IWSG September 2026 Such A Character

 

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 our newsletter here

The awesome cohosts for this month’s postings are: Kate Larkinsdale, SE White, JS Pailly, Olga Godim, and Natalie Aguirre!  

This month marks the Fifteenth Anniversary of the IWSG!

 Today’s entirely optional question:

September 2 question - Do you have a favorite character archetype you tend to gravitate toward in your writing?

As primarily a Children’s writer, my go-to character choice is always curious, resourceful, resilient, and forever young (unless I’m writing a life history story)

My first kid character crush (as a kid myself) was Harold and the Purple crayon that allowed him to create anything in world simply by drawing it. That was some tough competition for a young girl like me with a popsicle stick that (rarely actually) transported me anywhere in the world 😉Nonetheless, when grandma asked if I was ready to dispose of the popsicle stick (time and time again) my reply was always “Nope. I can’t. It’s magic.”  That’s when she’d call me “such a character” and I’d feel like I was right up there with Harold and all the other GOAT Kid Characters. Does anyone remember Charlie Bucket (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory), Jack Dawkins (The Artful Dodger in Oliver Twist), Pippi Longstocking, Anne of Green Gables, or Winnie the Pooh? Every one of these characters leapt off the written page or from a silver screen to embed themselves within our hearts as the story became an accessory to the character who carried it. Way to write ‘em folks!

Happy writing, Everyone!

 

 

Fun fact: Willy Wonka was the only film Peter Ostrum appeared in; having given up Hollywood to become a successful Veterinarian. According to Goodreads, the fate of the Artful Dodger, Jack Dawkins remains unspecified by Charles Dickens.

IWSG August 2026 Between Two Thieves

 

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 our newsletter here.

The awesome co-hosts for this month’s posting of the IWSG are  Shannon Lawrence, Liza, Pat Garcia, and me; diedre Knight!

 Today’s entirely optional question: As a writer/author, what is something you regret? Or something that you wish you’d done differently in your writing process?

Oh sure. I have regrets. But I keep all those shoulda-woulda-coulda thoughts that would do me no good to dwell upon now in a box with a lid, covered with an old red bandana and tucked way in the back of a drawer I only open every other week or so.

I should have used a pen name. Why didn’t I pay more attention to illustrations? Why did I change the title at the last minute? I should have networked more. Much more.

“We crucify ourselves between two thieves: Regret for yesterday and fear of tomorrow” ~ Fulton Oursler

If you’re interested, August is Read a Romance Novel Month 😉 August 20^th is National Radio Day – Did you know from 1917 till 1919 (WWI) private American citizens were not allowed to own radio receivers?

Did you know The Compleat Angler is the most frequently reprinted book in English Literature?

Smokey the Bear turns 82 on the 9^th!

 

 

Thanks for having me as your co-host today!

IWSG July 2026 Awful Truths and Strategies

 

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 December newsletter here.

The awesome co-hosts for this month’s posting of the IWSG are: Rebecca Douglass, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Cathrina Constantine, and Jacqui Murray!

 Optional Question for July:

Is there anything you’d like to see changed, added, and/or rearranged about the book publishing industry?

* * *

Up until the moment I read this question, I’d have answered no. Now that I’ve pondered, processed, researched, and been practically possessed by the subject, I find I have a hundred more questions, many of which were proposed and answered in an article by Steven Piersanti, Senior Editor at Berrett-Koehler Publishers, if you’re interested.

For instance, when and why did publishers stop providing any marketing of books they publish? That is all left up to the authors now, which isn’t such a terrible thing if you’re used to self-publishing. You already know the real work (assuming writing the book was an act of passion) is just the beginning. But did you know that according to Bowker’s Books in Print database, your book has less than a one percent chance of ending up on a bookstore shelf? And even then, according to BookScan, the average book sells fewer than 300 print copies over its lifetime. A recent study found that nearly 90 percent of titles published by the Big Five trade publishers “fail to reach 2000 copies sold.”  Depressed yet?  I am.

