HELLO THERE! I'M BACK!

 Hello blogging friends (if I have any left!) Out of sight, out of mind? Hope I can claw my way back to this much-loved community. As said in my last post before disaster struck, I prefer blogging over all other social media. And I will come by to say hi!

I'm too late for the IWSG this month. I told Alex of my situation, but I've been away too long and no longer have my exalted position near the top of the list. 💔

So...where have I been?

On April 4, my son was taken gravely ill with respiratory failure and has just been released from hospital after 4 months! So from that you will deduce he is still not out of the woods, so my husband Geo and I are helping take care of him at his home in Brisbane. We used to live here in the city and love it, so it's not such an impost although we miss the beach like crazy. 

Now we don't have to bus it to the hospital every day, I've taken some time for myself and here I am at the gorgeous Brisbane Square Library in a nice little possee with a view over the Brisbane River and the new bridge connecting the South Bank with the new casino complex and reconnecting with the writerly world. 

So, hello again, fellow writers! I'm so glad to be back!

Anyway, anyone who knows me knows of WEP (Write...Edit...Publish) and how we had to close down, some insisted temporarily due to overwhelming life challenges, and turns out they were right. Many said they needed WEP to write to a challenge every two months and some said they'd not written anything since we stopped with the challenges so Yolanda, Nilanjana, Olga, Jemi and Sonia all agreed to reopen for a challenge in October, our funnest month, with a Thrillfest. 

So, thanks to some clever artwork from Olga Godim, our badge guru, we have prepared a challenge for all those who like to have a crack at flash fiction of the scary kind, or non-scary if you can't bring yourself to horrify readers.

This is going to be my first foray into writing for four months! I have two completed novels which I will be rereading and sending to editors, but I fear I've forgotten more than I ever knew about publishing. Hmm. Going to be a tough road home. Found anything that works for you? Do share!

Here I present WEP's October Horrorfest!

Are you ready?

Thought we were caput didn't you?!!

Nope, just dealing with life's issues,

but we're ready once more.

For a NEW CHALLENGE!

It's coming up in October

Just in time for Halloween!

Write about what scares you.

Whether it ghosts, or goblins, or ghouls...

Or it's relationships, spiders, or snakes...

Maybe you fear tomorrow, or yesterday,

the past, or the future.

With so many fears, there's no reason

not to participate.

So we'll see you there!!!!

Post your masterpiece

    OCTOBER 1st through the 16th

Just affix your link and get ready for

some amazing writing!!!!!

Don't forget, comments count!

See you then with a link!

Thanks Yolanda Renee for letting me steal the promo which is found at the WEP website.

Sadly, two of our original members have passed - Sally Stackhouse and Nancy Williams. They are sadly missed by us all.

Hopefully we will see some of you posting your stories with us in a celebration of the gift of life!

#IWSG April 2024 - Blogging, social media ...

 Here we are, another month done and dusted. Hope your month was rewarding in every way.

April 3 question - How long have you been blogging? (Or on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram?) What do you like about it and how has it changed?

Hmm. The question this month makes me think. I've been blogging for a gazillion years it feels, but I think I began in 2007. 

Someone said today that blogging hasn't really changed over the years, but I disagree. Or, rather, it's we who have changed over time. 

I started with a travel blog to enter a competition, L'Aussie Travel, then created a Paris blog as a place to talk about my favorite city, then Flashquake blog where I posted my stories to the #Fridayfiction prompts, then began Romantic Friday Writers, which became  WEP, a trusted place to write flash fiction to prompts, and toyed with the idea of a separate blog for my paranormal pen name, Silver Tree. Way too much work. So now I'm going to make a major change to this, my author blog, and put all my eggs in one basket (couldn't resist the pun).

When social media became a thing - yes it wasn't always a thing - many of my blogger friends left for Facebook especially, which is a lot less work than blogging. 

