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!