It’s time for my first Insecure Writer’s Support Group post of 2025, having missed the January IWSG post… I realised it was too late when I saw others posting. At least I managed a Christmas-New Year post.
However, I have also posted Episodes 28-32 of my Ukraine saga, Freedom Flights. I will post the next episode later this week, and there should be many more until I write about the just peace, hopefully this year.
Slava Ukraini
Heroiam slava!
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Every month, IWSG announces a question that members can answer in their IWSG posts. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience, or a story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.
Remember, the question is optional!
February 5 question – Is there a story or book you’ve written you want to/wish you could go back and change?
Initially, I felt I wouldn’t change any of my too few published fiction writings, although Spiral of Hooves was revised for the second edition. Perhaps rereading the novel would make me wish I’d changed more things.
However, some of the shorts posted on this site should be reappraised and, in many cases, revised even though I edit them a few times before letting my followers read them.
As an ongoing episodic tale, Freedom Flights will have to be revised. I’ve already started making changes to the collated episodes whenever I find mistakes and oversights. For instance, as I research the aviation aspects of the story, I notice incorrect jargon. In early episodes, I called groups of four to six planes ‘wings’ rather than ‘flights’… and other basic errors. When I’ve reached the final episode, Just Peace, I will start filling in the gap from 1950 to 2021 and revising the war episodes.
Naturally, there are other projects due for revision… one day.
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The awesome co-hosts for the February 5 posting of the IWSG are Joylene Nowell Butler, Louise Barbour, and Tyrean Martinson!
Finally, don’t forget to visit more active writers via the IWSG site:
Insecure Writer’s Support Group
Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG, and our hashtag is #IWSG.
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group Day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer – aim for a dozen new people each time – and return comments. This group is all about connecting!



Yes, revisiting earlier work and noticing technical mistakes is a problem. If they’re already published I don’t think they are worth changing. Another argument for writing an entire series before publishing the first!
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I agree already published work is hard to change…. there has to be a better reason. My second edition of SpiralOfH was to make a paperback when 1st was Kindle.
Writing whole series makes sense but I find success or failure of first can decide if sequels are worth pursuing. SoH has a sequel but no reason to publish
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Sounds like you have a major project on your hands. Keeps you out of trouble, right?
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Agreed if you mean Ukraine saga. Welsh police procedural has drafted sequels but can’t afford editing fees… yet.
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I feel like the short stuff I post on my blog is never really a finished work, though I do edit and revise. But there’s always more to be done, if it’s to be up to “normal” publication.
Minor inconsistencies from one book to another in a series really bug me, and I try really hard not to let that happen. It’s sometimes limiting!
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Trying to avoid inconsistencies is near impossible. We just keep trying.
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Ooh, revising (if needed) the shorts sounds like a good idea! I’m trying to do the same, collect a few of my short pieces to try to submit to small publishers…
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Collating shorts is always a good idea especially when same energy is expended on writing them as writing a novel relatively. Go for it, Deniz.
In fact, my Welsh police procedural started life as a collection of shorts. Just stuck at the final/seventh editor assessment.
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Sometimes I think one could just work on one book, revising every year, for the rest of one’s days on Earth!
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Good luck with your future projects.
Lee
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Thanks, Lee. I need luck at this stage. We all do, I suspect.
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