Even though I'm a lot less enthusiastic about blogging than I used to be, I still prefer it to FB/X/Insta etc. even though I force myself to 'do' these when the spirit moves me. Blogging is much more personal and I do still have a few blogging friends left, not too many, unfortunately. 

Writing can be an isolating experience, so it helps to touch base with fellow writers once a month for the IWSG, and latterly, I catch up with my WEP friends each month or two on the WEP site. All good.

The awesome co-hosts for the April 3 posting of the IWSG are Janet Alcorn, T. Powell Coltrin, Natalie Aguirre, and Pat Garcia!

  Be sure to visit the
Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website!!!

See you in May!

Denise

#IWSG NOVEMBER 2023. TRADITIONAL VS SELF-PUBLISHING

 Hi all!

Seeing comments are often not allowed on my blog, thanks Google, I nearly decided not to post. I've got to choose whether to add a new comment system, or move to my Word Press blog. Neither excites me. I'm on vacation so and have no time to fiddle. 

I'm not answering the question about NaNoWriMo in full. Yep. I've done it 5 times, but I don't write that way. I choose to go slow and edit each day's work most of the time. Sure that wastes time sometimes, but I can't help myself. These days many writers have their project fully planned before Nov 1 which wasn't the original idea, but what the heck? You do what you do.

click HERE to read more - including a list of pros and cons for both which we probably all know. 

My latest book, Fijian Princess, (which I started writing in 2015! Told you I was a slow scribe). When I read it again, I liked it, so I decided to polish it up and have it edited AGAIN recently. I'd shelved it after an edit, pretty discouraged. So, about 3 editors have cast their weary eyes over it at different times and at considerable expense to moi. It looks pretty posh now and so it should. 

So do I self-publish? Or do I shop around for a traditional publisher, small or big? I can't believe I'm actually asking this question - I've been on Team Self-Publish from the outset but it's a ton of work. Not that I expect an easy ride if I actually lasso a trad publisher. Just check out Damyanti's FB posts about her latest book. She puts in the hours. 

My final editor says I have a great story, will attract readers around the world, so, hmmm, I'm insecure about this. I need your help.

I won't be doing anything with this ms or my Paris Cookery School until early 2024. The rest of 2023 is ridiculously busy mainly with travel. I'm down in South Australia momentarily and face a long trip home in 3 days.

The awesome co-hosts for the November 1 posting of the IWSG are PJ Colando, Jean Davis, Lisa Buie Collard, and Diedre Knight!

  Be sure to visit the
Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website!!!

~*~

Anyone want to share their experiences with self-pub or traditional? I'd be grateful.

If you have some advice and can't comment, please flick me an email ...

den.covey@gmail.com

Thanks so much for reading/helping - 

Denise

#IWSG JULY - HOW MANY MINUTES/HOURS/DAYS DO YOU WRITE?

How are you doing? I'm glad you found your way here on IWSG day because I want to pick your brains. I'm not answering the optional question today - I'm going my own way.

After trying for the past 10 years, I'm finally closing down my English tutoring business at the end of the senior school year. I made sure I only tutored Year 12 students this year - they'll be off to University, so I won't get tearful phone calls from mums and dads when I fling them into the big wide world without their guide by their side.

Now, my insecurity is - what do I do now I have the opportunity to write full time? Well, I have a big extended family, so there are never-ending demands on my time, but there's nothing new about that. Some clever clogs manage to write books with a baby over their shoulder, tapping on their smart phones. Wow. But I'm definitely going to have extra hours in the week to write and I fear I will fritter them away.

I'm endlessly fascinated by those threads in many FB writing groups I follow. Last week there was one on 20booksto50k whose focus is unashamedly The Business of Being a Self-Published Author. That's the crux of my problem - I don't treat writing as a business, except in my head. So on 20 books, there were the usual and stoic - "I set aside xx number of hours per day and stick to it, no exceptions" to the "I never set goals because it stresses me and I end up writing less." Hmm. Reminds me of someone.

