IWSG: Beginnings and Endings . . .

First an update. November was fun. Yep. I wrote every day, just a little over 10K words on one of my current projects, Honeymoon in Egypt, an art crimes mystery now at 32K, and met my goal for National Novel Writing Month. It was especially rewarding to simply draft, relish the details, develop the story, and not worry about editing. However, December begins with renewed focus on my other wip, Unleashed Pursuit, currently at 62K. Those generous beta readers came through with with serious editing challenges that will require me to drill down into conflict and find new ways to build tension. OK, I'm intimidated.

This month, IWSG's challenge question asks: Do you write cliffhangers at the end of your stories? Are they a turn-off to you as a writer and/or as a reader?

At least, this question is easy. Depends. Most of the time, I do like writing HEA. Don't we need that some of the time? Just because my characters wind up happy, we all know real life will present us with challenges, and not all of them end well. But why not let that challenge emerge in the next story, as in the beginning? When I'm reading, does the story satisfy on all levels? Ending with a cliffhanger often reads like a carrot, as if the writer were saying, "Come on, read the next story!" But if I really care about the characters or the story, cliffhangers don't bother me!

Now, I'd like to go see what others have written.  Hmmm. Is that a cliffhanger?

Other challenges. You already know that quilting is a balance to my writing. So, this month, I'm back working on the design for an Australian quilt. All of the patterns I've found are geometric, so that's where I started. 

But . . . aboriginal art is about a journey, whether real or internal. I'm playing around with combining the geometric with some kind of a circular design. Let me know what you think!

Circling within, so internal, but not a journey?

Perhaps an unplanned journey, not a map?

And December is my birthday month. This year, I'll be 81. That's pretty much an achievement in itself, but I wonder: How many books/quilts/time with family do I have left? For now, I hope to cherish each day and persevere! And thank YOU for being part of my writing life.

NOTE: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) day, an informal blog gathering of writers who share updates and encourage each other.

Why not join in? Check out the IWSG website to read what 97 other writers are up to. Leave a few comments. Share what's going on with your writing life on your blog. Special thanks go to Alex Cavanaugh and this month's co-hosts for encouraging us all: Ronel, Deniz, Pat Garcia, Olga Godim, and Cathrina Constantine!

May the coming month be a good one for us all.

IWSG: What brings you joy?

This month's challenge from the Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) asks writers to respond on their blogs to the November 6 question: 

What creative activity do you engage in when you're not writing?

I've quilted for so long, I can't imagine not quilting. Making quilts for others -- family, friends, and comfort quilts for those who need them, is a perfect balance to writing. Playing with fabrics (colors, shapes, patterns) is much like playing with words. Sometimes, we're never really sure what will happen if . . .  Like this "Arizona Sisters" quilt (my own pattern) I made for a dear friend to help her remember the wonderful times we've shared traveling from snow to sunshine.

My grandmother made quilts. When I was about ten years old, she taught me how to sew on a treadle machine. In fact, I made money through high school sewing outfits for others. When my daughter was born, I made my first real quilt -- and still have it today, though it's somewhat worn. When she was old enough, I taught her to quilt, a joy we share even now.

My office is a bit of a mess. One side has bookcases filled with books and my writing workstation. The other, my sewing machine, all ready to go, with the closet filled with fabrics, somewhat organized by project and/or color.

Writing Update: Good news! My police procedural mystery, Unleashed Pursuit, is in final draft and out to beta readers. I'm excited for those comments that will come my way in another few weeks. Meanwhile, I belong to a Zoom Crit group; each week, we tackle another chapter. Progress is steady . . . but . . . that's not really writing.

So, I signed up for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), and set my goal (to write 10,000 words) for Honeymoon in Egypt, book 2 in my art crimes series. Now, I'm having fun.

The story begins in Cairo among the pyramids, featuring newly married Sandra and Neil who are tasked to find missing artifacts from the Grand Egyptian Museum. Here's my new cover that I made with PowerPoint. Do you like it?

Are you writing with NaNoWriMo this month? Please let me know by e-mail or in comments below.

NOTE: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) day, an informal blog gathering of writers who share updates and encourage each other.

Why not join in? Check out the IWSG website to read what 101 other writers are up to. Leave a few comments. Share what's going on with your writing life on your blog. Special thanks go to Alex Cavanaugh and this month's co-hosts for encouraging us all: Diedre Knight, Lisa Buie Collard , Kim Lajevardi, and JQ Rose!

