Five More Chapters #IWSG

Ah, March. The month of so many things, and here we are, already to the first Wednesday. Since it’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group day, I’ll wait until next week to talk about the Colonel’s Challenge results. Today, I’m going to talk about the same thing I talk about every first Wednesday: my book.

I’m not insecure about my writing today. According to my assessment, I only have 5 chapters left to edit. I started the year with 8 to go. Since then, I’ve finished about 12 of them, some getting updated more than once. But really. Only 5 more chapters…

I swear.

It’s not perfectionism. And it’s not editing just for the sake of avoidance either. I’ve tightened the magic system. I’ve removed one-off characters that were quick fixes in a pinch. I’ve cut out extraneous details that don’t improve the world building or play a role in the plot. I’ve set up a character’s power so that when he uses that power during the important events, it doesn’t feel like it comes out of nowhere. I’ve cut infodumps. I’ve added emotional validation for a character’s feelings.

Looking back at Thanmir War, I see its flaws. I see how I could’ve improved my main character, increased the tension, cleaned up the story itself. I’m determined to do better with Isto.

So no insecurity today. Today I’m hopeful. Confident.

IWSG Question of the Month – Everyone has a favorite genre or genres to write. But what about your reading preferences? Do you read widely or only within the genre(s) you create stories for? What motivates your reading choice?

I don’t typically read widely, but I’m not strict to my genre. My childhood was filled with nightmares courtesy of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps. Then I hit pre-teen and dove straight into Piers Anthony (Xanth) and Terry Brooks (Landover series). At my mom’s prodding, I tried Christian fiction with Frank Peretti and a middle grade series I don’t recall the title of. I dabbled in noir and sci-fi. I devoured the historical Outlander series (Lord John Grey novellas are my fave). I’ve picked up espionage thrillers, murder mysteries, and even a bit of erotica. I laughed through satirical comedies and screamed in exasperation at how every Christine Feehan paranormal romance book was the SAME FREAKING BOOK. I’ve even read nonfiction, though that’s more for self-improvement rather than relaxation or enjoyment.

But the reading I enjoy most falls into the Urban or Epic fantasy genre, which is where I spend most of my time. In the past month, I’ve finished Shakespeare for Squirrels, The Blade Itself, and an old anthology called Mean Streets. I took a stab at Crave but couldn’t stop laughing when the YA girl’s heart pattered at the brooding young man with the high-rise cheekbones and chiseled jaw that could cut stone. Currently, I’m a quarter of the way through Rhythm of War (460K!), book 4 in the Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson. It’s writers like Sanderson who make me feel comfortable with my 180K novel, despite the teasing of my critique group.

I don’t know where I’ll go from there. Maybe you can suggest something?

What genres do you like reading? Are there any books you would recommend? Do you like to try different genres?

About Insecure Writer’s Support Group

You can find the sign up for the IWSG here. We owe Alex J Cavanaugh a huge thank you for thinking this blog hop up.

The post Five More Chapters #IWSG appeared first on Squirrel Talk.