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 April 2026 National Poetry Month

 

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 as 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 this month’s posting of the IWSG are:  Melissa Maygrove, Cathrina Constantine, Kate Larkinsdale, and Rebecca Douglass!

 Today’s entirely optional question: If you have a playlist (or could put one together) that either gets you in the groove to write or fits with one of your books, what is it? What type of music or what songs?

Happy April, everyone! I love music.  I think it narrates the feelings of our souls, even as we sometimes tap our pen to paper, waiting for words to drip out.  Since we’re all about writing here, it’s a good time to remember it’s National Poetry Month. Do you write poetry or have a favorite poet? 

I have two favorite poets. My first favorite is Robert Frost. Do you know he’s the only poet to date to win four (4!) Pulitzer prizes? I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve read “Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening.”

My other favorite poet is Sinclair Lewis, and his poem “The Road Not Taken.” Do you know he’s the first person to ever refuse a Pulitzer prize? The award was for his novel Arrowsmith, which Lewis didn’t feel quite met the criteria, which was at that time work that “best represents the wholesome atmosphere of American Life.”  Nonetheless, the “powers that were” declared that his award would stand in perpetuity. And so it has.

My two favorite poets, walking in the woods and such, always call to mind songs by John Denver, or Bad Company (Seagull), or James Taylor.  I was listening to Chris Rea this afternoon.

Happy writing in April!

IWSG - November 2024

 

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 November newsletter here.

The awesome co-hosts for this month’s posting of the IWSG are:  Diedre Knight, Lisa Buie Collard , Kim Lajevardi, and JQ Rose!

 Today’s entirely optional question: What creative activity do you engage in when you’re not writing?

If I’m not writing, I’m thinking about writing. I read a lot, too. And sometimes reading takes me places that I just have to write about. I like to think I’m perfecting the art of Literary Excavation for no Particular Reason. Some folks call that rabbiting. Or, fishing without a pole…Others refer to what I end up writing as Case Studies, unsolicited as they may be ;-) I like to think that research, for whatever reason, is a creative activity. Do you agree? No worries if you don’t. I’m still going to do it anyway ;-) I do it not just for my own edification or enhancement. I do it because it’s fun – and challenging. For example, here are a couple of poetry exercises I hope to try by the end of this week (I’ll share later, if I do):

Concrete Poetry: A poem written in a shape representing what it’s about, such as a poem about rain written to form the shape of a raindrop with words.

Or,

Erasure Poetry:  A poem built from the words left in an existing document, such as a newspaper article or a page of a novel, after the poet has blacked out parts of it.  (A friend of mine calls this a Kidnapping Note – ha!)

So, what creative activity do you get into when you’re not writing? I know we have a few musicians. Are there any budding Picassos out there?

Can’t wait to read what you’re up to J

Happy Writing!

IWSG June 2024

 

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 June newsletter here.

The awesome co-hosts for this month’s posting of the IWSG are:  Liza at Middle Passages, Shannon Lawrence, Melissa Maygrove, and Olga Godim!

 Today’s entirely optional question: In this constantly evolving industry, what kind of service do you think IWSG should consider offering to members?

Oh, I don’t know. In addition to tons of helpful tricks, tips, and references, and all the support a writer could wish for? Hmm… Snap! Coffee delivery and some dog treats – no treats for me, though. I’m trying to quit.

Chocolate puddles

 I should tell you right now; however, I’ll be a little slower with my responses this month as one of our (aforementioned dogs) girls has surgery tomorrow to remove the small growth that blossomed into the size of a small loaf of bread on her skinny little leg. Right, welcome to our little house of horrors. Kidding aside, she should be fine. Doc says this is normal (de mi.)

But I digress. Getting back to the question of the month, and not that I think our group is lacking in any way – it’s not, and I love this group! But how about a suggestion box? A monthly writing prompt? 

It’s Audiobook Appreciation Month! Who among us has published an audiobook?

Looking forward to reading your posts, fellow writers!

Happy June!

