IWSG - April 2024 - Blog Writing

 

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 April newsletter here.

The awesome co-hosts for the January 1 posting of the IWSG are Janet Alcorn, T. Powell Coltrin, Natalie Aguirre, and Pat Garcia!

 Today’s entirely optional question: How long have you been blogging (Or on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter?)? What do you like about it, and how has it changed?

Let's talk about April, a month that holds a special place in my heart as it's National Card and Letter Writing Month. There's something magical about the concept of writing letters, isn't there? The act of putting our thoughts, emotions, and words on paper, crafting sentences as sharp as arrows dipped in indelible ink. It's a joy I can't quite put into words.

But then, you wait forever and a day for a reply. For all you know, the mail carrier moved across the nation with your letter still in his bag. I’ve never been a nail-biter, but if I was, this would be a viable reason to do so.

Instead, I give hydraulic office chairs a daily workout with incessant foot-swinging. If I’m to see over the top of the desk, I’ve got to pump the chair to its highest extent, leaving my dangling feet with nothing better to do than swing around all day until the chair surreptitiously pumps back down to chin-in-pencil-drawer height. I overheard a boss say to a coworker: “If her (meaning me) feet are swinging, words are zinging across her page.”

Blogging effectively preempts the anxiety of waiting. If communication is the goal (and it is for me), blogging is practically instant gratification! I’ve been blogging since 2012 and enjoy the connections I’ve made. I thought Facebook would be much the same, but it isn’t. I honestly don’t know anyone who really has half a million friends and family. Do you?

I haven’t noticed too many changes in blogging. Updates typically enhance the experience.  I tend to rely on my savvy blogger friends for tips on how to stay safe…

Happy writing – in any form!

P.S.

My apologies if you came by earlier while I was nursing a migraine. All is well, but these things happen sometimes. Have a fantastic IWSG Day!

IWSG March 2024 Is AI Keeping it Real?

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 March newsletter here.

The awesome co-hosts for the March 6 posting of the IWSG are Kristina Kelly, Miffie Seideman, Jean Davis, and Liza @ Middle Passages!

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG posts. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Remember, the question is optional!

Have you "played" with AI to write those nasty synopses, or do you refuse to go that route? How do you feel about AI's impact on creative writing?

No, I haven’t played with AI. I’m too busy hiding from it. I don’t trust any application that may well have been programmed by someone in a very bad mood the day the program was “born.” I wonder if users of a program (comprised of the thoughts of the programmer), which might here on out be considered “all anyone needs to know about creativity,” could truly produce anything original?  

Can you sue a machine for plagiarism? I like keeping things real.

As far as getting an AI-composed synopsis, I’m skeptical. But it might be worth a try. When it comes to something as personal as creativity, there should be no contest between humans and machines.

I believe everything has a place in this world, but you won’t find weeds in a vase on my table. And I won’t be accepting AI as exceptional in terms of creativity.

According to my writing app (yes, I do use some applications), I’m off to a good start this year. I can almost hear clapping in the background ;-)

Happy Writing!

 

“There’s a page that aches for a word which speaks of a theme that is timeless,”

BE ~ Neil Diamond

 

  

IWSG February 2024 - Modestly Remarkable

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 February newsletter here.

The awesome co-hosts for the February 7 posting of the IWSG are:  Janet Alcorn, SE White, Victoria Marie Lees, and Cathrina Constantine!

Today’s entirely optional question:  What turns you off when visiting an author’s website/blog? Lack of information? A drone of negativity? Little mention of the author’s books? The constant mention of books?

I’m not usually shopping when I visit author websites; I’m visiting. So, I’m not keen on sales pitches. But I appreciate the blurbs. I love author blogs because they invariably offer tantalizing tidbits of interest about the author, clues as to why they write what they do, and how they go about marketing. What inspires the author, and where do they store that endless supply of confidence?

“Dare to be remarkable” ~ Jane Gentry

Have you ever noticed how you meet the nicest people in the Greeting Card aisle? Can you imagine meeting someone who would one day change your life in a cemetery? Charles Dickens, born on this day in 1812 with a knack for creating indelible characters, wrote a classic novel around this premise. Have you read “Great Expectations”?

It’s Library Lover’s Month, and we’re right in the middle of Freelance Writers Week. 2024 is a Leap Year, so a few good people might be walking around with an extra birthday later this month. Leap Day is otherwise known as National Time Refund Day.

I love a good mystery, especially when it gets solved, and I wonder how I missed it. Hopefully, between tonight as I write and tomorrow when we meet again, I will have figured out how a perfectly good tub of homemade Red Chile ended up in my washing machine! To Be Continued…

Happy writing!

 

IWSG January 2024 Loose Ends - New Beginnings

 

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 January newsletter here.

The awesome co-hosts for the January 1 posting of the IWSG are Joylene Nowell Butler, Olga Godim, Natalie Aguirre, and me, diedre Knight!

 Today’s entirely optional question: Do you follow back your readers on BookBub, or do you only follow back other authors?

 

Good question. And one I’d gladly answer had I ever heard of BookBub before today’s optional query. I’ll add doing some research into BookBub to my list of New Year goals. I do know that I haven’t followed back a reader for years, and that was with a promise to let them know when I wrote the sequel to a book that about a dozen good-natured folks read and reviewed (mostly favorably!). I’ve yet to write the sequel, yet, being the operative word. This year does not look promising, but who knows?

I try to keep resolutions, plans, pledges, promises, vows – goals by any other name, to a manageable minimum so as to keep headaches to a dull roar and regrets out of the equation. That’s why I tie up loose ends first. However, the current condition of my desk suggests there’s been a struggle. I wonder who won.

The best thing about sharing your goals is giving others fuel, ammo with which to shame or coax you into completing a successful tying up of loose ends –OR- the warmth of a smile, a nod of confidence, a hug of courage that keeps your muse on the path of creativity – rather than traipsing off into Dorothy’s poppies. Support is everything. Support is something I think should be on everyone’s list to seek or provide.

Last year was, all in all, a good year in terms of writing. I have faith that this year will be even better. I even managed to read 41 books, most of which my daughter had made into miniatures that fit into a glass Christmas bulb…sometimes Christmas makes my eyes water.

 

I’m off to see how your year is getting started!

Happy writing, Happy New Year, everyone!