 The first Wednesday of every month is the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Posts go up the 1st Wednesday of every month. Check it out here and join if you need support with your writing. Don't forget to stop by and say hello to the co-hosts: Renee Scattergood, Sadira Stone, Jacqui Murray, Tamara Narayan, and LG Keltner!
It's my first IWSG post for this blog! At my other blog, last month I had talked about my decision to split my pen names. I wasn't certain at the time, but as you can see, I quickly decided. I don't dilly-dally. I'm a bit terrified. Will people follow me here? Did I get everything set up? Is this a mistake? Did I just waste a lot of money? Lots of questions I don't have answers for. But, for now, I'm enjoying the excitement of a new start. This month's optional question is: Has your writing ever taken you by surprise? For example, a positive and belated response to a submission you'd forgotten about or an ending you never saw coming? I've definitely had my writing take me by surprise. A story I'm working on editing, The Cure, was a surprise. It was only supposed to be a 100 word drabble. Another story had a character surprise me with what he said. I'm still not sure why I was shocked. The character is in my head and yet I had no idea he would say what he did until I typed it? That's some serious channeling. o.O Have you ever made a big change with your writing? Did it work out for you? What's your answer to this month's question?
54 Comments
8/7/2019 03:36:57
I switched from writing thrillers to writing Science Fiction and Fantasy, and I'm SO glad I did. It's way more fun to spend writer quantities of time thinking about how goblins would look in a space suit than to spend it thinking about all the horrible things people do to one another, so GOBLINS AWAY!!!
Patricia Josephine
8/9/2019 19:22:06
I agree with you there. I enjoy reading true crime, but I would never want to write something in that genre. 8/7/2019 08:06:50
Two years ago a bad-ass female character from my first book stomped her foot and demanded that her story be told...
Patricia Josephine
8/9/2019 19:22:29
That is awesome! 8/7/2019 08:57:06
Good luck with your new blog and the pen name switch. I can understand that it's a bit scary, but a new start can sometimes be just what you need!
Patricia Josephine
8/9/2019 19:23:04
The way I look at it is just another leg of the journey I'm blundering along on. 8/7/2019 09:46:34
My biggest surprise was that, after spending nearly a year writing a horror novel, I really want to go back to a cozy mystery series I outlined a few years back. But so what? No law says I can't do both.
Patricia Josephine
8/9/2019 19:23:45
Yup, with publishing the way it is now, authors don't always have to stick to one genre and do another under a pen name. 8/7/2019 10:53:45
Congratulations on decisions made and leaps taken. I hope it works out as you'd hoped. @samanthabwriter from
Patricia Josephine
8/9/2019 19:23:59
My fingers are crossed. 8/7/2019 10:59:54
You should totally enjoy the excitement of this new start!
Patricia Josephine
8/9/2019 19:24:21
I am! =D
Patricia Josephine
8/9/2019 19:25:00
Oh, I know. And what this character said didn't seem like something you'd think he'd say just by looking at him, but what I knew about him, it made sense.
Patricia Josephine
8/9/2019 19:25:15
I hope so, too! 8/7/2019 11:38:09
I added this to my feeds! Look nice! People will follow! I recommend, posting about the move on the other site again in September to catch people who are taking August off. :-)
Patricia Josephine
8/9/2019 19:25:48
Thanks!
Patricia Josephine
8/9/2019 19:26:03
Surprises make life exciting. ;) 8/7/2019 14:44:45
My characters are always surprising me.
Patricia Josephine
8/9/2019 19:26:39
I've always been the type to jump in head first without looking. Makes life interesting. 8/7/2019 17:07:28
I love it when my characters do or say something that surprises me.
Patricia Josephine
8/9/2019 19:27:12
Surprises make writing fun.
Patricia Josephine
8/9/2019 19:27:41
Thanks. I wanted something in my banner that gave a visual for my stories and what creatures to expect. 8/8/2019 08:03:45
I often change the conflict between characters and stray from my outline as I get to know my characters better.
Patricia Josephine
8/9/2019 19:28:06
Sometimes I think characters just don't like outlines. LOL 8/8/2019 09:25:25
I was writing a conversation between two characters not too long ago and one of them ended up saying something like, "Well, actually, he did *this*." My jaw dropped and I was all, "He did WHAT?!?"
Patricia Josephine
8/9/2019 19:28:38
And with how you plot, it's probably a real surprise when your characters do it. 8/8/2019 10:12:00
Good luck with the new start. Your site looks great. My characters surprise me all the time. Happy IWSG!
Patricia Josephine
8/9/2019 19:28:56
Thank you, thank you! 8/8/2019 14:56:27
Hi Patricia,
Patricia Josephine
8/9/2019 19:29:22
That is quite the surprise. I can't say I've ever had that kind of surprise in my writing. 8/8/2019 14:59:04
I must've missed this new blog while I was on break last month! Found it now.
Patricia Josephine
8/9/2019 19:14:48
No, you didn't miss it. I just launched it at the end of last month. 8/8/2019 15:26:07
I think the biggest surprise my writing has handed me was the short story. I've never been a huge fan of reading them (though when I think about it, I do like them. Just not heavy "literary" shorts), and didn't think I could write them. Glad I learned different!
Patricia Josephine
8/9/2019 19:30:11
First time I did a 100 word drabble, I was surprised and proud of being able to write something so short.
Patricia Josephine
8/9/2019 19:31:08
LOL. I know. Non-writers think we're nuts. 8/8/2019 17:04:22
It's so much fun when characters add their own ideas to the story. They're often better than mine.
Patricia Josephine
8/9/2019 19:31:35
My character ideas are usually better than mine, too. 8/9/2019 14:33:21
I can't remember the specifics now, but I know my characters often surprise me. The one surprise I do remember is in the final book of the series, so I can't mention it yet!
Patricia Josephine
8/9/2019 19:31:57
Oh, you're going to make us wait. Evil author!!! ;) 8/10/2019 07:37:05
Don't you love when that happens? It's as though you're listening to someone in your head telling you the story!
Patricia Josephine
8/15/2019 17:52:50
I do. It makes it fun.
Diane Burton
8/11/2019 09:09:15
Good idea to split your pen names. A lot of extra work, though. I split off my MG book(s) from my adult books by using my initials. It's always fun when our characters surprise us.
Patricia Josephine
8/15/2019 17:53:16
I don't mind the extra work. Especially if it pays off. ^^ 8/12/2019 10:28:21
Changing the genre? Wow, that's incredible. I've thought about it. Sometimes I find that I'm putting in humor where it shouldn't be in my thrillers. Maybe I should be writing comedy? Love your header.
Patricia Josephine
8/15/2019 17:53:59
I haven't read many thrillers, so I can't say if I'd find it weird to see a bit of humor in one. 8/13/2019 19:47:18
I love the new blog, and that logo is too adorable. The bat, the ghost, the alien, the cat--I just love it so much!
Patricia Josephine
8/15/2019 17:54:29
I wanted to add something that would tell people visually to expect monsters. =D 8/14/2019 10:00:52
Whoops! I don't have this blog on my Feedly yet! Adding it now...
Patricia Josephine
8/14/2019 19:03:24
The story ended up being over 10 thousand words. o.o Leave a Reply. |
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