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Wednesday, December 06, 2017

IWSG: knowing what I do now, what would I have done differently in 2017?


Hosted by: Insecure Writer's Support Group

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 - and return comments. This group is all about connecting! Be sure to link to this page and display the badge in your post. And please be sure your avatar links back to your blog! If it links to Google+, be sure your blog is listed there. Otherwise, when you leave a comment, people can't find you to comment back.

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.

The awesome co-hosts for December 6 are Julie Flanders, Shannon Lawrence, Fundy Blue and Heather Gardner.

Remember, the question is optional! Here is this month's question: 


As you look back on 2017, with all its successes/failures, if you could backtrack, what would you do differently?

So here I am, dipping my feet in IWSG and feeling very insecure. Guess I'm in the right place. My answer is long. If you want to skip to the summary at the end, it won't hurt my feelings.

This was me at the beginning of 2017: After an 18-month family crisis that ended sadly on December 27 of 2016, and an ongoing crisis with ups and downs (the new normal), I started 2017 with the intent of focusing again on my writing.

Fall of 2016, I had started a wagon train-themed book targeted for Love Inspired’s historical line, as they had stipulated that they were seeking wagon train stories. I spent a couple of months researching wagon trains. Fortunately, research is fun.

I was half-finished with a draft in [March] when Love Inspired announced they were closing the line. It was the second line in two years that I had hoped to break into, only to learn they were closing their doors.

That, combined with the fact that Christian publishers were significantly reducing the size of their fiction output, or discontinuing their fiction lines entirely, took the wind out of my sails. Christian fiction publishing had taken a huge hit due to Family Christian bookstores filing for bankruptcy.

Around the same time, my Wordpress.org website was up for renewal. As I was unpublished and there weren't possibilities, even on a distant horizon, I could no longer justify spending $500.00 a year to maintain a website.

Especially one that broke in one way or another every time Wordpress updated itself, which was frequent. Bluehost, which hosted it, also had its problems. I was glad to say good riddance to the design and maintenance of my own, way-too-expensive site.

I returned to good ole’ blogspot and opened a new blog. I had left a perfectly good blogspot blog three years previously. Why I did not return to it (this one), rather than spending a lot of time developing a new one, is something I would definitely do different.

Especially because here I am, back at the blog I'd abandoned in 2014.

But I didn't know I would return, then. In May, when I set up the other blogspot blog, I reasoned that because the blog you're reading had been a YA book review and writer’s blog, and I intended to review Christian nonfiction exclusively on the new blog, I needed an entirely separate blog in which to do it.

Different audiences = different blogs, right?

However I am now convinced it's unnecessary to maintain two separate blogs, especially as I now plan to review YA fiction, sweet and Inspy romance, and Christian nonfiction, on this blog. So I imported posts from the CNF blog into this one. I hope to attract an audience that reads and loves all of these genres as much as I do.

Though Love Inspired had announced it was closing the line I had hoped to break into, I continued to work on the wagon train story until late August, when a third family crisis affected my life greatly. It bumped me (and especially my writing routine) off track for a couple of months.

Oh, the slings and arrows of life.

In September, I attended a one-day SCBWI conference in Spokane with a good friend whose first book had debuted with a small press in July. Congratulations, Sharon!!!

That, combined with the earlier negative happenings (lines folding and the massive shrinkage of the Christian fiction market), got me interested in writing for the YA market again.

So for the past two months, I've been revising one of my two completed YA manuscripts.

And today, I have returned to this, my original blog, inaugurating it with a post about my writing insecurities! Ha. Yes, they are many and deep. 


##


Summary: 

If I could've known at the beginning of the year what I know now, I would've returned immediately to this blog after closing down my WordPress.org website instead of messing around for a few months, creating and posting on a separate blogspot blog. Heck, if in the spring of 2014 I had known what I know now, I would never have created the WordPress.org website and I could've saved a ton of effort and money. Such is life.

