IWSG - The Sisterhood Myth

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group

http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com

I’ve been around a while, and outside of a handful of authors, I’ve not made lasting friends. I accept the reason for this lies mostly with me. It’s difficult to work full time and have a writing career. No, I’m not whining. It is what it is. But something else it is rings just as true, at least for me.

Back in the day I wrote a book and made the mistake of telling people about it. “Get it published!” they said. So I set about to finding out how to go about it. Fast forward to joining the RWA and an online paranormal chapter.

I asked a simple question. Many, many, many of those “mentors” told me where I could to buy a copy of their book, which, they assured me, held the answer. That’s not mentoring. That’s hawking your wares. (Funny how so many of them had a book on the topic of my question, which happened to be non-writing related.) To this day there's one woman whose books I will not purchase because of her cavalier attitude toward a newbie. 

As writers, we might think we don’t owe another like-wise engaged individuals a thing. They’re taking sales away from us. Why should we help them do that?

It goes a lot deeper than being a writer. We owe each other common courtesy and kindness, especially to someone who is floundering along the side of the road. It’s never in our best interest to bolster ourselves and our bottom line at the expense of another.

So here’s my kernel of wisdom for this IWSG post: Pick your friends carefully. Remember the Golden Rule and treat others the way you want to be treated. That newbie you can help might be able to do a good turn for you one day. 

Rayne Forrest

http://www.rayneforrest.com

www.twitter.com/rayneforrest

As we enter another year - 2015

I'm sure you've heard this many times before. People always say they can't believe it's a new year. Well, it most surely is. This January 3rd marked twelve years since I got the first publishing contract as Rayne Forrest. That book was The Skies of Mahdis, a story I dearly love. Now that I'm twelve years on I need to revisit that story and apply those things I've learned. Skies has been out of print for ten years so it's time. 

I've also had more than a few blogs over the years. First there was Through a Glass Brightly. That was followed by Forrest Whispers and Rayne's Ramblings. I tried Live Journal, Word Press and a few others but I think it's safe to say I prefer blogger. Anyway... 

Here I am with a lot of old blog content. I was looking through the old files to determine if it was time to de-clutter but that didn't work so well. Instead of dumping content from 2004 (yes, that is two thousand four), I think I may recycle some of them, especially the ones that make me laugh. 

Some of them remind of people who have left my life, for one reason or another. So it is with the friend mentioned in this blog from July of 2005. We drifted apart and eventually lost touch but I remember her with fondness. So without more rambling, here's The Rules. 
* * *

July 18, 2005

I get together with a friend every few Saturdays for early morning tea or coffee. We go to the various coffee shops and tea parlors in the area but never the same one twice in a row so we don't wear out our welcome. Our Saturday morning get-togethers energize me. It’s very cathartic to share hopes, dreams and aggravations with someone who’s “been there, done that.”

Our discussion took a turn to The Rules last Saturday. Rules, you ask? Yes. THE Rules. The things you must not do as a writer - ever. If you do them no one will buy your book.

You know what the great thing is about epublishing? The Rules are getting broken. And you know why? The readers.

Readers are smarter than ever. Readers are more sophisticated than ever. And it shows.

One of The Rules states that you can’t change the point of view within a scene. Hey, I grew up with television. Pan in on Captain Kirk! Quick! Jump to the close up of Spock! Leap to McCoy! (Didn’t you just love his blue eyes?)

Somewhere in those 7.8 seconds we KNOW what all three of those men are thinking. It’s not a bit confusing. It wasn’t even confusing in 1966 when I was nine years old.

No, readers are smart. They can follow along. They can keep up. Not a problem. I know this because I was a reader long before I was a writer.

Another of The Rules is that you cannot write in the first person. I love the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, don’t you?

Anyway, my friend and I sipped our coffee and nibbled our way through a pair of raspberry and white chocolate scones and bashed The Rules. And what did I do when I finally made it home?

I sat down at my computer, read the last page I’d written, then retyped half of it because, well, because I’d broken The Rules.

Rayne

http://www.rayneforrest.com