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 Sept 2022 Doing it Again

 

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 September newsletter here

Our awesome co-hosts this month are: Kim Lajevardi, Cathrina Constantine, Natalie Aguirre, Olga Godim, Michelle Wallace, and Louise - Fundy Blue!

Did anyone (besides me) not know that revising your work after publication is acceptable in some cases?! You can cover your astonishment by resting your chin in your hand. It worked for me.

Yet, I digress.

According to Mental Floss.com at least five of the most iconic authors  have revised and republished their work, including Mary Shelley (Frankenstein), George Elliot (Middlemarch), and Joan Lindsay (Picnic at Hanging Rock) to name a few.

I know what you’re thinking: “She’s doing it again. That name-dropping thing.”  Why, yes. It’s what I do ;-)

As to this month’s Optional Question:  “What genre would be the worst one for you to tackle and why?”

I could never write in the medical thriller genre. I would never even try. Why? Much as I enjoy a good medical mystery, they also scare me half to death. Besides, can you imagine the amount of research it would take to sound like you know what you’re talking about? I mean, what if an actual doctor or nurse decided to read your book? Fiction (as opposed to reality) has to make sense, right?

Truth is, most medical thriller authors do have a degree in the medical field, and almost no one ever plans to write a book about the profession. Writing is usually an afterthought and typically an aside.

For instance, Tess Gerritsen, a general physician, began writing her first book while on maternity leave. An avid reader, her first novels were romantic thrillers. Her breakout medical thriller “Harvest” was inspired by a conversation with a retired detective and was followed by three more New York Times bestselling novels before her first crime thriller “The Surgeon” led to a television series called Rizzoli and Isles. 

At least a couple thrillers by Robin Cook depict fictional accounts of his experiences as a medical intern.

Patricia Cornwell may not have a medical degree (she does have a B.A. in English), but she was a technical writer for the Chief Medical Examiner of Virginia for six years in addition to volunteering with the Richmond Police Department – and this was before her “Scarpetta” series was ever published. Cornwell is also known as a capable cartoonist and a talented athlete on the tennis court. Whew!

Do you know who else doesn’t have a medical degree? Me. And I’m okay with that ;-)

What genre would be the worst for you to write in? What genre would be the easiest for you to write in?

Be happy. Write well.

 

“Make the most of yourself. For that is all there is of you.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

IWSG March 2022 - Before Flannel there was Aspirin

 

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 place to share the fabulous views and exciting news that occurs along our fascinating writing journeys. Check out the March newsletter here.  Perusing the many tips and resources offered here is definitely worthwhile and highly rewarding, so pull up a comfy chair, or better yet -  join us!

Our awesome co-hosts for this month's posting of the IWSG are: Janet Alcorn, Pat Garcia, Natalie Aguirre, and Shannon Lawrence!

This month’s optional question is:

Have you ever been conflicted about writing a story or adding a scene to a story? How did you decide to write it or not?  No, but others have. So I waited for a “more appropriate time” to post or publish.

Is everyone ready to March into Literacy? Who needs an excuse, right?

I loved reading aloud to kids at the library for afternoon Storytime. One of the most requested stories was “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss (It’s his birthday month!) another was “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein. Does anyone remember “The Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame?

Trees seem to be a staple in literature, none more commonly mentioned than the Willow. And rightly so since they’re associated with magic and folklore as often as romance and medicine. The Willow is not only the smallest woody plant; it is also the fastest-growing plant in the world. It can grow as much as 10 feet in a single year and can easily reproduce (with enough water) from broken twigs and leaves. Native Americans across the Americas and animals alike knew of medicinal qualities in Willow tree bark long before associate chemists synthetically altered the substance (to make it more tolerable for human consumption) for their employer Bayer AG, who named it Aspirin in 1899.

In honor of Women’s History Month, I could easily go on and on about Emily Dickinson, Harper Lee, Emily Bronte, or Virginia Woolf. Instead, however, because the year is young, I’d like to give a nod of gratitude to the woman who radically changed the lives of many stereotypically squeezed women the aforementioned esteemed authors wrote about, a woman by the name of Susan Taylor Converse.

If not for her invention of the Flannel Emancipation Suit in 1875, women might still be passing out all over the place for no apparent reason.