By the way, did you know bookstores typically devote only 20 percent of their shelf space to new release titles, leaving the remaining shelf space for Bestsellers and Classics? Stiff competition, huh?

However, it’s not like book sales have collapsed entirely. Bowker data suggest that the number of new titles published each year is 15 times higher than it was 20 years ago.

But check this out – of the 4.2 million titles published last year, 3.5 million were self-published!

Marketing is not among my strong points. Unless I’m doing it for someone besides myself, that is. It feels like asking the Chef to clean up the kitchen. But if we need to tweak this publishing glitch (and it seems we should), my suggestion for a starting point is to acknowledge (or embrace?) a couple of strategies provided by Berrett-Koehler.

Namely: Branding. “In a crowded market, brands stand out.”  It might even be fun!

Happy Writing!

IWSG June 2026 Where Do stories Come From?

 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 December newsletter here.

The awesome co-hosts for this month’s posting of the IWSG are:   Victoria Marie Lees, Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, and C. Lee McKenzie!

 

 Today’s entirely optional question: Do most of your story ideas come from one place (the news, dreams, etc.) or do they hit from all over the place?

You’d think I’d have a patented answer for this question by now, since it is one of the most commonly asked questions a writer ever gets. Back in the early days of swing-singing – before I could even spell my own name – the answer was easy: I reported the news as I’d heard or discerned it from all over the cul-de-sac (the neighbor’s chagrin notwithstanding) at the top of my lungs each morning at sunrise from the vantage point of my backyard swing. I use the word “News” lightly here, as in those days the word referred to something you could believe in. Whether you wanted to hear it or not was mostly up to you (neighbor’s remorse, notwithstanding)

What I truly admire is how authors manage to weave stories around news events that might otherwise have faded away if not for the riveting narratives that became sensational movies, such as Murder on the Orient Express (Agatha Christie) and Hidden Figures (Margot Lee Shetterly).

Did I mention that the story I spoke of last month (Tortilla Bandits) was based on a true story? We just decided not to file a Police report ;-)  

I’ve just finished reading my fifth book of the year (so far). How’s your reading list doing?

Fun Fact: In Brazilian prisons, reading a book can reduce a prisoner’s sentence by four days!

That’s it for me, for now. See Ya all out there!

 

Happy Writing

 

IWSG May 2026 Inspiring Feedback

 

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 our newsletter for May here.

Our awesome cohosts for this month are:

Jenni Enzor, Jemima Pett, Jamie of Uniquely Maladjusted but Fun, and Kim Lajevardi!

And today’s entirely optional question is:

What was the most inspiring feedback you received from readers, including agents, editors, and beta readers?

In terms of literary feedback, it doesn’t matter if we’re talking 14 or 44 different “types” assigned to any given Book Review because any one of them can literally launch or tank a career and crush the heart of the author who bravely dared to present their work in the first place. Being as how I’m mostly terrified to know, I don’t typically read reviews of my own work. However, the reviews I read under the heading Craft and Criticism at Literary Hub have me wanting to rush right out and buy every book reviewed in the article!

While the reviews were not all Unicorns and Pink Cadillacs, there were at least enough complimentary comments to remind the authors, all of us, really, that readers are as independent as we are and therefore (hopefully) inclined toward objectivity.

Nevertheless, I nearly starved to death fretting about the ten copies of a manuscript I passed around at a school bus yard years ago. Was this a mistake? Did they hate it? Why was it taking so long? Did bus drivers even read YA stories?

As it turned out, a couple of weeks without food or sleep didn’t kill me 😉 And would you believe seven out of ten readers asked when the sequel would be finished?!

Then there was that disagreement over a word I’d used in the title of a short story for children. The editor absolutely was not ever going to allow the title (Tortilla Capers) to be what I had planned. Instead, she suggested one much better! I smile every time I run across the story I wrote called Tortilla Bandits 😊

Can’t wait to see what you have to say – See ya soon!

 

 

IWSG February 2026

 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 our monthly newsletter here.

