Today for Monster Monday, we travel around the world to New Zealand to dive into the mythical Taniwha. Thanks to Kate Larkindale for telling me about this monster.

The Taniwha is a creature of Māori mythology. They are beings that live in deep pools in rivers, dark caves, or in the sea, especially in places with dangerous currents or deceptive breakers. They may be considered highly respected kaitiaki (protective guardians) of people and places, or in some traditions as dangerous, predatory beings, which for example would kidnap women to have as wives.

What a Taniwha looks like depends on where you see it. Out in open waters, it will appear as a whale or giant shark. When in inland waters, like rivers or streams, it may look more like a gecko or tuatara. No matter where you see it, it will be gigantic. There have even been reports of seeing the Taniwha as a floating log, which behaves in a disconcerting way. I'm curious to what people witnessed.

There are many legends about the Taniwha. In one, "The Taniwha of Kaipara", three sisters went out to pick berries. One of the sisters was particularly beautiful. The Taniwha caused havoc on their walk back and the sisters fled. The Taniwha caught the sisters one by one, trying to capture the beautiful one. On succeeding, he then took her back to his cave. Many years passed and the woman bore the Taniwha six sons, with three like their father and three fully human. She educated all her sons and in particular taught her human sons the art of war, helping them to fashion and use weapons. The human sons then killed their three taniwha brothers, and eventually their father. They all went back to their homes. (source: Reed A,W.,`Reed book of Māori mythology`(2004), pp.285-286)

In more recent times, the Taniwha spirits being referenced in both court cases and in various legal negotiations. Beliefs in the existence of Taniwha have a potential for controversy where they have been used to block or modify development and infrastructure schemes, such as the case where a major highway was rerouted to protect the area the Taniwha resided on.

What do you think of this mythical monster? How would you react if you saw a log acting in an unusual fashion? What monster should I cover next?

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: Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Mary Aalgaard, Madeline Mora-Summonte, and Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor!

Last month, I was enjoying a break from insecurity. I honestly didn't expect it to last long, but surprisingly, it has. This month, I'm not feeling terribly insecure. (Although, sales do still suck, but I at least got a few unlike last month.) There was a point I did worry my productivity was going to tank because I wasn't writing every other day like planned.

But I took a moment to think, and instead of panicking, I reorganized my schedule. Now, instead of writing every other day, I'm writing Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. That small change got me back on track and I ended up writing almost three  thousand words this past Wednesday!

It got me thinking about how easily we panic when things start to go wrong. I could have fretted over it and tried to force myself to stay with writing every other day. Especially since it had worked well when I started. But by stepping back and allowing myself to change my work flow, I got back on track quickly. I don't think that would have happened if I hadn't swapped my writing days. Sometimes what works well, only works for a little while then we need to shake things up.

How has your writing been this month? Did you see the monthly question? Do you have a writing schedule that you stick to no matter what or do you have to swap it around every once in a while to stay productive?

September being IC Awareness Month, and given I currently suffer from it, I decided to write a post about it to help spread awareness of this invisible illness.

Interstitial Cystitis is a chronic illness that affects the bladder. IC may also be referred to as painful bladder syndrome (PBS), bladder pain syndrome (BPS), and chronic pelvic pain. I refer to it as one thing mostly:

Annoying.

I was diagnosed with it in May of 2016. Overnight, the way I ate changed. I tossed the majority of the food in my cupboards because they were damaging my bladder and if I wanted to have a chance of healing, I couldn't be tempted. I went cold turkey with caffeine. At the time, I worked the 6AM shift at a local deli. Boy, did that suck.

Interstitial Cystitis, along with being a mouthful to say, is incurable. I take a daily medication that may or may not partially heal my bladder. The hope is that, one day, I'll be able to reintroduce foods back into my diet. Probably not Mountain Dew, but given they've started adding fake sugar to pop, I can't really complain. But I would like to eat chocolate again.

Have you ever heard of IC before? Can I get some good vibes sent to the people researching this disease so they can find a cure?

I’m a panster, so when I write, I don’t have an outline or even a plan for the story. What starts me is a character or a scene that excites me and I can’t get it out of my head fast enough. I start writing with zero direction. That often means I have no idea how to end the story. I don’t figure it out until I’m there, staring at the screen, and wondering how to save the day.

The ending to my urban fantasy novel, Mistakes of the Past, went through quite a few different versions before I finally got it right. Luc went from three chances at redemptions to one, back to three, then finally one. There was a sex scene, but that got axed. Another scene moved from one location to another. Parts got cut then added back in and adjusted to fit. Whole elements that I researched were discarded. Even lines I loved didn’t make the final cut.

It was quite the evolution. Sometimes you have to fight to get it right, to find the perfect resolution that readers love. I hope this ending is one that readers will enjoy. At the very least, I enjoy the ending. That’s got to be a good sign, right?