August 3, 2022 by Lori L MacLaughlin

IWSG and Bookstore Romance Day!

Today’s the day for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) where, on the first Wednesday of every month, writers get together to share their insecurities and offer encouragement. The IWSG was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh, and you can learn all about it and sign up for it here.

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Bookstore Romance Day is coming up on August 20th! What is Bookstore Romance day? According to the website bookstoreromanceday.org, it’s “a day designed to give independent bookstores an opportunity to celebrate Romance fiction—its books, readers, and writers—and to strengthen the relationships between bookstores and the Romance community.”

It’s not just for Romance writers. Any writers whose stories include romance can participate. I’ve been invited to join the celebration at The Eloquent Page, a local independent bookstore. All three of my books have romance aplenty mixed in with the magic and swordplay.

Check out bookstoreromanceday.org to see if a store near you is celebrating and join the fun!

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And now on to the IWSG Question of the Month — When you set out to write a story, do you try to be more original or do you try to give readers what they want?

I write for me, so I write stories that I want to read. I don’t try to guess what others might like or might want to see. It’s impossible to please everyone, so however the story is written, there will always be those who wish things had been done differently. I write stories that are satisfying to me and hope they will find other readers who feel the same.

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WIP Update: Life continues to keep me ridiculously busy and writing opportunities are few and far between, but I’m 15 chapters in and approximately halfway through the third book in the Trouble series, Trouble Times Three. I keep hoping things will slow down, but it hasn’t happened yet. One of these days, maybe.

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Anyone else joining in on Bookstore Romance Day?

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June 1, 2022 by Lori L MacLaughlin

IWSG — When the Going Gets Tough…

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June 1 question – When the going gets tough writing the story, how do you keep yourself writing to the end?

When the going gets tough, the tough switch things up. If I get bogged down in a scene, I have a few go-to strategies to get things moving again. Sometimes, a short break is all that’s needed to give a fresh perspective — taking a long walk or a hike or watching a movie. Doing something different allows the brain to reset. Other times, I brainstorm, playing the ‘what if’ game to see what comes to mind. I get some of my best ideas that way. Another way I get my brain back in gear is to go to a spot earlier in the story and start reading from there. By the time I get to where I was stuck, the story just flows on through as the characters take over once more.

When all else fails, I jot down actions and dialogue that I know belong in the scene and work through it in phrases and incomplete sentences until I figure out exactly what’s going on with the characters. If things aren’t working, it usually means I’m trying to force the story to go in the wrong direction. Eventually, if I keep at it, the right direction presents itself and the story goes on its way again. The key is to not give up or get discouraged. Perseverance pays off.

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Has anyone else ever dreamed about seeing their story up on the big screen? I’m sure the answer is Yes! I’ve been toying with the idea of writing a screenplay for my first book, Lady, Thy Name Is Trouble. I bought Final Draft 12, the industry standard software and have been dabbling with it. I found it really easy to use and was able to bang out a scene in a short time. I also read two screenwriting books, Save the Cat! by Blake Snyder and Story by Robert McKee, which have been incredibly helpful. Then I discovered the Internet Movie Script Database. It has the actual scripts from so many movies, including Lord of the Rings. What a resource! I’ve been skimming though scripts to get a better feel for how they should be put together. It’s all quite fascinating.

Has anyone else out there tried writing their own screenplays? What software and resources did you use? Did you find it easier or harder than writing a novel? Big screen, here we come!

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July 20, 2018 by Lori L MacLaughlin

Celebrate the Small Things! – Back from a very long blogging hiatus

Celebrate the Small Things is a weekly celebration created by VikLit and now hosted by Lexa Cain to celebrate the happenings of the week, however small or large. You can learn all about it and sign up for it here.

Happy Summer! I’m jumping back into the blogging pond. Or maybe I should say ocean. I don’t know if I will be able to keep up with posting every week, but will try for every other week, at least. I’m looking forward to catching up with what’s been going on with everyone.