It doesn't take much to fascinate me when writers talk about writing because I always think everyone is smarter than I am. Then I remind myself I have self-published 6 books over a couple years which sounds pretty awesome, until I 'fess I've been working on some of them since 2010, LOL. To call me a slow writer is an understatement. You know, there's places to travel, holidays to take, house to clean, meals to cook, books to read, WEP to oversee and write for, research ... you know. And I just can't stop self-editing!!

But I was truly fascinated by one clever writer who said, and I paraphrase, "I spend a month outlining/planning my next book, I spend a month (yes, only a month!!!) writing it, then leave it for a month, then I spend a month editing - self-editing, then send it to my editor and start the whole process again on my next book." Holy guacamole! Now if I try to emulate this clever author I'd fall flat on my face, seeing I've never finished a book in under 5 years!

**So how about you? Are you secure in your writing career, set a business plan and follow it, or are you more like me who doesn't set weekly goals so I'm not disappointed when I can't reach them? I'd love to hear how clever you sets goals.

And this is the purpose of the IWSG - 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!

So thanks in advance for your assistance and guidance ...

Be sure to visit the Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website!!!

And the following kind people have taken time out of their busy writing lives to help Alex this month.

 PJ Colando,  Kim Lajevardi,  Gwen Gardner,  Pat Garcia,  and  Natalie Aguirre!

~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Would you tweet for me?

Do you set #writinggoals, #IWSG, @DeniseCCovey #amwriting #writingcareer, #writersoftwitter, #writingcommunity, https://dencovey.blogspot.com/2023/07/iwsg-july-how-many-minuteshoursdays-do.html

~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

And I can't leave without inviting you to write for WEP in August. 

How about this? Sure to be a favorite~yummy~

What could be sweeter than to write about chocolate?

Post - August 16th to the 18th 2023

Thanks so much -

Denise

#IWSG June 2023 - ...if I could no longer write.

 "You are hereby sentenced to ten years' hard labor."

My fingers clenched into my palms. My heart hammered in my ears. What did 'hard labor' mean? Would I be roused from my bed each morning at dawn in the freezing snow and chain-marched to a field to smash rocks?

"Your imprisonment will be a warning to all those who hold seditious thoughts, who write seditious thoughts. Activists like you will be silenced."

Yes, silenced so dictators like you can wreak havoc on my beloved country, with no oppositional voices heard.

"Every book you  have written, every placard that bears your name, every podcast, every social media post will be eradicated in this political purge. Every dollar you have made from your heinous words will be taken from you as the spoils of crime. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Nothing," What was the point? Anything I said would be twisted and turned against me. 

"During your imprisonment you will have no access to pens, pencils, paper, iPad, laptop or any other writing paraphernalia. I repeat, your voice will be silenced. You will have ample time to think, to attend reinvention classes and change your ways."

The judge's vicious words flowed over me. I was already in my head, imagining what I would uncover in ten years and write about, exposing this dictator and his henchmen to the world. They could take away what they saw as my 'writing paraphernalia' but they could never take away the most important, the thoughts in my head. 

•.¸¸.•´¨* •.¸¸.•*´¨•.¸¸.•´¨`•.¸¸.•´¨* •.¸¸.•*´¨•.¸¸.•´¨`•.¸¸.•´¨* •.¸¸.•*´¨•.¸¸.•´¨`

Thanks for visiting for the IWSG. Please click HERE to read more entries.

The awesome co-hosts for the June 7 posting of the IWSG are Patrcia Josephine, Diedre Knight, Olga Godim, J. Lenni Dorner, and Cathrina Constantine!

  Be sure to visit the
Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website!!!

And while you're here at mine, please consider yourself invited to write for the WEP June challenge. DETAILS HERE on June 1.

Do anything you like with the movie challenge, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Ideas HERE. Guidelines only.

#IWSG MARCH 2023. DO YOU EVER SUFFER FROM #AUTHORENVY?