May the coming month be a good one for us all.

October brings a new read . . .

These sunshine days are ending. Fall leaves turn trees into works of art, rich colors from brown to bright yellow, splashed with red. Been busy this month. Finished the first rough draft of Unleashed Pursuit, now at 62.5K, with many revisions ahead. A friend invited me to a poetry reading in November. What should I read?

So I dug into back files to find a nearly forgotten travel memoir of that amazing trip around the Horn of South America, some five months on the road. The result, South American Journey, a mix of poems, photographs, travel notes, and memories, perhaps more poignant today since we are less able to travel.

Here's just one poem from South American Journey, hopefully to brighten your day with that sense of faraway, yet very familiar places in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

For Richer . . .

As I walk along Sao Paulo streets,
the people stroll, no rush here,
arm-in-arm they wander as slowly
as if they were in a museum,
talking softly as they go
from one block to the next.

Later, I stroll as they do,
past orchids growing wild in trees,
bougainvillea, impatiens pink and white,
and margaritas, yellow hibiscus, nameless others;
the smallest yards tell me stories
of fallen palm trees,
clipped shrubs, and forget-me-nots.

I climb the yellow brick stairs to the Museo Pinacoteca,
walk past portraits of another era, painters
as unknown as flowers, 

who see with brushes
grasslands, mountains and the people there,
who sit in transplanted Victorian living rooms, 

some sighing in sadness.
some singing with joy.

Parque Anhangabau, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Columns from the Teatro Municipal

October is close to ending. On Halloween, fewer and fewer children knock at our door so I can surprise them with my witch cackle. I wonder how many will come this year. November brings the election (I'm holding my breath) and Thanksgiving, my favorite family holiday. 

May we all have much to be thankful for. 

NOTE: After some work on revising and formatting, and some heavy lifting to get those files out of the dark back drawer, South American Journey is now available on Amazon and free on Kindle Unlimited. Let me know what you think . . . and if you're so inclined, consider leaving a review.

 

WEP October: In My Pantry

 IN MY PANTRY

Image by Benjamin Balazs from Pixabay

Three things you'll always find in my pantry are garlic salt, garlic bulbs, and granddad's handgun loaded with silver bullets.

I don't trust the garlic salt by itself, but those garlic bulbs are too cumbersome to wear by themselves, even this time of year. I just don't see them hanging around my neck. So, I keep my garlic salt handy, right behind my old-fashioned breadbox, the one that Clem threw at me before he left. He didn't listen. He made it all the way out past the front picket fence before they got him.

I mostly stay inside now. Neither the TV nor the radio works. I'm thinking I may have to make a run to the city. Not sure how I'll make it past the front yard unless I wire the car up with garlic. 

I'm worried about my sister. She lives in a high rise with five cats. Clem never cared for her that much, so I haven't seen Sissy for far too long. Last time I saw her, she was telling me to remember granddad's stories about when the moon turned red. That's when I started cooking with garlic salt.

Have you ever had oatmeal with garlic salt? It's not so bad if you mix it with raisins and peanuts. 

Clem didn't like my cooking after I saw my sister. He said I should watch the cooking channel and make some changes. I just kept my head down and kept on with what I wanted. 

We didn't ever fight exactly. He just threw things around, and I kept cooking with garlic salt. And, of course, the entire front yard and back yard is planted in garlic. Nothing bad is coming in here.

Did I say this all started the week before Halloween? I attribute it to the blood moon we saw all through September. Can't say I'm going to have much for those trick and treaters this year. Not even candy corn, my favorite. I'm keeping it for myself. Though this year, it tastes a bit salty. You know, like garlic.

And then this morning, I heard knocking at the door. I recognized Clem’s knock, but I didn’t answer.

This flash fiction is in response to WEP's October 2024 Challenge, and also inspired by my daughter who always says I use too much garlic salt! Happy Halloween! 

Pantry staples, like garlic salt, take on special meaning at Halloween.
362 words.
FCA

Welcome to the WEP Halloween Flash Fiction Challenge

 

1. SUBMIT your Direct Link between October 1st and October 16th
2. POST your edited entry, making sure 'WEP' is in the TITLE along with the badge.
3. STATE feedback preferences
4. READ other entries, giving positive feedback. Refresh on WEP Critique Page.
5 SHARE THE CHALLENGE on social media. 

