Cat Coats For Rapid Rescues

Happy December, everyone! And, on this, the first Wednesday of the month (every month except January 2020 when we convene on the 8^th) – 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:

Tonja Drecker, Beverly Stowe McClure, Nicki Elson, Tyrean Martinson!

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!