 Hello fellow insecure writers. Is there any other kind? 

"As writers, we falter more often than not. We struggle to find narrative clarity, struggle with the purpose of why we write, struggle with beliefs that writing comes easier or more naturally for others, struggle with allowing who we really are to come through in our work, or that who we are, as we are, is enough. Sometimes words from other writers offer a lift."

And that, my friends, is the combined wisdom of best-selling authors of the ilk of Margaret Attwood, John Grisham, George R.R Martin et al from the inaugural Santa Fe Literary Festival (above). If these guys struggle, what chance do we have to be secure in our writing career? (If you have advice for me to the contrary, please drop it in the comments! I'd love to hear from you!)

So, peeps, it's April already. April is so busy with the A - Z challenge where writers gamely write every day. No thanks! Used to, but those frenzied days are over. I admire each and every one of you who succeeds. If you also write for WEP, you can find a way to combine both challenges.

The awesome co-hosts for the March 1 posting of the IWSG are Diedre Knight, Tonya Drecker, Bish Denham, Olga Godim, and JQ Rose!

  Be sure to visit the
Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website!!!

March 1 question - Have you ever read a line in novel or a clever plot twist that caused you to have author envy?

Are you kidding?????

I am a super voracious reader, and always make time for it no matter how frenetic life is and it's more than frenetic atm, so I am full to overflowing with author envy and magical words that feed my soul. Those who're waiting for a review may understand me more. Sorry. That phrase you wish you'd thought of, that word, unique, (Pat Conroy is the master!) or that plot!! I'm especially devouring thrillers atm (along with womens' fiction and vampire books) and plotting in thrillers, especially, must be sooo hard unless the author has reached the level where they appear to use a formula and repeat it with different characters and settings. Readers don't mind, do we? Well, maybe sometimes. I don't read certain authors anymore as they so obviously repeat themselves. But usually when we admire an author they can't shoot out those books quickly enough for us. I hope I'll reach that level one day! But I'm definitely a sloooow writer. How about you?

I don't like to just mention one author/plot twist that still has me thinking months after I finished the book when there are several, too many to mention. Oh boy! But I Let You Go  by one of my fave thriller writers, Clare Mackintosh, has left the biggest impression on me and obviously a lot of people. Just saw she's got over 40,300 reviews! Crikey! I'm struggling to reach double figures). I'm shivering just thinking about her plot twists. Spoiler alert! Stop now if you're going to read it on my rec.

Amazon link 

Somehow the author convinced the reader (or was it just dumb me?) she was talking about one person, but as the book rushes on you realize she's talking about a completely different person. (You're aware of them both.) That's pretty hard to pull off! It did me in. There is this vicious person out to kill one of these people. Shiver. Shiver. Police finally come to the starkly remote creepy beach in England where most of the story takes place. (I've noted in thrillers that the police are painted as pretty useless so the hero has to save themselves). Yeah, after a terrifying tussle she's already killed the killer by the time the cops arrive (girlpower!) - but the last line of the book has you asking - has she really? 

The killer has tracked her down where she's been eking out an existence writing and photographing Hallmark-type cards in the sand. Hmm. With him dead, finally she can reclaim her spot of beach without shaking in terror. So after she returns from hospital after being bashed to within an inch of her life by the killer - she finds -

"Jennifer - (her name of course)...

The sea doesn't falter. The next wave breaks over the marks in the sand, and they are gone. A gull gives a final sweep of the bay as the tide comes in, and the sun slips beneath the horizon.

And then it is dark."

I've already re-read to see where I missed the clues, but can't find it. Clare Mackintosh has done a great job. Author envy!!!!!

Have a great month, everyone! We at WEP have just finished our Gone With the Wind first challenge of the year. Currently on our blog the 3 winners are announced and have received their Oscars - Damyanti Biswas, Beth Camp and Dolarah (formerly Donna Hole).

You could receive an Oscar next. We'd love you to write for us in April ... check this out ...

