Living the Writerly Dream and Favourite Books 2019 #IWSG

We made it to the end of the year. My goodness time is whizzing by. Not happy about that!! So much to do! So little time. I’ve been busy editing Book 2 of my Wielder’s Storm series. It’s taking longer than I had anticipated so I’ve had to delay the release until January. If you'd like to stay up to date with my releases, please join my VIP Club.

If you haven’t read it yet, Wielder’s Prize, Book 1 of the series, is available in ebook and paperback. Pick up a copy today or buy an extra copy as a gift this Christmas.

While you're at it, also pick up a copy of Cling to God: a Daily Devotional. This one will make a perfect gift for Christmas too. 

The IWSG question for the month:
How would you describe your future writer self if you were living the dream?

I’d have a bunch of bestsellers under my belt,
I’d be living in a castle with a secret passage leading to my writing nook (of course),
I’d have a movie or two made from my books,
and a popular TV series.
And I’d have the luxury and confidence to just keep writing (which I’m going to do anyway because I love writing so much)

How about you? What’s your dream?

Favourite books I’ve read this year:
Below is a list of affiliate links to my favourite books I read this year. I bought more than I read. Because time. But these are the standouts that I did get to read, and I highly recommend:

Illuminae (book 1 of the Illuminae Files) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff – a fast-paced young adult sci-fi. This one is a little different because it has whacky formatting that doesn’t detract, but adds to the story. If you like YA stories with a smart female lead, an insane AI, planetary invasions and space battles, then this is for you.

Navigating the Stars (Sentinels of the Galaxy book 1) by Maria V. Snyder – another young adult sci-fi. This one is also a quick, light read with plenty of action and cool stuff. Like the discovery of the ancient Chinese terracotta warriors on other planets. I have a soft spot for extra-terrestrial archaeology. The Aussie cover for the book is awesome too and I love the sassy main character.

Chasing the Shadows (Sentinels of the Galaxy book 2) by Maria V. Snyder – It’s not often I continue reading a series, but I had to read more of this one. I’m super busy, so I’ve been snatching what little time I can to read. And I’m loving book 2. I’m three-quarters of the way through. I know I’m going to have a hard time waiting for book 3 to be released.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (book 1 of a duology) – Loved it! This one is a young adult fantasy. The characters are all distinct and interesting and the story is super engaging. Not as fast a read as the books I mentioned above, but super enjoyable.

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo (book 2 of the duology) – Also loved this. And the ending is satisfying.Yay!

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff (book 1) – This is a dark fantasy for adults even though the protagonist is a sixteen year old girl. There are some adult themes. But I loved it. Wonderfully written. It won the Aurealis award for a reason (a prestigious Aussie award for speculative fiction).

What were your favourite reads this year?


What's your Christmas going to look like?
Mine will be sweltering in the summer heat with family.

Wishing you all a joyful and safe Christmas. See you in the New Year!! 

The Joy of Researching for a Story #IWSG

Today I'm over at Denise Covey's blog while she is off gallivanting across Europe, doing research of her own. The lucky thing!! Please pop on over to Denise's blog and say, Hi.

The IWSG question of the month is a great one: What's the strangest thing you've ever googled in researching a story? 

I'm a huge fan of research and I've learned so much over the course of my writing career. For Wielder's Prize, my debut novel, I did a lot of research into eighteenth century tall ships, life aboard those ships, even the naming conventions on ships, for example there are no walls on ships; they're called bulkheads. Stairs are ladders. Windows are ports. I even learned the names of sails, what sailors eat, their superstitions. There is a scene later in the book that required me to look up the best conditions where various clams and mussels grow.

For book two, which I hope to release this year...yes, I said this year, yikes... I researched Icelandic words, Icelandic landscapes, the kind of vegetation that grows in cold environments. I've fallen in love with the country. So much so, that next year I'm hoping to travel to Iceland. We'll call it research, but by that time all three of my books for the Wielder's Storm trilogy will be out.

As for the strangest thing I've researched, I'd have to say that would be diseases. I wrote an Apocalyptic novel where the end of the world begins with a virus. No, not a zombie novel. I needed to look up germ warfare, terrorism and everything else associated with it. I felt like I had to throw up my hands and cry, "This is research for my novel. I swear!" That novel isn't out yet. I'm holding on to it until I finish my multiple fantasy series.

