Wednesday 3 May 2023

#IWSG post - #Found #manuscript inspires me!

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A QUICK NOTE FOR BLOGSPOT BLOGGERS INTERESTED IN THE COMMENT DEBACLE WHICH MAY HIT A BLOG NEAR YOU.

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If you're not the patient type, stop reading and keep on using pop-up. 

Many blogspot blogs have had problems with replying to comments due to some Google messing around months ago and the only fix was to return to the old pop-up type comment where you have to do a roll-call of replies in several sessions - ugh - hate that. 

MY FIX:

- Go to Settings and change back to 'embedded' comments.

- To Reply individually to comments, hover over 'Reply'. It will be live, but not quite - wait for the cursor to show the 'hand'. 

- In a little while (this is where patience is required) you'll sing a song of joy when the little 'hand' shows up. (I go read blogs while I wait for this miraculous event).

- Click on Reply again and you can then reply individually. Woo hoo!

(You can't hurry the process but it works!) For me anyway. Check my comments! Just thought I'd share something I've discovered.

Hello there! Welcome to the May 3 IWSG  posting. 


Love this badge!

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

The awesome co-hosts for the May 3 posting of the IWSG are Joylene Nowell Butler, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Meka James, Diane Burton, Victoria Marie Lees, and M Louise Barbour!


Here's the May question. Remember, the question is optional!

May 3 question - When you are working on a story, what inspires you?


Well, this question should be easy to answer, but I found it difficult. Each story inspires in a different way. But I'll tell you something related. In 2013 I worked on a manuscript set in Fiji after spending 6 weeks housesitting for writer friend Nas Dean. 

Cover mocked up on Canva in 5 minutes.

After paying for a full manuscript assessment (and cringing at the results) I was given a romance writing mentor at the Romance Writers of Australia. It all got a bit too exhausting. I felt so insecure it was ridiculous. I couldn't even finish reading the comments from my ms assistants. Stop kidding yourself, Denise, you're no romance writer, I told myself. 

I didn't bin the story, but I left it wallowing on my computer - well, it got carried forward as I've bought 3 new laptops since then.

After telling a writer friend only recently that this manuscript was going nowhere, I was scrolling through my Kindle and by accident or design I started reading this story. Geez, I thought, this is pretty cool. Who wrote this? You guessed it, I was reading one of the iterations of my story I'd uploaded to Kindle years ago when I knew how to do that, LOL.

Long story short, I then hunted for the ms assessment and my mentor's Track Changes document. And voila! It wasn't as bad as I thought! 

I'm editing this baby while my cookery school novel settles. I'll publish both this year! Fijian Princess is my only ever pure romance - most of my work is women's fiction with romantic elements. The romance tropes are there - hero and heroine meet practically on the first page - told from both POVs - Romeo and Juliet story - happily ever after ending! So as soon as it's tidied up, it's off to a romance editor. Then we'll see ...

Feeling so insecure about my writing cost me ten years with this story! But it'll be much better with what I've learned since 2013!

- How about you? Ever come across an old manuscript and see some merit? 

Thanks for coming by! 

I'm heading off on a holiday, driving 1200 klm to North Queensland. I'll be by to comment when I can!

We at WEP are waiting for the winners to be chosen for Life is Beautiful. 
Next challenge in June -  COME WRITE FOR US!



22 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Yeah, it's embedded comments that Google messes with. There is a fix (poor but it works) for those trying to comment.
Glad you are excited about that manuscript again.

Elephant's Child said...

How WONDERFUL that you have refound (and discovered ) merit in your old manuscript. I am looking forward to seeing/reading more.
Sigh at Blogger - who is making life increasingly difficult on a number of fronts.

Natalie Aguirre said...

Thanks for the tip. I use the pop-up window because people have trouble commenting without it. I can't comment on your blog now unless I switch my browser to Mozilla. I don't think a lot of people will go to the trouble of doing this. Awesome that you like your old manuscript.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

That's wonderful you are excited about the romance story again. The 4th in my current series is a rewrite of a very old short story.

H. R. Sinclair said...

That's a wonderful story! I love that though it was shelved for so long, you are dusting it off. Awesome. Enjoy your holiday.

Nancy Gideon said...

Good for you, Denise! I was (am!) in the same boat. A brutal critique stole my passion for the project I really enjoyed. I let the pain of it scab over while obtaining another opinion which was valuable, truthful and encouraging. Be careful who you let tend your baby before it can walk on its own.

Jemi Fraser said...

How fun! I'm glad you found the story! I've lost the 2 novels I wrote purely as fun. I'd love to find a copy and see how angsty they were :)

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

Sorry about the blog issues, Denise. I'm experiencing big problems with my macbook, so I sympathize. What seems to be working is I hug my mac everyday and remind it how much I appreciate its efforts. I know, I'm weird. LOL

cleemckenzie said...

I'm so glad you found the gem in that manuscript and didn't toss it. Oh, and thanks for the tips on the comment problem. I'm sure I'll need those.

A Hundred Quills said...

I've been having so much trouble with commenting on blogspot. Thanks for that guide. You have a very cool Denise Covey author badge. Is it new or did I just miss it before? I wish you all the best with the Fijian Princess. Makes me think of all the stories I have discarded over years.
Sonia

Nick Wilford said...

That's great, being pleasantly surprised by an old MS you'd forgotten about or dismissed. Even better that it is worthy of seeing the light of day. You were a romance writer all along!

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Nick. Was quite the surprise, but a good one.

Denise Covey said...

I made my author badge recently on Canva, my latest plaything, LOL. Glad you like it. Hope you're inspired to find some of those old stories of yours!

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Lee. I hope my tips prove useful.

Denise Covey said...

I like the hug fix Joylene!

Denise Covey said...

I hope you do find a copy. Amazing how your perspective changes over the years.

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Holly. I'm a day away from my destination so pretty tired, but excited. 1200 klms is a long way to drive.
Glad you like my found ms story~

Denise Covey said...

Yes I used pop ups until I discovered this fix. Works for me. Sorry you have trouble commenting on my blog. Thanks for persevering. Yes, exciting to find my old ms and pump new life into it.

Denise Covey said...

Brutal critiques are killers. We really need to take into account whereabouts in their writing career people are. I was a very newbie and it nearly destroyed me.

Denise Covey said...

I love rewriting so all good.

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Sue. Very exciting for me. Yes to whatever fun blogger is having at our expense.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I wondered what happened to your fijian story... I'm so glad you realised it wasn't as bad as you thought!! I've had similar experiences.