Get IDEAS HERE!

Leave a comment and I'll get back to you!

Denise 

#IWSG February post - Book covers

 Hello all!

Our second posting for the year already. Hope you're all diving into 2023 with renewed vigour and hope.

February 1 question - If you are an Indie author, do you make your own covers or purchase them? If you publish trad, how much input do you have about what goes on your cover?

The awesome co-hosts for the February 1 posting of the IWSG are Jacqui Murray, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Pat Garcia, and Gwen Gardner!

  Be sure to visit the
Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website!!!

The question for the month of February is pretty simple - BOOK COVERS.

As a self-published author, I listen to my much-published friends who variously offer advice on what has worked for them.

Fiverr is cheap for beginning authors and a bit dodgy, so it helps to have recommendations. I admit I'm not overly happy with any of my Fiverr covers, but once I find my author feet I'll redo them all. 

I settled on designrans on Fiverr for my vampire novels.

Continued with pro-ebook covers on Fiverr for my first three books of short stories.

But found it difficult to find an illustrator for my Paris Dreams women's fiction novel. Finally, through a friend, I happened upon Kim Killion of The Killion Group.

I'm super happy with her cover and will use her again for my next Paris novel with the working title - Le Petit Paris Kitchen Cookery School. And as a bonus, you can pay for a blurb. Read some examples HERE.

All my covers can be seen HERE.

We're told ad infinitum that the book cover is super important as yes, we do judge a book by its cover. A good cover should reflect the genre. This is enhanced by the right fonts. I look for a great tagline which tells the buyer so much.

Next most important. Flip over to the blurb. Most of us find the blurbs excruciating to write. I get a lot of help with mine and am still unhappy with all of them. But the blurb needs to sit nicely on the back, whether there is an image in the background or colors to match the front cover, the text needs to be clear. At times the blurb gets lost in the back image.

Anyway I'm no expert, but I hope there is a little takeaway within my ramblings. Looking forward to reading what you have to say.

And if you lack funds for cover artists, there are free Canva and other programs. I'm a little too impatient and find Canva a bit annoying, but I did rush one for a Book Funnel promo of a short story. My story had hundreds of downloads which added to my newsletter list, so the amateur cover didn't put readers off too much. But I won't repeat the experience as I believe even a free book deserves a professional cover. That said, I know authors who use the paid Canva option to create amazing covers and a wide variety of clip art for formatting the inside. Go you beautiful  people!

~*~*~

WEP (Write...Edit...Publish) starts today with a bang! Please join us this Valentine's month for the first of our 2023 prompts based on a favorite movie of each Team WEP member.

February's prompt is the controversial film:

Details are published on February 1 on our new-look website. Come across and have a sticky beak!

Posting of entries is between Feb 15 -17.

Submit Flash Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry and Photo Essays

Winners this month receive a critique from the IWSG's own L Diane Wolfe ... and ...a DRUMROLL ... place in WEP's anthology of the best of WEP in 2023, published early 2024.

Here is a mock up of a cover, simply used as a placeholder. 

Until next time!

Denise

#IWSG post - NOVEMBER 2022 - #NANOWRIMO - To do or not to do that is the question.

 Hello there!

Here we are again. Another month gone by, chock-a-block with writerly activities for many of us. 

The awesome co-hosts for the November 2 posting of the IWSG are Diedre Knight, Douglas Thomas Greening, Nick Wilford, and Diane Burton!

  Be sure to visit the
Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website!!!

I'm sorry I didn't get back to those who commented here last month, but unfortunately my husband had a bike accident and ended up in hospital with a broken back. Not fun. He is slowly recovering, but our lives have certainly been disrupted and will be for some time. 

So, I'll answer the suggested question today - November is National Novel Writing Month. Have you ever participated? If not, why not?

