Insecure Writer's Support Group

The month of August was a total loss as far as writing is concerned. With the kids home, vacation, birthday party, and so on, writing didn't just take a backseat; it got thrown from the car entirely.

One of the highlights was a trip to Lake Gaston in Virginia to visit family. I learned that tubing is like Trix: for kids, you silly rabbit! My back is spasms just thinking about it. Kayaking, however, is right up my alley, so much in fact, that I'm getting one for my birthday. Hopefully, we chose one light enough so I can maneuver the thing onto the top of our car. (My back spasms just thinking about it.)

There's six more days until the kids go back to school. Six more days until the writer's gun goes off in my mind and I can get back to my short story. It's going to be a race, 'cause this baby is due on October 1st. I swore I'd never let a deadline sneak up on me like this, but here I am. My mind spasms just . . . okay, I need to stop that.

The trick here is not to think: I'm so totally screwed. No! I must think: Wow! It's been so long since I've written anything. This is going to be so much fun! I can't wait to dig in and write the heck out of this sucker, for hours, in a row, every day. Yeah!

It's a juicy combo of parents estranged over a seriously ill child mixed, the Mexican traditions with The Day of the Dead, and a hint of the supernatural. Just the ticket for a release date of November 1. I hope.

Finally, I'd like to give a shout-out to two authors whose books I read and loved recently. First, Leesa Freeman's Into The Deep End and The Wisdom To Know The Difference. Both have top-notch characters and strong narratives. And for the cat lovers: Avalon, by Vanessa Morgan. Heartbreaking, but also funny. Excellent stuff. I love reading stories that create an emotional impact. BTW, I discovered these authors during last April's A to Z Blogging Challenge--something to keep in mind for marketing.

Huzzahs to Alex Cavanaugh for running the IWSG show. Be sure to stop by his page and check out the posts of this month's cohosts: Julie Flanders, Murees Dupé, Dolorah at Book Lover, Christine Rains, and Heather Gardner.

Ever let a deadline get out of hand? How did it work out?