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!

IWSG Sept - 2018 - Let's Talk About This

“For it’s a long, long while from May to December, but the days grow short when you reach September.” ~ Maxwell Anderson

Welcome Readers and fellow Writers, to the September 2018 virtual 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!

It’s Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month, and I think we should add one more – Book Bloggers! After all, competition is stiff, and they typically work for free. Perhaps the next time a Blogger grants us a good review or introduces the next prodigious author, we could click on that little “Donation” button?

Someone (probably not a writer) once hinted that achieving your goals in late August or September has the effect of tapping your well of motivation bone-dry. As a writer, I disagree. I’ve not yet finished writing about summer (which it still is, here), as we streak headlong into fall. For those fortunate enough to live near the splendor, can there ever be too many descriptions of nature’s seasonal changes?

Let’s say your book just hit shelves and e-readers everywhere and you’re thinking about taking a well-deserved hiatus. The 60-page beginning of your next book can wait, right?  One thing you might want to consider is that, in terms of sales, size matters when it comes to your personal catalog. Readers may miss out on one book among a hundred other authors, whereas an author with say, four books on the shelf (or website) spreads across search engines like warm syrup over a stack of pancakes. Not that we writers need any incentive, of course ;-)

This month’s IWSG Optional Question: What publishing path are you considering, or did you take? And why?   I chose Independent – twice. I’ll likely publish that way with all the books I want in my catalog someday. However, I advise extreme caution when choosing an independent publishing method, even as I rejoice that there are (now) so many to choose from. It’s a uniquely exhilarating experience; one that allows creative freedom in content and cover design, control of financial returns, as well as expedience in the publication process while providing essential knowledge of the industry. You’re on your own in marketing, but don’t let that deter you. If you want your garden to grow, you water it, right? Professional editing remains a must, and preliminary (feedback) readers are advised. Now, if this has in any way piqued your interest, I strongly suggest perusing the invaluable resources offered right here, by the Insecure Writer's Support Group.

What is the nicest thing a stranger has ever done for you? What tool or gadget could you not live without? What traffic sign best reflects your writing journey right now?

Happy Writing!

Belonging To Yourself

Happy 2018, everyone! On behalf of our founder, Alex Cavanaugh, and all of us here at IWSG, we welcome you to the 1^st Wednesday of the month (and in this case, the year) when we all convene online to share, compare, brag, or bemoan the adventures we experience along the uniquely solitary journey we call writing. 

My thoughts for today are on a beleaguered soul; publicly berated on social media, for having the gall to call himself an Author when he wasn’t traditionally published by one of the few remaining “Big Houses.”  On the off-chance that there is more than one writer-turned-author turned writer-disparager out there, I recommend this article on 2018 publishing predictions by Steff Green.  

I daresay the condemned writer also wasn’t an actor or a Politician, nor a writer seeking immediate fame and fortune. But writers do write to be read, hopefully, while they still live and breathe.

Case in point: In 1846, American author Herman Melville found a London publisher for the first of two highly acclaimed novels based on his experiences in the South Pacific. In 1851, Harper & Brothers (New York) published Melville’s epic novel; Moby Dick, which for some reason flopped and was not recognized as a classic until nearly 30 years after Melville’s death. 

Conversely, Sue Grafton, author of the popular ‘Alphabet’ mysteries; beginning with “A is for Alibi,” knew very well the impact she had on her readers and never failed to deliver the stories they yearned for. She also swore there would be no other name on her work and no Ghostwriters. While her passing this last December leaves a mystery as to what “Z” might have been for, we can especially cherish “Y is for Yesterday,” her last book.

And to think Claude Monet’s father wanted him to be a grocer, not a painter ;-)

Whatever the outlet, may we all seize and enjoy this season of creativity!

"There is a privacy about it which no other season gives you ..... In spring, summer and fall people sort of have an open season on each other; only in the winter, in the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savor belonging to yourself." 
-  Ruth Stout

Happy Writing!