Release day has arrived for Determination: A Mother of Five Conquers College. I’m excited—and nervous. This is my first book. How appropriate that the memoir comes out on our monthly Insecure Writers Support Group day. A day in which we share our fears and doubts about writing.
When a high school counselor tells her learning-disabled, first-born child, Marie, she’s not smart enough for college, Victoria is thrown back in time to when her father said the same thing—to her. Determined to prove them both wrong, Victoria begins college to help her five children.
With raw honesty and humor, Determination: A Mother of Five Conquers College chronicles Victoria’s relentless pursuit of education, from community college to an Ivy League scholarship. As she juggles coursework, parenting, and self-doubt, she fights not only for her own success but also for Marie’s future.
But does she have what it takes to graduate at this level—and can she help Marie defy the odds as well?
A story of resilience, grit, and the power of belief, Determination proves that perseverance matters and can make success happen, even for those who learn differently.
You can purchase a copy here. https://books2read.com/Determination-A-Mother-of-Five-Conquers-College Thank you!
You are an important part of an author’s life. Word-of-mouth is crucial for any author to succeed. If you read my memoir, your review at Goodreads and Amazon helps my book to be discovered in all the noise online. Even if your review is just a sentence or two. This makes a huge difference in a writer’s life. You can reach my Goodreads page here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/230409715-determination and my Amazon page here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F48SNX6K?ref_=pe_93986420_775043100 Thank you!
Now for the Insecure Writers Support Group questions.
Writers share some common fears. Rejection. Failure. A lack of talent or ability. Even success! What are your greatest fears as a writer? How do you manage them? Powerful questions here.
Like in my college memoir, Determination: A Mother of Five Conquers College, I need to believe in myself and stop waiting for validation from those in charge. This is a difficult thing to do. Impossible to master. A belief in oneself needs to be nurtured each day. It comes from within.
And yes! I still have difficulty with this. Each time I create a story, an essay, an article. Each time I pitch to an editor. I need to prove I’m worthy to be published in her magazine, in his anthology, in their newspaper. At a poetry website. An E-zine.
But how can a writer do this? By continuing to hone her craft. By attending writing workshops and conferences. By asking those we trust to critique our creations and then listening closely. Only addressing those points in the critique that resonate with us. We learn something new from each other’s experiences, from each other’s knowledge. I am always learning.
How about you? What fears, as a writer, keep you up at night?
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This post was written for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. I’d like to thank our co-hosts for May: Feather Stone, Janet Alcorn, Rebecca Douglass, Jemima Pett, and Pat Garcia!: Please visit them if you can.
Our group posts on the first Wednesday of every month. To join us, or learn more about the group, click HERE.
Congratulations, Victoria! You’ve been working on this for so long.
Yes I have, Alex. Thank you so much for your good wishes. Happy IWSG day!
Very excited about your new book launch.
Thank you so much, Bill. I’m excited and nervous. Here’s hoping it continues to do well. Have a great weekend!
Congrats! Self-belief will be an issue for most of us. I’m sure your release is going to help many on that score.
Yes it will, Nick. Self-belief is difficult for many people. Thank you for your good wishes. Happy IWSG day!
Congrats on your book release! It’s so exciting. And yes, don’t wait for anyone but you to validate yourself. No matter what happens, you’re a talented writer.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Natalie. They are appreciated more than you realize. We definitely need to validate ourselves, both as writers as well as people. Have a beautiful day!
Congrats on the book release! Believing in yourself can be a hard thing to do sometimes.
Believing in yourself is extremely difficult to maintain, Sarah. Thank you for your good wishes. They are appreciated. Have a good weekend!
Being more proactive is an excellent way to move ahead and leave those fears behind.
Congratulations on that newest publication.
https://substack.com/@cleemckenzie/p-162835681
Being proactive certainly can help us move ahead in life, Lee. Thank you for your good wishes. All best to you!
Congrats, Victoria! The day is finally here! I love how you tied in what you talk about in your memoir to our fears as writers. So important not to let the gatekeepers keep us down.
Thank you, Jenni. So true that we should never allow the gatekeepers to keep our voices quiet. Always appreciate your visit here to Adventures in Writing, Jenni.
Thank you for being a good example and for the encouragement.
Hello and welcome to Adventures in Writing, Larry! I’m so glad you stopped by.
Thank you so much for your kind words. They are greatly appreciated. Have a great day!
Best of luck on your debut book! It gets much less scary after the first.
Thank you for the vote of confidence, Jacqui. I need to keep that in mind. Right now, I’m still quaking in my boots! Have a beautiful weekend.
Congratulations on the release of the first volume of your collected memoirs! I wish you many more.
Hello and welcome to Adventures in Writing, John! I’m so glad you stopped by.
Thank you for your good wishes. Here’s hoping there will be more books. All best to you!
Thank you for your wonderful post. Honing my writing abilities has been a continuous endeavor. I have attended several writing conferences, enjoying the camaraderie and gaining knowledge. Well, at least until I attended a lecture on marketing, my weakest author talent. During the discussion I absorbed details on how to market my books until the lecturer’s last point. He clearly stated that if you’re over the age of 40, you won’t find an agent willing to partner with you. I am way past 40. Have you experienced something like this. Are there particular writing conferences that are better than others?
Marketing is MY weakest author talent, too, Judy. IWSG has many talented authors and marketers. Check out the Insecure Writers Support Group website to find valuable insight into marketing and creative writing.
Please remember, Judy, we are all learning every day how to write and market better. It does take time. And determination. For that “snot” who told writers there is no one to help them if they are over 40? He is full of poop. There are writing and marketing gurus who can help us all, no matter our age. Think positively!
I’m so happy for you, Victoria. What a wonderful gift you’ve given your children. They must be very proud. Enjoy the entire process. Get plenty of sleep. Oh, and eat lots of veggies to maintain your strength. Marketing (as I’m sure you know) is exhausting.
And Marketing is scary, too, Joylene. I’m open for any tips. Please offer any insight.
Thank you for your good wishes. They mean a lot to this new book-published author. Thanks for all you do to assist writers. Stay strong, dear friend.
I’m really happy for you, Victoria, and I’ve ordered your memoir from Amazon. I think it’s arriving in a week. I can’t wait to read it. Your words “I need to believe in myself and stop waiting for validation from those in charge.” really resonated. I’ve looked for validation all my life ~ pretty sad. I’m trying to do less of that. Wishing you success with your book!
Louise, I looked for validation from others, too. It is a difficult cycle to break. And even when we break it, we find ourselves still falling into that trap, time and again.
Thank you with all my heart for your kind words and for purchasing a copy of my memoir. Please let me–and others–know what you think. Stay strong, dear friend.