IWSG Sept 2023 12th Anniversary!

 

Welcome readers, writers, authors, and bloggers!

We're glad you're here! It's the First Wednesday of the month when we celebrate IWSG Day in the form of a blog hop featuring members and guests of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Founded by author Alex Cavanaugh (Thank you, Captain!) and fostered by like-minded associates, IWSG is a comfortable place to share views and literary news as we record our journeys. Check out the September newsletter here.

Our awesome co-hosts this month are:   Sonia Dogra, J Lenni Dorner, Pat Garcia, Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen, and Meka James!

Happy 12th anniversary, IWSG! I haven’t been around quite that long, but that doesn’t curb my enthusiasm ;-) Cyber hugs all around!

The optional question(s) for this month is: When did you discover the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, how do you connect, and how has it helped you?

My first IWSG post was on May 4, 2016. I talked in somewhat over-flowing prose about stalking my mail carrier for a response to a submission. I shared a quote by Malcolm Forbes about how failure is success if we learn from it. Then I unabashedly wrapped up with a transcribed embrace for all of us: “The surest thing you’ll ever know is when words still flow unfettered…”

As far as I can tell, July 6, 2016, was the very first official Optional Question of the Month. The question was: What’s the best thing someone has ever said about your writing?

My answer was that someone said I paint beautiful word pictures.  The compliment came from an author I deeply loved as a friend and respected as a mentor.  She’s gone now, but her words remain embedded in my heart, indelible proof that someone – and not just anyone – believed in me. I can’t adequately describe how heartening that was. Is. She might as well have been the one jogging behind me the first time I rode my bike without training wheels. The one who let go, knowing I’d be alright.

Encouragement instills confidence, which has everything to do with success. Members of IWSG already know these are just a couple of the many nouns we pass around like reassuring hugs. Inspiration is another. Join us and see for yourself!

I'm on the road today, dear friends. So I'll be just a little behind schedule on my visits ;-)

IWSG August 2023 Conflict and Tenses

 

Welcome readers, writers, authors, and bloggers!

We're glad you're here! It's the First Wednesday of the month; when we celebrate IWSG Day in the form of a blog hop featuring members and guests of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Founded by author Alex Cavanaugh (Thank you, Captain!) and fostered by like-minded associates, IWSG is a comfortable place to share views and literary news from the viewpoint of our writing desks as we record our journeys. Check out the August newsletter here.

Our awesome co-hosts this month are:  Kate Larkinsdale, Diane Burton, Janet Alcorn, and Shannon Lawrence! Feel free to hop around and say hello to everyone!

The Optional question for this month is: Have you ever written something that afterwards you felt conflicted about? If so, did you let it stay how it was, take it out, or rewrite it?

Absolutely. I’ve yet to meet a writer who hasn’t gone back at least once along the way to revise, rewrite or completely remove something that just didn’t feel right.  Providing it hasn’t already gone to publication, I have and will always rewrite or delete anything I don’t feel comfortable with or about. To quote one of our members, Arlee at Tossing it Out, “The story belongs to the author, the book belongs to the readers.” I think it’s a good thing to keep in mind. Timely proofreading is also important.

My current WIP is one that had been in my “Someday, maybe” drawer for quite a while. To be honest, the exile was deflating, yet necessary. I’m attempting to gain back some of the lost momentum while struggling to keep the tenses straight. Anyone else ever encountered this?

I did run across a few tips I plan to try in an article at nownovel.com  For now, I’m open to suggestions ;-)

Happy Writing!

 

IWSG July 2023 One Tomato, Two Tomatoes,

 

Welcome readers, writers, authors, and bloggers!

We're glad you're here! It's the First Wednesday of the month; when we celebrate IWSG Day in the form of a blog hop featuring members and guests of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Founded by author Alex Cavanaugh (Thank you, Captain!) and fostered by like-minded associates, IWSG is a comfortable place to share views and literary news from our perspective writing desks as we record our journeys. Check out the July newsletter here.

