IWSG OCTOBER 2016
Happy IWSG Day!
IWSG October 5th, 2016
#IWSG Twitter Hashtag
Insecure Writer’s Support Group
FOUNDED BY
Ninja Captian Alex J. Cavanaugh
Join the community here.
OCTOBER 5TH CO-HOSTS Give them a visit!
Hi Everyone,
I’m in the middle of my big move this week, so I may not be able to answer comments until Monday. Packing, packing, packing… As long as our internet is hooked up by then. The final move has been pushed back to this Saturday because of the big hurricane that will hit the edge of Florida on my side. I also found out after Saturday I will not have the internet until Thursday 13, 2016, so I will be offline, so comments may not be returned until that time. I’ll do what I can before I actually lose the internet but they are saying we may have long major power outages due to hurricane Matthew so we will see.
IWSG OCTOBER question is –
When do you know your story is ready?
That’s kind of an open ended question, isn’t it? In my mind, there are two kinds of finished. You write “The End” stop writing, or/and ready to launch into the world, publish. The latter I have to say I don’t know yet, but I am getting there.
- MAJOR change takes place e.g something ends (main storyline) for character or begins new.
- I know the ending and write to that point.
- I mind map it until I hit on an epiphany.
- I fiddle with the end until it feels right. Instinct?
Sometimes for a short story or flash fiction, a scene with conflict (active or internal) that means growth for the character negative or positive with some structure that unfolded in the writing. Mind mapping helps a lot with endings for these or writing from a picture prompt.
More often than not it is a feeling and meets some the criteria I’ve set in the story arc.
Some Articles about the subject:
Storyville: How Do You Know When Your Story is Done?
How to Finish What You Start: A Five-Step Plan for Writers
Satisfying Story Endings – Creative Writing Now
How To Write The Ending Of Your Novel | The Creative Penn
Better Novel Project I love this blog. Here one of my fave post so far, guess why?
Storytime Blog Hop October 27th.
You have 15 Days still to join and share your story with us! It’s a Halloween theme. Rules below. Deadline to email me your link October 20th for story submissions.
STORYTIME BLOG HOP OCTOBER 27TH
OPEN CALL Speculative Fiction Authors
HALLOWEEN THEME
What do you need to do?
Write a short story or flash fiction up to 1000 words
It should be PG-Rated – No Violence, Erotica or Foul Language in story
Schedule your posts to synchronize with other participates
Send your link to me by October 20th deadline.
A time converter link has been provided. Its already set, just select your time zone to match for the 27th.
Original posting here.
What is Speculative Fiction?
Speculative fiction is a broad category of narrative fiction that includes elements, settings, and characters created out of imagination and speculation rather than based on reality and everyday life. It encompasses the genres of science fiction, fantasy, science fantasy, horror, alternative history, and magic realism.
Join Us! You have a little over a month left to write your story and get you link sent to me by October 20th deadline.
Check out my Author Spotlight Author’s.
Timeless Maiden of Time 3 Cover Reveal (YA) Paranormal Historical
The Dragon’s Curse by Julian Adorney New Release Fantasy Romance
Cradle Rock by Tara Tyler Available December 1st, read about here.
Sign Of The Green Dragon Available Now!
Bish Denham The Bowl and the Stone COVER REVEAL.Available to buy, October 3rd
When It Hooks You by Nicki Elson Romance & Humor, Available Now!
Trouble By Any Other Name Book 2 Lori MacLaughlin, Available Now!
Chrys Fey Seismic Crimes Book 2 Romantic Suspense, Available Now!
A Startling and Unexpected Visit By Renee Scattergood (Shadow Stalker Series)
Flare The Sunless World Series Bk 2 Cover Reveal Rabia Gale. Check out the Sunless World Series BookI Available Now.
Treasures Retold: Royal Swans: The Wild Swans Book 7 by Katharina Gerlach Available on Amazon now!
The Treasure Retold series: Fairy tales touches of Steampunk & Airships. Read Her Author Spotlight Book 6 Release Here
Good luck with your packing and moving!
Love seeing so many of my blogging and author buddy’s books here today. Wishing them all the best of luck!
Instinct tells me when I’ve reached the end of the story. Then comes all the revising, editing, and all that fun stuff. Thanks for all the great links and the shout out! Hope your move goes well and I hope you stayed safe during the storm.
You always have great info in your posts. I like your list–and then intuition comes into play. I agree. Hope Matthew treated you okay. We are getting ready to move back to FL for the winter too but we are near Tampa and I guess we just got some rain. Hope all is well with you and your neighbors.
Good luck with the hurricane. Stay safe.
I like the idea of instinct as a pointer. It works in all other areas of life so why not for writing. Come to think about it – that is exactly how I know if my story is ready.
Thanks for cohosting.
Instinct is a big one on knowing when a story is ready.
Good luck with all that packing. I’ve just started packing for a move myself and it’s already sending me a little crazy 😉
Wow – wishing a safe and uneventful move – although I guess and “eventful” move would be fodder for future stories. Thanks for some great observations and links. I especially like the reminder to use mind mapping.
I’m visualizing you safe and warm and dry and all moved into your new place. Nothing bad can happen to you, because I’m saving all the bad stuff for my characters!
Keep safe and don’t worry about me. I’m watching Matthew from up north and hope everyone comes out of it all right. 🙂
Anna from elements of emaginette
Woo! Lots o’ books!
Yes, I agree with your idea of a feeling. Sometimes, you know. 🙂
What a thoughtful post. I was flummoxed by the question–how DO I know I’m done? Love your ideas.
Lots of great authors, and wonderful advice. I rely a lot on my critique partners to tell me when to stop nitpicking. Good luck with the move! 🙂
Good luck on that packing and moving and that little annoyance called a Hurricane!!!! And I think you’re right about some intuitive thing that tells you your story’s ready. Very tricky.
Great list. You are my new role model. Happy moving, Juneta. Hope it’s fun and easy.
Hi,
I recently discovered excel is an excellent tool to map my stories the way I would like to map them. I can see the loop holes. Working with excel has tightened up my plot. Love your mind-mapping. I have the ithought app on my iPad but haven’t used it but one or two times. I must look at it again.
Shalom aleichem,
Patricia
Great advice! Stay safe in the hurricane and good luck with the move!
I know many of those authors!
Good luck with the move. They are never fun. Hope Matthew doesn’t mess with us too much.
Moving is never easy. Not having internet service is the pits. Good luck (from a fellow AHA’er).
Such a great line up of authors in your spotlight (thanks for the shout!)–and I loved your advice. So I really want to play along with the hop on the 27th, but I just read that bit about violence. I have a terribly funny story about death, but you know, it’s death so there’s going to be some kind of violence. And then I’ve got a Halloweeny character who is somewhat of a psychopath, but an entertaining one. But, you know, she likes to kill people. Ugh. Maybe this is a no-win situation.
Good luck with your move!! I hope you don’t run into any trouble due to the hurricane. Take care!
Great advice Juneta, only yesterday I went back to my ‘How to write flash fiction that doesn’t suck’ notes to remind myself of the requirements that make a story rather than just a procession of events.
Good luck with the move 🙂
A x