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Wednesday, October 3, 2018

The Insecure Writer and Releasing My Very First Story Into the Wild


Today is October's contribution to Alex Cavanaugh's Insecure Writers Support Group.

Why am I an Insecure Writer this month?

Because in nine days, I’ll begin uploading my Hogwarts fan fiction story to Wattpad, one chapter at a time. 

This day has been a long time coming. Ten years ago, I finished the seventh and last Harry Potter book and wondered how Rowling might go about writing another series in her universe. Ideas kept popping into my head, so many that I knew if I didn’t jot them down on paper I’d forget them. Sentences turned into paragraphs, which turned into pages, which turned into chapters. And suddenly, a guy who’d avoided writing most of his life discovered that writing fiction could be fun. 

So here I am today, after learning the rules of writing, after countless rewrites where I applied those rules of writing to the dreck I first scrawled on paper, after participating in multiple critique groups, after beta reading for countless other authors, after giving several presentations on story structure to local writing groups, after being a part of IWSG for years (#17 on the list and eyeing #16 – sorry Michelle), after watching everyone else turn out book after book, I’m finally ready to write “The End” and release my words into the wild. 

Technically, the story isn’t quite finished. I’m in the middle of revisions, and the early chapters are still being critiqued by a few writer friends, so I may be hard pressed to keep up with the one chapter a week schedule I'm setting myself, but I’ve set a date for the 12th and I’m sticking to it. 

You might wonder why I’m not pushing the launch date back a month or two in order to finish polishing the story. The short answer is that ten years is long enough. If I don’t push myself now, I’ll never finish it. Besides, the 12th is my birthday and uploading the first chapter of my story on that day seems like the perfect way to celebrate. 

So if any of you enjoy Harry Potter fan fiction and don’t mind all new characters, hop on over to Wattpad next weekend and check out Hogwarts and the New Headmaster. Comments and suggestions will be most welcome. Remember, this story has been and will continue to be a learning experience for me.

I’ll still be working on my urban fantasy in the meantime, of course, but my main focus will be on the fanfic. This is the story that got me into writing in the first place. This is the story that taught me about writing.  

And you never forget your first story. 

Don’t forget to stop by the other co-hosts this month: Dolorah@Book Lover, Christopher D. Votey, and Tanya Miranda



ChemistKen



57 comments:

  1. How exciting! You've given me a reason to try out Wattpad. I keep hearing about it and mean to. I wish you so much success with your Fan Fiction. Happy IWSG Day. :)

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  2. I love Wattpad...it's an incredibly supportive community. Good luck there!

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  3. Congratulations!!! And I love Harry Potter's world, and your story sounds amazing. I'll have to visit Wattpad on the 12th. Happy Birthday! Celebrate!

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  4. Anyone who wants to carry on the Harry Potter stories is all right in my book! Congratulations to you and best wishes as your stories go live! Thank you for co-hosting IWSG!

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  5. That's a great way to celebrate! Besides, once you begin, you'll be on a timetable and more likely to finish.
    Thanks for co-hosting today.

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  6. I've always been curious about Wattpad. How fun! I hope your story does well. The title is catchy. Has me curious! Thanks for co-hosting today.

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  7. Fan fiction is a wonderful way to start sharing your writing with the world. I started this crazy writing adventure in the Prison Break fandom but I had no editing at first. Fellow fans encouraged me despite the poor quality of my initial writing, and I learned a lot as I continued. A very exciting time!

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  8. Sounds like a great project :-) Good luck! Happy IWSG day.

    Ronel visiting on Insecure Writer's Support Group day: Course Correction

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  9. I’m on Wattpad and will make a note to check out your new story. Best of luck with the launch!

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  10. That's wonderful!! I've never used wattpad but will see if I can get on there to check out your story. Congratulations!!

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  11. Wonderful! Go for it. Give yourself a deadline and make it happen.

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  12. Congrats on your book and writing! Whatever inspires you is a success. Thanks for co-hosting IWSG this month!

    Mary at Play off the Page

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  13. A huge congratulations!!! I'm on Wattpad too and will make a note to check out your story. So happy that you're jumping out there and moving forward.
    Thanks also for co-hosting.

    Shalom aleichem,
    Pat G @ EverythingMustChange

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  14. How exciting! Can't wait to read it. And it is a perfect way to celebrate your birthday. Happy early birthday, fellow Libra! :) And thank you for co-hosting today.

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  15. I'm hugely excited for you, Ken. What an accomplishment! I've had a few books that took far too long to finish and the only way I did was doing exactly as you--set a deadline and stick to it.

    I'll check things out in a month!

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  16. Awesome! I'm super excited for you. There's nothing like getting your words out there for the first time. (And happy birthday early!) Wattpad is a great venue too. I'm wishing you all the success in the world and am so happy for you!

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  17. Excellent news, Ken. I wish you the very best in getting your work out there.

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  18. Congrats!!! That is so exciting!
    I've never been on Wattpad - don't really know about it - but I'll have to check it out.
    My first story was Star Trek fan fiction - and so full of angst!!!

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  19. Congratulations, Ken! Wattpad is a nut that I have yet to crack, and I'm envious about the journey you're about to go on. It's exciting. And thanks for co-hosting!

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  20. Congrats! My Sherlock fanfic is still probably the most popular thing I ever wrote.

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  21. Congratulations! The Potter world provides so much interesting raw material. I've never made it past book 5. I really should finish the series someday. I wish you happy writing in October.