The awesome co-hosts for this month’s posting of the IWSG are:   J Lenni Dorner, Victoria Marie Lees, and Sandra Cox!

 Today’s entirely optional question:    Many writers have written about the experience of rereading their work years later. Have you reread any of your early works? What was that experience like for you?

Have I reread any of my early works? Absolutely! Though, not often. Until recently, I began selecting stories for a children's collection and was pleasantly reminded of how attached I ended up getting to the younger characters as they grew and flourished in the stories I wrote. In some cases, it’s been somewhat of a homecoming. Still others I’ve reviewed (admittedly) left me wondering what the heck I was thinking😉 (Not a children’s story😊)

For the most part, rereading is exhilarating. Motivational, even. Especially when I’m effortlessly transported back into a story that greets me like an old friend. Hanky’s got a few new notes in her Hatbox, indicating the story can indeed go on. It seems the Otters have learned a new routine for entertaining the encroaching Beavers at Wet Bottom Crossing down at Wiggle River, and then there was this crumpled note tossed in the idea box as if by accident:

One scorching- hot summer day when you couldn’t tell the heat waves from sweat dripping in your eyes, there came a turquoise excavator to help us build a pond in the dusty old field out back. But Cotton’s place had a reproachful past that seemed bound to affect uncertain futures like ours.

Oh, the gum-smacking lady driver with hot pink lipstick meant well. In fact, she didn’t even know what she’d dug up when my dad started frantically waving his arms to stop the digging, and my mom fainted right there in the dirt.

But I should start at the beginning.     * * *

I may revisit Cotton’s Place again real soon. As well as half a dozen other stories 😉

I look forward to reading about your experiences. I’ll have just enough time to hop around and visit before I’ll need to rest my eyes for a while. Hope to see you all in April!

Happy writing!

 

 

IWSG January 2026

 

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 our monthly newsletter here.

The awesome co-hosts for this month’s posting of the IWSG are:  Shannon Lawrence, Olga Godim, Jean Davis, and Jacqui Murray!

 Today’s entirely optional question: Is there anything in your writing plans for 2026 that you are going to do that you couldn’t get done in 2025?  

Oh, absolutely! Don’t know that I will, but I’d like to finish two novels and compile, create, and publish a book of short stories that have been languishing in my Children’s file for far too long.  It will be fun catching up with my illustrator. I swear, she got better (as if that were possible) once she had her own children. But she got a lot busier, too 😉

First and foremost, this year, I’ve resolved to take care of my vision. It’s terribly important.

What’s on your agenda for this year? Are you starting anything new? Have you ever worked with more than one editor at the same time? 

Here's to wonderful beginnings!

IWSG October 2025 Favorites

 

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 our monthly newsletter here.

The awesome co-hosts for this month’s posting of the IWSG are: Beth Camp, Crystal Collier, and Cathrina Constantine!

 Today’s entirely optional question: What is the most favorite thing you have written, published or not? And why?      

Great question! And an easy one as well, since one book in particular has been on my mind like a jumping bean; “Me! Pick me!” and in my heart with love everlasting for the little guy for and about whom it was written. The little guy is eighteen now, and while he’s still as curious as he was at two, his Nana doesn’t share every new discovery ;-)

I love everything I’ve written. Not for the purpose of selling them, though some actually have. Sold, that is. I’ve given away more poems than I can count. I dearly love the act of writing. From start to eventual finish, it’s being on my own adventure where all my favorite characters are invited to accompany me. Writing Beanie’s Backyard was my way of chronologically savoring adventures that I was fortunate to accompany him on ;-)

I’m looking forward to your thoughts on favorites.

Happy Writing!

 

IWSG Sept 3, 2025

 

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 our monthly newsletter here.

The awesome co-hosts for this month’s posting of the IWSG are: Kim Lajevardi, Natalie Aguirre, Nancy Gideon, and Diedre Knight!

 Today’s entirely optional question: What are your thoughts on using AI, such as GPChat, Rapter, and others with your writing? Would you use it for research, storybible, or creating outlines/beats?

