TWELVE AMAZING YEARS!...AN IWSG POST...

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IWSG!!!!

Can you believe it has been TWELVE years since our first posting of the IWSG? Each year flies quicker than the one before, but here we are again for another first Wednesday of the month.

I would like to thank Alex and the whole IWSG staff for the incredible work they do throughout each and every month. The IWSG keeps us all updated with news in the writing world as well as so many helpful articles to keep our writing journeys on the straight and arrow. I know it has for me. 

This month's question certainly does hit a home run. I have been here since the beginning. Twelve years ago, I was heavily involved with blogging and keeping up with EVERYONE, especially Alex. So, I read about it on his blog the first day he posted about it. Nowadays, I connect through blogging along with FB, and the site formally known as Twitter.  IWSG has helped me in immeasurable ways, the first being, my first publication. Last year, to this day, my first short story was published by Dancing Lemur Press in the IWSG Anthology. Through the IWSG I connected with amazing writers, agents, and publishers. I have learned so much about writing and amazing information given to me by the group members as well as the IWSG site. 

THANK YOU, ALEX for creating the IWSG and keeping us all together. You and the many people involved deserve to be congratulated and APPRECIATED! 

For any of you who haven't joined already and would like to join our group, please click on the link and sign up on Alex's site.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IWSG...may have many, MANY, MANY MORE!

SUMMER IS FULL SWING...CHANGE...WE MUST BE READY FOR IT...A IWSG POST

 

Hi ALL,

I know it has been a while, but life always seems to throw yet another unwanted punch. But, before we get into that, I would like to thank Alex and the whole IWSG staff for all the amazing work they do throughout each and every month. The IWSG keeps us all updated with news in the writing world as well as so many helpful articles to keep our writing journeys on the straight and arrow. If you'd like to join our group, please click on the link and sign up on Alex's site.

Can you believe it is already AUGUST? This year has swept by like a gale-force wind. I hope you all have been enjoying all your fun summer activities. For me, gardening has been a joy and the flowers have certainly appreciated all the sun that has been shining on my property...almost too much. lol But, with regular watering, I managed to keep the gardens flourishing. 

My topic this month is CHANGE, and are we really ready for it. Many of us are getting older and our bodies are certainly changing at a rapid speed. A few of our wonderful writer friends are battling to survive the ravages of cancer and other life-threatening diseases. I totally understand many of you are cringing at the thought, BUT SADLY, it is a part of our lives and it seems we will never have a real cure. I, myself had two parents fight cancer and I had a small bout of it a few years back with skin cancer. I also lost a very treasured writer friend to it, Melissa Bradley...I miss you every day! All we can do now is stay focused and fight back HARD! Aging is NOT for the faint at heart. For the past several months, I have been experiencing somewhat common issues that many men my age experience. My condition has worsened, and I will need surgery in the very near future... Thankfully, it is NOT terminal, but something that needs to be addressed. 

Since my condition, I have had to postpone the incredible trip I had planned to Scotland. So the many days I toiled over booking flights, hotels, train tickets, tours, etc. had to be canceled. Sigh. Change. We never know what is coming next. But, sometimes these changes are not always bad. Yes, I had to cancel everything, but happily only for three months. As most of you may recall, I ADORE the Christmas holidays and have always dreamed of spending Christmas in Europe...well, now is my chance, I will be spending almost three weeks in December traveling through Scotland's main cities and the Highlands! Imagine how magical this will be! As an avid HARRY POTTER FAN, I will get to experience all the incredible sights of Edinburgh JK Rowling has written about during the most magical season of all! It took me DAYS to rebook everything and thankfully I will be able to go at this time. But, as we know, things may change again, and I will be ready to fight back if I must.

So my advice to all of you today is even if things change for the worse, we can come back strong and face whatever challenges we have left. We all know how difficult our writer's journeys have been for MANY if not ALL of us, but as long as we face what's ahead, we will make it!

Keep safe all and enjoy the rest of your Summer... See you in September!

GOING WITH THE FLOW...AN IWSG POST.

 Happy May Everyone!

