Jill here. We are smack dab in the middle of summer and the summer writing panels. We hope you are enjoying them. In case you missed it, we’re doing Q & A panels each day during the months of June, July, and August. We post one question, each of us will answer it, and then we want you to answer in the comments. This is a great way to get to know each other and learn too.
BUT FIRST!
I have a new book cover to share with you all.
Ta da!
Isn’t it beautimus?
I’m so excited about this cover for King’s War (book three in The Kinsman Chronicles). The big one is for the paperback version, which will include the three ebook parts: The Reluctant King, A Deliverer Comes, and Warriors of the Veil.
Aren’t they beautiful? *sigh* Green is one of my favorite colors. I keep staring at them and imagining I’m being chased through the Nahar Forest by giants . . .
The ebook version of The Reluctant King comes out this September, but the release date on the full paperback is a bit sketchy because I’m still editing.
There is much to edit. š®
And now, on with the panels!
Do you consider yourself a confident or anxious writer? What makes you that way?
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| Jill Williamson |
Iām anxious. Oh, I start out confident. I get an idea and I run with it. Itās all the big daydream thatās going to be the best book ever. And I start to fall in love with my characters and I think theyāre amazing. And I get lost in my storyworld and have a grand time. But slowly, like mold, doubt creeps in. A little worry that Iāve again chosen a book thatās too weird to please my readers. A little fear that Iām ruining my idea. A little doubt that tells me I can’t pull this off.
I have to ignore these things, of course, or Iād never get done. But the closer I get to a finished project, Iām pretty much a basket case. I know that this book is THE book to end my career. It won’t sell. No one will publish me after this catastrophe. I tell myself, “You really did it this time, Jill. Gosh.” *shakes head* *rolls eyes*
But then the book comes out. And people read it. And while there are always some who donāt like it, there are always plenty that do. All that to say, itās my personality quirks and bad habits that suck me into this dark place of doubt and despair. To use a writing tool, itās the lie I believe about myself that makes me crazy. Iām working on that lie. And one of these days, the lie is going to die, and then Iāll be a confident writer. But Iām not there yet.
I have to ignore these things, of course, or Iād never get done. But the closer I get to a finished project, Iām pretty much a basket case. I know that this book is THE book to end my career. It won’t sell. No one will publish me after this catastrophe. I tell myself, “You really did it this time, Jill. Gosh.” *shakes head* *rolls eyes*
But then the book comes out. And people read it. And while there are always some who donāt like it, there are always plenty that do. All that to say, itās my personality quirks and bad habits that suck me into this dark place of doubt and despair. To use a writing tool, itās the lie I believe about myself that makes me crazy. Iām working on that lie. And one of these days, the lie is going to die, and then Iāll be a confident writer. But Iām not there yet.
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| Shannon Dittemore |
Sure. Yes. Both. I vacillate between being incredibly confident and ready to share all I know, to trembling whenever I send out a work for critical review. This is not an industry that will wrap you in comfort. You will have fantastic moments filled with words and hot cups of tea and readers as far as the eye can see. And then you will have the quiet, dread-filled moments that youāre almost embarrassed to share. If you know that, youāre better prepared than I was.
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| Stephanie Morrill |
I have my moments of confidence, but Iām mostly anxious. During release week, Iām a nervous wreck. Every time I get a text from my agent or editor asking to talk, my thoughts jump to, āWhat bad thing has happened?ā And Iām getting better about it, but I have a hard time talking about my stories or being an author in my everyday life.