What have you researched recently?

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I've been busy with edits for Book 2 of my Wielder's Storm trilogy. The title is Wielder's Curse. I hope to release it early December. I won't put it up for preorder this time, but I will give it a discounted price for its first week of release, so keep an eye out!  (Or join my VIP Club for updates and you won't miss out--you'll even get a free hi-rez map of Erenna, the world where the Wielder's Storm trilogy is set in).

The photo above is one I took when I went to Sydney's Maritime Museum and checked out the replica of the Endeavor. So...much...fun!

I'm now on BookBub as Elle Cardy, so if you want, you can follow me and recommend my book there ;)

Don't forget to pop on over to Denise's blog. I'm there talking about how writers evolve.

How Movies Inspire and How Wielder's Prize Began

Today I'm over at Susan's blog speaking about my debut novel, Wielder's Prize, how it began, and some processes behind it.

I'm also over at Alex's blog, talking about how certain movies influenced my novel.

Please pop on over to them and check it out.

And don't forget about the awesome giveaway on Literary Rambles which runs until Oct 31st. The image above shows the books included in the giveaway.

(It's awesome seeing my book with the greats like Leigh Bardugo, Garth Nix, Beth Revis, Marie Lu, and all the others.)


Blog Tour Continues:

Today (21st Oct)

Guest post on Alex J Cavanaugh's blog

Guest post on Susan Kelley's blog

GIVEAWAY(until 31st Oct) 

A bunch of awesome books, including my own YA fantasy, Wielder's Prize, are up for grabs for a Spooktacular giveaway on  Literary Rambles

Next IWSG Day (6th Nov)

Guest Post on Denise Covey's blog

Thanks to Launch Day supporters (14th Oct)

Guest post at Jacqui Murray's blog 

Guest post at Patricia Josephine's blog 

Review of my book by Tyrean Martinson
Spotlight and review on Juneta Key's blog

Follower News on Literary Rambles

Have you picked up a copy of my book yet? This ad link is where you can grab a copy on Amazon or you can mark my book "to-read" on Goodreads or leave a review. Us authors love reviews. :)

Wielder's Prize Launch Day!

After a long wait, my YA fantasy adventure, Wielder's Prize is NOW AVAILABLE to buy on Amazon as an ebook and a paperback.

To survive the outside forces, she must first control the inside forces.

Snatched from the only home she’s ever known aboard the Wielder’s Prize, Jasmine is forced to work as a crew member of a different ship. To survive, Jasmine must dodge her captor who has a personal vendetta against her, outsmart a fearsome magic wielder who has taken a dangerous interest in her, and get back to her ship. Somehow.

Just when she thinks things couldn’t get worse, she learns she too is a wielder—an untrained wielder who is a threat to everyone on board if she can’t control her magic. And she’s not the only out-of-control wielder on the high seas. The secret of that wielder could shatter everything Jasmine thought she knew. 

Time and hope is running out. At any cost, she must get back to her ship and discover the truth behind all the secrets before everything is lost.

Please spread the word far and wide!!

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Don't own a kindle? I decided to go exclusive with Amazon to start with. If you don't own a kindle, you can still read my ebook via Amazon's FREE kindle app.

Why the Pen Name? If you're curious about why I chose to go with the pen name, Elle Cardy, check out my explanation HERE.

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Mini Blog Tour:

Today (14th Oct)

Guest post at Jacqui Murray's blog 

Guest post at Patricia Josephine's blog 

Review of my book by Tyrean Martinson
Spotlight and review on Juneta Key's blog

Follower News on Literary Rambles

Tomorrow (15th Oct) 

GIVEAWAY on Literary Rambles

Next week (21st Oct)

Guest post on Alex J Cavanaugh's blog

Guest post on Susan Kelley's blog

Benefits of Reading Plus Books to Read #IWSG

YA Fantasy Adventure set on the high seas.

A tense adventure that will keep you guessing with all of its wicked twists and turns. – Alex J. Cavanaugh, best-selling author

Jasmine’s whole life is a lie. It isn’t until she’s snatched and forced to work on another ship that she learns how much of a lie it has been. Not only can she wield, but she’s a danger to everyone if she can’t control her magic. And worse: there’s another out-of-control wielder out there who wants her dead.

