IWSG July 2020 - Choices and Changes

Hi there!

Whether you’re just passing through, or looking for a comfortable online group in which to share your writing journey, you’ve come to the right place! The Insecure Writer’s Support Group offers resources, tips, timely news, how-to’s, and don’t do’s – all the support we writers can use to make the most of our craft.

We meet on the 1^st Wednesday of every month. Feel free to browse around and mingle. As in the words of IWSG founder and “Cassa Series,” author Alex Cavanaugh, “Your words may be the encouragement someone else needs” Join us!

Our awesome co-hosts for the July 1 posting of the IWSG are Jenni Enzor, Beth Camp, Liesbet, Tyrean Martinson, and Sandra Cox!

My World:

We had one humdinger of a storm soon after last month’s post. It was one of those sneaky mid-night especially destructive Monsoons complete with window-rattling thunder and lightning bolts roughly the width of Parthenon columns. It was one of those massive electric bolts that started the Bighorn Fire in our beloved Santa Catalina Mountains – in an area just above our house.

Persistent winds whipped a fiery swath through the canyons with a fury that roared over each side of the range in a flaming rage. At times, there were upwards of 900 brave responders battling the blaze that could be seen clear across the city.  Many of the 114k-plus acres that ended up perishing over the course of 25 days hadn’t burned in over 1100 years. The sheer magnitude of displaced wildlife is appalling and beyond tragic.  Authorities are pinning the losses primarily on the invasion.

If this year, such as it’s been, has taught us anything, it’s that invasions come in many forms. The aggression that significantly impeded the Bighorn Fire battle was that of the omnipresent and highly-flammable Buffelgrass, a non-native grass initially peddled as erosion control and livestock forage. This historic fire has drastically changed the landscape, and possibly the entire ecosystem of our mountain range. Going forward, we can only hope that future promoters of lousy experiments aren’t as careless in their duties as desert sentries.

On Writing:

Without giving too much away, I’ll just say that the Bighorn Fire may have radically changed (in a good way!) the ending of a book I plan to release later this year.

As for the book I’d planned to release in July (still do, actually): I was at a point where all the pieces were coming together nicely. I’d even approved a cover. Yet, there remained a pervasive sense of – apathy. Why wasn’t I excited about this? It wasn’t until I showed the cover to a trusted friend who asked, “What’s the book about?” that the reason for my lack of enthusiasm was as plain as the words on the cover. Ugh, that title had to go. It was surprisingly painless and had the same effect as hanging a Suncatcher at my favorite window.

Speaking of titles, I read a startling YA tale called “Tsantas” by C. Lee McKenzie this month. It’s sure to become the next Best Campfire Story – ever!

In answer to the (optional) IWSG Question of the Month:

There have been many industry changes in the last decade, so what are some changes you would like to see happen in the next decade?

I’m almost afraid to contemplate the lengths to which the industry, as well as technology, may one day evolve. I’d like to see more emphasis on author talent; rather than affiliations in terms of publishing. I can’t fathom an interest in any mystery a computer might write. I’m quite content to write – and share, as I do with the technology available today.

Happy Writing!

 

See ya soon!

Yellow Bloomers

Hello there!

Whether you’re just passing through, or looking for a comfortable online group in which to share your writing journey, you’ve come to the right place! The Insecure Writer’s Support Group offers resources, tips, timely news, how-to’s, and don’t do’s – all the support we writers can use to make the most of our craft.

We meet on the 1^st Wednesday of every month. Feel free to browse around and mingle. As in the words of IWSG founder and “Cassa Series,” author Alex Cavanaugh, “Your words may be the encouragement someone else needs” Join us!

This month’s gracious co-hosts are   Jacqui Murray, Lisa Buie-Collard, Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, and Shannon Lawrence!

We’ve had an extraordinary amount of rain over the last several months, so much so that our city has now declared it unnecessary to continue filling our historically-dry riverbed with treated water. Rumors of the return of near-extinct fish and wildlife notwithstanding, there are reports of never before documented species beaching on the banks to bask beneath the branches of what looks for all the world like summer foliage. We may not sport the bright green clovers, but we’ve got the yellow bloomers, alright. These hardy flowering shrubs in brilliant golden splendor prove beyond a doubt that no, it’s not THE dreaded virus, the sneezing fits will pass. It’s merely March in the desert. March already!

