Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Insecure Writer's Support Group - March 2014

This group posts every first Wednesday of each month.
Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

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!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time. Be sure to link to IWSG page and display the badge in your post.

Thank you to our host, Alex J. Cavanaugh and today's co-hosts: Tina Downey, Elsie, Elizabeth Seckman, and Julie Flanders!
Visit them to say hello ;)

I'm about three quarters into a new novel and I'm beginning to doubt myself whether it will mean as much to my readers as it does to me. I've been wanting to write this one for a long time. It's very personal context taken from my life, then twisted to make the plot more exciting. 
When writing, I actually used names of people I know whom I wanted in the story, then the names would be changed of course before I'm done. I did that because it was easier to communicate the emotion I sought. I've spoken to those people as well, telling them what I'm doing, and they were very excited about it - even if the full story is not a true story. I've warned them that people who know them and who read it may put the two and two together and draw wrong conclusions about their life, and they got even more excited!
But now, as I'm writing the final 25% I'm beginning to wonder whether it's enough. It's heart wrenching and soul piercing when I read it, but it's because I know that some of these events actually happened - but will it be as emotional for my readers? I'm not sure.
So, that's what I'm presently dealing with. The novel should be done within the next two weeks and go off to beta readers. Hopefully they will be able to tell me what they think.
I swear I can feel my palms sweating already.

Have you ever written something personal? Did it make you feel more nervous than usual? What are your insecurities today?