PLEASE NOTE: ENTRIES CLOSE October 16th (NY Time - check WEP blog clock)

ALL GENRES WELCOME except erotica - 1,000 words maximum 

FURTHER ENQUIRIES VISIT writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com and leave a comment or: email: yolandarenee@hotmail.com or any of the admins with your questions.

1.  Denise Covey   6.  C. Lee McKenzie   11.  DONNA HOLE   2.  Renee Poem 1   7.  J Lenni Dorner   12.  Olga Godim   3.  Renee Poem 2   8.  Sonia Dogra   13.  Christopher Scott   4.  Roland Yeomans   9.  Pat Garcia   14.  Roland R Clarke   5.  Nilanjana Bose   10.  Beth Camp   (Submissions close in 7d 9h 54m)

IWSG October: I'd Rather Not be scared, Thank You.

 IWSG October 2 Question: October 2 question - Ghost stories fit right in during this month. What's your favorite classic ghostly tale? Tell us about it and why it sends chills up your spine.

I'm not really sure I have a response to this month's question. Ghost stories have never appealed to me, and if I'm at the movies, and something horrific leaps off the screen, I just want to go home. I do have a very nice cackle, though it tends to scare small children when they come to the door on Halloween. Perhaps this reaction comes from my own childhood experiences when things truly did go bang in the night. So, for this month, I'm wishing you well, and hoping all scary things stay far, far away.

Now, if we're talking about writing, I do enjoy, read and write stories that sometimes have a dark edge. a twist that invites the reader and the main character to confront and overcome a challenge, yet still somehow manages to achieve that happy ending that says no matter what we may face, we can overcome.

I do admire stories by Matthew Doggett who writes zombie apocalypse novels. Somehow his heroes face down their inner demons to find their way to what is right. And, a good gritty police procedural draws me right in, see stories by Colin Conway and Frank Zafiro.

Now, let's go explore what other followers of the Insecure Writer's Support Group think. Click HERE to find out more! And Happy October!!!!  

Oh, and check out that POSTSCRIPT below. I'm asking for your advice!

The purpose of the Insecure Writer's Support Group is share and encourage writers at every stage of their writing life. We can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. IWSG is a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. You can participate by posting your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writers - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting!

Just one more postscript: This month (if you've read this far), I'm struggling a bit with the difference between drafting and revising. My very helpful crit group gives me weekly feedback on my current wip, chapter by chapter, but . . . I truly want to finish the rest of the story, so when comments fly in, sometimes they take me away from writing what comes next. So, do you have any advice???? I do like the advice of Savannah Gilbo who suggests just jotting down a few words, maybe in all CAPS, so you have a starting point next time you tackle a scene. What tips do you use to keep you writing????

September Reflections

The last few months have been challenging . . . but September brings the beginning of  a riot of colors, summer heat finally cools, and we're looking forward to my favorite holiday of the year -- Thanksgiving, with much to be thankful for.

Writing. I'm closer and closer to drafting the final scenes of Unleashed Pursuit. That story about a female police officer on the run who's befriended by a County Sheriff and his German Shepherd, Max. And I now have three beta readers (two with police backgrounds) eager to read. Revision has also started, thanks to my Thursday Zoom critique group. I never imagined how helpful they would be! 

Call for Beta Readers: If you'd like to be one of my beta readers or would like to recieve an Advance Review Copy, just let me know.

Also, what do you think of the cover? Does it make you want to pick up this book? This cover photo of 'Max' was taken by a Ukrainian living near Kyiv who's suffering from the war. His 'Max' was injured in shelling.

What I'm reading. It's no secret that my favorite reading just now is escapist fiction. Especially romantic suspense, science fiction, sometimes even horror, with Matthew Doggett's Undead Dawn, an apocalyptic tale about zombies, nuclear war, and that struggle for survival -- somehow with both grace and humor. Also this month, I could not put down Mitch Albom's Finding Chika, a moving tribute to faith, hope, and how one man confronts the severe illness of a young child from Haiti. 

Family. After two months of severe sciatica, Allen is finally healing. He can smile now and walk (up to fifteen minutes). And, he's reading again. A lot to be thankful for here.

Just in case you don't think I'm busy, think quilting! Allen took me to a fabric garage sale, and I found this amazing stack of African themed fabric that someone had already cut into strips (quilters will know what that means). So, no pattern, but just like writing, I start with one long strip of fabric, match it with sympathetic colors and other strips, enjoying that balance between shape and rhythm and culture. Here's a snippet of what will be a quilt one day. 

