Wednesday, February 7, 2024

February #IWSG: Just Do It


  



Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.
 
The awesome co-hosts for the February 7 posting of the IWSG are Janet Alcorn, SE White, Victoria Marie Lees, and Cathrina Constantine!

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. 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
February 7 question: What turns you off when visiting an author's website/blog? Lack of information? A drone of negativity? Little mention of author's books? Constant mention of books?



When visiting an author's website, I can't stand when the site is "under construction." Like, get it together, KAREN, and just do it. Kidding. Mine is currently under construction. ;-) I love authors' websites that are playful, interactive, and fun, so I'm mostly visiting kid-lit authors. Another plus is when they feature their books, because that's why I'm there, right? Aren't they allowed to show off their life's greatest accomplishments that cost them blood, sweat, and buckets of tears?  

How is everyone emerging from winter's wild rollercoaster ride? Ice, snow, sleet, hail, sub-zero temps, thunder, thunder-snow...we've had it all in the short span of two weeks. I will say, compared to Wisconsin's winters, Missouri's are a walk in the park. We are back to a balmy fifty degrees, shorts weather, for sure. 

I hope February finds you fully motivated to just do it, and get all the writing done. My son's birthday falls on Michael Jordan's birthday this month. With my son's height, we had high hopes he'd be a basketball star someday. Growing up, he had more brute strength like a football player and less finesse of a basketball player flying through the air and dunking a ball. 

Don't compare yourself to others. Whatever you need to finish this month or start, just get it done. MJ and myself will be proud that you reached your goals. 


Here is a rare picture of me enjoying winter
for five minutes. 


\


Wednesday, January 3, 2024

January #IWSG: GOT GOALS?

 


                                                First Wed of Every Month



Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.
 
The awesome co-hosts for the January 3 posting of the IWSG are Joylene Nowell Butler, Olga Godim, Diedre Knight, and Natalie Aguirre!

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. 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
January 3 question: Do you follow back your readers on BookBub or do you only follow back other authors?




How is everyone doing this new year? Got goals? Got a headache from all the sugar? Got a sunburn or a windburn from vacation? I purchased several new blank notebooks, because I love writing things down. My goal this week is to write down my goals. 
Hee hee.




                                                            Rainy Courthouse

Coffee, dogs, and books


I've been dog-sitting for my son this past week, so limited writing for me. We've enjoyed the great outdoors even in December and now in January. Now that the holidays are over, I've started reading a few mystery thrillers, which is one of my goals. Finishing up edits on a project and revamping my website also made the cut.

Got any goals this new year? Excited about getting started? Avoiding goal-setting at all costs?

 

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

December #IWSG: It's the Most Chaotic Time of the Year

                                                


                                                First Wed of Every Month

                                         Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.
 
The awesome co-hosts for the December 6 posting of the IWSG are C. Lee McKenzie, JQ Rose, Jennifer Lane, and Jacqui Murray!

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. 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
December 6 question: Book reviews are for the readers. When you leave a book reviews do you review for the Reader or the Author? Is it about what you liked and enjoyed about your reading experience, or do you critique the author?



I don't leave reviews anymore on Goodreads or other sites. It's painful to read ones that belittle the author or their books. An honest review is one thing, but just bashing them to hear yourself talk or make yourself appear better is so high school. If I do praise an author, I will by giving a shout-out to them on my blog or Instagram or I will tell others in person how much I loved a book or series. If a book is really that poorly written, I feel like others will already know. They don't need my two cents. 

How is everyone this time of year? Writing, editing, reading, or all three? Wrapping packages? Just now starting to shop? All finished with your list? Ready for some time off? I hope you have a wonderful season of rest and relaxation. 
Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, October 4, 2023

October #IWSG: The Rise of the Pumpkin-Head Bots

  


                                              First Wed of Every Month

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.
The awesome co-hosts for the October 4 posting of the IWSG are Natalie Aguirre, Kim Lajevardi, Debs Carey, Gwen Gardner, Patricia Josephine, and Rebecca Douglass!

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. 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!

October 4 question: The topic of AI writing has been heavily debated across the world. According to various sources, generative AI will assist writers, not replace them. What are your thoughts?