Welcome to another IWSG post. Sorry that I am a day early. LOL I thought it was Wednesday,

Thanks to the creator, Alex, and all of his remarkable and giving staff, we are here the first Wednesday of each month to help each other through our insecurities and, frankly, our writing and sometimes personal lives. If you want to join the group, please visit here to sign up!

We are now entering our FIFTH month of 2023...can you believe it? Wasn't Christmas just a few short days ago? With another birthday over, I can't help thinking life is passing us by at such an alarming rate. Remember when summers seemed forever and you thought the school year would never end? For me, those days are LONG gone. Playing catch-up is a daily event. There truly are NOT ENOUGH hours in the day. As adults, we have little spare time for ourselves. Isn't it time to reclaim some time for us? That is what I have been thinking about this past month. Time for some "Me time." Life is not always about our jobs, family, and even writing. How can we become better writers if we are stressed out with all of life's dramas? So, for the rest of the year, I decided to do things that make me happy: spending more time outdoors and communing with nature; traveling to foreign lands (I'm going to Scotland for the first time in September!), and most importantly, continuing to get more healthy with better eating habits and exercise. With Covid and the threat of other airborne diseases, I have reclused into another person. It is time to reclaim my former self. Through these acts, I am certain it will filter into my future writing projects. Going with the flow of life, and experiencing new sights and sounds, will trigger my imagination! It may do the same for you. How many times have you put off that long weekend escape? Or, spending the day at the beach with a good book? Allow yourself to truly relax and let go of all your tensions and insecurities. Why not, act like a kid again and run through a glistening field of flowers...the possibilities are endless. With warmer weather here or on the way, it is time to leave the house and breathe in some much-needed fresh air. That is what I wish for you for at least this spring season.

See you all next month. I'd love to hear about new and exciting plans to reclaim your life.

WITH THE MELTING SNOW SPRING EMERGES... A IWSG POST

Happy Spring Everyone!

Welcome to another IWSG post.

Thanks to the creator, Alex, and all of his remarkable and giving staff, we are here the first Wednesday of each month to help each other through our insecurities and, frankly, our writing and sometimes personal lives. If you want to join the group, please visit here to sign up!

I certainly don't know where the time is going. It's already April and the spring flowers are starting to bud. The Midwest is so pretty in the spring, especially after a frigid and snowy winter. Funny, usually after the most horrid winters, the spring flowers are glorious. With the renewal of nature, my insecurities certainly begin to vanish, with new hope in life and so much to motivate me to write. As I mentioned in my post from February, I seem to recluse and settle in winter with very few things to inspire after the holidays. That is why I love spring so much. I have a few new projects buzzing around in my head. But first, I need to clean up the old foliage so the new growth can really flourish. With temps still cold at night, in about another week I will be able to start working on my grounds which ALWAYS helps motivate me. There is something about communing with nature...we all need to do so. It is part of life. If you feel blocked or stuck, GO OUTSIDE and absorb all the wonders of spring. Birds are chirping like mad nesting and waiting for the arrival of their newborns. Trees are budding, and the earth is slowly turning from brown to green.

This year is full of new adventures for me, and I can't wait to share them all with you. More on that later, but for now I'll be focusing on my new ideas, and getting them written down. I am truly looking forward to doing it, especially after such a LONG writing absence.

I wish all of you a HAPPY SPRING and for tons of inspiration in the forthcoming months. 

Sending you all a VIRTUAL hug to start off this season on a positive note... 

FEBRUARY- WINTER BLUES-TRYING TO STAY FOCUSED...AN IWSG POST.

 Good day, All!

Welcome back to another IWSG post!

Thanks to the creator, Alex, and all of his remarkable and giving staff, we are here the first Wednesday of each month to help each other through our insecurities and, frankly, our writing and sometimes personal lives. If you want to join the group, please visit here to sign up!

I hope it was successful for those who "pitched" during the IWSG Twitter pitch! In the past years, I had several requests, but alas, this year, none. But that is okay. At least I tried, and that is what is most important. It is a great opportunity for writers from all levels, and here's a CHEER for all the agents, publishers, writers, and IWSG staff!