A grownup butt dials his childhood phone number.

Guess who answers?

(screencraft.org)

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 November 2023

 

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 November newsletter here.

Our awesome co-hosts this month are:    PJ Colando, Jean Davis, Lisa Buie Collard, and me, Diedre Knight!

The optional question(s) for this month is: November is National Novel Writing Month. Have you ever participated? If not, why not?

It’s National Author’s Day! How would you suggest we celebrate? A group trip to the local library? A book party in the park? We could play games like “Name that first (or last) line” or “Who said that?” You could even perceive the day as a happy harbinger and write the first three pages of your future first best-selling novel ;-)

If you are participating in National Novel Writing Month, can you describe in one word the impetus for your story? To be fair, I don’t think it’s possible. I’ve been working on the same manuscript for a while now and still cannot describe in only one word whatever possessed me.

American author Dorothy Straight’s motivation came from her mother, who posed a question in 1962, “Who made the world?” Dorothy answered by writing and illustrating a book - that very afternoon - that described her thoughts. Her parents were so impressed they sent the book to a publisher who published it immediately. Dorothy was only four years old then and still holds the Guinness book title for the world’s youngest author.

Author Ray Bradbury earned his first paycheck at age 14 for a joke he sold to George Burns and never looked back.

Then there are the silent ones, the ones that can’t or couldn’t brag even if they wanted to, the ghostwriters. For instance, H.P. Lovecraft, creator of supernatural tales, was also a ghostwriter for Harry Houdini. Former high school teacher Andrew Neiderman was hired to (as it turned out, flawlessly) complete unfinished work left behind by legendary novelist C. Andrews (Flowers in the Attic) while becoming a notable author in his own right with dozens of novels in his own name including “The Devil’s Advocate ” which was made into a 1997 movie starring Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves. Mark Twain effectively secured President Ulysses S. Grant’s retirement by putting together a memoir that sold for top dollar, allowing Grant a financially comfortable “after” life. Meanwhile, Twain produced two American classics of his own ;-)

What matters as a writer, whether for passion or fame, is that you write well and often.

Happy writing!

IWSG October 2023

 

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 October newsletter here.

Our awesome co-hosts this month are:   Natalie Aguirre, Kim Lajevardi, Debs Carey, Gwen Gardner, Patricia Josephine, and Rebecca Douglass!

The optional question(s) for this month is: The topic of AI has been heavily debated across the world. According to various sources, generative AI will assist writers, not replace them. What are your thoughts?

First, Happy October, everyone!  It’s Children’s Magazine Month! It’s also Banned Books Week as well as Good Books Week. Does anyone see a correlation?  

Is AI going to ruin the writing industry? Well, probably not. But it will eliminate jobs in every industry, including ours. However, given the absence of emotional range without the slightest ability to incorporate ethics or morality into a soulless system programmed only to problem-solve, it stands to reason that AI also lacks the creative aptitude that human writers are born with. I am somewhat heartened by that.

Keeping in mind that AI is only as reliable as the input it receives, one has to wonder what to expect when a data entry specialist is tasked to describe to a machine the psychological effects of being caught in a perilous sea squall, the loss of a cherished friend, the physical pain of heartache. Could AI then impart the information with any semblance of realism to inspire joy, invoke fear, or extract a sob or a tear from the reader? I doubt it.

AI could, however, unflinchingly pass your data off as the property of someone or something else. Privacy and Security are what is most at stake here, and as long as we’re vigilant, we should all be alright.

Wishing everyone a highly creative season!

 

IWSG July 2023 One Tomato, Two Tomatoes,

 

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 July newsletter here.

Our awesome co-hosts this month are:  PJ Colando, Kim Lajevardi, Gwen Gardner, Pat Garcia, and Natalie Aguirre!  Feel free to hop around and say hello to everyone!

The optional question for this month is: 99% of my story ideas come from dreams. Where do yours predominantly come from?

