Thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh for this wonderful blog hop that helps to support writer's. The awesome co-hosts are M. Pax, Tracy Jo,Patricia Lynne, Rachna Chhabria, Feather Stone, and Randi Lee!
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.
After four books why do I feel like an inadequate writer?
How are you coping this month? Do you somewhat cringe when reading your stories? Do you read your books after they're published?
Yeah, I can relate. I don't reread anything that has been published (if I don't have an option to fix it). We're always improving and changing. That's why we just have to keep writing. :)
ReplyDeleteYou're right Lynda.
DeleteYou must have been mortified. But even if there are places you could have improved, as you said, the story is good, and that's the most important thing.
ReplyDeleteI was. And it is a good story.
DeleteTrust me, even with a publisher and an editor, those typos sneak by. There was a big one in CassaStar that no one caught and it was repeated often. My publisher did fix it.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I have never been brave enough to read any of my published books, because I know there would be a ton of things I'd want to fix or change.
You made me feel better. thank you.
DeleteThat would be so hard! I don't have a published book but I even do that when I go back and read my old blog posts. haha. BUT...we are always harder on ourselves than we need to be and it's all part of the process. 4 books - you are adequate and awesome! :-)
ReplyDeleteThank You Tracy.
DeleteRemember.... typos breed! LOL. My two novel have gone through HUNDREDS and I mean HUNDREDS of edits and I still find a missed word or typo. It's INSANE.... So don't fret about those...
ReplyDeleteHow many have you found the most popular novels. I know I always find plenty.
FOUR BOOKS is quite the accomplishment, Cathrina... I've only written two. Each writer works at their own pace. Just keep writing well and at your own pace...
Thank you Michael. You made me feel so much better.
DeleteReading my debut novel is cringe city. I abuse adverbs and use way too many words. Working with my editor for 5 novels has helped me tighten my writing for sure.
ReplyDeleteMy first four novels are languishing in sales but my 5th novel is self-published and doing a little better. No matter how many books or sales we have, we all suffer from insecurity. Keep up the great work!
Thank you jennifer.
DeleteI haven't read any of my books after they're published - because I just know I'll see things i want to change. Whenever I pull excerpts from my first book I end up tweaking them before posting. I'm itching to get my hands back on that one to de-adverb it. So, no Cathrina, you are NOT alone.
ReplyDeleteThank you Nicki.
DeleteYou are only human and typos are always fixable. It happens to everyone. I thought my manuscript was typo free until my editor proved me wrong. Thank you for your kind word on my blog.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you Murees.
DeleteI don't think we'll ever find our work perfect. It won't matter how many edits we go through. Questions will constantly arise.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad your publisher was able to fix those typos. :)
Thanks, Sherri
DeleteTypos can slip through even if you have a million people read it for typos. It's good the publisher was willing to fix the typos too. Most aren't. I've gone back and fixed things in some of my published work. While I don't have a big following, I feel like I can afford to redo things if I think of ways to make the work better and stronger. Yet there are things I've published now that I plan to keep as is. If we continue to fiddle with what we've published in the past, we'll never have time to publish new work. And I do think it's good to occasionally read through old work. We can see how far we've come, and that's a good thing. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat ideas Cherie, thank you.
DeleteThose typos always creep in, nasty buggers. I'll fix typos in past works, but nothing else. I read some big name author... can't remember who... who said to just keep moving forward or we'll be forever stuck on book one. Yup.
ReplyDeleteYou're right.
DeleteI think we all feel that way. It's why I obsess over my drafts before they go to print. I want to have as little as possible to live to regret. >.<
ReplyDeleteTypos breed--it's true! LOL
IWSG #126 until Alex culls the list again.
Hahaha... love that saying...
DeleteHi, I can relate to the cringing part. I always cringe when I read my first two books. Those sneaky creatures called typos have a nasty way of creeping in. Thankfully, my editors are extra cautious so I have been spared the typos.
ReplyDeleteRachna Chhabria
Co-host IWSG
Rachna's Scriptorium
Thank you for commenting Rachna.
DeleteI think we all feel inadequate sometimes. All we can do is the best we can and go from there.... :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Madeline.
DeleteI can't stand to read my books after they are published. It totally freaks me out and I cringe all the while I'm reading. Needless to say I have issues. :D
ReplyDeleteJulie, me too!
DeleteI'm not published, but it's easy for typos to slip by unnoticed. At least your publisher corrected them already so there's that. I think there will always be a tendency to change something you've written, thinking it can always be better, or that it's not quite as perfect as the passage you have in your mind. You're brave to have read your book after it's published!
ReplyDeleteI used to read a book and be amazed to find typos. But now I've come to understand that no matter the hundreds of edits, a typo or two or more are going to slip in. So no worries, just chock it up as a missing sock in the laundry mystery.
ReplyDeleteHahaha...yes, the washing machine likes to eat socks...
DeleteI struggle with massive typos, too and just fixed a book with 200 typos (found by a friend) - yikes!!! Anyway, I just keep going and hoping that my next book will be better, and I read the stuff out loud now, although that's painful, too.
ReplyDeleteJust keep writing, keep dreaming, and know that you are an excellent writer and storyteller.
I've been reading out loud too! And I find that printing it out on paper helps a lot.
DeleteIt's amazing how those typos sneak through. I like to read my own finished drafts out loud to myself to catch as many as possible.
ReplyDeleteGood Idea!
DeleteNever perfect indeed and yep, the stinkin typos still slip through
ReplyDeleteYeppers...
DeleteOh, I can relate to this so well. I cringe all the time whenever I need to browse through old comics and art of mine. Heck, the current stuff, too. They're just...hideous. Ugh. So sorry your writing has been making you cringe lately, too. (Typos are too sneaky for their own good.) Not a fun feeling, for sure!
ReplyDeleteYep, I guess many of us cringe.
DeleteI'm the odd man out here, because I did read my debut novel after it was published and caught a couple typos that happened after my editor and I saw it for the last time. (I checked to see if we had missed them.) My publisher happily corrected them. I haven't read my other books. I'd probably cringe too.
ReplyDeleteGlad you caught them!!!
DeleteThere really isn't, but it sounded like you had it all under control Karen.
ReplyDeleteAfter my first few books, I realized I shouldn't go back and read my books after they're published because I always want to fix something. I think that's a good sign for writers, always wanting to improve on their work. Yet at some point, we just have to let go and move on.
ReplyDeleteSo True! Thank You.
DeleteThis is one of my fears as well. Although I have only a short story which came out years ago and can't be bought anymore, I wonder how much I would want to fix if I read a full length book of mine that has been published. I wonder how many authors don't look back after their book hits the shelves for this very reason?
ReplyDeleteIsn't it crazy how we miss things over and over again? It's like our brains are wired to see what we think should be there, not what's actually there. There was one typo in my first book. It's been fixed, but still, after so many edits you'd think that wouldn't happen. But it happens with the major publishers too. None of us are perfect!
ReplyDeleteYes, I cringe too, but once something is published, it's time to let it go and move on to the next story with the confidence that you'll do better next time. If the story is good, your readers won't mind or even notice those little cringe moments.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid to go back and read my published books but I know I need to. Some day :)
ReplyDeleteThe only time I reread my own work is when I'm trying to recapture the 'voice' of a certain character. Other than that it is akin to speeding down a sand paper slide into a pool of lemon juice...but like...worse.
ReplyDeleteI have short stories published that have some of the same issues. I agree, seems a story, no matter how long or short, doesn't seem "perfect" even after publication.
ReplyDelete