As to which fiction genre I should be writing, I am admittedly guilty of wandering. I'd gone from YA to Inspirational and now back to YA. It just seems that Christian fiction is not currently the market in which I should be spending my time. So I plan to continue down the YA path until I learn otherwise.

I have a plan and I am not stuck. As Seth Godin says, “The way to get unstuck is to start down the wrong path, right now.”

Having read this, do you think I should've stayed with the Inspy market? Self-published? Is returning to YA a logical direction?

What about you? What would you have done differently in your circumstances?

67 comments:

  1. I can barely maintain one blog let alone two. You did the right thing. I write YA and love it. It sounds like you're on the right path.

    I'm sorry to hear about your crisis that ended sadly a year ago. I'm praying this December will bring joy and happiness to you and your family.

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    1. Thank you so much Cathrina, for your well-wishes and your advice. Nice to meet another YA writer.

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  2. Thank you for this post. We really do have our highs and lows as writers. I found your comments on separate versus one blog, interesting. I write about cancer and being a caregiver, as well as writing. So, I've been kicking around the idea of having 2 blogs. one for writing and one for the cancer and caregiver posts. It will be a lot of work, though. You've given me something to think about. I hope you have a blessed 2018!

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    1. May your 2018 be blessed as well. I've been blogging since 2009 and my blog has undergone many transformations, as I have. Ultimately, I've decided it's best to stay with one blog. Our readers will either stay with us as we grow and evolve, or they won't. But I suspect that if they like us as people, they will stay.

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  3. Sounds like you found a path and your moving along on it. Go for it! Good luck! :)

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    1. Thanks, Madeline! It's taken several months to come to this point. I wish this change had happened more quickly, but at least I am here, now, and ready to move ahead with my new plans. Happy holidays!

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  4. I think that is one of the greatest challenges in life, the not knowing what is going to happen or what is ahead of us. If we knew we would never be tested and we would never make mistakes and therefore we would never find out how strong we are. I wish you all the best for 2018. That things settle down and that you find yourself writing in the niche that will cause your writing to shine.
    Shalom aleichem,
    Pat G @ EverythingMustChange

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    1. Thank you, Pat. Your words are true and encouraging. Blessings to you in 2018.

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  5. Congrats on your first post on this blog! The idea of a wagon train story sounds intriguing. Too bad they shut that line down.

    I just set up a separate author website/blog using Wordpress (my other blog uses Blogger), so it was interesting to read about the issues you've had with Wordpress. I went for the free option though.

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    1. Hi, I don't know much about WordPress.com except that I've heard it doesn't have plugins. Granted, plugins are amazing. But overall, the hassles were too many and I'm quite happy to be back with blogspot. My wallet is thanking me, too.

      Best wishes for 2018.

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  6. Wow, I'm sorry to hear your year has been so eventful, and not in a good way. Here's hoping 2018 is much smoother. I would keep going in the YA direction. It's much broader as a market.

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    1. Hi Nick! Yes, YA is a much larger market, which is a big reason why I'm attempting to make the switch. We'll see if I can manage the YA voice.

      Happy holidays, and nice meeting you.

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  7. I am a believer in "Write what you love" and you will write well. Best wishes as you navigate your course.

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    1. Hi Liza. Indeed, considering all the time and effort it takes to write a manuscript, it would be foolish NOT to write what we love.

      Thank you for stopping by and best wishes for 2018.

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  8. Welcome to IWSG! Your blog is beautiful, so I would say you have made the right decision for your needs right now. YA is a good field, but no need to abandon your sweet romances. There will always be a market for them, even without a specialty bricks and mortar store.

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    1. Hi Lee. Good point about the sweet romance market. Actually, the YA romance market I am targeting is a digital-first market. It's a strong company, but I don't think any of their books make it into brick and mortar stores.

      Happy holidays and thank you for stopping by.

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  9. Glad to meet you here. I'll have to admit that I'm very happy with Blogger. Though many will say Wordpress is the best place to be, I've been on Blogger for over 8 years and I'm pleased with it.