That's the short version. If you want the longer version, check it out on Amazon.

My release date is coming up fast. So super fast!! Less than two weeks! I'm so crazy busy getting ready for it. Wielder's Prize is my debut. If you haven't guessed already, the ebook is currently available for preorder. Get it now, because once it hits the shelves on October 14th the price will go up.

Please spread the word!!
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The IWSG Question of the month: It's been said that the benefits of becoming a writer who does not read is that all your ideas are new and original. Everything you do is an extension of yourself, instead of a mixture of you and another author. On the other hand, how can you expect other people to want your writing, if you don't enjoy reading? What are your thoughts?

There are no benefits for a writer not to read. None whatsoever.  You’d be doing yourself a disservice by not reading. You’ll also find that most of your ideas won’t be original because your ideas will still be coming from other inputs in your life: crappy tv, movies, billboards, anywhere you gain any form of input.

There are heaps of benefits for a writer to read. So many!! Below are just a few:

1. Reading activates the brain in a way watching shows can’t. Apart from being good for your mental health, guarding against diseases like Alzheimers, it improves mental flexibility which makes writing so much easier.

2. You can’t learn the craft of writing without reading. There’s only so much a how-to book or podcast can teach you. The real lessons come from reading widely and often. Seeing your craft in action is the best way to see for yourself what works and what doesn’t.

3. Reading teaches you about your market. Reading widely within the genre you write in teaches you what else is out there. What you think is an original idea, you’ll suddenly realise is an old trope that’s been done to death.

4. Reading gives you new ideas. Yes, NEW ones. Every idea under the sun is based on another idea. The more input you get, the more chance you’ll be able to form something new from the old.

5. Reading inspires writers. I’m talking about when we read something awesome, it affirms in our hearts and souls that yes, we do want to keep writing.

6. Reading supports the book industry—the industry you want to be a part of. It’s already struggling because people are turning to other sources of entertainment.

And there are so many more benefits. I could go on and on and on… So read!! Hey, I have a book you might enjoy… ;) And if you don't like YA fantasies, then you might like Damyanti's debut crime novel:
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Damyanti Biwas

You Beneath Your Skin

I'm halfway through this book and loving it so far! 


This is how it starts:
Anjali Morgan wanted to get hold of Nikhil and smack him. He could have hurt himself jumping out of the moving car.
    I told you he’ll be the death of you one day, Mom’s voice played in her ears. You never listen.
   ‘Get back in the car,’ she yelled at Nikhil, but he’d disappeared, leaving Anjali stranded at the narrow, sloping exit tunnel of the capital’s largest shopping mall. Two drivers honked behind her. She wanted to turn and yell at them but held back. You know better than anyone else he can’t help it.
She needed to clear her head before she spoke to him again. He wouldn’t go far. Deep breaths. She leaned out of the car door and inhaled, only for the petrol fumes to hit her, along with the smog and that dusty smell unique to New Delhi. She forgot it most times, but now she choked on it and coughed.
Anjali stepped out of her car, the yellow overhead lights blinding her for a moment. Five cars now queued up behind hers. The driver in the first car had seen a teenager throw a tantrum in front of his harried mother. He slammed the horn and the rest followed suit. She spotted Nikhil’s gangly form down the slope, cantering away.
   ‘Madamji.’ A short Nepali guard in a beige uniform hurried up the slope towards her, his whistle shrieking. ‘Yahan parking allowed nahin hai.’
   ‘I’m sorry.’ Anjali tried to remember the Hindi words, but they’d fled, along with her composure.      
  ‘My son has run away.’
   She was about to sprint after Nikhil when the guard overtook her and blocked the way.
  ‘No parking here.’ He pointed at the cars queuing up behind her. ‘This is “Exit”.’
   Down the slope behind the guard, Anjali watched in horror as Nikhil turned into the parking area and disappeared. The cool air of a November evening made her shiver.
   ‘I need to go get my son. What part of that can’t you understand?’

To keep reading, buy the book. All the author proceeds will go to Project WHY, dedicated to helping underprivileged children, and Stop Acid Attacks, which campaigns for the cause of acid attack survivors. Both are non-profit organizations.