May you enjoy every moment of fall and find some time to nurture yourself!

Manito Park, Spokane

IWSG September: Rules or no rules?

September. These days are still warm but the leaves are beginning to change to yellow and orange, and we know that fall will lead to winter -- a perfect time for reading and writing.

This first Wednesday of the month invites writers of all kinds to share their thoughts as part of IWSG, the Insecure Writers Support Group, an online community of writers in every genre. We post in response to this month's question and then read what others have written. Why not join in? With thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh for his leadership and thanks to this month's co-hosts: Jean Davis, Yvonne Ventresca, PJ Colando, and Beth Camp (that's me)!

IWSG September 4 Challenge Question: Since it's back to school time, let's talk English class. What's a writing rule you learned in school that messed you up as a writer?

I joined a creative writing class just before retiring because I wanted to work on my first novel, Mothers Don't Die, a dark story about a serial killer. On the very first day of class, our teacher welcomed us with a big smile. "I want you to write about anything at all, whatever inspires your creativity," she said. At last, I thought, I found a good place to nurture my writing. But then she went on to say, "Except violence. I don't want to read anything that is emotionally dark." Oops, I thought. What am I going to write about? Might as well write about mermaids! And so I did. 

Those short stories about mermaids led to The Mermaid Quilt & Other Tales. One of those stories morphed into historical fiction, which led to four novels set in 1840s Scotland, Australia, and Canada. And then I became fascinated with art crime after visiting a museum in Paris and seeing those famous lion and unicorn tapestries. This led to The Seventh Tapestry. Which led to another story set in Egypt about a missing sarcophogus (now in draft form and up next). 

Because I had a dream about a police woman suspected of murdering her partner and pursued by the police and the bad guys. I'm now maybe one month away from finishing the first rough draft of Unleashed Pursuit. Of course, this story has a dog.

So I don't really have a 'bad' recollection about a writing teacher who messed up my writing. I remember lots of encouragement along the way. If anything, I've learned the importance of having readers who care about my writing, whether they're beta readers working through a rough draft or readers who send me a note after finishing that final published version. We're, after all, a community of writers who care about writing and learning from each other.

Although many rules may apply (especially grammar), for me the most important rule is simply to follow your own creative insight. Surprise yourself. Be willing to try something new . . . or different. All those rules about plot structure or grammar (even capitalization) may come in handy as guidelines and lead you to unexpected discoveries. Yes, keep reading about the writing process. You just might learn something that will help you achieve your own writing goals! And, most of all, keep writing!

To say THANK YOU, since you have read so far, click here to go to Book Funnel to pick up your free copy of my flash fiction SNAPSHOT (at no cost and I'm not collecting e-mails). Hope you enjoy.

And, may I recommend Savannah Gilbo's blog? She generously posts writing tips that have always led me to rethink drafting, writing, and revision.

Happy September . . . Write on!

IWSG August: Do I really need AI?

 How can it already be August? Despite these scorching days, a hint of fall beckons from leaves tinted with brown. Snow is coming. The turn of the seasons. We just have to survive another hot summer. Right?

Well, that's the challenge. Except life has more plot twists than my favorite novel. The last four weeks have been a tumultuous experience as Allen was struck with severe sciatica, nerve jolts from his lower back to his toes, making it difficult for him to move . . . sleep . . . and sometimes breathe. Ice helps as we go from doctor to physical therapy to doctor. Maybe on August 12, those steroid shots will help. I've learned anew to take each day, one at a time, to do what I can and hope it's enough. Are you surprised I haven't been writing? 

The reality is the story still calls me, and this week, I was able to write twice. So far. Unleashed Pursuit, now at 55K, brings new characters and shifts a little bit with more and more questions.  How much background on how police departments work do I need to bring realism into my story? A lot. And that brings us to the question for August 7 from the Insecure Writer's Support Group August Challenge!

Do you use AI in your writing and if so how? Do you use it for your posts? Incorporate it into your stories? Use it for research? Audio?

I don't like AI. I want to follow my own musings. Last year, I played with ChatGPT to see how it worked and what everyone was talking about. Sorry. The shoe doesn't fit. Yet, even with Word, I see popups that suggest changes. Microsoft is introducing a new feature for Word called Copilot, and I learned I can enable AI in Word. Yikes! 