    We had a Family Christian Bookstore near us and I noticed it had gone out of business a few months ago. I didn't go there very often, but I was sad to see it go. I didn't realize that the whole company had gone under. That is so disappointing. I hate seeing more bookstores going away.

    Lee
    Tossing It Out

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    1. I've read some truly nasty things about the owners of Family Christian, from reputable sources. If you're interested, see if agent Chip MacGregor's posts about it are still available online.

      So, it wasn't the book market in general that caused the bankruptcy. But it sure decimated Christian fiction publishing. I don't know if it will ever recover.

      No, don't be tempted to ever switch to WordPress.org. It is not worth it. It's very expensive to have a fast-loading site--much more expensive than the $500 annually that I was spending (which was bad enough). My site was slow and went down frequently. With blogger, you have none of that.

      Merry Christmas and the best to you in 2018.

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  10. Welcome to IWSG, Cathy! And thank you for visiting my blog!

    I write in so many genres that I can't keep track. lol Primarily, I write romantic-suspense but there's urban fantasy in there, some New Adult, and simple romance. Write whatever genre you are drawn to, even if it doesn't seem to be popular at the moment. :)

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    1. Hi Chrys--For me, it is and always will be YA or sweet romance. It's cool that you are so versatile.

      Happy holidays!

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  11. Glad you're on board with IWSG blog event and thanks for your comment on mine. You're very determined and if there's one characteristic of writers...it's that we endure. Good luck in 2018 with all your endeavours.

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    1. Thank you! We endure because it's something we can't NOT do--write, yes? Best to you in 2018.

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  12. Welcome to IWSG. It's a great group and you'll find lots of encouragement here. Blogging is hard, and getting things started can take a while. I've never tried WP but I didn't realize it was that expensive.

    Best of luck going into 2018!

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    1. Hi Meka. I feel like I've been at a writer's conference all day long. It's been so much fun, visiting everyone's blogs and reading their December 6 post. Good luck to you in 2018, as well.

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  13. I think you've made a good choice and hope in time you'll be doing great. Of course, I'm partial to YA since that's what I write. There are a lot of great publishers out there for the YA market. Best wishes to you. If I can be of help, please let me know. And thanks for visiting my blog. So nice to meet you.

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    1. Thank you, Beverly. We will "talk" again in a month. Best of luck on your work. And best wishes for the coming year.

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  14. No experience is wasted if we learn from it. Think how wise you are now. lol

    And Christian westerns are a huge market, so that's not a bad market to write for--and indies are doing really well there should you ever consider going that way. There's a Facebook group you might want to look into. It's called Pioneer Hearts. There's one for authors and readers and then there's an authors only one.

    Good luck with the new year! Have a Joyous Christmas.-

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    1. Hi Donna--Yes, if I strike out with the YA publisher I'm targeting, I will turn to self-publishing. Thank you for the heads' up about Pioneer Hearts. I will check into it. Have a wonderful holiday season and I'll "see" you again in 2018.

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  15. Sometimes the path is twisty. Glad you found IWSG! I didn't realize there was a drop in that area of Christian fiction. Glad you're finding your footing again.

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  16. Consolidating is almost always a good plan!
    I think wandering with different genres and learning new styles & tips and voices isn't a bad thing. I've learned a lot from doing the same :)

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    1. It's all a learning process. Eventually, we will find our voice. It's possible we might be able to "throw" our voice, to make it fit with several genres, if we wanted to. My wandering is never all that broad overall.

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  17. It sounds like you've been doing the best you can given the circumstances of your life and the publishing market. Welcome to IWSG. I hope you find we're a supportive group. Your wagon train story sounds like it would be great. Did you know when Gene Roddenberry pitched Star Trek, he described it as Wagon Train to the Stars? My advice (which is worth what you paid for it LOL) is write what appeals to you. Write what you love. You'll find a market. Best wishes.

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    1. HaHa. Thanks for your advice.

      I think I'd read that about Star Trek. Westerns had run their course. A broad audience was ready for something that was somewhat different. Switch out a few elements and voila.