Who is your favorite Woman in History? What are you reading these days?

Stay safe, have faith, and happy writing!

 

IWSG November 2021 - Anticipation

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 and fostered by like-minded associates, IWSG is a place to share the fabulous views and exciting news that occurs along our fascinating writing journeys. One such piece of exciting news is Natalie Aguirre, spot-lighter extraordinaire, being featured on our IWSG Member Spotlight page! Check it out, and you’ll see why she is so very deserving of the honorable mention.  Perusing the many tips and resources offered here is definitely worthwhile and highly rewarding, so pull up a comfy chair, or better yet -  join us!

Our awesome co-hosts for this month's posting of the IWSG are: 

 Kim Lajevardi, Victoria Marie Lees, Joylene Nowell Butler, Erika Beebe, and Lee Lowery!

This month’s optional question is:

What is harder to do: coming up with your book title or writing the blurb?

I love coming up with book titles! The problem lies on the wordless page when you haven’t the faintest idea of a storyline for said title. Meanwhile, the pen in your hand hovers aimlessly; the curser blinks with the anticipation of a dog’s tail: “C’mon, lady. How about a treat? One sentence. A word, perhaps? Just one. Please?”

Thankfully, that doesn’t happen often.

If you’re writing a blurb, it’s all over but the shouting. The selling that is. And that’s where the fun begins. Think of it as a 200-word (or less) ad campaign, sort of a travel-size synopsis – for the reader, this time. You’ve already convinced the editor, the publisher. With the pressure off, you can think of your work with a satisfied smile, and when you do, you'll write your blurb that way too. Short, and enticing. I like that. One day I’ll be better at it :-)

Until again, be well and write happy.  

  

IWSG November 2020

 

Welcome readers, writers, authors, and bloggers!

It’s Aviation History Month – did you know that bumblebees have been spotted above 18 thousand feet? While my meager talent consists mostly of creating on, rather than with paper, I understand that an American team of two holds the record for Paper Airplane flying distance (226 feet), the record for “time aloft” (27.9 seconds) was set in 2010 by (not surprisingly) the chairman of the Japan Origami Airplane Association ;-)

Is it any wonder that International Stress Awareness Day is celebrated the day after Election Day? No matter, we can choose to celebrate National Candy Day while composing the next 2 – 3 thousand words in honor of National Novel Writing Month!

For the eleventh time this year, 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 Alex Cavanaugh and fostered by like-minded associates, IWSG is a place to share the fabulous views and exciting news that occurs along our fascinating writing journeys. Pull up a chair and join us!

Our awesome co-hosts for this month’s posting of the IWSG are Jemi Fraser, Kim Lajevardi, L.G Keltner, Tyrean Martinson, and Rachna Chhabria! 

November 4 question - Albert Camus once said, “The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself.” Flannery O’Conner said, “I write to discover what I know.” Authors across time and distance have had many reasons to write. Why do you write what you write?

I love these quotes, don’t you as well?

In answer to the question:

Writers write what often can’t be said without interruption.

In a writer’s world, words are shared as dinner mints; confections crafted with hope and baked with resolve to melt a heart or dip a mind into something uniquely created by the writer – I liken satisfied readers to delighted eaters as the cook, looking on, beams from the kitchen doorway.

Happy writing, everyone. Oh! And, Happy Thanksgiving!

 

IWSG - The Form of Stories

 

Welcome readers, writers, authors, and bloggers!

You’re just in time for IWSG Day, which occurs the first Wednesday of every month in the form of a blog hop featuring all of the members of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. Founded by Alex Cavanaugh and fostered by like-minded associates, IWSG is a place to share the awesome views and exciting news that occurs along our fascinating writing journeys. Pull up a chair and join us!

Our gracious co-hosts this month are:  PJ Colando, J Lenni Dorner, Deniz Bevan, Kim Lajevardi, Natalie Aguirre, and Louise - Fundy Blue!

Our Optional Question of the Month is:  If you could choose one author, living or dead, to be your beta partner, who would it be, and why?  Oh, this is easy. I would love to have Zilpha Keatley Snyder as my partner! From the very first sentence of her book The Velvet Room: “When the tire went flat for the third time that day, it went with a bang.” I was absolutely captivated by the familiar sincerity with which she crafted an atmospheric haven for an overcast life on a black and white page. To this day, I’m inspired by her work.