Damyanti Biswas volunteers for the non-profits, Project WHY and Stop Acid Attacks. She speaks passionately on the subjects of gender, violence, and poverty. The narrative of Damyanti’s new novel, You Beneath Your Skin (Simon and Schuster), has been shaped by her years of interaction with women and children in these two organisations. Using a framework of a crime thriller, she conjures in this book an authentic portrayal of poverty, misogyny, and political corruption.

Website, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook

The Perfect Place to Write and More #IWSG

August was a busy month. Crazy busy. Mostly it's been all about the mad scramble to get everything ready for the October release of my debut novel. It's been a steep learning curve. Nothing I can't handle, but it has been time-consuming. Then in among all that, I took five days out to drive down to Sydney for my dad's birthday. While I froze to death in the cold Sydney weather, I did take the photo above during that trip. And a bunch of others.

A big thank you to those of you who offered to read an advanced reader's copy of my young adult adventure fantasy set on the high seas. If you didn't get my email for some reason, or are interested in a review copy, then shoot me an email.

 

The IWSG Question of the month: If you could pick one place in the world to sit and write your next story, where would it be and why?

My answer: The perfect place to write is right here, right now. (Or maybe on a cruise to some idyllic islands--just because). I don't need a fancy view or a special nook. All I need is either paper and pen or a computer. That's it. Oh wait. Time would be good. I'm looking forward to when I have time to write again.

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August Reading
Considering how busy I've been, I managed to get through four books this last month. I surprised myself. Admittedly I was reading the biography of Leonardo Da Vinci in short bursts since February, and it's a tiny book too.

One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence -- What can I say? This is my kind of book. Time Travel! It's short and a quick read, and I enjoyed the writing. There are some great phrases that had me laughing out loud, even though it's not a humorous book. This story is a multi-universe take on time travel and has been likened to Stranger Things--probably because it's set in the 80s and the main character likes Dungeons and Dragons.

Leonardo Da Vinci by Sherwin B Nuland-- The language is a little old fashioned and formal but reading about Leonardo's life was hugely interesting. He was a fascinating man.

Grumpy Old Gods Vol 2 -- An anthology of short stories with roots in mythology. What happens when the old gods get old. A great read. Hugely entertaining.

Dragon Keeper by Carole Wilkinson -- written about 15 years ago by an Aussie author. It has won all sorts of awards. I can see why. This is a novel for the younger readers but still enjoyable by any age group, especially if you love Chinese dragons. 

What have you been up to this last month? What reading did you do? What other great achievements did you accomplish? Where would you like to write your next story?

Young Adult Fantasy ARC Giveaway #IWSG

If all goes well, I'll be releasing my debut novel in October. It's a young adult fantasy adventure set on the high seas. Although it's part of a series, it reads as a standalone. I have completed the maps for it, the covers for all three books in the series and I've even worked out the formatting for the ebook (For the ARC version, anyway--there are still some tweaks I want to do). That was a victory and a half. The formatting for print is yet to come. Eek.

Right now I'm looking for lovers of fantasy who are interested in an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) of Wielder's Prize, book one in the Wielder's Storm series. In exchange I'd deeply appreciate an honest review. Shoot me an email (lynfaw[at]gmail [dot]com) or say "Pick me! Pick me! Pick me!" in the comments ;) I'll be sending out a limited number, so be quick.

My current tagline for book one: No training. No discipline. No time.

The IWSG question of the month: Has your writing ever taken you by surprise?
Sometimes I do a detailed outline before I write. Other times I just wing it. When I wing it, anything can happen. Surprises galore! It's lots of fun. Of course, outlining does the same, only earlier in the process.

July Reading

July was a slow reading month because I was down with the flu for half of it and super busy the other half. It was also a month of thrones. Giggle.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas is a young adult fantasy, the first in a series. I quite enjoyed it, though it wasn't quite what I expected based on the cover and blurb. It still carried me away to another land, and I like that in a fantasy.

The Templar Throne by Paul Christopher is the third in the series about Doc Holliday's adventures of tracking down ancient Templar relics. Each book has been different in its own way and all of them have been enjoyable. I think there's another four or five in the series. They are a light, fast read and full of action and intrigue. The first is The Sword of the Templars.

