IWSG October 2026 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 our newsletter here

The awesome cohosts for this month’s postings are:  Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Liza at Middle Passages, JH Moncrieff, and Jemima Pett!

 Today’s entirely optional question:

October 7th question - Many people are calling for writers who use AI to disclose it. Most who employ ghostwriters do not admit it - do you think authors who use ghostwriters should have to disclose that, too? (Thanks Melissa Maygrove, for the question!)

No, I don’t think I need to or should have to tell anyone if I paid a better writer (than myself) to convey one of my occasionally brilliant ideas or remarkable life stories in words I (temporarily, no doubt) could not come up with. Memoirs are seriously personal business, and so is telling the world your well of words has run dry. Nope. It can be my secret. And I don’t think I’m alone.

In fact, you couldn’t have hammered that sort of information out of a single patron of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart either, as they desperately sought to be known as half the composer that he was by playing the music he wrote for them. Secretly, of course.

After all, he (Mozart) was paid to keep it under his hat. It’s all part of the agreement. You might be surprised how many authors use or used ghostwriters; Michael Crichton, Ian Fleming, R.L. Stine, James Patterson, and even Mark Twain -to name a few. I’ve lost track now of how many ghostwriters took part in writing the Bible, but I’ll never forget the look on Grandma’s face when, referring to one on the table in the library, I asked, “Who wrote this big book?”

My point is that ghostwriters are (or were) real people with (in addition to intelligence) emotions, experience, integrity, and (usually) empathy –none of which you’ll glean from AI, a non-human compilation of cold, cursory answers that may or may not be factual, to deep-rooted questions from warm-hearted humans.

In closing, what a question! Good food for thought  😉

 

Confessions and Awakenings

Welcome Writers! And Happy Cereal Day, everyone! Have you had your bowl today? 

There is so much to celebrate this month, and not the least of which is today, and here’s why:   Take a look around our awesome group by clicking the links below and check out the many fantastic resources offered by the Insecure Writers Support Group, founded by Alex Cavanaugh, right here and right now on this first Wednesday of the month, when IWSG members convene through blogging, Facebook, and Twitter to talk about whatever is on our writing minds and agendas. See what we’re all talking about here. 

As for me:

So far, I’m achieving my goal of at least 1400 words per week. Granted, once in a while that may or may not include a creatively crafted shopping list, i.e., Dishwasher pillows, Coffee buddies, Dog cookies, Rabbit food, and Carnivore essentials.

 

National Ghostwriter’s Week:

Do you know what Alexander Dumas, Ian Fleming, Tom Clancy and Michael Crichton all had in common? They all worked with ghostwriters. I considered ghostwriting once, briefly. The loneliness of secrecy seemed too high a price for too little pay. But is it really? Could a ghost also be a star in his/her own right? Author of over 80 books and one of the most sought-after ghosts in the world, Andrew Crofts sheds some favorable light on the once considered dark craft of ghostwriting in his 2014 memoir “Confessions Of A Ghostwriter.”  

National Women’s History Month:

After losing both her husband and mother in the course of a year, Kate Chopin; mother of six was left with enormous debt and deeply depressed. She took up writing as prescribed by her physician, for therapy, as well as possible income. Indeed, her stories appeared in periodicals and literary magazines, though providing little income. And writing did prove to be the perfect outlet for her “extraordinary energy.” Her second novel and best-known work “The Awakening” was met with mostly unfavorable reviews and subsequently put out of print for 70 years! Critics claimed she was too far ahead of her time for her subject matter (southern feminism) to be embraced. The novel is now considered an American classic and lauded for its bold sophistication and artistry.

I can’t imagine having to be advised to write, can you?

If you could eliminate one word or phrase from the English language, what would it be? 

Happy Writing!