I'm reminded of a quote (I'll paraphrase for brevity) by Orson Scott:

"Everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day,"

A few cool and unusual things happened on my way to a job fair a few weeks ago; I received a great compliment and a strange prompt. There was also a promise of rain. Thankfully, the praise came first, or I might have disregarded the prompt to describe my own funeral from the attendees' point of view. This is going to be so much fun!

I wrote the first 300 words in a parking lot! Later, it took me longer to decipher my own handwriting than it did to write those words in my excited state ;-) But the seed was planted and already growing. *In my defense, Agatha Christie also had terrible handwriting and had to dictate much of her work ;-)

The compliment was also just the encouragement I needed to revisit, revise, and at last release a story (I've left blowing in the wind) to the capable hands of an editor, who by now must think I've given up and torched the manuscript. Not so. I've just been…distracted.

So, what do you do when focusing is easier said than done? Has anyone heard of the "Pomodoro Technique"? Setting specified writing sessions – or Pomodoro, which is Italian for tomato -  sounds like something that just might work for me. One tomato, two tomatoes, three tomatoes, four…It all adds up.

Hemingway's tip for keeping the creativity flowing between sessions was to stop right in the middle of a scene you can't wait to get back to. That way, your next session is already in progress, and you're not facing the dreaded blank what-do-I-write-now page.

Fun Fact:

Author Roald Dahl was a taste-tester for Cadbury Chocolate.

 

"Hold the vision, trust the process.”

IWSG May 2023

 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 May newsletter here

Our awesome co-hosts this month are: Joylene Nowell Butler, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Meka James, Victoria Marie Lees, and M Louise Barbour! Feel free to hop around and say hello to everyone!

The optional question for this month is: When you’re working on a story, what inspires you?

Depending on the setting of a particular story, I like to have a reminder handy. A walk in the forest, a view of the ocean. Sometimes I sit in the dark on the patio and listen to the sounds of the night. There’s always a dog or two (usually mine) barking in the distance. Crickets are terrific watch-bugs; going silent when an intruder nears. With the exception of javelina herds that stink to high heaven (you don’t have to see them to know they’re near), aroma therapy is always nice. Lavender is my peaceful favorite. Sandalwood goes well with a lot of the stories I write.

I can’t wait to hear what inspires you!

It’s Get Caught Reading month once again. How many have you read so far this year?

In honor of Lumpy Rug Day I’ve started a quick little mystery about how a rug might get lumpy ;-) Care to join me?

Have a wonderful month – call your Mom or send her a smile from your heart.

IWSG April 2023 Books on the Move

 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 April newsletter here

Our awesome co-hosts this month are: Jemima Pett, Nancy Gideon, and Natalie Aguirre! Feel free to hop around and say hello to everyone!

The optional question for this month is: Do you remember writing your first book? What were your thoughts about a career path on writing? Where are you now and how is it working out for you? If you're at the start of the journey, what are your goals?

As I somewhat feverishly wrote my first book, I basically had a career, two part-time jobs, and a small family. Time for writing was tight, to say the least. Thus the adverb “feverishly”; you tend to write (and run and drive) faster when racing against time. I had written short stories for years. Yet a career in writing hadn’t entered my mind. But the book was different. From the moment the premise came to mind, I couldn’t wait to write it. What I wanted, desperately needed to do was get the all-consuming story out of my system. Once the story was finished, I realized it wasn’t ever leaving my “system” or my heart ;-)  And the idea of sharing what I write began to feel much less terrifying.

I’m finishing up my fourth (and likely last) book now. I continue to keep my weekly writing goals (700 words per week) ridiculously low in hopes of achieving them. Despite the busyness of tax season, my grammar app says I wrote 4400 words last month! I hope I’m not writing in my sleep ;-)

It’s National Bookmobile Day! Did you know Library Camels spend five (5) days a week delivering books in Kenya? Or that elephants deliver books in the hard-to-reach mountain regions of northern Thailand? Indeed they do! And you can read all about them (and others) in a book called “My Librarian is a Camel”

“If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.” J.K. Rowling

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!