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.

Writing Space Comfort #IWSG

Whether you like your writing space with a view, cluttered, or sparse, what is important is that you find a comfortable place to write.

This month's IWSG optional question is, What are five objects in your writing space?

I have more than five objects in my writing space because I find comfort in clutter. I have many knick knacks around me including a Master Chief on a Puma... ok, it's not a Puma. So I picked a few important things and took a photo. See above.

Because I find so many distractions on my computer, I handwrite my first drafts. Consequently I go through many purple pens. I depleted six purple pens for NaNoWriMo in November, completing the challenge at just shy of 62k words written. Yay. It's the most I've ever written in a month.

I also have copious amounts of note books in which to write. The paper is as important as the pens. Little A5 sized pages are easy to hold, easy to fill, and I know how many pages I need to complete to hit my daily goal. 

Then there is a mini desk fan to keep me cool in the Brisbane heat. Because I just feel sleepy when it's hot.

And the ball in the photo is a marble paperweight my brother bought me many years ago. Just because.

Oh, and for the fifth item, if you squint, you can see my whiteboard reflected in the paperweight. I love my whiteboard. Great for plotting, reminders, lists and doodles.

So how about you? What objects could I find in your writing space?

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, then please go HERE

Don't forget, the  WEP Challenge is on now. Check out the details and sign up HERE. 



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I'd just like to wish everyone a special, peaceful Christmas. If you are looking for a gift for someone you love, please consider my daily devotional book, Cling to God. With a short devotional thought for every day of the year, my book can help you draw closer to God in this crazy busy world.

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