I don't know about you, but for some odd reason, I have a harder time focusing in the freezing winter months. The gloomy, sunless days zap my creativity and focus. I have "attempted" several times to revisit my Noir and FINALLY finish it. What do you do to regain your focus when winter hits? I find it frustrating. When the sun is out, and I am able to clear my head with a brisk walk around town or through the park, the ideas flow, and I race back home to write. Now, after bundling up in FOUR layers, gloves, and a hat, just taking my dog around the block is torment. I miss my daily walks. So, for now, I am playing upbeat music, catching up on some winter home projects, and pushing myself an hour or so to focus on writing. I would appreciate any advice. 

Luckily, I leave for sunny Florida at the end of the month. I will bask in the warmth for a month before returning to the cold, damp, and possibly more snow. I am grateful for my time, but I can't help thinking about the early spring. I am hoping for early foliage to POP, especially after the winter we are having here so far. 

Stay warm, everyone! All the best with your writing endeavors during another winter month.

A NEW YEAR! AN IWSG POST...

 

Happy New Year!

I can't even fathom the thought that another year has started. What happened to 2022? Talk about a year passing by in the blink of an eye.

It's the first IWSG post of the year! Thanks to the creator, Alex, and all of his remarkable and giving staff, we are here the first Wednesday of each month to help each other through our insecurities and, frankly, our writing and sometimes personal lives. If you want to join the group, please visit here to sign up!

Well, 2022 has certainly had its ups and downs, but we all survived. Hoping and praying that 2023 brings us all good health and prosperity. Isn't that all we really need? I am not talking about VAST wealth, just enough to survive comfortably without having to struggle so much to make ends meet. With the rise of prices and inflation, it's a wonder we can afford to pay for housing and EAT. Grocery prices are THROUGH THE ROOF.  But that is not what I want to focus on today. I always like to focus on the positive. We are entering a new year and must focus on the good. We live in a beautiful world if we just open our eyes to see it clearly. Put all our petty differences aside and focus on the beauty. If I have any insecurities about anything, it's about how the world is changing and, sadly, not for the good. We can all do our part to support each other and be there for all our successes and for the rocky writing journey many of us are on. I have had many obstacles along the way, BUT I am so lucky to have this wonderful writing community be there for me through the rough times. So, I want to THANK YOU!

May 2023 be the best year for our community, and I wish you great success in your journey. 

HAPPY and HEALTHY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!!! 

Sending you a HUGE virtual hug!

NOVEMBER...GIVING THANKS MONTH...AN IWSG POST.

 Happy November, All!

Can you believe it's November? Where has this year gone? During this time of year, I like to contemplate giving thanks for all my blessings. We all have so much to be thankful for in our lives. It doesn't have to be monumental, either. Family, friends, a roof over our heads, food on the table...our health. And most of all, no anxiety for now. How wonderful is that?

I am also thankful for this group. The support given by Alex and the IWSG team is truly amazing. I am so grateful for all the years this team has been together and how much great work they have done. Supporting all of us and publishing the yearly Anthology is time-consuming for the team. So here is a SPECIAL THANKS to all of the ISWG Team! Please drop by Alex's site and say HI... or even better yet, join our group! 

I would also like to mention the group's publisher, Dancing Lemur Press. L. Diane Wolfe is a wonderful role model and supporter of many authors. I worked with her during the latest IWSG Anthology. This was my first published work, and having Diane guide me through the process helped my anxiety about my first publishcation immensely. Thank you, Diane! If you haven't read Anthology yet, please do! There are some wonderful FIRST Love stories to enjoy. I was honored to be chosen along with nine other esteemed authors. 

Here are the links if you missed them in my last post...

Links:
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/First-Love-Art-Making-Doughnuts-ebook/dp/B09QH3Z28P/
Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/first-love-insecure-writers-support-group/1140884369?ean=2940165751301
iTunes https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id1605240999
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/first-love-the-art-of-making-doughnuts
Scribed - https://www.scribd.com/search?query=9781939844897&language=0
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60198262-first-love

As a final note, I would like to wish ALL OF YOU a Blessed and Healthy THANKSGIVING!