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  18. Hi Cathy. Blogging is a learning adventure all on it's own. I did not enjoy getting involved with blogging in the beginning and I still sometimes cringe when I think about starting a new post. I went from blogger to wordpress and I have decided to stay with wordpress because of some seemless processes it offers but I do not pay nearly that much. I don't blame you for the switch :) We all need to be comfortable and find our own niche and marketing preferences that work for us. As long as you enjoy it, that's what matters :)

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    1. Hi Erika! I'm glad you got WordPress for a satisfactory price, and one that doesn't need constant maintenance. Good to meet you.

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  19. I think I was, at one point, maintaining two blogs at once and just had to close one down after a few months. It's too hard. I like having one to focus on.

    As for what genre to write in, I think you should read a GREAT (as in "life-changer") book by S.K. Quinn titled, "For Love or Money." It's all about what authors can do while struggling with that pull between writing what we love versus what we must to make money.

    (Psst.... You can do both! The book tells you how.)

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    1. Hi Cathy. Oh yes, I've read S.K. Quinn's books on self-publishing and just loved them. She is so warm and reassuring, and she makes it sound like you really can make a ton of money via indie publishing--if you want to. It can boil down to being about love or money, as she says. Best of all worlds is to love writing in a genre that sells well.

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  20. Welcome to the IWSG! It sounds like you had a rough year with a few bright spots. I hope next year is better!

    I used Wordpress for my site and only pay 99 dollars a year! You must have had one of their huge, expensive plans. I find what I get for 99 dollars suits me though, so I'm happy with it.

    Best of luck for 2018!

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    1. HI! I'm glad you're happy with WordPress. The available plugins are pretty great.

      Happy holidays and good to meet you!

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  21. Hi Cathy! What a beautiful blog you have here. I have two blogs also. Like you said, I thought each blog had to have one topic and different audiences. And yes, I’m having trouble finding time to maintain 2 blogs.

    I've followed your blog and will connect with you online. All the best to you in 2018. Enjoy the holiday!

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    1. Hi Victoria--So maybe we should both just do the best we can with one blog? Sounds good to me.

      Glad to be your friend on Goodreads.

      Best wishes for 2018.

      Delete
  22. Writing can be so stressful, especially when you are shooting to break into a specific line. Sounds like you've had a challenging 2017. Here's hoping for all things wondrous in 2018.

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    1. Thank you, Sandra. "All things wondrous in 2018." I LIKE that. The same back at you.

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  23. Welcome to the IWSG! You are in the right place and in good company.
    That was a lot of money for a website but at least you aren't still spending it now.
    Sorry that press closed its lines. I know a lot of people who read and write Christian fiction, so I think it's still viable. My publisher accepts it as well.
    Hope 2018 is great year for you.

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    1. Hi Alex, Thanks for the tip on your publisher. I will look into it.

      Thank you for being our Ninja!

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  24. I am guilty of having a few blogs and only working on one. I need to close two down really. My bad!

    Your genre is usual one which you feel pulled to. I thought I wanted to write urban fantasy when I started but the stories were so dark I started to realise dark fiction was my forte.

    Also, some authors enjoy writing in several genres or converge several genres within one story. If you are struggling it might be easier to choose a publisher and write according to their specification around a genre you know you're comfortable with. See where it leads taking it one story at a time. Genre choice is a much more fluid concept than it once was.

    Best of luck and enjoy the holidays!
    Shah - XX

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    1. Hi, yes with Indie publishing, I think genres are blending a lot more than ever before, since the books don't have to be shelved on a specific genre shelf in a bookstore!

      I was thinking about it, and the genres I like aren't really all that different from each other. A YA romance is similar to an inspirational romance is similar to a sweet romance ... you get the picture. No swearing, no sex, and a HEA (happily ever after) bind them together.

      Glad you are finding your forte. Best wishes to you for 2018.

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  25. Welcome to the IWSG it's a great place to be and full of useful advice and support. I've only ever had one blog and sometimes my posting on that has been a little sporadic! I guess my advice would be go with your heart and write what makes you happy.