I was an enthusiastic NaNoWriter years ago, but no longer do it. I mean, the  idea used to be that you cranked up the laptop on Nov 1st, and started writing, preferably without a plan. Since then, writers use it more specifically to finish a book, edit a book, plan a book etc etc rather that what the original expectations were. That's all fine. Many things start off one way and end up being something else.

Yeah, this was my whaling novel, Ruby. Had a look at it the other day ... and cringed.

I have a total of 5 rubbishy books I penned in a frenzy in my early NaNo days. I doubt I'll ever get back to them. Maybe I could take the story ideas from them, as the ideas are good, but the writing is what NaNo writing was once supposed to be - rubbishy first draft.

So no, no more NaNo for me. The only thing I remember fondly was it was a great excuse to hit the laptop every day and pen over 1,000 words. And connecting with other writers. But I can do that without NaNoWriMo.

Have a great month.

Oh, and while you're here, WEP finished an awesome October challenge and is primed to have their final challenge in December. Join us if you feel like following our dreamy prompt -

Denise

#IWSG July - Living in book worlds. #Paris is a visual feast.

 Hello all!

Time for another #IWSG post. What goes around, comes around, right? This month we're going to have a sneak peek into our writers' personalities wherein they choose a book world.

July 6 question - If you could live in any book world, which one would you choose?

No surprise. I don't write sci-fi or fantasy (other than vampire fantasies and I wouldn't want to inhabit that world, LOL) so of course I'd like to live in the Paris bookworld where my Paris Dreams characters live. 

Paris is a stunning city and I've practically walked every cobblestone, clambered up every hill, poked my nose into fantastic gardens, museums and art galleries, and there would be worse fates than living in Saskia's world of fashion or Raphael's world of art. 

Pretty groovy. 

So after numerous trips spotting locations, my next Parisian bookworld is in the world of French food. Yummy. Food, friends, passion and mystery. Delicious. Be ready for its release in October, all going well.

Let's have a visual feast. Here is my inspiration using my own pics:

Many meals and some scary stuff goes down at one of my favorites, Cafe de Flore.

Sacre Coeur and Montmartre feature.

One of the characters is a huge Hemingway fan (what a surprise!). Here's the door to one of his apartments at place de la Contrescarpehe, closest to where my story is set in St Germain des Pres.

One of the characters puts a love lock amongst the thousands which have now been moved to Pont Neuf.

Catching the metro is always fun, especially if they're art nouveau like this one at Place Collette.

One of the main characters sketches this statue of an angel I snapped at Pere Lachaise cemetery.

This lovely homeless guy and one of his dogs features. But he's not so lovely in the story.

When asked to describe my WIP, this is the entry I wrote for the #IWSG Anthology webpage. I shared my taglines-in-progress:

“Drama, romance, and passion are layered, flavoured, tasted, left to simmer, not unlike the traditional French recipes scattered throughout the book.”

“Food, love, passion for Paris, combined with characters layered with shades of darkness combined with a good measure of charisma.”

“More than cooking goes on in this kitchen.”

“Absolutely delicious … like a warm hug.”

“If you love reading about food, Paris, love, feisty characters, this is a book you will relish.”

 Which tagline do you like the best?? I need one for the cover and maybe I could incorporate some in the blurb.

Like the sound of my bookworld?

The awesome co-hosts for the July 6 posting of the IWSG are J Lenni Dorner, Janet Alcorn, PJ Colando, Jenni Enzor, and Diane Burton!

  Be sure to visit the
Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website!!! There's so much to help a writer along!

So while you're here, this is WEP's next challenge in August. This is a writing contest open to all writers. Please consider the prompt and pen something 1,000 words and under and join the fun. We love newbies! You never know, you could be one of three winners!

Thanks for coming by!

Denise

I'd really appreciate knowing which tagline you like best. Let me know in the comments.Thanks!

Hope you enjoyed the pics.

Many have complained that they can't comment on mine, and several other blogger blogs. Until Google fixes the problem, the solution is to return to the boring old pop-up comment system where I can't reply individually. Pass the word! Better than nothing!