IWSG - Smile or cringe?

 This is my Insecure Writers Support Group post for February 2026.

Alex's awesome co-hosts this month are:

 J Lenni Dorner,

Victoria Marie Lees,

& Sandra Cox!

Please stop by their blogs and say thank you. 

💻💻💻💻💻

February 4 question - 

Many writers have written about the experience of rereading their work years later. Have you reread any of your early works? What was that experience like for you?

I wrote three novels before publishing any and debuted with the third. Then I followed that by writing and publishing WIP #4. 

(To clarify, WIPs 1 & 2 are paranormal romance; WIPs 3 & 4 are western historical romance.)

The first two manuscripts got put on the back burner for several years before polishing them and publishing them under a different pen name. I had done several rounds of edits before setting them aside, and I still cringed when I went back to them--especially the first one. 

Side note: I've apologized repeatedly to my first critique partner. I truly don't know how she slogged through the original draft of WIP #1 without losing her mind.

When I finally resurrected those first two manuscripts, I had become a much better writer and was able to make significant improvements. Distance and time really do help objectivity. The books I've written since then (my westerns) never really made me cringe. In fact, I re-read all my books once every couple of years (because I miss the characters), and I actually feel proud of them when I do. 

No book is ever perfect, and I'm not deluded enough to think I'm God's gift to fiction; but I've worked hard to learn the craft, and I take time to polish my stories. I've reached a point in my writing career where I can feel good about the books I create.

❤❤❤❤❤

IWSG is the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. It's a monthly bloghop that offers a safe haven for writers to express their feelings and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. It's also a venue for offering  support, both in the form of comments and positive posts. Writers of all kinds are welcome. 

We 'meet' the first Wednesday of every month. If you're interested in learning more, click on the link above. And don't be intimidated by the size of the group. We're not expected to visit everyone on the list.