It’s not only March into Literacy and Paws to Read Month, but we’re also smack in the middle of National Words Matter Week, and posting on none other than National Grammar Day! Don’t nobody panic ;-)

Today is also Discover What Your Name Means Day. As a kid, I pretty much judged what my name meant at any given moment by the tone in which it was spoken. Were they requesting my company or demanding my presence for a missing cookie inquisition?  This is probably why I learned to love the written word. The writer chooses the words that set the tone. Pretty empowering, huh?  Some of us even manage to do it artfully. I’m still working on that ;-)

One of my favorite things about March is the celebration of St. Patrick, the non-Irish guy who reportedly brought Christianity to Ireland. Rumor has it St. Patrick also drove out all the snakes, though according to Mental Floss and Popular Science, snakes can’t survive on islands. Harder still to grasp is the fact that up until the 1970s all the pubs were closed in observance of St. Patrick’s Day. My all-time favorite tales about March are the legendary miniature gold-collecting cobblers called Leprechauns. I’m fascinated by the mythical sprites and thoroughly enjoy the folklore, including one story where a farmer caught a Leprechaun who then had to disclose where he’d buried his pot of gold. The farmer tied a red ribbon around a tree to mark the spot and went to get a shovel. Upon his return, he was astonished to find red ribbons tied around every tree in the forest. My kind of shenanigans!

So, in answer to this month’s IWSG Optional Question:  “Other than the obvious holiday traditions, have you ever included any personal or family traditions in your stories?”  Absolutely!  I've got a developing series for children starring a Leprechaun in search of new adventures and in need of cooler duds, better tricks, and the answer to one burning question when he finds himself far from the verdant forests of Emerald Isle, and way out of place in the western desert town of Sunburnt.

Trivia Question:  What book idea did Irishman Hugh Beaver originate?

Happy Writing!

Let's Not Try...

Happy New Year!

Have you put away the holiday decorations yet? Around here, there’s always at least one thing that gets forgotten in the clean-up that ends up spending the entire year by its lonesome self on a shelf inside the coat closet. This year, there were two items overlooked by Mr. Fastidious (he was in charge this year, and much more thorough than I am). First, I noticed my neighbor’s door wreath as I looked through the circle of my own. Then, I pondered how long both wreaths might remain on display as I savored a piece of chocolate I’d chosen from a wicker Santa bowl, still on my dining room table. Not bad, I’d say, considering the number of remnants we’re likely to find around the yard after an Easter Egg Hunt.

Honestly, I’m not a whip-cracker.  See, I’ve been relegated to the proverbial ‘observation deck’ since mid-December when I discovered coffee doesn’t exactly enable me to leap tall buildings, as evidenced that fateful morning I tripped over a measly step stool and broke my shoulder. They should have named me Grace. Nevertheless, this new and thankfully temporary vantage point has afforded an extraordinary perspective on holiday celebrations.

Did you tear up the town or block out the sound of New Year celebrations? I don’t think I’ve stayed up until midnight since Y2K. We were, however, awakened not long after the Old Pueblo’s first annual “Taco Drop” this year by one of our dogs barking at her own reflection in a window through which fireworks would have no doubt bedazzled her a couple of hours earlier.

Most years, I look forward to local and national recaps of the preceding year as they invariably jog some potent memory wherein the best creative juices flow.  Curiously, there seems an apparent reluctance or ambivalence in recall, for very few sources deem last year at all notable,  focusing instead on a decade of years already reviewed after each one ended. I, for one, was paying attention.

For instance, something made an historic landing on the far side of the moon (Hint: it wasn’t Pink Floyd).  A single infamous summer made headlines for the 50^th time. A few refreshing new trends have emerged in the discarding of live/cut Christmas trees. One is the placement of them, devoid of tinsel, lights, and ornaments, of course, in lakes and waterways, providing shelter for young marine life. The other, an original form of repurposing by a veteran and true American Sunbeam, (and of special interest to me of late - ha!) is the creation of handcrafted canes and walking sticks.

