IWSG (My Posts)

September 7, 2022

#IWSG Insecure Writer’s Support Group September 7th

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

September 7th Hosts

Kim Lajevardi, Cathrina Constantine, Natalie Aguirre, Olga Godim, Michelle Wallace, and Louise – Fundy Blue!

SEPTEMBER 7TH QUESTION – What genre would be the worst one for you to tackle and why?

Literary. I do read some, but find it hard to find books that I really enjoy written in this style. If I don’t love what I write, then the love will not be in my writing. I’ll be bored and so will my reader. If I love what I write, generally, it reflects in my words and readers like or love it too. Horror about like literary, but do read some.

I seldom read the literary genre as I am more of an escape reader, so prefer Sci-fi in various subgenre’s–especially space opera, Fantasy in various subgenres, romance, mystery, and adventure novels. Cozy whatever. I also like thrillers e.g Dan Brown, Tom Clancy, Dean Koontz, Michael Crichton,. Crime like John Grisham and others.

I write speculative fiction which encompasses all these genre’s. I write stuff similar to what I have spent the most time reading. Below are some of my current favorites I am reading.

Forty Proof series, Shannon Mayer
Betwixt and Between series, Darynda Jones
Sigma Force series, James Rollins (Favorite adventure novelist)
Anything Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate etc, novels about fringe science, dinos, space,archeology adventure, paranormal adventures/thrillers, and so forth.
Dresden Files, Jim Butcher
In Death series, J. D. Robb aka Nora Roberts
Harmony series, Jayne Castle aka Jayne Ann Krantz aka Amanda Quick
The Walker Papers series, C. E. Murphy
The Atlantis Gene (Origin Mystery series) A. G. Riddle

These are just a few–so many more…

Coming Soon – #IWSG Anthology!

First Love: The Art of Making Doughnuts

An Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology

The sweetness of first love…

Could a fiercely independent cop’s heart be stolen by the guy who makes her favorite doughnuts? Will a maid who used deceit to snare a mail-order husband get a dose of her own medicine? Can her handsome neighbor rescue a modern-day “princess” from a tenacious ex-boyfriend? Can two strangers in a rideshare be honest enough to fall in love for real? Can you remember your first love? How about your second? Third? Fourth?

Featuring the talents of Linda Budzinski, Melissa Maygrove, Michael Di Gesu, Sylvia Ney, Katie Klein, Kim Elliott, Templeton Moss, S.E. White, Denise Covey, and Sammi Spizziri. Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these ten tales will touch your heart and rekindle lost feelings. Prepare to return to that first love…

Release date: September 6, 2022

Print ISBN – 9781939844880, $14.95

EBook ISBN – 9781939844897, $4.99

Romance – Clean & Wholesome (FIC027270) / Contemporary (FIC027020) / Historical (FIC027050)

186 pages, Freedom Fox Press, an imprint of Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.

Founded by author Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writer’s Support Group offers support for writers and authors alike. It provides an online database; articles; monthly blog posting; Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram groups; #IWSGPit, and a newsletter. #IWSG Website

Links:

Amazon , Barnes & Noble , iTunes, Kobo , Scribed

“…a refreshing read! This is a gem of a book that I highly recommend.” – Rebecca Boerner M Ed., reviewer

“…this collection nailed the little bites of cute romance… recommend to anyone looking for an uplifting collection of sweet romance to fill an evening.” – Hayley Reese Chow, author

“This was a sweet, warm collection of love stories.” – Angie Titus, author

Book Club Member Spotlight and Craft Book Join US!

Poll Sept. 8th
Check in: Sept, 15th
Discussion Sept. 22nd

NEW TO IWSG IN-PERSON GROUPS

Read about in-person groups here.

We Welcome: Sequin, TX, USA, run by Elizabeth Mueller

August 4, 2022

#IWSG Insecure Writer’s Support Group August 3rd

August 3rd Hosts

Tara Tyler, Lisa Buie Collard, Loni Townsend, and Lee Lowery!

#IWSG Insecure Writer’s Support Group August 3rd

August 3rd question – When you set out to write a story, do you try to be more original or do you try to give readers what they want?