September is Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month, which is pretty much every day around here ;-) Happy September, everyone!

It’s also Shameless Promotion month! But I’ll save it for another day ;-)

At a time when we’re all looking for something to do besides screen time, movie binging and frequent trips to the fridge – by the way, this gospel singer delightfully nails it -

It’s good to see some of the “old” past times coming back. For instance, knitting, baking, jigsaw puzzles, and board games. And while many creative arts venues are temporarily shuttered, there are a surprising amount of ancient almost-lost arts finding their way back.

Such as Amezeiku – The Japanese art of candy sculpture for which a Takumi (craftsman) has barely five minutes to artfully form (with his fingers) a nearly 200-degree Fahrenheit dollop of candy into the realistic shape of say, a sea turtle, koi, or an octopus – on a stick before the confection hardens. Looks too pretty to eat, don’t you think?

Anyone out there helping out with homeschool?

“If history were told in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten,” ~ Rudyard Kipling

Happy Writing!

 

IWSG August 2020 – Just living is not enough

How is everyone keeping busy these days? I’ve discovered the worst thing about spring cleaning is figuring out what to do with all the stuff you don’t want any more when no one is open to take it. All the boxes and bags everywhere have the dogs convinced we're moving.

Can you believe it’s August already? 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:  

Susan Baury Rouchard, Nancy Gideon, Jennifer Lane, Jennifer Hawes, Chemist Ken, and Chrys Fey!

The optional Question of the Month is:
 August 5 question - Quote: "Although I have written a short story collection, the form found me and not the other way around. Don't write short stories, novels or poems. Just write your truth and your stories will mold into the shapes they need to be."
Have you ever written a piece that became a form, or even a genre, you hadn't planned on writing in? Or do you choose a form/genre in advance?

My answer: Yes, and not usually ; -)

It’s International Pirate Month! Do you have a favorite Swashbuckler? Did you know they wore patches not to cover up eyeless sockets, but to always have one eye accustomed to darkness for quick trips below deck?

August is American Adventures Month! I once sold a motorhome in less than ten days with a simple phrase the buyer swore reached out and grabbed him: “See America from the comfort of your living room” Indeed, we saw a lot of it that way. While it might not be as easy an option these days, we still do. Except, these days, the kids and I also travel virtually, picking a different state each time.

Last month we chose Nebraska. Known as “The Tree Planters State,” it is home to America’s largest hand-planted forest.  Kool Aid and the Rueben Sandwich were invented there. We all got a kick out of CARHENGE, Omaha’s close equivalent to Stonehenge, and the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium featuring one of the world’s largest indoor rainforests, a coral reef, as well as an indoor desert in a dome (including meerkats!) has been placed on our MSIP (Must See in Person) list!  Anyone out there from Nebraska?

Among several excellent books I read last month was one entitled “Sold on a Monday,” by Kristina McMorris. I must say, the story sticks to your heart as peanut butter does to the roof of your mouth. Simply indelible.

As far as writing, I am brimming with excitement!

See you all sooner than later ; -)

 

“Just living is not enough, one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower,” Hans Christian Andersen

 

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!

IWSG June Secrets and Cover-ups

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:   Pat Garcia, J.Q. Rose, and Natalie Aguirre!

This month’s Optional Question is:  Writers have secrets! What are one or two of yours, something readers would never know from your work?

bookriot.com

How’s everyone doing out there in Quarantine Land? I’ve begun to talk to hummingbirds, and occasionally, the refrigerator when it spits out ice cubes for no apparent reason. The wearing of masks by pretty much everybody everywhere these days presents a conundrum for me. Who are these people? I met a new Ortho surgeon last month, and all I can tell you is he seems nice and has blue eyes. A young friend of mine suggested we might be better able to identify the looters if they didn’t have to wear a mask (!) I got the strangest look when I explained that people like that always wear masks – because they’re not exactly proud of what they do.

