Happy December, everyone! And, on this, the first
Wednesday of the month (every month except January 2020 when we convene on the
8th) – Happy Insecure Writer’s Support Group Day! It’s an online gathering of
authors, writers, bloggers and poets – anyone who dares put pen to paper or
fingers to keys - where you’ll
find helpful tips, handy resources, the latest trends in publishing, and a
comfortable place for hundreds of writers – just like you and I – to share our
writing journeys!
Feel free to meander and mingle. Our
gracious co-hosts this month are:
For member news and fresh and witty movie reviews, the
thoughtful blogs of our esteemed founder, Alex
Cavanaugh, are well worth a visit. In addition,
the IWSG Monthly Newsletters
keep us all up to date on contest winners and upcoming events.
Congratulations are in order for the winners
(announced today) of this year’s Anthology contest! High Fives to
those of us with endless possibilities yet to pursue. An excellent place to start
is IWSG’s own complimentary list of publishing options.
“A professional writer is
an amateur who didn’t quit” ~ Richard Bach
Not
that we had any reason whatsoever to need it this Thanksgiving, but the subject
of ketchup did come up in teasing conversation …Anyway, ketchup has always been
one of those words that give me (slight) grammatical pause; is it Ketchup, or Catsup? I’ve always gone with the wording on Heinz labels, and
hoped my readers wouldn’t mind ;-) I am happy to report that seasoned editor
Robert Lee Brewer, at Writer’s Digest suggests that either is A-Okay!
Have you had
a good writing year?
I’m well
into reading my fifteenth book of the year. I’ve two rejections for three
submissions (so far) this year. Can’t win
them all, right? My second private novel is in the early stages of
production, and I’ve all but completed an entire remake of my seven-year-old
website, including new interactive features, and inspirational plans for future
development. Funny, the year sure seemed
busier than it looks in print. Ah, the joys of self-employment ; -)
Optional Question of the Month:
How would you describe your
future writer self, your life, and what it looks and feels like if you were
living the dream? Or, if you are already there, what does it look and feel
like? Tell the rest of us. What would you change or improve?
My future
writer-self would be much more relaxed and would want to reflect fondly on every
moment spent bravely disclosing notions of once contending stories, ever
clamoring for release. She would own and completely adore at least one deceptively
small full-service publishing company, fronted by a charming Café &
Bookstore (complete with storefront writing nooks) hosted by a clowder of
tortoiseshell cats who would also attend our monthly story-exchanges; promptly
at sunset.
The writer I
am today has serious concerns about completing goals before the passage of time
diminishes the ability to do so. When creativity flows in a river of expressive
prose, it’s a writer’s paradise. But, you can’t predict the rapids that rip
your raft to shreds when everyday life intervenes. With that in mind, I plan to
propose the allocation of fourteen days per month strictly for writing - hypothetically
speaking, of course. I think my boss
will understand ;-)
Did You Know?
As ideal as
full-time writing might sound many, if not most writers do have jobs to cover
bills and hunger pangs. Famed poet T.S. Eliot was a bank clerk and a publisher,
author Harper Lee was an airline ticket agent, and JD Salinger was, among other
things, a director of cruise ship activities.
Happy Writing!
Merry Christmas!