I honestly don't know much about AI except for the robot movies we all love to watch. Never have I attempted to use one to clean my floor or to write my books. I do find the reels where AI bots attend football games and concerts a bit disturbing. In fact, they totally creep me out. It's been debated whether or not someone is just wearing a costume and pretending to be an actual robot or if it really is the rise of the machines. I'd like to slap them just to see what happens. No, just me? Anyway, moving right along.

I do have a beef with an automated floor cleaning bot at Sam's Club. That thing terrifies me, and at the same time, annoys me. On two different visits, the floor-cleaning-bot with no one at the helm picks me out of a crowd and follows me around. I parked my cart last time and decided to stand my ground. I had some choice words to say to the stupid floor cleaner who kept bumping into my cart. This time the driver's seat wasn't empty. A pumpkin head on top of a skeleton sat steering the huge machine right at me. 

Yeah, I'm not real big on this whole AI thing. But I do love October! It's my favorite time of the year. Happy writing, happy hunting, and happy fending off the bots.
 

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

September #IWSG: Time to Celebrate!

 



The awesome co-hosts for the September 6 posting of the IWSG are Sonia Dogra, J Lenni Dorner, Pat Garcia, Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen, and Meka James!



Today’s question: The IWSG celebrates 12 years today! When did you discover the IWSG, how do you connect, and how has it helped you?



Twelve years already? I seriously can't remember how I first connected with IWSG. It's been a great journey getting to know many different writers from all over the globe. For me, I think I joined about ten years ago. It's hard to believe it has been that long. What a great place for writers to vent, to applaud others, to enter contests, to see what everyone is working on or what they are doing to publish their words. We've looked at trends, writing habits, and resources to see what works and what tanks.  A big shout-out and round of applause to our founder, Alex, who started it all!

What are you working on this month of September? As the weather cools off, it brings out the writer in me. I'm done editing for awhile. Time to reopen an old manuscript and totally rework it with a new outline and some fresh, new words. Anyone prepping for NANO next month? Happy writing!

 





Wednesday, August 2, 2023

AUGUST #IWSG:

  

                                                 First Wed of Every Month

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.
The awesome co-hosts for the August 2 posting of the IWSG are Kate Larkinsdale, Diane Burton, Janet Alcorn, and Shannon Lawrence!

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. 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!

August 2 question: Have you ever written something that afterwards you felt conflicted about? If so, did you let it stay how it was, take it out, or rewrite it?


The last two months have been a roller coaster of happenings. After fifteen years in our current home, we bought our dream house in the country! The packing and purging and organizing and hauling made me realize I'm not a spring chicken anymore. We managed to go through a decade and a half of stuff and still live to tell about it. Such great memories surround our old house. But it was time to move on. We bought a spacious new build with three acres, a pond, and a creek at a terrific price. 

So, I'm choosing to not answer the question this month, because my brain is...well, wait, what question? What are we talking about? I need a break this next month!  

Hope your August is as productive as my July has been. Happy writing!

Wednesday, June 7, 2023

#IWSG JUNE: WRITING IS LIFE

                                                


                                               First Wed of Every Month


                                                 Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.
The awesome co-hosts for the June 7 posting of the IWSG are Patrcia Josephine, Diedre Knight, Olga Godim, J. Lenni Dorner, and Cathrina Constantine!
Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. 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!

June 7 question - If you ever did stop writing, what would you replace it with?


If I ever stopped writing, I would replace it with a hole in my heart, a void of darkness, or a grief-stricken, brokenhearted, life of insanity. 

NOT writing would be NOT good for me. Writing is my life, my passion, my motivation.
Not a day goes by that I don't think about words. Words fill my head from my own stories or from the books I'm reading. I get equally excited about sitting down to both forms of entertainment. Remember, the more you read, the better you write. 
(Says the former librarian!) So, don't stop writing, or reading.

How about you? What would you be doing if you weren't writing? 

  
 

February #IWSG: Just Do It

                  Come join Alex J. Cavanaugh and the Insecure Writer's Support Group. We discuss our fears, insecurities, ups and downs...