others published by this amazing group. I've asked the writers of these magnificent stories a few questions. Not only will you get to know about them as writers and about their process, but you may also learn something that speaks to you as a writer and a reader. Enjoy!
How many drafts do you write for each novel and which do you find the most enjoyable and the most difficult?
I write a single draft, but it goes through several polishing passes. My favorite stage is the final pass, when I get to sit back and enjoy the finished product.
Can you give one piece of advice for beginning authors?
Find good critique partners and listen to them. Don’t be in a hurry to publish your debut.
- Melissa Maygrove
How many drafts do you write for each novel and which do you find the most enjoyable and the most difficult?
ANSWER: As many as it takes, some novels may need more than others, ESPECIALLY, if you are a panster. The first draft is my favorite, creating the characters, plots, and settings; and the most difficult is the final, trying to make it as perfect as possible.
Can you give one piece of advice for beginning authors?
ANSWER: Don’t give up no matter how long it takes…it will happen in time. For me, it took over a decade to finally have a story published traditionally.
Michael Di Gesu
Can you give one piece of advice for beginning authors?
Never stop thinking of yourself as a beginning author. Even with tons of experience, you’ll learn much from reading the work of better writers!
Do you have a book that you can read over and over again and especially when you need the inspiration to write?
The YA titles of my youth like The Hunger Games or Twilight remind me of a time when being an author was a distant dream. Those books inspire me to push toward my goals so my younger self would be proud.
- Kim Elliott
Can you give one piece of advice for beginning authors?
My advice is to just write. It's so easy to get overwhelmed by fears you're doing it wrong or don't know enough but I'm pretty sure every writer, bestseller or newbie, suffers from imposter syndrome, and the only way to finish a book is to put words on the page.
Do you have a book that you can read over and over again and especially when you need the inspiration to write?
One book I read over and over is The Heartbreakers by Ali Novak. It's a great example of giving the readers what they want, and it always reminds me to have fun and write what I want to read.
-Sammi Spizziri
Which social media platform do you most enjoy using for promotion?
I love Twitter for promotion simply because of its concise nature. It’s also been a great place for me to connect and interact with other writers (and encourage aspiring ones).
Do you have a book that you can read over and over again and especially when you need the inspiration to write?
Not a book, but an author. Whenever I’m in a slump (of any kind), Alice Hoffman is the first writer I go to. Her novels are magic.
- Katie Klein
How many drafts do you write for each novel and which do you find the most enjoyable and the most difficult?
I once read that Harper Lee rewrote Chapter One of To Kill a Mockingbird 60 times and I think I can give her a run for her money, especially on my current WIP. I'm struggling with the beginning even though most of the book has been written. I don't love the first draft at all, but I do love the editing process.
Do you have a book that you can read over and over again and especially when you need the inspiration to write?
I never lack inspiration to write, as I draw heavily on my travels which I've documented in diaries. But the novel I re-read every year or so always inspires - Beach Music by Pat Conroy. It has everything I love - descriptive, lively settings (Rome and Maine); current events (terrorism); family feuds (fantastic characterization with underpinning mystery); environmental issues (saving the turtles) ... and more.
- Denise Covey
How many drafts do you write for each novel and which do you find the most enjoyable and the most difficult? I never preplan. I always start out with an idea, scene, or emotion and write until I can’t go anymore. When I run out of steam, I take a break and then write out an outline or sets of goals for the story and its characters. I always complete a minimum of four drafts and the last is the hardest - knowing for sure if you have everything needed for an enjoyable tale without overdoing it.
Can you give one piece of advice for beginning authors? Read and write every day. Read a variety of genres, read books on the craft, read blogs of other authors. There is a multitude of information and contradictory advice out there. Weed through and find what works for you. Our minds don’t work the same and we all have different interests and strengths. Be willing to learn and find your own process for success.
- Slyvia Ney
First Love: The Art of Making DoughnutsAn Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology
The sweetness of first love…
Could a fiercely independent cop’s heart be stolen by the guy who makes her favorite doughnuts? Will a maid who used deceit to snare a mail-order husband get a dose of her own medicine? Can her handsome neighbor rescue a modern-day “princess” from a tenacious ex-boyfriend? Can two strangers in a rideshare be honest enough to fall in love for real? Can you remember your first love? How about your second? Third? Fourth?
Featuring the talents of Linda Budzinski, Melissa Maygrove, Michael Di Gesu, Sylvia Ney, Katie Klein, Kim Elliott, Templeton Moss, S.E. White, Denise Covey, and Sammi Spizziri. Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these ten tales will touch your heart and rekindle lost feelings. Prepare to return to that first love…
Release date: September 6, 2022
Print ISBN – 9781939844880, $14.95
eBook ISBN – 9781939844897, $4.99
Romance - Clean & Wholesome (FIC027270) / Contemporary (FIC027020) / Historical (FIC027050)
186 pages, Freedom Fox Press, an imprint of Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.
Founded by author Alex J. Cavanaugh and a Writer’s Digest Top Sites for Writers, the Insecure Writer’s Support Group offers support for writers and authors alike. It provides an online database; articles; monthly blog posting; Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram groups; #IWSGPit, and a newsletter.
https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/
Links:
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/First-Love-Art-Making-Doughnuts-ebook/dp/B09QH3Z28P/
Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/first-love-insecure-writers-support-group/1140884369?ean=2940165751301
iTunes https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id1605240999
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/first-love-the-art-of-making-doughnuts
Scribed - https://www.scribd.com/search?query=9781939844897&language=0
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60198262-first-love
Any of those answers strike a note for you? Do you have a go-to book that you read over and over again? Why that book?