Celebrations in general:

My daughter graduated from high school last month and will be heading off to St. Michael’s College at the end of August!
My job is going well.
I finally managed to publish my third book! The Road Once Taken came out in e-book in April, and the print version came out June 1^st. I have a book signing tomorrow from 2:00 to 4:00 at the Eloquent Page bookstore in St. Albans, VT. Woo hoo!!

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The Road Once Taken

Jacinda Harper just wants a vacation — a little time to spend with an old friend and her new baby. But a speeding car on a rain-slicked road crashes just ahead of her, and alters her life forever.

The last wish from the dying woman in the wrecked car sends Jaci to a lonely mansion, where she finds a mysterious grandfather clock, a cryptic diary, and a strange key… and magic…

Unwittingly transported into a fantastical world of ominous castles, wild forests, and rebel swordsmen — a world ruled by a ruthless sorcerer whose quest for world domination has long been thwarted by the loss of a magical key stolen from this world long ago — the key that Jaci has just brought back into his reach…

Jaci must find a way back to her own world before the sorcerer finds her.

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What other celebrations are going on out there?

June 7, 2017 by Lori L MacLaughlin

IWSG — Working My Way Back

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Wow, I can’t believe how long it’s been since I’ve had a chance to get back into the blogosphere. When life steps in, it can throw everything for a loop. But I’m happy to say I survived the intensive ten-week training course, passed the required 4-hour certification exam, and have settled into my new job, which is going really well.

The best part is that I’m finally starting to get back into writing. I can’t tell you how good that feels. So what is my insecurity this month? I’m wondering if writing is like riding a bicycle. It’s been so long since I’ve written anything new that I sometimes feel like I’ve forgotten how. I’ve been reading through my current WIP so it will be fresh in my mind. It’s called The Road Once Taken, and it’s about ¾ done, so I don’t have too much left to write. My goal is to publish it this fall. Fingers crossed that I can find the time to make it happen.

My free time is still extremely limited so it may take me a while to return visits and see what everyone has been up to in the last six months, but today’s post is a start, and I’ll be working my way back to blogging more often.

One thing I did accomplish was to get the book cover done. I wanted to have some “coming soon” book cards printed to hand out at the book events I have coming up this summer. Carrie Butler of Forward Authority Design did a fantastic job with it. And I always get the images for the cover and for the book trailer at the same time, so I’ve been playing around with that, too. Click below to see the latest version.

Happy IWSG Day!!

November 2, 2016 by Lori L MacLaughlin

IWSG — Book Awards, Milestones, and Changes — Oh My! And November Question of the Month

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I didn’t intend to drop off the face of the blogosphere a couple of weeks ago. Life happened, with a lot of things going on at once, so blogging had to take a backseat.

First, for anyone who didn’t see the announcement on my Facebook page, my first book, Lady, Thy Name Is Trouble, did win the award in the Independent Publishers of New England Book Award contest in the Fantasy/SciFi category. Whoo, hoo! I had a great time at the IPNE fall conference in New Hampshire on October 21^st and 22^nd where I went to accept the award.

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Second, I reached another milestone with my blog. This will be my 300^th post!

And third, life happened in the form of my getting a new job. It happened in a whirlwind and rather unexpectedly. It’s definitely a good thing, but the difficult part is that this job requires an intensive ten-week training course, which will consume pretty much all of my waking hours from November 14^th until late January. I know the job itself will be interesting and rewarding, but the training will be a challenge.

Which brings me to my insecurity for this month (and for the next few): My writing time will be nonexistent for the next ten weeks and probably beyond until I get settled into the new position. It’s going to be hard to live without it. I had hoped to publish one book a year to build up a backlist, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to finish the book I’m working on and get it out by the end of 2017 or not. It’s still a possibility. It’ll just have to be a fall/winter book instead of a spring one like my first two.

