IWSG #8 - I'm feeling pretty pumped ... for now ;)

It's the first Wednesday of September, and so it's time to post for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. This awesome group was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh, but each week there are co-hosts, and this month they are:

Laura at My Baffling Brain, Mark Koopmans, Shah Wharton, and Sheena-Kay Graham

It's also the 3-year anniversary of IWSG's beginning! Now that is pretty bloody awesome!

Anyway, I am like any writer in that I have my bouts of insecurity, and I've often had that "this is crap" feeling when reading back through my own work. But lately I have to say I've been feeling quite confident. I know I can write, so all I have to do is get through the far more important editing process and I'll be ready to publish.

I think I am getting something of an editing complex, but this month, when it comes to my writing, I am feeling quite good. And I can totally imagine self-publishing something within the next year.

Let's see how long this feeling lasts, shall we? ;)

IWSG #2 ~ picking a D-day

Here I am for my second round as an IWSG member. It still feels strange to say that I am a member since I spent so long visiting other people's posts on these days but never participating myself. One thing I learned in all that visiting was that everybody seemed to always have something new to say - something I hadn't seen before, or at least hadn't seen on anyone else's blog during that round of visits.

I guess if all of you can do it, I can as well! :)

I mentioned in last month's post that I am scared to self-publish. I'm still scared, of course, and probably always will be, but it is going to happen. I will make it happen. And that's just the thing - when you self-publish, YOU make it happen. Sometimes you can pay other people to help you make it happen, and of course you can employ the assistance of betas and CPs to help make it happen. But really in the end it comes down to you and what you're willing to give.

The book cover creation, editing, polishing and formatting for various platforms isn't what worries me. The thing that worries me most is the picking of a date. One particular date that will become D-day for my book. Or L-day, I guess (launch). None of my novels are ready for D-day, and I've been saying that for years (it's getting old). I've seen other authors pick a D-day before their book is ready, which has forced them to get their butt in gear in a big way. But I could never do that.

I must be READY, you see - and my book must be perfect (which I know it will never be). Only then could I possibly dare to take the plunge and pick THE DATE.

Post-NaNo slump ... ish thing (and IWSG #1)

So I finished NaNo and my word count was 106,132 words. I'm happy with the story even if I'm not yet quite happy with the writing - it is a rough draft after all. I now have twelve complete novel drafts. None of them are ready for publication or even for a final read-through by a CP or beta. So that will be my goal next year - get some of my stuff pub-ready (or at least final read-through ready).

Since NaNo ended, I've watched a lot of DVDs - Veronica Mars is my latest addiction, thanks to a friend's recommendation; and did you know there's a movie coming out next year?!! Woo! - and done very little of anything. Things are also crazy busy at work with huge projects underway (many due by year's end. ha.). So I am getting home each arvo having to resist the urge to go out and charge a 6-pack of beer to credit card. Yes, I'm also waiting eagerly for payday (story of my life lately).

So that's what's going on with me right now. And it's already December 5th!

How has the start of December gone for you guys?

P.S. I just read a news story about these guys - and I think they're awesome!

I am editing this post because I only just realised today I'm also meant to post for the IWSG - this is my first time posting, and I guess I am a bit insecure about jumping on this very large and shiny bandwagon! I have visited numerous blogs over the months/years and commented on IWSG posts - but I have always felt a bit intimidated about joining in. Silly, isn't it? But that's how I felt!

I also feel a tiny bit insecure around all the writers out there who are already published, because while I now have twelve novel drafts to my name, not one of them is publication-worthy right now. The thought of publishing something (anything), all on my own, quite frankly terrifies me. I am going to do it, but it's just plain scary. Since releasing my first CD of music, I've found out just how crap I am at selling my "wares", so to speak. And I don't doubt I'll be equally as crap at selling my book wares.

I had a taste of self-promotion when organising my first (and only) blogfest last year. That was hard enough. But trying to convince people to buy stuff I've created, as in really trying hard to talk them into it, is definitely not going to be one of my strengths.

So there you go. That's my first foray into the world if the IWSG. I'm sure I'll have more to say next time ... and yet that's another source of insecurity. What if I never have anything good to say on IWSG day ever again? :)

Book Review: CATRINA IN SPACE

I first met Princess Catrina back when she was called Princess Caitlin, and appeared in a Chrysalis Experiment story in 2011. Little did I know where Caitl-rina's journey would take her - across 53 episodes of the Catrina Chronicles and one complete Catrina novel, the one I'm talking about here! I haven't read all the episodes yet, but I'm up to episode #48 and slowly but surely getting all caught up!

It took me a while to get around to reading CATRINA IN SPACE, but now that I have, I can say I was not disappointed. There are so many things to love about this story - the kick-arse heroine Catrina herself, the space hamsters and occasional mentions of the hamster rock band Gerballica (classic!). Undeniable heroics with a towel, and the fact that there's a woodmouse with a Southern accent called Becky-Jane. As always, the evilness of Susan and how it was eclipsed by the evilness of Murphy. The almost teaming up of Catrina and Susan (I thought the universe really was going to break at that point). And the Pen of Creation? Genius. I also appreciated that the author had ultimate control (even if he can't necessarily control his characters' sassy backtalk. haha). I guess it reassures me as a writer myself that my characters do NOT have the final say...or at least I like to think so.

I also confess that I love that I got an acknowledgement as a loyal Catriniac in the back of the book. Thanks Michael, but the pleasure really has been all mine. ;)

What I really want to do now is go through the novel again and add some of my favourite quotes (of which there are way too many to count) to GoodReads, so that you guys can get a taste of Michael Atkinson's genius comedy.

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Buy Catrina in Space from Amazon.com.