Our awesome co-hosts this month are:  PJ Colando, Kim Lajevardi, Gwen Gardner, Pat Garcia, and Natalie Aguirre!  Feel free to hop around and say hello to everyone!

The optional question for this month is: 99% of my story ideas come from dreams. Where do yours predominantly come from?

I'm reminded of a quote (I'll paraphrase for brevity) by Orson Scott:

"Everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day,"

A few cool and unusual things happened on my way to a job fair a few weeks ago; I received a great compliment and a strange prompt. There was also a promise of rain. Thankfully, the praise came first, or I might have disregarded the prompt to describe my own funeral from the attendees' point of view. This is going to be so much fun!

I wrote the first 300 words in a parking lot! Later, it took me longer to decipher my own handwriting than it did to write those words in my excited state ;-) But the seed was planted and already growing. *In my defense, Agatha Christie also had terrible handwriting and had to dictate much of her work ;-)

The compliment was also just the encouragement I needed to revisit, revise, and at last release a story (I've left blowing in the wind) to the capable hands of an editor, who by now must think I've given up and torched the manuscript. Not so. I've just been…distracted.

So, what do you do when focusing is easier said than done? Has anyone heard of the "Pomodoro Technique"? Setting specified writing sessions – or Pomodoro, which is Italian for tomato -  sounds like something that just might work for me. One tomato, two tomatoes, three tomatoes, four…It all adds up.

Hemingway's tip for keeping the creativity flowing between sessions was to stop right in the middle of a scene you can't wait to get back to. That way, your next session is already in progress, and you're not facing the dreaded blank what-do-I-write-now page.

Fun Fact:

Author Roald Dahl was a taste-tester for Cadbury Chocolate.

 

"Hold the vision, trust the process.”

IWSG June 2023 Never Too Late

 

Welcome readers, writers, authors, and bloggers!

We’re glad you’re here! It's the First Wednesday of the month; when we celebrate IWSG Day in the form of a blog hop featuring members and guests of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Founded by author Alex Cavanaugh (Thank you, Captain!) and fostered by like-minded associates, IWSG is a comfortable place to share views and literary news from our perspective writing desks as we record our journeys. Check out the June newsletter here

Our awesome co-hosts this month are: Patrcia Josephine, Olga Godim, J. Lenni Dorner, and Cathrina Constantine! Feel free to hop around and say hello to everyone!

The optional question for this month is: If you ever did stop writing, what would you replace it with?

I can’t imagine not writing anymore. If I’m not writing, I’m thinking about writing. Does revising count as writing? Besides writing and of course, reading, revising is one of my favorite things to do. It’s not the same as editing, which is my likeliest Plan B. Finding and fixing mistakes is easy and fun as long it’s not my own work ;-)

Revising fiction is often that second chance you never really get in reality to hone the impression you want to make. For instance, did the sun simply rise on any day in question, or did it burst from behind the clouds and spill across the sky in crimson ribbons?

Author Anna Badkhen recommends avoiding PEDESTRIAN SENTENCES and advises writers to “Approach each paragraph as you would a poem, then make it stun” Because an orchard’s worth can’t be assessed without a taste of the golden fruit?

On the other hand,

“Whenever you feel an impulse to perpetrate a piece of exceptionally fine writing, obey it – wholeheartedly – and delete it before sending your manuscript to press. Murder your darlings.” — Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, On the Art of Writing, 1916

Then again, 

“You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write” ~ Saul Bellow

Remember that eleventh-hour magic never happens before the deadline, and it’s never too late to revise.

How often do you get up in the middle of the night to write? How do you feel about revisions?

Happy Writing!

 

IWSG May 2023

 Welcome readers, writers, authors, and bloggers!

We’re glad you’re here! It's the First Wednesday of the month; when we celebrate IWSG Day in the form of a blog hop featuring members and guests of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Founded by author Alex Cavanaugh (Thank you, Captain!) and fostered by like-minded associates, IWSG is a comfortable place to share views and literary news from our perspective writing desks as we record our journeys. Check out the May newsletter here

Our awesome co-hosts this month are: Joylene Nowell Butler, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Meka James, Victoria Marie Lees, and M Louise Barbour! Feel free to hop around and say hello to everyone!