I didn’t get around to making plans for the New Year before I was sidelined (so to speak), but I have a list of writing projects waiting patiently in the wings for my most anxious return. How about you? Did you make any resolutions you’d be willing to shake on?

Throughout history, handshakes generally acknowledged mutual agreement to a promise or a deal or perhaps greeting a new friend. Shakespeare apparently had yet another reason in mind when he wrote (Iliad) in reference to the settlement of a conflict “Let’s not try to kill each other” Clever placement of words, wouldn’t you say?

Happy Writing!

Captive Occupations

While our New England neighbors are without a doubt joyously engaged in the annual practice of “Leaf-peeping” (I love this phrase!) and experiencing a spike in tourism as well, here in the Sonoran desert as Monarchs migrate south, we gape in apprehensive awe at Raptors in flight, often flying so low and so close you can almost feel their wings brush your skin. With the exception of Scavenger birds such as Vultures who consider anything that dies on the highway fair game, and cause for a party (tiny electric cars beware), the Harris’s Hawks are the only regional birds of prey observed to hunt in family groups, and only in the Sonoran desert. Now is the best time of year to visit the best place to see these magnificent Raptor flights at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum – if you happen to be in our neck of the Saguaros.  Happy Gaping!

Welcome to November, everyone! And, on this, the first Wednesday of the month (every month) – 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:

Sadira Stone, Patricia Josephine, Lisa Buie-Collard, Erika Beebe, and C. Lee McKenzie!

For member news and fresh and witty movie reviews, our esteemed founder, Alex Cavanaugh has it all!  

As For Me:

Of late, there seems to be a lot of fuss about writing characters not of your own identity. Without extensive research or personal experience, I can understand the concern for unintended misrepresentations. However, if general interpretations are not derived from open minds, as they were for at least one famous author I could (but won’t) name, it would appear that heroic plants make less controversial characters. Here are some personal testimonies on “Writing the Other” we could post on a sticky note as we go boldly forth in National Novel Writing Month.

How’s this for an occupation:  No-Content Publishing. Can you believe it? I had to know more. And now that I do, I’m truly amazed at the brilliance of the idea itself, let alone the marketing strategy.

IWSG Optional Question of the Month:  What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever googled in researching a story?

Because we see more and more instances these days, I looked up Shoe Tossing. I had an idea that the reasons for the practice might well be somewhat nefarious since evidence seemed to suggest it happened to Johnny Ringo (whose occupation, by the way, is listed as “Outlaw”) as his boots were found strung together and hanging on the saddle of his horse, a half-mile away from where Johnny’s lifeless body was found on the bank of Turkey Creek. While Doc Holladay may not have been his actual Huckleberry, it was Johnny himself who tied – and tossed - his own boots to keep them free of scorpions while he napped in the shade of an Oak tree. I can’t express how vindicated I felt to learn that what I’ve been preaching about scorpions since before I reached the height of a grasshopper is absolutely real!

Having watched two movies in the same month that referenced such an event (NEXT, and RAISING DION), I looked up fish rain. I imagine my (earlier) interest in electric shock drowning (by lightning) might have raised a few eyebrows. Do you suppose I’d get a roundhouse gasp for combining both events in the same story?

Fun Facts:

Children born in autumn are generally more studious in school, and tend to live well into their nineties! 

Happy Writing!

What a Novel Idea!

Welcome Readers and fellow Writers, to the February 2019 online meeting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Founded by author Alex Cavanaugh and comprised of writing members just like you (and me), featuring writing tips, resources, articles, contests, and IWSG swag! See what we’re all talking about here and join us as we share our writing journeys.

*We meet on the first Wednesday of every month – join us and enjoy!

Visit our gracious Co-hosts, and let them know you’re here:  Raimey Gallant, Natalie Aguirre, CV Grehan, and Michelle Wallace!