That's all I have for July. I've been reading lots of short stories lately too. It makes me want to write more short stories.

What have you been reading lately? Has your writing ever taken you by surprise?

5 Benefits of a Pen Name #IWSG

Exciting News: I will be publishing a young adult fantasy adventure this year. I'm super nervous about it. It will be my novel debut. That's my insecurity revealed for this month. I've decided to take the pen name, Elle Cardy. For so many reasons:

1. My name, Lynda R Young, is super common and I get lost in the crowd. It is so common that I couldn't use it or a variation of it for gmail. It's why I use Lynfaw (faw = fearful and wonderfully, if you're curious).

2. It's shocking how many people can't get my name right. It's not a difficult name. Or you'd think. I get Linda, Lydia, and a bunch of other variations. Just yesterday I got Lydr. Say what, now? Also, my middle initial, which is crucial if I want to be found on Google, is so often left off when someone publishes my work or mentions me online. A little frustrating.

3. It's a long name which means it has to be small on book covers. Yes, I think about these things.

4. Young is at the end of the alphabet. Whoever thought a list in alphabetical order was fair had a name in the first half of the alphabet. Just saying ;)

5. I figured the name Elle Cardy was short, easy to remember, difficult to get wrong, and it separates my nonfiction writing from my novels so there's no confusion. There's also almost none of us on Google. Obviously I won't be hiding my true identity. The plan is that everyone who knows Lynda R Young will also know Elle Cardy and vice versa. I do have separate Instagram accounts though.

@LyndaRYoung for my macro photography.
@ElleCardy for everything books.


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AntipodeanSF Issue 250 is now available in the paperback version. If you’d like your own copy, you can pick it up here. With over 50 stories, it is definitely worth checking out. Otherwise, just go along to the AntipodeanSF website to read the stories online for free for another month.
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June Reading

Red Rising by Pierce Brown -- this was beautifully written. I read it in two days, which for me is fast since I'm a particularly busy and a slow reader. It is set on Mars and is a dystopian. Think Hunger Games on Mars.

Stallo by Stefan Spjut -- this is a translation of a supernatural thriller written in Swedish. I would've liked to have read it in its original language because the translation is a little flat. But the story is awesome. It's the kind of book you settle in with under a blanket. It's about the mythical creatures of the woods that steal children and a woman searching for them. I loved it.

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard -- Very similar to Red Rising in so many ways but instead of the Reds against the Golds, it's the Reds against the Silvers. The worldbuilding in this one isn't as rich as Red Rising, but the story is still enjoyable if you love typical young adult books.

NOTE: I am a judge for the 2019 Aurealis Awards. All my book reviews are my personal opinion and don't reflect the opinion of any judging panel, the judging coordinators, or the Aurealis Awards management team.
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Are you a huge fan of young adult fantasy? Let me know in the comments. What are your favourite books in that genre? Done any reading last month? What were the standouts?

This post was written for the IWSG. Every first Wednesday of the month the members post on their blogs about their writing insecurities or offer some encouragement to others. If you are new to the IWSG or want to learn more, then please go HERE

Note: The new look for my blog is temporary. I'm currently down with flu and it was the best I could do for now.

Favourite Genres and Favourite Books

The IWSG queston of the month: Of all the genres you read and write, which is your favorite to write in and why? That's easy. I love both fantasy and science fiction. I love to read those genres too. There is something so appealing about visiting other worlds. The remarkable and different. The heroic and magical. The what ifs.

To check out my latest scfi short story, Between the Ticks, you can read it here.

Article worth reading: Walking is the key to creativity and productivity (It's not just a mind-clearing activity). Check out the article here. I loved it.

Standout books read last month:

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo: This one is the second part of her duology. It's amazing. I seriously loved it. Read the series if you haven't and you love fantasy. Beautifully written. A rich world. Yum. Part one is Six of Crows.

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff: This one was written by an Aussie author and won one of Australia's most prestigious book prize for fantasy. I can see why. While it's super dark, it's brilliantly written. Another fully fleshed out world. It's about a girl in a school of assassins. I loved it.