Yes, there are benefits in efficiency and scope. Thank goodness, I'm retired because isn't AI going to change the workplace, change how people complete reports, communicate, and in the short and long term, change demand for the kinds of skills people bring to the workplace? So, change education as well? And my grandkids. They're already immersed in video games, the iPhone, and the Switch (not really sure what that is). 

Yes, I jump onto Google with questions. And there is AI, quick with a response. Luckily, Google also gives me links to written reports that I can read and find my own way . . . but AI is insidious. The potential for AI to self-learn, adapt, innovate, and make profit for corporations is a devilish incentive to change our futue irrevocably.

Source: Image Flip   

I suppose I should be thankful for this month's question. I'm looking forward to what others say about AI. Maybe they will not be as pessimistic as I am. For now, may your OWN writing go well and the plot twists in your life be minor. Stop by to visit this month's hosts Feather Stone, Kim Lajevardi, Diedre Knight, C. Lee McKenzie, and Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen!  And maybe a few more by going to: The Insecure Writer's Support Group!

And here's a little background on IWSG:

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting! Be sure to link to this page and display the badge in your post. And please be sure your avatar links back to your blog! Otherwise, when you leave a comment, people can't find you to comment back.

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

IWSG July: Favorite Writing Software????

I first started writing seriously with an old 1930's portable typewriter, Smith Corona. It was the 70s, and I lugged that typewriter across the border to Mexico to meet up with my then boyfriend. We were both writers and have had an idyllic relationship that's lasted 50 years. In those pre-computer days, I typed fast, often getting those keys stuck. That doesn't happen anymore. Here's a picture of Allen and me reviewing rough drafts in San Miguel de Allende around 1974. Bell bottoms?

When we returned to the states, I got a job at a bank in San Francisco where I was one of the first to use a computer. Word processing came along, and, yes, I love writing on the computer. So much easier. No carbon paper to mess with -- and no need to use WhiteOut for any typos that occur. too often today. Even my iPad is easier to cart around than that old portable.

But software? I'm a troglodyte. I started with Word and have stayed with Word. Maybe I messed around a  little with Scrivener, but each morning when I sit down to write, I use Word. I like the easy way I can format a finished story. When it comes to editing and revising, Word's search and replace feature helps me find repeated phrases. Even a weird red line tells me to stop and look again at wording. But, most of my revision is done the old-fashioned way. Read. Reread. And reread again, making changes as I go.

Now some folks have taken the next step -- of wedding AI with Word. Not me. I'm a troglodyte and a little too old to change. Expect me to keep writing though. After all, when I'm finished with Unleashed Pursuit, an art crime mystery awaits!

Read on for a little more about IWSG. Why not check out what other writers are up to? Just click on this link:

Insecure Writer's Support Group

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting!

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

The awesome co-hosts for the June 5 posting of the IWSG are are JS Pailly, Rebecca Douglass, Pat Garcia, Louise-Fundy Blue, and Natalie Aguirre!  Check out what they've writtten!

Here's the July 3 question: What are your favorite writing processing (e.g. Word, Scrivener, yWriter, Dabble), writing apps, software, and tools? Why do you recommend them? And which one is your all time favorite that you cannot live without and use daily or at least whenever you write?

Bad Guys, Bad Guys . . . What you gonna do?

Today's simmering into 87F. Thank goodness, it's movie day, where the air conditioning is cranked up really high, and I'll smell that buttery popcorn while sitting in the dark, watching a movie. Tuesday is our excuse to go out, dinner and a movie, though the choices in movies isn't that great this summer:  Bikeriders? Thelma? Ghost Light? Well, that last one is a takeoff on Romeo and Juliet, so we'll see.

Update on Unleashed Pursuit. Each day begins with writing, though the challenge this week seems to be really understanding my villain. I can see his face, maybe hear a little dialogue, but I still don't understand how he became a bad guy, someone who runs a sleazy nightclub and trafficks young girls. 

A little research online led to a fascinating article from Psychology Today that points me right to nurture vs. nature. In short, those early childhood years have a profound influence on how someone's ethics, morality, and behavior develop. So, if I throw abandonment and outright abuse into the mix, I just might have my bad guy.