I write for me while trying to give readers what they want by understanding how genre and commercial success work, so I can make myself happy, while attracting readers that love my stories. I read and study successful books I love similar to mine and different, to see what works, why it works, and identify the expectations of readers that are delivered over and over again. Those same expectations are why I (as a reader) keep buying and devouring that author. I have been a binge reader my entire life. I was a reader long before I was a writer. However, there a lots of things that readers never consider or have to know or how to implement. Writing a book is complicated, has many moving parts that have to work together and flow with the structure. You need to know how to infuse emotion and connection into your stories and characters while thrilling your readers, hook’em, and carrying all the way to an ending that makes them happy or at least satisfied or thrilled they read your book.

I want to create stories that readers love, give them escape for the daily grind, take them on adventure, make them laugh, and just have fun. I want that because that is what my favorite authors have always given me, and it made a world of difference in my life and my ability to cope when I needed it.

Midlife Ghostwalker: Katje Storm Episode 1-10 Storytime Blog Hop

Stories using the midlife crisis trope that I love. Paranormal Women’s Fiction.

Shannon Mayer Forty Proof series

Darynda Jones Betwixt and Between series (I have been reading this one for years. Her Charlie Davidson series is also fantastic.)

Shout Out New Release by Elizabeth Seckman our IWSG Newsletter Admin

Elizabeth Seckman – she had a book release recently and kept it low key.

About Her : A Second Chance Romance

Find it on Amazon

Book Club Member Spotlight and Craft Book Join US!

#IWSG Insecure Writer’s Support Group August 3rd

July 6, 2022

#IWSG Insecure Writer’s Support Group July 6th

July 6th Hosts

IWSG are J Lenni Dorner, Janet Alcorn, PJ Colando, Jenni Enzor, and Diane Burton!

July 6 question – If you could live in any book world, which one would you choose?

In A Galaxy, Far Far Away….

There once lived a girl who became an x-wing pilot and she owned a lightsaber (for real about 8 of them). The Force was strong with this one. She decided to never grow up and collect all things Star Wars until the collection ran her out of her room and had to be rehoused to its very own room She watch every movie and read everything Star Wars. She even owned all the mechanical, specs, and game worldbuilding hardbacks of Star Wars too. Then they change the universe somewhat and came out with new ones, and yes she had to have those too.

She participated in, created stories lines for group RPG’s and fan fiction. She ran several RPG’s in the universe from 1999 through 2015. It is what made her want to write for a living. It still does. She writes fan fiction occasionally.

The collections consist of R2D2’s, C3PO’s, Jar Jar Binks, Boba Fett Grown, The Maldorian, Gro Gru (he’s so cute), a 1980 full movie marque of The Empire Strikes Back framed in wood and glass, several lifesize standups, several Wookies various sized and make sounds, and a large Millennium Falcon and X-Wing, plus lightsabers, and more… All the expanded universe books, now known as The Legacy books. Yes she has read every one of them over the years, including graphic novels and children books about the universe.

OKAY!!

I am a Star Wars Nut, so I would live in the world of Star Wars. I would be many things, an x-wing pilot, a Jedi, a smuggler, maybe a bounty hunter. I would build robots, and work on spaceships. I would join in races through asteroid belts, and be a blockade runner, maybe a privateer, or run a bar on the fringe on a small unknown planet, or a gambling establishment in Cloud City. Yup, I’d live in Star Wars.

And if I decided to take a vacation from Star Wars I would take an extended trip to and around Hogwarts, say Hello to Harry Potter and gang. OR become a Dragonrider of Pern and there I might have spend a few years as I loved that world before there was a Star Wars. I still want my very own Dragon!!!

There are other worlds I might visit on vacation too, but those are ones that pull at my heart and dreams.

Elizabeth Mueller

Elizabeth Mueller Has Joined The IWSG Admin Team! Check Out Her Website And Blog And Say Hi From The IWSG!
Http://Www.Elizabethmueller.Com/

From IWSG Newsletter Another Way To Join IWSG!
In Person Groups

We have started a new thing now, in-person groups.