The optional question for this month is: When you’re working on a story, what inspires you?

Depending on the setting of a particular story, I like to have a reminder handy. A walk in the forest, a view of the ocean. Sometimes I sit in the dark on the patio and listen to the sounds of the night. There’s always a dog or two (usually mine) barking in the distance. Crickets are terrific watch-bugs; going silent when an intruder nears. With the exception of javelina herds that stink to high heaven (you don’t have to see them to know they’re near), aroma therapy is always nice. Lavender is my peaceful favorite. Sandalwood goes well with a lot of the stories I write.

I can’t wait to hear what inspires you!

It’s Get Caught Reading month once again. How many have you read so far this year?

In honor of Lumpy Rug Day I’ve started a quick little mystery about how a rug might get lumpy ;-) Care to join me?

Have a wonderful month – call your Mom or send her a smile from your heart.

IWSG April 2023 Books on the Move

 Welcome readers, writers, authors, and bloggers!

We’re glad you’re here! It's the First Wednesday of the month; when we celebrate IWSG Day in the form of a blog hop featuring members and guests of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Founded by author Alex Cavanaugh (Thank you, Captain!) and fostered by like-minded associates, IWSG is a comfortable place to share views and literary news from our perspective writing desks as we record our journeys. Check out the April newsletter here

Our awesome co-hosts this month are: Jemima Pett, Nancy Gideon, and Natalie Aguirre! Feel free to hop around and say hello to everyone!

The optional question for this month is: Do you remember writing your first book? What were your thoughts about a career path on writing? Where are you now and how is it working out for you? If you're at the start of the journey, what are your goals?

As I somewhat feverishly wrote my first book, I basically had a career, two part-time jobs, and a small family. Time for writing was tight, to say the least. Thus the adverb “feverishly”; you tend to write (and run and drive) faster when racing against time. I had written short stories for years. Yet a career in writing hadn’t entered my mind. But the book was different. From the moment the premise came to mind, I couldn’t wait to write it. What I wanted, desperately needed to do was get the all-consuming story out of my system. Once the story was finished, I realized it wasn’t ever leaving my “system” or my heart ;-)  And the idea of sharing what I write began to feel much less terrifying.

I’m finishing up my fourth (and likely last) book now. I continue to keep my weekly writing goals (700 words per week) ridiculously low in hopes of achieving them. Despite the busyness of tax season, my grammar app says I wrote 4400 words last month! I hope I’m not writing in my sleep ;-)

It’s National Bookmobile Day! Did you know Library Camels spend five (5) days a week delivering books in Kenya? Or that elephants deliver books in the hard-to-reach mountain regions of northern Thailand? Indeed they do! And you can read all about them (and others) in a book called “My Librarian is a Camel”

“If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.” J.K. Rowling

IWSG Mar 2023 Somewhere between

 

Welcome readers, writers, authors, and bloggers!

We’re glad you’re here! It's the First Wednesday of the month; when we celebrate IWSG Day in the form of a blog hop featuring members and guests of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Founded by author Alex Cavanaugh (Thank you, Captain!) and fostered by like-minded associates, IWSG is a comfortable place to share views and literary news from our perspective writing desks as we record our journeys. Check out the March newsletter here

Besides my humble self, our awesome co-hosts this month are:  Tonya Drecker, Bish Denham, Olga Godim, and JQ Rose!   Feel free to hop around and say hello to everyone!

The optional question for this month is:  Have you ever read a line in novel or a clever plot twist that caused you to have author envy?

Absolutely! Most recently, a line in a short story made me stop and read the line again:

“If you trust there’s nothing under your bed you never have to come face to face with it.” 

Keep Calm and Carry On by Harvey Stanbrough

Often, the simple lines –or phrases- have the greatest impact. A dear friend of mine once conveyed an unforgettable lesson (once was all we needed) when he said that if the towel is dirty after you wash your hands, you’re not doing something right.