The article by Dr. Joseph H. Baskin points out that poor impulse control, an inability to delay gratification, and an unwillingness to actually see the possible consequences of an action -- all lead to trouble. One final point by Dr. Baskin suggests I should be looking at a psychopath, someone so damaged by his childhood that he cannot feel for another (empathy) and who is driven entirely by self-interest. If someone says no . . . does he fly into a rage?

Interesting. If someone tells me, "No, I don't think you can write another book," (for example), I do feel an almost immediate inner sense of stubbornness and recommitment to my goals. But I'm not a bad guy. Not even when I worked at the bank so many decades ago and was told by one of my bosses to hide several hundred thousand dollars, without telling anyone. For about 5 seconds, I did think of a trip far, far away. Instead, I took the unmarked envelope to my friend in Operations and told him to put it in the vault without looking. 

What I'm reading this week: I'm fascinated by Joan Kopczynski's Spies, Lies & Psychosis: A Personal Journal of Adult Schizoaffective Illness Triggered by Traumatic Events of Love, Espionage, and Betrayal. This entertaining and intense memoir dives into the emotional costs of a high-stress life and is nearly impossible to put down. Currently only available as a paperback, I found my copy at the library.

May you stay cool in the coming week of heat waves.

And what do you think about creating a fictional villain? Any suggestions?

IWSG June: . . . "I'm late, I'm late . . . "

 Like Alice down the rabbit hole, I'm late. It's Saturday night. My post for the Insecure Writers' Support Group's June question was suppposed to be ready to read on the first Wednesday of the month. Ouch. The truth is that real life distracted me from my writing life.

So, in an effort to catch up, here's my response to this month's question (see more about IWSG below).

IWSG June 5 Question: In this constantly evolving industry, what kind of offering/service do you think the IWSG should consider offering to members?

Although I haven't taken advantage of the other services that IWSG does offer, I'd begin by saying that this online community already does much for writers at every level. Their website HERE offers links to writing and marketing tips, with separate links for resources for writers who self-publish and those who are interested in traditional publishing. We can sign up for a newsletter, participate in pitches, buy IWSG swag or anthologies with short stories by members, and more.

For me, what's most important is the community we create by participating each month -- which involves visiting and reading posts by other members each month. Over time, I've come to know many writers here and appreciate their insights into all aspects of the writing life. 

So, what more should IWSG consider? Only two ideas occur: 1) Online workshops on topics most of interest to members, perhaps taught by members, the topics based on a survey of said members. 2) Perhaps some way members could collaborate -- in joint promotions thru a kind of clearinghouse, for example, or find beta readers or arc readers who are interested in a particular genre. 

UPDATE ON MY OWN WRITING: Despite all else, I'm making steady progress on Unleashed Pursuit, now up to 52K. I'm not quite sure how long this police procedural will be. My writing friend says don't worry about length, just tell the story you love. But I still wonder and am working to finish by the end of 2024.

That means I can pick up Book 2 in my art crime mystery series starting in 2025, right? 

Spring is starting to turn to summer very quickly now with temps in the low 80s. May your own writing go well, as always, and please consider visiting our hosts for this month's IWSG -- Liza at Middle Passages, Shannon Lawrence, Melissa Maygrove, and Olga Godim -- as well as just a few of the 103 writers who participate each month by clicking HERE!

Read on for more about the Insecure Writers' Support Group!

Insecure Writer's Support Group

A database resource site and support group for writers and authors. Featuring weekly guests and tips, a monthly blogfest gathering, a Facebook group, a book club, and thousands of links – all to benefit writers! #IWSG

Website / Facebook Group / Twitter / Book Club

Reedsy Discount / Past Issues

Fast Five Free Gift - Mobi / Epub / Pdf

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting!    Let’s rock the neurotic writing world! Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.   The awesome co-hosts for the June 5 posting of the IWSG are Liza at Middle Passages, Shannon Lawrence, Melissa Maygrove, and Olga Godim! 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 5 question - In this constantly evolving industry, what kind of offering/service do you think the IWSG should consider offering to members?

A Memory of New Orleans and Katrina . . .

These days marked by concern over global warming, brought me to thoughts of Katrina, that Category 5 storm that devastated New Orleans and its surrounding burroughs back in August of 2005. Nearly 2,000 people died. The economic effects were measured with losses of about 130 billion dollars.

Three years after Katrina, we went to the Gulf. Our buddy was still living in a FEMA trailer and shuffling through contractors to rebuild his house after three feet of river sludge changed the shape of the 9th Ward.

