Oct IWSG: My favorite book . . . and a gift for you!

IWSG October 1 question - What is the most favorite thing you have written, published or not? And why?

I still remember working my way through college, sitting in a class of 60 students, excited to begin. I was the only woman. The professor scanned the class and stopped, pointing at me. "Why are you here, taking the opportunity to learn away from a man who will be the head of a household?"

I was humiliated, but stubborn. The class? Economic History of Great Britain. And that's how I got hooked on the 1840s. A time of the Industrial Revolution and the Clearances, when working folks were evicted by landowners eager to make money by raising sheep for the new factories.

This history resonated with me. Yes, I grew up in a blue collar setting. One of my mother's husbands was a steel worker. Sometimes we didn't have enough to eat. I learned about grit and survival. I wanted to learn more about those families in the 1840s whose lives were changed by the Industrial Revolution. I wanted to tell their story. A decade or so later, Allen and I spent time in Scotland, researching places I'd only read about.

That led to my first book of historical fiction, Standing Stones, that introduces the McDonnell family and their journey that took them (through the next three books) from Scotland to Australia and Canada. Today, Standing Stones has over 1,200 reviews on Amazon.

My gift to you is out of gratitude for all those readers (and writers too) who have inspired me to keep writing. Click HERE to pick up your free ebook! (just through Saturday, October 4).

Standing Stones remains my favorite book because the story celebrates not only the perseverance of those who lived through that difficult time, but also my own tenacity -- in writing and in becoming an indie writer. We writers honor our creativity with every word we write, and so, in the words of a mentor found right here on IWSG: Write on!

IWSG's 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 October 1 posting of the IWSG are:

 Beth Camp (that's me!), Crystal Collier, and Cathrina Constantine!

Sept IWSG: Celebrating Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen's songs
are poems distilled in music, 

meditations shaped by quiet
that simplifies meaning
down to the edge of understanding.
His dark, slow voice,
relentless, asks us to 

accept some unspoken truth 

that we already know and acknowledge
in the rasp at the back of our throats,
at the tears forming in our eyes:
Unrelenting, universal understanding
of all that makes us human,
vulnerable and yet, worthy.

This month's Insecure Writer's Support Group question asks us to consider: What are your thoughts on using AI, such as GPChat, Raptor, and others with your writing? Would you use it for research, storybible, or creating outlines\beats?

My answer comes from the poem I wrote above, about Leonard Cohen, a much revered singer, poet, and song writer, whose work (at least for me) is about human creativity.

Photo by Takahiro Kyono (2013)

AI may be a useful tool. It certainly is changing and will continue to transform our lives dramatically. Even as we applaud AI's ability to carry out complex tasks efficiently, some recognize the inherent danger in a technology that has the ability to self-teach itself new skills -- and that may outpace human control.

Yes, I have used AI indirectly. As a frugal indie writer, I like to use Pixel to create my book covers. And that's where I found my working cover for Honeymoon in Egypt, an art crimes mystery, currently slated to be finished this December. To my surprise, the image was generated by AI.

I have always been drawn to technology, fascinated by its potential and emerging applications. But I want to write my own words. Tell my own stories. No shortcuts here, in this, my own creative space. When I research, I discover surprising links, new ideas and understandings of what I'm writing. Would or could AI help this process? Well, I think I'm just too old to play around with my own writing process that begins each day. If I were 30 instead of 80, I might want to reconsider. 

So, let's go see what others think! The awesome co-hosts for the September 3 posting of the IWSG are Kim Lajevardi, Natalie Aguirre, Nancy Gideon, and Diedre Knight! Why not visit a few (or 10) of these wonderful writers to find out what they think? Here's the LINK.

What do YOU think about AI, writing, and the wonderful creative world we make for ourselves!

The purpose of the INSECURE WRITER'S SUPPORT GROUP (IWSG) 

is to share and encourage writers at every level. 

Any writer can participate by posting on their blog 

on the first Wednesday of each month.