Blogging time will also be nonexistent. I will keep the author promo commitments I’ve already made. I’m in the process of scheduling those posts now, but other than that, after November 14^th, I won’t be around much, if at all.

Here’s to a successful training session, and Happy Holidays to everyone!

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And now for the November IWSG question:

What is your favorite aspect of being a writer?

My favorite aspect is writing the first draft. When I sit down at the keyboard and the story is playing like a movie in my mind and the words are tumbling out of my head like a waterfall and I can barely get them down fast enough. I live for those moments.

October 5, 2016 by Lori L MacLaughlin

IWSG — Book Awards! And October Question of the Month

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I know there are quite a few book award contests out there, and I’ve often wondered if it’s worth the upfront cost to enter them. Sometimes it feels like throwing money down the drain. If you don’t win or place, you have nothing to show for the investment.

And are all those contests really legit? Or are some of them created by unsavory characters preying on authors desperate for any recognition that will lift their books up out of the ever-widening sea of published novels? And if the contests aren’t big name like, for example, the Hugo Awards, will readers be influenced to buy your book if you do win?

I don’t know the answers to the first two questions, but I’m about to find out the answer to the third one. I received notice a few days ago that my first book, Lady, Thy Name Is Trouble, won a Finalist award in the Independent Publishers of New England Book Award contest I entered a while back. Whoo, hoo! I’ll be going to the IPNE fall conference in New Hampshire on October 21^st and 22^nd to accept the award and hopefully do a book signing, and just enjoy the conference. It will be interesting to see if the award and the publicity surrounding it have any effect on sales.

What experiences have other authors had with book contests? What ones did you enter? If you won or placed, what happened then? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

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And now for the October IWSG question:

When do you know your story is ready?

My basic rule is that if I can read through my story without tinkering or making any edits, it’s ready. Of course, this is after it has gone through the necessary revisions and professional editing. But if I can read through it and not find anything that feels just a little off, and if everything reads smoothly without any wording that trips me up, it’s done.

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And Don’t Forget the 2016 IWSG Anthology Contest!

Last year’s contest was science fiction — parallel world/alternate history — and the result was Parallels: Felix Was Here. This year, there’s a new theme and all members are invited to submit.

Eligibility: Any member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is encouraged to enter — blogging or Facebook member. The story must be previously unpublished. Entry is free.

Word count: 3000-6000

Genre: Fantasy

Theme: Hero Lost. It could be about a hero turned villain, a villain’s redemption, a hero’s lack of confidence, a hero’s lack of smarts, etc. It can be about any kind of hero including superheroes, mythological heroes, unexpected or unlikely heroes, or a whole new kind of hero. This theme has plenty of scope and we’re open to pretty much anything along these lines. No erotica, R-rated language, or graphic violence.

Deadline: November 1^st, 2016

How to enter: Send your polished, formatted, previously unpublished story to admin @ insecurewriterssupportgroup.com before the deadline passes. Please include your contact details and if you are part of the Blogging or Facebook IWSG group.

Judging: The IWSG admins will create a shortlist of the best stories. The shortlist will then be sent to our official judges.

Prizes: The winning stories will be edited and published by Freedom Fox Press next year in the IWSG anthology. Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title.

We’re excited to see the creativity and enthusiasm that’s such a part of this group put into action. So don your creative caps and start writing. And spread the word!

September 23, 2016 by Lori L MacLaughlin

Celebrate the Small Things!

It’s been another one of those crazy busy weeks. Things to celebrate:

The Ghost Walk Tour! It was a blast. I had no idea there were so many hauntings in Burlington, VT.
Apple picking, cider donuts, and apple crisp! Yum!! Our annual trip to the apple orchard is one of my favorite traditions.
College Fair Night! Over 200 college representatives filled the gymnasium at local St. Michael’s College to answer questions from high school students. My daughter is a junior this year, so off we went into the maze of college brochures and financial aid info. It was overwhelmingly noisy and crowded, but we came out with a lot of useful information that will help as we move on with the process.
Farmer’s Markets! The last craft day at the local Farmer’s Market was on Thursday. One lady bought both Book 1 and Book 2 and said she couldn’t wait to read them, which made me happy. 🙂

The haunted Timothy Follett House

The spooky window of the Follett House where apparitions have been seen lurking.

