IWSG: What inspires you?

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. 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. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs. You can also join us on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG, or on the Facebook page.

Now, IWSG hosts have changed up the format in an effort to make it more fun and interactive. Every month, they will announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day 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. 

Don’t forget to visit others that day to see their answers. Want to join, or learn more? Visit our - Sign-up List.

MAY QUESTION - When you are working on a story, what inspires you?

MY ANSWER - So many things - music, emotion, conversation, nature, daydreaming, food... If you feel like you have "Writer's Block" - Exercise, read a book, watch a good movie, listen to great music, travel – anything that gets me away from the work and relaxed. Then I can return with a fresh mind and renewed energy.

How about you? What inspires your stories?

IWSG: Titles, or Blurbs?

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. 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. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs. You can also join us on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG, or on the Facebook page.

Now, IWSG hosts have changed up the format in an effort to make it more fun and interactive. Every month, they will announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day 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. 

Don’t forget to visit others that day to see their answers. Want to join, or learn more? Visit our - Sign-up List.

NOVEMBER QUESTION - What's harder to do, coming up with your book title or writing the blurb?

MY ANSWER - This one is difficult to answer. I think it depends on the project. In one case, I had a title long before I had written the piece. It came from a phrase I heard in a song, and my mind wouldn't let it go. It took me weeks to develop the story that went with the phrase which remained the title. In other cases, I've had to come up with a blurb in order to encourage me to complete the story, and then I still struggled with what to call the tale. I've also participated in writing exercises, or assignments where I was given a blurb and had to create a story based on the guideline.

How about you? Which do you find more difficult to come up with - a title, or the blurb?

IWSG: Reading Frustrations

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. 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. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs. You can also join us on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG, or on the Facebook page.

Now, IWSG hosts have changed up the format in an effort to make it more fun and interactive.Every month, they will announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day 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. 

Don’t forget to visit others that day to see their answers. Want to join, or learn more? Visit our - Sign-up List.

JANUARY QUESTION - Being a writer, when you're reading someone else's work, what stops you from finishing a book/throws you out of the story/frustrates you the most about other people's books?

MY ANSWER - One of my biggest pet peeves is overly dramatic and nonsensical descriptions. Example: "He walked into the room with all six feet of himself." Really? He walked in WITH himself, or carrying himself? Unfortunately, these are still prolific occurrences in even some of the best publishers. It's also why so much of the romance genre is ridiculed.

DON'T FORGET: The next #IWSGPit will be January 20, 2021 8:00 am - 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. For more information, please visit the IWSG pages listed above.

How about you? What frustrates you while reading?

IWSG: Times of Productivity

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. 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. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs. You can also join us on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG, or on the Facebook page.

Now, IWSG hosts have changed up the format in an effort to make it more fun and interactive.Every month, they will announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day 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. 

Don’t forget to visit others that day to see their answers. Want to join, or learn more? Visit our - Sign-up List.

DECEMBER QUESTION - Are there months or times of the year that you are more productive with your writing than other months, and why?

MY ANSWER - I don't know if there are times of the year (maybe a bit more during school breaks), but I do seem to be a more productive writer in the evenings, or late at night. I suppose there are too many distractions during the day. I just seem more focused and free with my writing late at night.

How about you? Are there times when you seem to be more productive?

IWSG: Five Years From Now

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. 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. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs. You can also join us on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG, or on the Facebook page.

Now, IWSG hosts have changed up the format in an effort to make it more fun and interactive.Every month, they will announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day 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. 

Don’t forget to visit others that day to see their answers. Want to join, or learn more? Visit our - Sign-up List.

DECEMBER'S QUESTION: In terms of your writing career, where do you see yourself five years from now, and what’s your plan to get there?

MY ANSWER: I hope to have both written and published more frequently, and widely. To achieve this goal, I will push myself to increase my daily word count. I will also take the great Bradbury's advice and in addition to my monthly assignments, I will write at least one short story a week (or seven flash fiction pieces). He says it's impossible to write 52 bad pieces in a row.

For more tips on setting goals, try reading:

Genius of Bradbury
Vonneguts 8 Rules
How to be a Writer by Ian Fleming
3 Tips to Becoming a Better Writer
Goal Setting
4 Keys to Publishing Success
5 Ways to Become a Better Writer by the End of the Year

How about you? What do you hope you've accomplished in five years?