So, we went down to New Orleans, rented a basement apartment that smelled like the Mississippi, and we worked at the library, unpacking donated books, sorting them into what could be redeemed, some so musty from Katrina it didn't matter who wrote them.

New Orleans was as fourth as big as it had been, cars navigated past potholes, strip malls were all boarded up, even Fats Domino's house had been abandoned. The neighborhood had a party when Piggly-Wiggly reopened. 

Wherever we went, we heard stories of what happened when Katrina blasted in and the levees failed.

Then our buddy said we had to go see the Indian parade.

You'd hardly know slaves had been kept if you visited any of the sugar plantations out on the delta, restored white antebellum gentility, not a hint of slavery. But once slaves worked the land, as ordinary as mint juleps on the veranda. Some escaped to the bayou, and when men with dogs came hunting, they hid with the natives. The Indian parade began sometime mid-19th Century with secret societies forming tribes, part thank you, part coming-of-age for young black men, part pure survival through post-Civil War segregation.

We lay on the grass at Marcus Garvey Park as families gathered, smelled barbeque, and lapped up the gravelly blues and jazz of Dr. John and gospel singers, their voices a honey-toned prayer.

Around the park, boarded up houses, their roofs long gone, reminded us of Katrina, and the fear that comes in the night and the next morning, when no one knows how the world will be put back together, but no one looked at the neighborhood.

"They're coming," someone cried, and we all ran to the street. There's no describing the music, the horns and the beat of the drums, the elaborate costumes, dyed chicken feathers, beads, glitter, gleaming and bouncing in the sun as each group of dancers passed. 

And we danced behind them for sheer joy, for the sun was shining and it didn't matter if you were black or white, or somewhere in between, for you were here, in this place, part of this community, bringing New Orleans back to life.

IWSG: May . . . Distractions!

Insecure Writer’s Support Group Day and Writing Distractions

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. Let's visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.

Special thanks go to the co-hosts for the May 1 posting of the IWSG are Victoria Marie Lees, Kim Lajevardi, Nancy Gideon, and Cathrina Constantine! 

May 1 question - How do you deal with distractions when you are writing? Do they derail you?

What a great question for this month. Especially for May . . . spring flowers, warmer weather, green grass, the sound of lawnmowers, and finally, perhaps, leaving winter behind (though I did see snow on the ground last week).

I had a BIG distraction in March, and, yes, it derailed me. I was unable to write, really plunged to the bottom of a well of self-doubt. Certain things that shall remain unnamed conspired to force me to look again at my childhood, memories I did not want to revisit. April began and I challenged myself. Even though I did not believe I could do it, I set a goal of writing 4,000 words on my current wip, a police procedural. I also agreed to run two writing workshops at the end of April. 

What is commitment, after all? That promise we make to ourselves, that hope that somehow we can bring about change, positive change. So, I signed up for NaNoWriMo's April Writing Challenge. Each day became a little easier. By the middle of the month, I was writing again and enjoying the whole process of telling my story. Affirmations! By April 30, I wrote 8,109 words.

And those two workshops, a part of 4 free workshops for a small group of writers sponsored by our local library and the Inland Northwest Writer's Guild, were simply wonderful. I learned so much from the writers who shared their works as we dug into genres, themes, characters, conflict, and settings. 

Was there more? Yes. Colin Conway, an excellent and prolific writer of police procedurals, taught a workshop on branding. Everyone stayed. I was entranced at his discussion of how we writers can better market ourselves to reach those readers who care about what stories we tell. I'm hoping to begin to make changes . . . starting with the blog AND my newsletter. 

So, if YOU haven't signed up for my newsletter and want to see more, go ahead. Sign up by filling out the box on the right hand side of this blog. If you have any trouble, just drop me a line at bluebethley@yahoo.com   

What you can expect in the newsletter? More about writing -- my own writing, what goes on behind the scenes with characters, plot twists, and more. And a little more about what you want to know! Send me those questions. I truly want to hear from you!

And now, here's a picture from the past. Who's that nerdy 6th grader with glasses? That's me!

Click on this link to see what other IWSG writers are up to this month: Insecure Writing Support Group,  

May spring be very special for us all -- with few distractions!

IWSG: April . . . Writing and Blogging????

