AtoZ Archives - C. Lee McKenzie

Before I start today’s post, I’m sad to share that one of our writers, Ken Rahmoeller (aka Chemist Ken), passed away. He was looking forward to the publication of his first book, and we hope that it will still make its way into the world. His posts will be missed because he was always upbeat and hopeful about his work and that of others.

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

The co-hosts for the June 7 posting of the IWSG are Patrcia Josephine,Diedre Knight,Olga Godim,J. Lenni Dorner, and Cathrina Constantine!

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.

Remember, the question is optional!

June 7 question – If you ever did stop writing, what would you replace it with?

I’m posting in two places this month, so I’ll answer this question on the IWSG site. Come over and visit me there. And be sure to visit the co-hosts to see what they have to say. It will be interesting.

Since summer is officially here, I’ll be stressing about wildfires, walking faster to pump up those endorphins, and feeling restless when I have to sit at a computer and write, because I’m not good at staying inside this time of year.

Having written all of that, I’ll admit that I’m excited about the project that’s coming to completion. I’ve worked on this story on and off (more off, I confess)since 2014, and it wasn’t until this year that I really understood what I wanted the book and the characters to say.

I’m putting the manuscript through my critique group, and they’re about half way through what I’m calling my final draft. I hope I’ll have more to share in the coming months, and I hope to start subbing it by fall. Unfortunately, I still have a bit of a snag with this one. I don’t have the right title yet, but I’m on the hunt–usually at night when I should be asleep, but can’t because I have a marquee scrolling all kinds of possible title choices. I’ll find one. I’ve found others, and some of them have come before dawn.

Are you ready for another WEP adventure? I hope so because this month’s theme is

Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

I love it!

The winner will receive a critique prize from Lynda Dietz from Easy Reader Editing. Also the winners will be invited to submit a story for publication in the WEP Anthology.

Join on the WEP Site

Quote of the Month: “The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe.” – Gustav Flaubert

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

The awesome co-hosts for the April 5 posting of the IWSG are Jemima Pett, Nancy Gideon,

and

Natalie Aguirre!

Remember, the question is optional!

April 5 question – Do you remember writing your first book? What were your thoughts about a career path on writing? Where are you now and how is it working out for you? If you’re at the start of the journey, what are your goals?

I absolutely remember almost every step I took in writing that first book–Sliding on the Edge. I knew nothing about writing a book except the English language and the fact that I loved reading. I had zero career goals because I’d already had a career, and this was my time to kick back and take it easy. HA!

Little did I think I’d still be writing or that I’d have ten books published. I was astonished when I had one, and I had no plans for a second, but when I went to New York to meet my publisher, their first question was “What’s your next book about?”

My response was, “I’ll have to get back to you on that.” I remember sitting down in my hotel room that night and writing the first ideas down for The Princess of Las Pulgas. That would be book two, and I was on my way down that very slippery slope we’re told to avoid.

The Princess of Las Pulgas by C. Lee McKenzie

Where am I now? Excellent question. I’m submitting my first speculative young adult book, getting ready to submit a middle grade fantasy, and starting book two in an adult series. That slope keeps getting steeper and more slippery by the day, but as long as it’s fun, I’ll stay the course. I love sliding into new territory!

But not into areas of danger. Read on and be aware!

SCAM ALERT

Thanks to Tonja Drecker who alerted me to this potential disaster for writers!

This is what she sent to me:

Scams are nothing new, and as a writer, there are certain things, which set off the alarm signal. This last week, though, I ran across one, which caught me by surprise. I’ve since learned that it’s been around for several years and hits job boards as well as the usual social media outlets. I ran across it on Twitter, and while I didn’t fall victim to it, I was shocked at how much time the scammers put into it.

I received a DM from an account I’ve been following for several months, claiming that they needed some help with something and asked if I was willing and comfortable with writing clean kidlit stories. The account had around 3,500 followers (over 150 writers which I follow myself), did regular posts with book news and religious quotes, and didn’t seem off in any way. After a little back and forth, they claimed that they were contracted by a large company (a real company, who was not involved in the scam) to find remote writers for a project. It was a permanent position with a monthly salary of $4000. Wary but curious, I agreed to an interview on Skype, which was scheduled three days later.

The first alarm bells sounded when the gentleman, who was to interview me, insisted that it be done per chat…claiming the printed form was important to assist in the company’s decision. During the chat, the logo of the supposed contracting company was present. The interview was very normal and came with the usual questions but did get odd when it was my turn to ask for information. The gentleman’s answers were vague, and the conditions, while nothing over-the-top, sounded too good to be true. The interview lasted over 30 minutes, and at the end, he claimed I appeared to be what the company was looking for. A second interview was scheduled with the supposed hiring company’s manager for the next day.

This interview also came as a chat only. While starting out with the usual questions, the ‘you’re hired’ popped up fast. Claiming that they needed me to start as soon as possible, they requested personal information, supposedly to speed up the paperwork process. While I didn’t let it get this far, I’ve since learned that it would include everything from address, birth date, bank information, credit card, and even SSN.

Before reporting this to anyone, I did contact the real company, whose name was used by the scammers. They were extremely kind and helpful, and confirmed that the individuals did not work for them nor were they hiring writers at the time. The account has since been reported to Twitter, but that, obviously, won’t stop the scam.

Thanks, Tonja

The next WEP (Write It. Edit It. Publish It.) is coming!

Life is Beautiful Post April 19 to 21, 2023