#WritersLife Survey 16 - Spring Cleaning

Ugh, no. not actual spring cleaning. But cleaning out my (imaginary) question jar for a Pot Pourri of Survey questions!

I will be discussing actual icky spring cleaning on the other blog I co-host with Elizabeth Seckman. We are the REALLY REAL HOUSEWIVES. I'll be complaining about housework and giving some advice on how to avoid spending too much time on it Monday!

Until then, enjoy this lovely smelling Survey! Results will go into my next IWSG post on April 4.

Let's get real - Why Do Writers Write?

Why do we write?
Really.

How many of your friends read? Most of mine, I'd say 75%, don't read novels. Most don't have time, but many just choose to do other things with their time. I have to carve out time to read, myself. Life is just too crazy and busy!

I really wish more people would slow down, put down their phones/devices, and read. The world would be a much better place if people tapped into their own imaginations, picturing the stories, feeling emotions, and even finding some inspiration to better themselves... I wish book clubs were more popular!

I guess that's my Insecure Writers Support Group concern this month. What is this world coming to with so many non-readers?

At least writers and storytellers are still needed for all the shows that are being created. Do you watch Netflix? Amazon Prime? or What? I love seeing so much creativity and innovative ideas outside the box!

What keeps you writing?


And now for some responses!
Here are the results of the latest #WritersLife Survey 14 - Writer Faux Pas:

Which of these writing pitfalls have you stumbled into?

What is a word you usually misspell? Or pair of words you commonly confuse?

ecstatic

their           they're         there

exaggerate

effect                              affect

not                now

brassiere

dragged                     drug

Which of these words do you overuse?

How's your punctuation?

Have you ever broken writing rules on purpose?

Have you ever edited professionally?

What's the biggest writing pet peeve you find when reading?

• too much description
• Cardboard characters
• Comma splice
• present tense
• Misspellings, typos, and confused words ("waive" used when "wave" was meant, etc.) especially in self-published works.
• Bad formatting in ebooks and no table of contents
• repetitive words and phrases
• Poor editing
• you're - your
• I hate it when it's too easy to guess who done it!
• I have many (because I edit, too), but poor punctuation and grammar bug me the most, because the problem is pervasive. It affects the whole story. It's not just a temporary slow part I can skim.
• poor proofreading

So we should watch what we write - and get a good editor!
Also, watch for the next #WritersLife Survey - Spring Cleaning - a hodge podge of random questions! Don't miss it!



By the way, if you'd like to read and review the IWSG Anthology - Tick Tock A Stitch in Crime - give me a shout. I'd love to send you an ARC copy.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy March!