The Outcasts of Time by Ian Mortimer: If it's a book with time travel in it, I'll read it. This one was different and interesting. It's about two brothers in 1348 who have six days to live after contracting the black plague. Each of those days they live another 99 years in the future. This read is more of a vehicle to see the reactions of a 14th century person to all the changes over time. It felt historically accurate which I loved.

The Templar Cross by Paul Christopher: This is the second adventure of John Holliday. This time his niece has been kidnapped. It's a chase across the globe involving an ancient Egyptian legend. I liked it more than the first one, which I also liked (The Sword of the Templars). It's just a lot of fun.

What's your favourite genre and why? What was your favourite book last month?

The Power of Language #IWSG

Publication:

My sci-fi short story has been officially published with AntipodeanSF today! You can find my story, Between the Ticks here and you can read Issue 250 in full here. This issue will be online for three whole months and a paperback edition will also be released. I'm super excited.

AntipodeanSF is an Aussie online magazine that's devoted to the monthly publication of fabulous and original science-fiction, fantasy, and horror mini-stories of about 500–1000 words each, with occasional longer feature stories.

Books:

I read more than two books in April, but these are the best

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo--I can't recommend this highly enough. It is a great study in character interactions, engaging dialogue, beautiful world building. This is a YA Fantasy with class and some dark edges. So gorgeous. Ok, I'll stop gushing now.

Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch (Known in the UK and Oz as The Rivers of London). The voice in this book is a real treat. It had me laughing out loud quite a bit. It's a police procedural set in London with a bunch of magic thrown in. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are currently working on adapting the series for TV, so think Hot Fuzz meets Harry Potter ;)

Shows:
Avengers: Endgame
No Spoilers here. I just wanted to say how much it surprised me. I loved it. With it being 3 hours long, I had thought they were going to drag it out and get all indulgent, but no. Every scene mattered. The movie had so much unexpected heart. I was thrilled.

Game of Thrones.
No spoilers again. So glad it's back. I've been thoroughly enjoying it. I think I want more surprises than we've got so far. The last episode in particular. But I'm still loving it.

Insecure Writers Support Group:

The question for the month: What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?

There's a silly children's chant I learned when I was young because I was bullied a lot: "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." I wish it were true. Words do hurt. They can build a person up and they can pull them down and tear them apart. I was pulled down and torn apart an awful lot. It hurt worse when it came from people who were supposed to be my friends. I became small and escaped into stories where the weak overcame overwhelming odds, the little guy who was dismissed by society became the hero. Would I change any of it? No. Everything I've experienced--the good, the bad, the ugly--has shaped me into the person and the writer I am today.

What books have you been reading? What shows have you been loving? What's been your experience with the power of language?

Reading Fun and Writer Insecurities #IWSG

March went by at a blink of the eye, and I feel no closer to finishing book 2 of my YA Fantasy series. I have never chopped and changed and rewritten a book more than this one. It has been fighting me the whole way. It's because I wrote the first draft slowly, in dribs and drabs at a time when I was struggling with some rough stuff. Consequently the book didn't have a clear focus. Part of me thinks it might've been better to have thrown it all out and started again from scratch. But no. At least Part 1 now has focus and clarity and high stakes. Woo! It's just taken me way longer than I had hoped. But then, I want everything NOW!, and sometimes a story just won't play nice. This is one of them. On to part 2 and 3!

My photo above is a representation of my work on book 2. I'm getting into it, but getting all caught up in a tangle ;)

That was the insecurity part of the post. Glad that's over. On to the fun part: Reading!!

Last month I read another three books. All three were great.

Wool by Hugh Howey is a post-apocalypse/dystopian set underground in silos. An interesting world with fully fleshed-out characters. Loved it.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black is a YA fantasy set in a the rich, dangerous world of Faerie. This wasn't what I had expected. It can be quite dark at times. Another great read.

The Sword of the Templars by Paul Christopher is a treasure hunt type book. Think National Treasure, or Lara Croft with less acrobatics, or a modern day Indiana Jones with less swashbuckling. I got this because it was part of my brother's collection I inherited. This one is a light, fun read.

How has your writing been going? What have you been reading lately? What are you struggling with at the moment?