 Wish I had something exciting to share. It's been a relatively quiet day, but I didn't begin writing first thing this morning. Maybe it was the clouds instead of sunshine. Maybe it was completing those online tax forms for a few hours, but, you know, a little perseverance, and we CAN meet our daily goals.

Here's a picture of one block from my 'Wonky Flower' quilt, currently in progress. Bright colors hint at summer to come -- and warm weather. Yes, I love to balance writing and quilting. One seems to nurture the other.

WRITING/NANOWRIMO UPDATE: Goal by end of month, another 3,000 words on Unleashed Pursuit. That goal seems a little pessimistic now, as today 581 words were added, for a total of 1,303 so far. But it's taken a few weeks to recover from that long drive back home from Tucson. I'm thrilled to be writing again, truly.

MARKETING UPDATE: This is such a hard process. Like so many, wouldn't we rather be writing? But, I will be teaching 2 mini-workshops this month about how to dive into writing for the Spokane Public Library, sponsored by INWG (Inland Northwest Writers Guild). 

And, just for April, I've reduced the price of my historical fiction, Standing Stones, to 99c. NOTE: Nearly all my books are available as well on Kindle Unlimited. 

IWSG MONTHLY POST. This month's question is a real doozy:  So how long have I been blogging? How about since 2005! Check out that first post RIGHT HERE and you'll find a little story about a police officer who let a perfect stranger (me) look behind his official mask. That first post was the only blog post I wrote in 2005 -- followed by one more post in 2006. 

And then I met online groups, like Sunday Scribblings, the Internet Writing Workshop, and National Novel Writing Month. Writing challenges, like April's National Poetry Writing Challenge, and monthly writing challenges from IWSG (Insecure Writers Study Group). I appreciate so much connecting with readers and writers, so, yes, I'll keep blogging.

You can check out a few of those early posts (just click on the sidebar links). This was fun to look back that far AND to realize how much so many people have helped me and challenged me each month to keep writing my books, stories, and poems. Thank you!

So here's a little about IWSG. This month's hosts are Janet Alcorn, T. Powell Coltrin, Natalie Aguirre, and Pat Garcia!   Why not visit their blogs to see what they're up to?

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting! Be sure to link to this page and display the badge in your post. And please be sure your avatar links back to your blog! Otherwise, when you leave a comment, people can't find you to comment back.

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

May April bring you all that you wish for: health, happiness, and

a new appreciation for this amazing gift of life!

A few trip memories and . . . First Lines

Home now after 6 days on the road, driving back from Tucson. Not so easy to settle back into those familiar routines after being away for 6 weeks. I can close my eyes and see palm trees, cactus, and desert mountains, their layers outlined in red and orange and brown. Imagine walking along a winding trail in Kolob Canyon to see petroglyphs from long ago, estimated to be about 1,000 years old and made by the Anasazi or Southern Paiute. No one is quite sure how to decode these images.

Everywhere we drove along the Red Vermillion Trail, magnificent vistas of the desert near Zion greeted us:

As we stopped at the Navajo Bridge, we saw something unexpected: An American Condor entertained us by flying back and forth over the bridge before settling to sun himself on a nearby rock.

Now, home, it's time for writing. I missed participating in First Line Frenzy with Rebecca Heyman of Reedsy last Wednesday. We were driving through an unexpected snowstorm, near Coeur d'Alene. So, this morning, I discovered an older blog post highlighting her reactions. An interesting read. Here are my first lines from Unleashed Pursuit:

Cat unlocked the door between the two apartments and led the young girl clutching her four-month-old baby inside. “You’ll be safe here. Just stay one hour, and then . . ..” Cat pushed a slip of paper into her hand. “Go to this address. They’ll take care of you.”

If you enjoy reading gritty mysteries, would this pull you in? As I reread it, my editing head starts listing questions . . . so this may not be the final opening. But isn't that the way some of us write? First the concept, a few scenes, then more scenes, plot holes, duplications, and revision. Lots of revision. Wouldn't an outline help? Funny to mention as that's my next challenge, especially since I'm stuck on the ending and have been for awhile.

• Does the story end with HEA, hero and heroine finally together?
• What remains unresolved between them? With the case they've worked on?
• What changes have either made? What lessons learned? How have they healed (if they did)?
• Do they remain committed to their previous lives -- both in different locations? If they are ready to move, which one will make that sacrifice?

As you can see, much more work is needed on this draft, currently at about 49K. Luckily, mornings are perfect for digging in.  May your day go well.