And that thought lead to another:

I could give you a handful of examples of a writer’s dauntless ambition. They ‘re stacked neatly on a corner of my desk, full-length manuscripts in various stages of completion - awaiting final approval. So why haven’t I dressed them in their Sunday best and sent them out into the world? Oh, I’ve more excuses than manuscripts to submit. Up until, and even including this year, I’ve promised (myself) that this is The Year I will accomplish these goals. Then, with sudden shortness of breath, I drop another file on top of the stack, so I can’t see the manuscripts anymore. Way to go, right?

But then, a funny thing happened on my way to abject depression. I called my own bluff! Had I that little faith in myself to spend (or waste?) all those hours, years weaving thousands of words only to leave them listless in the shadowy realm of dust bunnies? Of course not.  My summer mantra is now officially “Publish or Perish” whatever it takes. But first, I’ll need a mask (grin).

“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen,” Brene’ Brown says in her book Daring Greatly. She has a lot more than that to say, and I recommend the book. Here’s a site that seems to agree: fourminutebooks.com

 

“Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June” ~ Al Bernstein

 

IWSG May - A New Society

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:   Feather Stone, Beverly Stowe McClure, Mary Aalgaard, Kim Lajevardi, and Chemist Ken!

This month’s Optional Question is:  Do you have any rituals that you use when you need help getting into the ‘ZONE’? Care to share?

As for me:

I am pleased to report that I accepted and survived the April Blogging A to Z Challenge this year. With things the way they are these days, Lord only knows what I would have been writing about last month.  Of course, it wouldn’t be the first time an award-winning novel was born of seeds of discontent and hardship.

Case in point: John Steinbeck, who on this day in 1940 won the Pulitzer for “Grapes of Wrath,” a fiction so full of unacceptable truths it practically had to scream and kick its way to success.

I find it much easier – as well as prudent - to talk about problems once they’re solved, not while the difficulty remains. That’s why I chose historic trivia as my blogging challenge theme, an entire world of subjects PR safe with problems already solved ;-)

Typically, stories come to me the way storms roll in from a distance - with just enough will-it-get-here tease that I grab a glass of sweet tea and the laptop, and feverishly type till the air itself turns electric and my hair starts to frizz. It’s exhilarating!

But there are times, like now, for instance when my muse has picked up all her (my?) pieces and gone on home without me. Great.  I’ve burned my favorite candle (John Steinbeck, of course) down to the metal plate, and was pondering the possibility of human hibernation when the most delightful bit of inspiration came to me in the form of a postcard in the mail, snail mail, no less.

I couldn’t wait to reply!

I’ve sent off a few cards to those I think would enjoy. I bet even mail carriers enjoy delivering these pleasant surprises.  If societal change is inevitable, let’s make an old one new again. The Friendship Maintenance Society.  Why not pass it around?  How about answering one of those questions for me, in the comment section?

A to Z Historic Trivia - Z

Z

Growing up in Zanesville, Ohio, a city founded by his maternal grandfather, Zane Grey, enjoyed baseball, fishing, American history, and reading adventure stories like Robinson Caruso and dime novels featuring Buffalo Bill.  Zane wrote his first story when he was fifteen, but his father, a dentist, did not approve of Zane writing anything at all and tore the manuscript to bits.

After an embarrassing financial setback, the elder Grey moved the family to Columbus, where Zane and his brother helped rebuild their father’s dental practice. Before, after, and between work, fishing and baseball, Zane wrote every day, effectively bringing the rugged wild west to vivid life on paper.

After four consecutive rejections, Harper & Brothers finally published Heritage of the Desert in 1910, and two years later, the publication of Zane’s all-time best seller Riders of the Purple Sage put his books in the hands of readers everywhere. Harper accepted everything Zane submitted after that and continued releasing from a stockpile one story each year for more than twenty years after his death.

It’s estimated that Zane, one of the first authors to become a millionaire, wrote more than nine million words in his career. In all, he wrote more than ninety books, not only westerns but hunting and fishing guides and children’s stories as well. There were over a hundred story-based films produced, many of which were shot at locations described in Zane’s books.

∞

I can’t tell you exactly how many fictional characters are named “Zero” because I lost count at 30. Let’s see, there was one in “Holes,” a ghost dog in “Nightmare Before Christmas,” an assassin in “John Wick” as well as a thief in “Grand Theft Auto.” Can you think of any others?

“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”  ~ Zig Ziglar