Applicants pay a $5.00 one-time fee to use the IWSG logo ad are sent the following email along with the IWSG In-Person Group badge:

Welcome to the IWSG In-Person Group club!

We have attached the badge for display online and in person.

In representing the IWSG, we ask that you follow these guidelines:

* Adhere to our mission statement –
The Insecure Writer’s Support Group is a website media business with affiliates to enhance our service to visitors. We are a home for writers in all stages, from unpublished to bestsellers. Our goal is to offer assistance and guidance. We want to help writers overcome their insecurities, and by offering encouragement we are creating a community of support.

* Conduct the group in a positive manner, encouraging growth and inclusion for all. Writers should be treated equally and fairly no matter who they are or what genre they write.

* Encourage members to become part of the IWSG at some level – blogging, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/
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* Encourage members to subscribe to our newsletter –
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Your group will be listed on the IWSG In-Person Groups page with your name as leader and your location.
Please keep us up to date on your progress, growth, and member accomplishments/events so that we might celebrate with you!

Book club Member Spotlight

IWSG ON Goodreads The Books and Discussion

May 4, 2022

#IWSG Insecure Writer’s Support Group May 4th, 2022

COME VISIT ME OVER ON THE IWSG BLOG THIS MONTH!

THE HIGHS & LOWS OF WRITING.

April 26, 2022

Jory’s Gamble by Juneta Key Storytime Quarterly Blog Hop

Created by Vanessa Wells

This is a flash fiction set in my Starlight Galaxy space opera series.

Jory’s Gamble
By Juneta Key

Space angels.

I swear I saw one, as the turbo blasts volleyed from the Atticus M-Class Battlescout. Three shots bounced off our shields.

“Shield capacity decreased by 25%,” Geary, my modified MEC-BOT, said next to me in the co-pilot seat.

This might possibly be the last ghost-run I made for the cause.

The Sabre, a modified piece together luxury transport and starfighter, was built for speed and stealth over fire power. What it lacked was reinforced shielding and battle armament. The focus had been hidden cargo boots for transporting goods or people.

Galactic Patrol should not have been out this far. They lack the resources to patrol The Fringe.

Okay, we needed a plan. “Geary, ditch cargo bay twelve. We need to lose some weight.” The Sabre couldn’t take many hits like that.

“The Watcher’s won’t be happy, Jory. They’ll stick you for the…”

“I know. Just do it. I’ll worry about that if it happens.” I had built Geary as a kid, from parts I scavenged falling from the battle debris ring around our homeworld, Saratova, The Mechanical Planet.

Another blast caught our tail, in that moment I swear, there was a space angel peering into the viewport, right at me. Her eyes held a universe of stars. I blinked.

Viewport clear.

“Shields at 9%.” Geary’s bot-hands worked at three times the speed of mine. He dumped the cargo. “Shields back up to 18%. Two more hits and we are fried wires and roasted space parts.”

Suddenly we were dead in space as the M-Class lassoed us with a tractor-beam. The Sabre strained and shuddered. We were caught.

“Jory?” Geary’s voice actually went up a couple of octaves.

“I know.” I flipped switches, punched buttons, and rotated a few capitor caps. I moved to the back control panel, and rewired the power relays. “I have the hyper-port back online. Put all our power into that.”

“But Jory, without shields the force could pull us apart.”

“I know. Do it.”

“Done.”

I strapped back in,and activated the hyper-port as I fired our last cannon-torc directly into the tractor-beam of the Battlescout. We jerked. Stalled. Jumped. The stars coalesce into pinpoints.

“You did it.” Geary shouted..

I relaxed back into my chair for a split-second, and then unstrapped. “I’m going to check damage in the cargo area. I swear I heard the ship seams splitting in that last strain.”

***

Checking the last compartment port, I crossed the flight deck where the land-rover and speeder-bikes were housed.

I halted. Not sure I was seeing what I was seeing.

My space angel stood before me, so bright she blinded me, and then the glow dissipated. “Find me.”

The voice was faint. She dimmed.

“Where are you? Who are you?”

“Aurora.”

Just one word and she was gone, but I knew I was going to find her. A deep certainty resonated within me. Space angels, nor the world Ayestorm Wyndom were fables.