As for me,

Though our “cold snap” was nowhere near the Polar Vortex experienced in other areas of our nation, I managed to learn something new! Did you know that if you cut a potato in half and rub it over your windshield the night of an expected deep-freeze, you won’t have to scrape ice off the window in the morning? If this is eye-roll worthy, consider this: in my part of the world, we’re glad for winter months when snakes and such go away for a while. Which reminds me, another new idea I plan to try this year is the placement of a fake snake in the garden – or even on my windshield at night, to deter birds and small critters from eating fruit, and/or setting up house in the engine compartment of my car. In case you’re wondering where I learned these novel ideas, here’s a hint and a Philosofact from Farmer’s Almanac: “Nature is amazing: Who would have thought of growing a flyswatter on the rear end of a cow?”

Speaking of Novel Ideas, what is or was the most surprising inspiration for one of yours?

As if “The Year Without a Summer” (1816) wouldn’t be enough to inspire a story, Mary Shelley of “Frankenstein” fame happened to be among guests at Lord Byron’s when he proposed a ghost story challenge to pass the time.

Lee Child came up with a name for the protagonist in his incredibly successful crime thriller series while shopping with his wife. After he’d plucked a can of fruit from a high shelf, she proclaimed him a good “Reacher” and sparked the idea for the name Jack Reacher.

When George Orwell idly pondered the possible consequences of animals realizing their own strength, “Animal Farm” was born.

As in all too many towns, we have our share of homeless people; those public park dwellers, and street-corner beggars who wouldn’t take a job if one was offered. When one such (healthy-looking) person pressed a cardboard sign that read: “Hungry” against my window as I waited for the light to change, I shrugged and mouthed “Me too.” The man could work for his living, just as I do, I groused.  It actually bugged me long enough to wonder what could happen if they all had jobs they didn’t know about. And suddenly, I had an exciting new twist for a story I was losing interest in. 

   

The (optional) Question of the Month is: “Besides writing, what other creative outlets do you have?” 

When required, one of my job duties is to decorate (within budget, of course) after home renovations have been completed. Achieving “RFM (ready for market)” status is just as satisfying now as it was when I played with dollhouses as a kid. 

So, what’s your most novel idea? Given a choice of music or nature, what would inspire you more? Are you going to miss those chalky little candy hearts?

You Don't Say

Welcome Readers and fellow Writers, to the January 2019 online meeting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Founded by author Alex Cavanaugh and comprised of writing members just like you (and me), featuring writing tips, resources, articles, contests, and IWSG swag! See what we’re all talking about here and join us as we share our writing journeys.

*We meet on the first Wednesday of every month – join us and enjoy!

Visit our gracious Co-hosts, and let them know you’re here: Patricia Lynne, Lisa Buie-Collard, Kim Lajevardi, and Fundy Blue!

Season’s Greetings, Everyone!

I had quite the ‘other worldly’ Christmas this year. 

This season, we traveled in hopes of a glimpse of “the white stuff” for Christmas. What began as dainty angel socks dropping softly to the ground gradually turned into a scene that this life-long desert dweller could only describe as (insert emoji) WOW! At one point, someone said “Where’s Lucy?” and we all swallowed hard.

Evidently, friends and family really enjoy the use of emoticons as they often share with me their latest reasons to laugh uproariously – or sigh in disgust. This puts a rather exciting new spin on “Show, don’t tell,” don’t you think?  It’s the way everyone communicates these days, and entirely acceptable - unless you want a publisher to take your work seriously. While there are a handful of editors who use them sparingly, most explain the usage as tools to alleviate “the sting” (ouch!). When pestered for an opinion on the subject, one of my editors replied with a question I doubt I’ll soon forget: “Are you a writer or an illustrator?”

But aren’t those expressive little symbols irresistible? The trouble is that it takes me longer to find just the right one than it does to formulate in writing the thoughts or feelings I want to convey. Do you ever feel that way?

How is your writing journey looking for 2019? Will you begin or finish that project that so absorbs your every thought?

Oh, by the way, Lucy’s dilemma was only temporary. All we had to do was rattle a box of Cheez-its 😉

Happy Writing!