Gone Writing

 I'm popping out of my writing cave to announce that I finished the first draft of my next book.

Going part time at my job was definitely what my writing career needed. Look for book 4 in the Forging America series to be released soon. 

And take advantage of the e-book sale. For a little while longer, the first three books will be priced at only 99c!

One last thing...

I'm reviving TEAM MAYGROVE, my street team!

Members help promote my books. They get to read books before they're published, to give feedback on how well they like the story (beta reader). They can also opt to receive advance copies for the purpose of leaving reviews (ARC reviewer). And there are other perks. :)

Participation opportunities are offered per book and are always optional.

If you or someone you know would like to become a member, use this link.

Thanks for visiting.

Writer life behind the scenes - Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome: 

A psychological condition that is characterized by persistent doubt concerning one's abilities or accomplishments accompanied by the fear of being exposed as a fraud despite evidence of one's ongoing success.

I'm writing the first draft of the next novel in my western series, and let me tell ya - this part of the process can be worse than peeking between my fingers and waiting for the first reviews to come in on a new release.

The bulk of the research has been done. The characters are roughly sketched out, and the story is plotted. Now it's time to transform all that planning into something readers will enjoy. Talk about pressure!

The problem when I'm writing the first draft is that the slowness of the process makes the story feel like it's dragging. Character emotions and actions still need elaboration and fine-tuning, so the first pass reads as boring and stiff. I read it and sigh, 'This is crap. Nobody is going to want to read this.' Even though I've turned out likeable books before, I worry this one won't be as good as the others.

Then I remind myself that writing a good novel is a process, that I can't just skip to the end. If I go through all the steps, the finished product will be polished and worthy of publication.

Do you ever suffer from Imposter Syndrome? It doesn't only plague writers.

Are you curious about the writing process? If so, ask your questions in the comments, and I'll do my best to answer them.

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One last thing...

To coincide with Amazon Prime Days, I put the entire Forging America series on sale for 99c. 

I'm leaving the e-books on sale for a few more days. Grab them before they go back to regular price!