This post was written for the IWSG. Every first Wednesday of the month the members of our group post on their blogs about their writing insecurities or offer some encouragement to others. If you are new to the IWSG or want to learn more, then please go HERE

The Joys of Reading and Writing #IWSG

Last month was a whirlwind of writing and reading and everything I love. I was struggling with book 2 of a series I'd like to complete this year, so when an idea struck me for another story, I thought, why not? So I wrote a YA sci-fi thriller novella, currently sitting at 32k words. With the first draft complete, I set it aside and now I'm back to working on Book 2 of my YA fantasy series. And it's flowing so much better now! Phew!

Reading: So far I've read ten books this year. I'm a slow reader, so I'm rather thrilled to have gone through so many books already. With the Goodreads Reading Challenge, I had pledged to read 25 books this year. I'm way ahead of schedule and this pleases me greatly.

Of the books I've read, two are by Australian writers; four are fantasies, two of which are young adult; three are sci-fi, and again, two of those are young adult; one is a post-apocolypse because apparently I can't get enough of those at the moment; one is a thriller; and one is general fiction.

The stand-outs? All were great reads but the stand-outs were easily Illuminae and Navigating the Stars. Both are YA sci-fi full of awesome characters and high stakes. I HIGHLY recommend.

Awesome happy news: one of my short stories was accepted into AntipodeanSF's May-June special 250th issue. AntipodeanSF is an Aussie online magazine that's devoted to the monthly publication of fabulous and original science-fiction, fantasy, and horror mini-stories of about 500–1000 words each, with occasional longer feature stories.The 250th edition will also be available as a paperback. Woo!

The IWSG question of the month is: Whose perspective do you like to write from best, the hero (protagonist) or the villain (antagonist)? I enjoy both, but the villain is harder to get right without turning them into a cartoon character. Getting that third dimension on the bad guy is a challenge.

What's been your favourite book/s so far this year? Who do you prefer to read or write--the hero or the villain? What have you been up to recently? 

This post was written for the IWSG. Every first Wednesday of the month the members of our group post on their blogs about their writing insecurities or offer some encouragement to others. If you are new to the IWSG or want to learn more, then please go HERE

The Need for Creative Outlets #IWSG

Writers are creative creatures. Whether we are currently writing up a storm, editing, or doing something else entirely, we need that creative outlet. So often when asked why we write, the answer you'll get is, "Because I must." But honestly I don't think that it's so much about the expression through the written word in particular. I think it's more about expression--in any form.

Lately I've been writing up that storm I mentioned earlier. I've also been editing for another writer. In the past I've put my focus in traditional art which included mediums like oil painting, ink drawing, then less traditional mediums like 3D animation and digital art. As many of you know, I've also thrown myself into photography.

Over time, I'm sure I'll discover something else that takes my interest as well, something just as creative. For now, I'm loving my writing and photography most of all.

How about you? What creative outlets do you have?

This post was written for the IWSG. Every first Wednesday of the month the members of our group post on their blogs about their writing insecurities or offer some encouragement to others. If you are new to the IWSG or want to learn more, then please go HERE

The New Year and New Goals #IWSG

Happy New Year to everybody.

Wishing you all a positive, productive and successful 2019.
This year I'm hoping to publish my young adult fantasy series. I've been busy writing book 3 but I still haven't finished book 2 yet, so I have a ways to go.

I've also been busy taking heaps of photos around the place.  In particular I've been enjoying macro photography like the rose above. If you are interested in seeing my gallery on Instagram, you can find me as @LyndaRYoung 

How about you? What are your hopes and dreams for this year?
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The #IWSGPit Twitter pitch is on January 15 so stick that date in your diary and get your pitches ready. Hundreds of agents and publishers will be checking the hashtag that day. For rules and list of genre hashtags, visit the #IWSGPit page.

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Now for the winners of the fourth IWSG Anthology Contest:

Oddly Suited, LG Keltner
Sea of Sorrows, AV Brown
Behind the Catcher’s Mask, Jennifer Lane
A Diver’s Ball, Angela Brown
Fearless Heart, Deborah Solice
The Dark Charade, CD Gallant-King
The Cog Prince, Elizabeth Mueller
Flower of Ronda, Myles Christensen
Remedy, Chelsea Ballard
Charleston Masquerade, Carrie-Anne Brownian

Congratulations to one and all.  Look for Masquerade: Oddly Suited later this year.