I could use a bit of Star Wars power this month. If you’re in California you know what we might be up against this summer: water shortages, rolling electrical outages, and wildfires. What a perfect storm we could be heading into. Last summer we weren’t prepared for half of what Mother Nature hurled at us, so this time a lot of us are getting ready for the worst and hoping for the best.
I have my “Go Bag” by the front door. I’ve put irreplaceable items in storage. As you read this I’ll be on an evacuation drill with my community driving a back road that is the second route of escape in case of fire. (I may be late in visiting blogs this month.) There’s not much more I can do, so after this drill, I’m as ready as I can be. From now on, it’s a wait-and-see summer.
Fortunately, there are a lot of good writing events to look forward to
at
#IWSG!
First, here’s this month’s question. Remember, the question is optional!
Has any of your readers ever responded to your writing in a way that you didn’t expect? If so, did it surprise you?
The awesome co-hosts for today are
Erika Beebe,Pat Garcia,Tonja Drecker,Sadira Stone, and Cathrina Constantine!
I’m always surprised at what readers say about my books, and this is why writing is such an adventure. I have my own world view, and of course, it’s the right one. Then someone sees something in what I’ve created on paper and it’s not what I wrote at all. Really? Gee, there’s another way to see that event, or that character’s reaction–one I’ve never thought of? The writer-reader interaction is mind-expanding, and that’s one reason I keep doing this. This question is close to the issue of the REVIEWS and the different ways writers react to them.
Some say they don’t read their reviews, but I find that hard to believe. I learn from my reviews–negative and positive. And I’d prefer getting them to not. There’s no quicker way to bury a book than to ignore it, so I like to review for others and do as many as I can. Another thought occurred to me while writing this answer (sorry if I’m rambling–age factor) A few readers have been offended by my topics, but in my mind if a book isn’t at least a bit polarizing, I didn’t write something worth reading.
I’m eager to see how others respond to this one. I think it’s a great question.
I’ve gone into this topic a bit more on my EMAIL CONNECT this month. This link takes you to my home page. The signup field is there. If you’d like to join me, you’ll receive a short story with a touch of horror to spike your reading pleasure in May. It would be great to have you among my contacts.
And now for the Ta Da moments in this post
Do you write sweet romance? This is a chance to have one of your stories read by 7 noted writers/agents and published in an anthology.
The theme: First Love
Discover dark matter’s secrets and visit the writers who are included in this anthology.
Stephanie Espinoza Villamor
CD Gallant-King
Kim Mannix
Steph Wolmarans
Tara Tyler
Deniz Bevan
Charles Kowalski
Olga Godim
Elizabeth Mueller
Mark Alpert
This Month’s Quote: “It’s like obituaries, when you die they finally give you good reviews.” Roger Maris