Wednesday, August 1, 2018

IWSG & Pitfalls

The Insecure Writer's Support Group is the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. He, his clones, minions, friends, and fellow authors make it an amazing event every month.




Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

And we’re revving up IWSG Day to make it more fun and interactive! Every month, we'll announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.
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August 1 question - What pitfalls would you warn other writers to avoid on their publication journey?

Some days I feel like I'm the Queen of Pitfalls...

  • Don't trust just anyone with your words. Make sure you know them well enough to trust them and their personality
  • Trust someone with your words - finding crit buddies is a major step along the journey
  • Don't get too caught up in social media - spend most of your time writing 
  • Don't avoid social media - I've made so many incredible friends through social media and learned SO MUCH!
  • Be brave - being a coward gets you exactly nowhere (still working on this one!)

How about you, what pitfalls have tripped you up? What would you suggest avoiding?


39 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Basically, find the balance.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

And don't avoid social media after you promote a new release. Then it looks like you are just here to promote your books, not interact with others.

T. Powell Coltrin said...

Good list. And internet life can be a waste of time. However, Alex is correct in that balance works the best.

Rachna Chhabria said...

Good list, I found my crit partner from my blog and I made amazing writing friends online.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Excellent advice. Trusting critique partners was my problem early on, but I learned how important they are.

cleemckenzie said...

YOu've hit on an essential point: the balance between time spent on writing and that spent on networking. It's such a hard balance to strike.

emaginette said...

I see a fine line between each suggestion and can't help but agree, totally. :-)

Anna from elements of emaginette

Chrys Fey said...

I like your advice. There's always a fine line that writers need to pay attention to for social media, critique partners, and everything else.

Jemi Fraser said...

Yep!

Jemi Fraser said...

Excellent point!

Jemi Fraser said...

I agree - I would have NO idea what I was doing without social media :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Me too - online buddies have been incredible!

Jemi Fraser said...

I stumbled into an excellent crit group way back when that taught me so much!

Jemi Fraser said...

Time is so difficult to manage!

Jemi Fraser said...

It is a tightrope! :)

Jemi Fraser said...

There really is - and it takes a long time to figure out :)

Raimey Gallant said...

Yes! Everything is about finding the balance that works for you. I still haven't mastered this, but I persist! Great post, Jemi. http://www.raimeygallant.com

Susan Flett Swiderski said...

It sounds like you're saying we need to walk a fine line. True enough! The trickiest part is learning where that line is.

JeffO said...

Good advice, Jemi.

Jemi Fraser said...

That balance is TOUGH to find some days!!!

Jemi Fraser said...

That is exactly it!!

Jemi Fraser said...

Thanks :)

Natalie Aguirre said...

I agree with all your tips, Jemi. They are so right on. I can definitely relate to being a coward. Many parts of writing and getting published are kind of scary to me.

Leslie S. Rose said...

Agree - agree balance is the key. Oh, I rhymed. I also think reading like a crazy person to know what's out there is so important.

Heather R. Holden said...

Great list! Figuring out the right balance can definitely be tricky sometimes. And I know what you mean about being brave. I always have a difficult time with that, too. Hope it becomes easier for you!

Jemi Fraser said...

Me too!!! I'm improving slowly! :)

Jemi Fraser said...

You did!
Totally agree on the reading - I devour books! :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Thanks Heather - it's not easier taking those next steps!!

Loni Townsend said...

I love how things are always double-edged. I guess that's the goal of life: to stay balanced!

Nick Wilford said...

Getting the right balance is a never ending process. Social media can be a major time suck as well as a boon to our marketing efforts. Finding the sweet spot is the challenge!

Michelle Wallace said...

Don't get sucked in by social media versus don't avoid social media!
Aaaargh! It's difficult to find that balance.

Through social media, I've met wonderful people/writers and learned so much from them.
Social media is not only for marketing... it's also for networking with like-minded individuals. How does one strike the correct balance between marketing and socializing?

Jemi Fraser said...

That tends to be true in so many things in life! :)

Jemi Fraser said...

It really is!

Jemi Fraser said...

I've learned so much from my online friends. I wouldn't be so much less without them!
That balance is next to impossible to find - but we'll keep searching!

DMS said...

It's a fine balance for sure! :)
~Jess

Carol Kilgore said...

Yes! About everything you said. I also agree with Diane about not using social media except when you have a release. Not much ticks me off more than when I see authors do that. The balance changes during a release - at least it does for me - but you still have to keep at it through all the writing and editing.

Kelly Steel said...

Yep! All these listed out on top.

Crystal Collier said...

Definitely good thoughts. I 100% agree about finding the right people to support your work. It is one of the biggest struggles, but SOOOO worth it.

Chemist Ken said...

The trouble is knowing when to trust and not to trust can take a long time to figure out. Who said becoming an author is easy.