The Dirty Truth & Fighting Writing Fear

Last week on the Romance Writers Revenge, Author C.C. Hunter did an excellent blog post that brought up the idea of writer's dark secrets. You can find that blog post here and I do recommend it since it had some really insightful points. Most of all though, it made me think about my own down and dirty dark secret.

I can’t finish the damn book because I’m scared it will prove I don’t have the talent. If I never finish the 1st one I’m never letting myself down.

That's the really big enchilada right there folks. There are nights when I do have the time I could write and I'm actually even itching to do so, but that fear keeps making me second guess going in to write. I will push through this. I know I will, but it's just taking some personal pep talks and the constant reminder that a shitty first draft is what I'm doing. IT IS GOING TO BE SHITTY! It's my first freakin attempt at writing. I'm sure even my favorite authors didn't write a perfect book right out of the gate.

I'll keep telling myself these things and eventually, I'm going to hit that 60k words goal and there will be no looking back. If I can just write this first one I think I will totally move past this.

But, will I just fill that fear with something else? Given the fact that I constantly see writers talking about how they just HAVE to write or they would die, it makes me question am I really a writer at heart?

What does that really mean anyway? Must one feel like writing is the very air we breathe in order to ever be not just a good writer, but an exceptional one?

Maybe once I get past this first book I will feel this way too. I can say that creating stories in my mind are as much a part of me and breathing. Will that translate to the page as soon as I get more used to the actual writing process? I sure hope so.

Did you find it hard to finish that first book? What helped move you along? Do you think a REAL writer can't live without putting words on the page or is a trait that will come to you as you feel more comfortable with your process?

Pimping My Friend's Debut Book! The Kraken's Mirror by Maureen O. Betita

Congrats to my very best writing buddy and awesome lady Maureen on the release of her debut book! I was honored to be a beta-reader for The Kraken's Mirror and think you'll really love it - it's a pirate-punk romance with an older hero/heroine I loved.

Here's the scoop:

Captain Alan Silvestri is a man haunted by a strange curse. Good luck is his to command, but it comes at the cost of any place to call home or people to reckon as family. Resigned to die and shunned by all, he is forced to sail every three days, until he begins to dream of a special woman.

Treated by our youth-oriented society as invisible and sexless, Emily Pawes is ready to move on with life. She attends a pirate festival, hoping to recapture the make-believe magic she knew as a young woman. Lucky to win an interesting bit of booty at a brick-a-brac stand, she finds herself transported by the Kraken’s mirror through a magical portal to a land of Hollywood piratitude, where swashbuckling heroes own iPods. With little choice, Emily embraces the madness. Playing pirate has to be safer than falling into the arms of handsome Captain Silvestri, right?

When they meet, sparks fly, passion flares. He needs her to be free, but more than that, he needs her to be whole. Setting sail and uncertain of who actually controls the wheel, they seek ways to defeat his curse of good luck and discover the Kraken’s mirror has plans for them. Will Emily stay in this pirate haven to fight alongside him or will he lose her because of his curse?

Click here for an excerpt or buy the book!

Yep, I'm Still Working On Those Goals...

I posted my goals here on the blog a little over a week ago and since then have discovered I need to do a little more work on them. First off, I need to make them SMART goals - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic & Timely.

One of my favorite Tweeters Bria Quinlan does a really in-depth hand-on workshop about setting goals and achieving them, but you should do it with a group you'll work with moving forward - say a critique group. I'm not there yet, but I've still always wanted to take her workshop.

Low and behold, Bria is doing an intro / abbreviated version of the workshop for free over the past week on her blog. You can join in at any time - just go to Day 1 of "Goaling to Success" and start there. We are still only up to Day 3 and I'm still working on my first set of goals list. Wish me luck and join in to help yourself set some personal or writing goals!

Bria's Website is here.