The full moon during the Ghost Walk.

What other celebrations are going on out there?

September 2, 2016 by Lori L MacLaughlin

Celebrate the Small Things!

Today I’m very much enjoying the cooler air of fall! Spring and fall are my favorite seasons. It won’t be long before the leaves are turning in earnest and painting the hillsides in glorious color.

Celebrations for this week:

VT Comic Con! I had mixed results at Comic Con last weekend. Sales weren’t stellar, but I did give out a lot of book cards for, hopefully, future purchases. I think the attendees were more looking to spend their money on comic/anime-related things. The good part was that several people recognized my books, having seen them either at local bookstores or when they popped up on Amazon as being similar to something they were buying. One person said her coworker had read my first book and enjoyed it, so she took a photo of the second book with her phone and sent it to her coworker to let her know there was a sequel. I thought that was pretty neat.
The Champlain Valley Fair! So many things to enjoy — the rides, the entertainment, the animals and crafts, and the food! Maple frosted donuts, ice cream, and caramel apples! Yum! And then we went back in the evening a couple of days later to see the Double Figure 8 race and Demolition Derby, which my son loves.
Getting back into a routine now that school has started. My kids may not be happy about being back in school, but I get a lot more done.
The Mad River Valley Craft Fair coming up this weekend! This will be my first time participating as a vendor there, so we’ll see how it goes.

Jack Skellington

Storm Troopers examining artwork made entirely from duct tape.

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One of 2 rollovers from the Double Figure 8 Race. (No one was hurt.)

View from the top of the 125 ft. tall ferris wheel.

(Sorry for the photo quality. They were taken with my phone.)

What other celebrations are going on out there?

August 19, 2016 by Lori L MacLaughlin

Celebrate the Small Things!

Today was such a gorgeous day that I just had to be outside. I was finally able to get some much-needed gardening and yard work done. Yay!

I’m also celebrating the fun time I had talking with a writers’ group in a neighboring town. They had asked me to come in and speak to their group about my books and writing in general. They were a fun, lively bunch, and I had a great time. I was there for over an hour and a half. The best part was that the organizer of the group said several times that fantasy was not her usual genre to read but she loved my first book and couldn’t wait to read the second one!

And one other celebration — Trouble By Any Other Name received a 5-star review from Readers’ Favorites Book Reviews! Whoo, hoo! Here’s the link for anyone who’d like to read it: https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/trouble-by-any-other-name.

What other celebrations are going on out there?

August 3, 2016 by Lori L MacLaughlin

IWSG — Question of the Month

I really don’t have a lot of writing insecurities this month other than the usual trying to balance writing and marketing, so I’m going to go right to the Question of the Month.

The August 3^rd IWSG question: What was your very first piece of writing as an aspiring writer? Where is it now? Collecting dust or has it been published?

I’m happy to say that my first piece of writing has been published! After many years of hobby-writing and revising and then a year of serious revising and editing, my first piece — my novel, Lady, Thy Name Is Trouble — was published on February 27, 2015.

For anyone slogging in the trenches of whatever stage of writing you’re at, be it drafting, revising, editing, querying, or looking into the self-pubbing process, I’m here to say, Don’t give up! Keep going, you’ll get there.

During all those years working on my story, I had many doubts that I’d ever see my book in print. It was a dream I chased without much hope of success, but with hard work, persistence, and determination, I brought that dream within reach. It is possible to make dreams come true. I have the book in my hand to prove it.

Keep chasing those dreams, and never, ever let them go.