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  22. Oh Ken, I'm so excited for you. Good Luck and congrats. I loved the Harry Potter series too and visit often. :-)

    Anna from elements of emaginette

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  23. Wow, congratulations to you! I think fan fiction is a great way to get started with writing. For me, it was Star Trek fan fiction, though at the time I didn't know that's what it was called or that anything like a fanfic community existed.

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  24. Congratulations! Fan fiction is a wonderful way to let that writing muse loose. I know so many authors who started that way.

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  25. Wishing you good luck with the story and a very happy birthday! :)

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  26. WTG, Ken! Early happy birthday. I know what you mean about setting a deadline. If I didn't, I'd dog around and never finish. Something can always be tweaked. I'll watch for your story. Thanks for being a cohost this month.

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  27. Oh wow, that is exciting news. Congrats. Good luck with the story. And Happy Birthday! Mine is on the 11th.

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  28. Congrats on your story. That's great that you realize that now is your time to push and not keep revising. Happy Birthday!

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  29. Big congratulations, Ken. That's awesome and exciting! Best of luck and enjoy this adventure. I think you'll knock it out of the park. Happy early birthday and thank you for co-hosting this month.

    Elsie

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  30. Congratulations, Ken!!! Way to go! I look forward to reading your work.
    Happy Birthday!

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  31. Good luck with your story on wattpad. I like the platform and I think it is best for fan fiction. There is a large number of writers there who write Harry Potter fan fiction. You'll fit right in.

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  32. Woohoo! Guess I better get booking on that chapter you sent me!

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  33. Super exciting stuff! I, too, hugely admire J.K. Rowling and her work with Harry Potter. I wish you the absolute best! Kudos for honoring your passion!

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  34. So exciting, congratulations. Wishing you much success and an early Happy Birthday.

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  35. Wow, Ken! Congratulations! Your journey is inspiring. Thanks for co-hosting today. I devoured every word of Rowling's HP series. Good luck on your Chapter 1 release on the 12th, and happy birthday too!

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  36. Yay for firsts! May it bring you joy. @mirymom1 from
    Balancing Act

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  37. Too cool! My daughter writes fan fiction also, in the "Spuffy" (Spike/Buffy)universe. Congratulations and good luck! Thanks for co-hosting this month!

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  38. Oh my gosh, a big congrats on your fan fiction!!! How awesome to finally get it out there!! Best wishes for it!

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  39. I'm excited for you. Way to go and congrats on the courage to take the plunge.

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  40. Ken, uploading the first chapter of your story on the 12th is perfect! Just perfect! Yes, ten years is a long time. This is so exciting.

    Happy birthday for the 12th October... and if Alex will allow it, we could swop the #17 and #16 places on the list. ☺

    Thank you for co-hosting the IWSG this month.

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  41. Thanks for co-hosting.
    Congratulations on posting your first story; it's a really big deal. And posting in on your birthday will make it even more special. Happy early Birthday!
    I have a few fanfic pieces I've written but never thought to actually share them. Maybe I will.

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  42. Congratulations for sticking with your novel. Ten years is a long time to stay motivated. Sounds like you surrounded yourself with wisdom, active through beta reading, and experienced writers. You've built a solid foundation and it will pay off big time. Happy birthday from one October baby to another. Thank you for co-hosting October's IWSG blog hop.
    Lynn La Vita Writers Supporting Writers

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  43. Fan Fiction is no small feat. Congrats on going live with it! :)

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  44. Ten years is a long time to focus on anything, so yeah, congrats! And Early Happy Birthday Wishes, too! I hope your story gets many likes and good comments. :)

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  45. How exciting on your first story. Congratulations. Have a great time sharing it with the world.
    Thanks for co-hosting this month.

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  46. No joke, I'm watching Harry Potter with my kids at this very moment. We're all big fans! I will definitely check out your book. Best of luck!

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  47. Congratulations, Ken! You have come such a long way in regards to the writing process. And, you put a lot of time and effort into getting from novice to expert. I can see why you don’t want to push the publication date out. I’ve been working on my story for three years and feel enough is enough. It’s always on the back of my mind, and it needs to be done and sent into the wild as well. Happy birthday and happy launching of chapter 1 into the universe, followed by all the other ones after that. And, thank you for co-hosting this month!

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  48. Congrats, and Happy Birthday! It's a marathon not a sprint - can't think of a better cliche. My bad. Thank you for co-hosting!

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  49. All the very best for your Hogwarts fan fiction. I'm on Wattpad and an HP fan too. I'll be eagerly waiting

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  50. Congratulations! I think it's wonderful that you're taking the plunge! Wishing all success and a new and wonderful experience!

    Wow! Deep breath, and go!

    Happy Birthday even if a bit early - it's a great way to celebrate!

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  51. Happy Birthday early, Ken! And all the luck with finishing this new story. Bravo on your determination. Thanks for co-hosting IWSG. All best to you!

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  52. That's awesome about the fanfiction! And I hope you'll have a great birthday!

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  53. That is great, Ken! I am so happy that you will be sharing your writing (your blood, sweat, and tears) on Wattpad. I love Harry Potter. Happy early Birthday!

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  54. Congratulations on your upcoming release! Sounds like a great birthday present to me.

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  55. Ooo! How exciting for you. Congrats!

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  56. I used to write fanfiction for this British/Kiwi show called The Tribe on fan sites chapter by chapter. Oh my God, I loved doing it. I'm really late, so I hope everything went well with that! Thank you for co-hosting!

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