I’ve been skeptical all along – not so much about using, but about trusting AI. Don’t believe everything you read or hear, right? And that was before Chat or any of that. The Internet has always seemed (to me) to be “THE Edge” that people either jumped from or steered clear of.

Nevertheless, I tried it. However, not for writing. Because that would be cheating, skimping even. How could I put my name on something I didn’t write?

A friend and fellow member of this group makes an excellent point regarding exactly where AI gets the information we so eagerly consume…which brings me to my recent first and, so far only, adventure into the world of Artificially Intelligent (how reassuring is that?) bot-forms who live in your computer writing for and about anything; including you and anyone else who deems them trustworthy, simply by updating my resume.  

The new resume wasn’t terrible. It just didn’t seem right. Or real. And I didn’t write it. It was lightning-fast though! Where I simply listed “Author” it inserted genres and websites and enough information to fill an entire page in a matter of seconds.

Would I use AI for research? Yes. I guess I already do. I love research, and AI makes it so easy…I just need to believe in the validity of the information I read. How about you? Since I have the honor of co-hosting this month’s IWSG, I’ll be around to read your thoughts on the subject.

Happy Writing!

 

IWSG July 2025

 

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 our latest newsletter here.

Our awesome co-hosts this month are:   Rebecca Douglass, Natalie Aguirre, Cathrina Constantine, and Louise Barbour!

The optional question for this month is: Is there a genre that you’d really like to try  writing in and haven’t yet? Do you plan to?

Yes. And yes, it's already in progress.

Every writer generally writes whatever poem or story stirs the inspiration enough to bring a story to glorious life. I didn't start writing to write exclusively for children, but for a time, it seemed I had. It didn't occur to me that I had written an adventure for children or a mystery for young adults until I had. Good thing I have so many good folks around to tell me what I'm doing; "Hey, did you ever finish that mystery you were writing? And "How's that memoir coming along?"  

Should I be worried that no one has asked about the ghost yet?

How's your journey? 

IWSG June 2025

 

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 our monthly newsletter here.

The awesome co-hosts for this month’s posting of the IWSG are:  PJ Colando, Pat Garcia, Kim Lajevardi, Melisa Maygrove, and Jean Davis! 

 Today’s entirely optional question: What were some books that impacted you as a child or young adult?

Growing up in a neighborhood called Enchanted Hills, on a street called Land’s End, it’s no surprise my reading tastes would lean toward all things imagined or dreamed of – even if they kept me up at night ;-)

Goodnight, Moon was the perfect book to fall asleep to. I’d heard it so often I could recite the story to myself when no one felt like reading to me. After reading Corduroy, I began collecting buttons because you never know when you might really need one. Years later, I lay awake wondering if the kids would discover what happened to their father in The Railway Children. I marveled at how alike Posy (Ballet Shoes) and I were, and how excited I was to finally graduate to toe shoes. Would I be as good as Posy?

Ours was a house full of cats and readers. We even had a library. A newspaper was delivered every morning and every evening. Everybody read something. Even the birdcage was lined with funnies from the Sunday paper. I suspect the cats always knew exactly what we were feeding them and thanked us with theatrical disdain, while the scotty dog (like the Monopoly game) at least feigned indifference so as not to cause a scene.

A story I loved as a child was told to me in reference to all the cats we had. I wasn’t sure, at the time, that any real book existed.  As far as I know, I’ve never known anyone who owned a copy of the book "Millions of Cats" (1928); however, it remains the oldest American picture book still in print to date.

But the book that remains the one, the first one, the unforgettable first story that flowed across my heart like warm syrup on a pancake, still remains in full detail on a repeating reel as if I’d walked those fields with Robin. It was after I read The Velvet Room that I ever dared to consider writing something myself. Zilpha Keatley Snyder inspired me.

Happy writing!

 

“If we don’t change direction soon, we’ll end up where we’re going.” ~ Professor Irwin Corey