Does anyone remember the line (paragraph, really) in Million Dollar Baby:

“I just hope he found some place where he could find a little peace. A place set in the cedars and the oak trees. Somewhere between nowhere and goodbye. But that’s probably wishful thinking.” ~ Morgan Freeman / Eddie “Scrap Iron” Dupris

I don’t think I’d have watched the movie if not for that humanizing expression.

And now I’m off to see what everyone else is talking about – See ya soon!

IWSG February 2023 Book Covers

 Welcome readers, writers, authors, and bloggers!

We’re glad you’re here! 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 author Alex Cavanaugh (Thank you, Captain!) and fostered by like-minded associates, IWSG is a comfortable place to share views and literary news from our perspective writing desks as we record our journeys. Check out the February newsletter here

Our awesome co-hosts this month are:  Jacqui Murray, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Pat Garcia, and Gwen Gardner!   Feel free to hop around and say hello to everyone!

The optional question for this month is:  February 1 question - If you are an Indie author, do you make your own covers or purchase them? If you publish trad, how much input do you have about what goes on your cover?

As an Indie author, you can create your own cover or choose from any gallery you like. You can change your mind as many times as it takes to look and feel just right. It’s not free or as easy as it looks, but it is an enjoyable and rewarding experience. While Traditional publishers alleviate many of the trepidations, they also have a say in the look and feel of your cover because they control the purse strings and the timeline and prefer to keep both at a minimum.

We’ve come a long way since the first Dust Jackets. Did you know it was Lewis Carroll who first requested (1876) his titles be printed on the spines of the plain “paper wrappers” that encased his books? While that became a standard, any other printing that appeared on the front, back, or flaps of dust jackets has always been determined by the publishers. By the 1920s, much more emphasis was being placed on the Dust Jacket than the ornate binding it was created to protect as publishers began to hire commercial artists to design attractive jackets in addition to including author bios and synopsis’ on the inside flaps.

Our library had a number of old books without dust jackets. I’d run my finger over the title embossed on a cover and try to imagine the storyline. Or what the author was like. There was a certain excitement in simply wondering.

Happy writing, all!

IWSG Jan 2023 Ready, Set, Steadfast!

 Welcome readers, writers, authors, and bloggers!

We’re glad you’re here! 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 author Alex Cavanaugh (Thank you, Captain!) and fostered by like-minded associates, IWSG is a comfortable place to share views and literary news from our perspective writing desks as we record our journeys. Check out the January newsletter here

Our awesome co-hosts this month are:   Jemima Pett, Debs Carey, Kim Lajevardi, Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, and T. Powell Coltrin!   Feel free to hop around and say hello to everyone!

The optional question for this month is: Do you have a word of the year? Is there one word that sums up what you need to work on or change in the coming year? For instance, in 2021 my word of the year was Finish. I was determined to finish my first draft by the end of the year. In 2022, my word of the year was Ease. I want to get my process, systems, finances, and routines where life flows with ease and less chaos. What is your word for 2023? 

What a great question! The first word that came to mind even as I read the question was “Finish.” But I’ve already used it. The term “Satori” has been on my mind for months on end. It roughly translates to “sudden enlightenment”. This time next year, I’d like to be able to tell you I had it this year;-) Therefore, my word for 2023 is Steadfast because that’s what I’ll need to be in order to achieve at least a couple of the goals I’ve set. Ready, Set, Go!

In honor of Trivia Day, here are a few literary fun facts:

Charles Dickens actively practiced hypnosis, most notably on his wife (mother of their ten children) whenever she got one of her frequent headaches. However, he himself refused to be put into a trance.

Regrettably, Stephen King doesn’t remember writing “Cujo”. Fortunately, Mr. King has since parted ways with the memory-thieving genie in a bottle ;-)

No one could have guessed that Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” would one day inspire the invention of the defibrillator. Much less that old Dick Tracy comics would inspire the future invention of the SmartWatch.

Early episodes of Star Trek introduced gadgets that most of us now find impossible to live without, like the cell phone -  with Facetime.

Can you imagine not only writing an epic, timeless novel but also being around to realize it also changed the world?

Happy writing!