Conviction and the Big Eraser

 

Welcome readers, writers, authors, and bloggers!

For the third time this year, it’s the First Wednesday of the month when we celebrate IWSG Day, in the form of a blog hop featuring all of the members of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. Founded by Alex Cavanaugh and fostered by like-minded associates, IWSG is a place to share the fabulous views and exciting news that occurs along our fascinating writing journeys. Pull up a chair and join us!

Our awesome co-hosts for this month’s posting of the IWSG are: 

Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen Jacqui Murray, Chemist Ken, Victoria Marie Lees, Natalie Aguirre, and JQ Rose!

It’s National Write A Letter of Appreciation Week! If you were going to write one, what would your subject be? My topic would be common business sense, but I don’t know who I’d address the letter to just now. ;-)

Amid canceled book and movie contracts, they’ve expanded the definition of cancel-worthy language – yikes! Is “woke” still a word?

Now that Mr. Potatohead has been reduced to just a potato, I wonder what will become of Gumby.

Literary Agents, however, are always looking for new subject matter featuring unique characters from diverse backgrounds cast in distinctively challenging roles. Well, of course, we say. That’s what writers strive to do, we swear. And that’s all well and good as long as we understand the ever-changing rules.

According to the ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom, in the last ten years, Children’s books have been banned or challenged for inappropriate/unsuitable for the age group (in this day and age?), books for YA audiences for featuring a YA main character (because this makes sense?) Further, books containing diverse content were challenged or banned for diverse content.

Now that treasured works by Dr. Seuss have suffered the fate of other greats such as Anne Frank, Roald Dahl, and Dav Pikey, what message does that send to us, the up-and-coming literary icons? We’ve got to be on our game, that’s what. Read till our eyes peel, write our fingers to the bone, use every possible resource available, and remember:

What do we do when the sharpest pencil is still no match for the Big Eraser? Simple. We use indelible words with a conviction that our work will endure and the world will one day right itself. Again.

Has the current “Cancel Culture” affected how you view your writing future? If so, how?

Now that you know what’s been on my mind, what's on yours?

Until again, Happy Writing!