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    1. Hi Suzanne, I like that advice. I have a hard time trusting myself and following my heart. I need to heed that advice more. Happy holidays.

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  26. I am so sorry to hear about your struggles over the past couple of years.

    My blog is mostly for writers, but I like to do things for readers and some random stuff for fun, too. Why not just do it all in one place. :)

    You spent $500.00 a year on a website? Oh my goodness! My Wordpress website (www.ChrysFey.com) is only $26 dollars to renew and the domain was a one-time purchase of, I believe, $20. I don't pay for a layout either but use a free one instead. And everything on it, I did myself. So it is possible to have a Wordpress website for only $26 a year.

    Welcome to the IWSG!

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    1. Yup, I commented yesterday but I thought of more stuff to say when I wasn't rushing. :P I meant to mentioned that in the above comment. lol (No...I'm not crazy.) lol

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    2. Wow. Who hosts your site? As I understand it, I need to renew my domain name every year (for about $12.00). That's no big deal, but paying for Elegant themes and for Bluehost (to host it) really added up.

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  27. What a frustrating string of events! I'm glad to hear that you're sticking with it though. @mirymom1 from
    Balancing Act

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    1. Hi Samantha! Yes, the writing ups and downs were frustrating. The life crises were just ... well, sad.

      Best wishes for 2018.

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  28. My heart goes out to you, Cathy! My goodness, you've accomplished a lot while going through way to much! I don't know a lot about the Christian publishing scene because I haven't written in that genre. However, I taught elementary school for twenty-five years. The curriculum covers settlers at some time throughout those years, and I'm thinking there might be a publisher for a wagon train story for upper elementary kiddos. Just a thought. Kudos to you for hanging in there and all the best during the Christmas season!

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    1. Hi! Good suggestion for the wagon train story. Happy holidays.

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  29. I used to maintain a christian blog for my christian non-fiction and a writing blog for my regular fiction. It took up way too much time, so I combined the two.

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    1. Hi Lynda, I think I will enjoy your blog, as we are apparently writing about or reviewing the same genres. Best wishes on the success of your devotional.

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  30. If you want to write a wagon train story then go for it. It seems you are in the beginning and so you could direct the work for another audience if needed.

    I had no idea WordPress blog sites were that expensive. It makes me wonder why everyone isn't on Blogger which is free.

    Good luck with whatever path you take and welcome to the IWSG!

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    1. Hi Tamara, yes, surely there are other markets for my stories. I just need to find them. Happy holidays and best wishes to you in 2018.

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  31. Cheering you on as you make these changes and face the challenges of what direction to go in in your writing, and in targeting markets :-) Sounds like coming back to this blog has simplified things, too, so you can concentrate on what's most important to you--writing. Glad to see that the writing bug is alive and well! Wishing you a good year ahead...

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    1. Good to see you, Kenda. I pray that 2018 will bring with it some successes for both of us, dear blogging/writing friend.

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  32. It sounds like things have been frustrating for you. I really hope things get better and you find your path. I only suggest that you write what your heart wants to write and worry about publishing it later. If you force yourself to write in a genre you aren't committed to, I think it will show in your work.
    Keep moving forward. Best wishes!
    Thank you for participating!
    Heather
    Co-host, IWSG

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    1. Hi Heather. Bottom line is that we should love the genre in which we write. I don’t ascribe to writing to pay the bills, if it means writing something I can’t stomach or be proud of. Happy holidays!

      Delete
  33. Hey Cathy, I saw a comment where you said you were posting in IWSG for the first time and came over to say hi. So we make it hard on ourselves don’t we? I maintain several blogs but only make a few visible. I have a free WP blog too which serves a purpose. I get different readers there. But blogspot is so easy!
    It can be hard to find your writing niche too. I wish you every good wish for your writing career.

    Happy holidays!
    Have an awesome 2018!

    Denise

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  34. Hi Denise, thank you for the well wishes and the best to you in 2018 as well.

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