#IWSG Blog Hop March 1st, 2023

Insecure Writer’s Support Group

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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. 

Check out our founder Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh’s Blog, and say hello!

IWSG HOME BLOG

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#IWSG Blog Hop March 1st Hosts

  Diedre Knight, Tonya Drecker, Bish Denham, Olga Godim, and JQ Rose!

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March 1st question – Have you ever read a line in a novel or a clever plot twist that caused you to have author envy?

I guess if that means it thrilled me, engaged me, and inspired me than yes. I loved Darynda Jones Betwixt & Between series, Shannon Mayers Forty Proof series. These series are fun, full of surprises, and wonderful characters. Lots of magic and hijinks too.

They inspired ME to start my Midlife Ghostwalker series project. These short form episodes are a outline for the first book and short story in this series. It was a Medium experiment I did. Some things could change in the novel, such as names, arrangement, and more stuff, magical hijinks and fun added.

Midlife Ghostwalker Series 87 Short Form Episodes Available

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#IWSG Blog Hop
#IWSG Goodreads Book Club, Join US!

The IWSG Book Club Presents: Falling Down Rabbit Holes 
by Toi Thomas, images by Ronel Janse van Vuuren

It’s the year of the Rabbit.

So, what does that mean for the IWSG Book Club?

Well, did you see that Tubi Superbowl commercial?

This next book club phase is all about discovering rabbit holes in your reading. We want you to discover or re-discover the joy of reading through exploration.

As an additional tool provided by the amazing Insecure Writers Support Group, the book club will never lose sight of its original objective to help writers hone their skills. Plus, we still like having the option to spotlight the talents of this dynamic group. So, while some things will never change, it’s time to shift gears and remember why we all started this journey- the joy of reading.

We’ve decided to place the book club in a position of comfort and support, giving each member a chance to shine their own light on what matters most to them as a reader. We are keeping our craft books and member spotlight books but will only be hosting discussions every three months. This is a perfect opportunity for those who’ve wanted to participate in a group read in the past but simply didn’t have time to join in. As always, we set up our discussions in a way that’s easy for anyone to participate in, even if they haven’t read the books. We are returning to our three-question format because people seemed to like it better. Sometimes the discussion is a good place to ask questions and learn more before committing to reading the book(s) if you haven’t already.

In addition to quarterly discussions, we’ll offer monthly activities and encouragement for members to pick and choose from, and perhaps, fall down a rabbit hole or two.

Each month we’ll offer a themed reading challenge where you call all the shots. All we do is provide the theme and some suggestions (which you are welcome to ignore). This is another opportunity to be part of the crowd but on your own terms. You pick your genre, your platform, your medium- it’s up to you. You could take the challenge each month or join when the theme calls you. (Sooo hoping to see some memes on this one!)

Each month we’ll host a discussion called, “What are you reading?” This will be an opportunity to talk about the books you are excited about, apprehensive about, or reading for work/education. Tell us all about it. We want to know. Perhaps we’ll add one of your books to our TBR or provide you with some encouragement to get through a tough read. So go ahead, get on your soapbox, and let us know, “What are you reading?” (Wouldn’t mind seeing a few memes here either.)

Last but definitely not least, in the grand IWSG tradition, we’ll host a monthly check-in poll allowing members to update the group on their reading progress. Perhaps they are taking the Goodreads Challenge, the book club challenge, or some other personal challenge or goal. Tell us all about it and we’ll be there to root you on.

Our first quarterly read is starting a little late but that’s okay. We have to start somewhere. For those interested in our quarterly spotlight reads, the first official discussion will be on April 27, 2023 (Yes, that’s 2 months, not 3 months, away). The featured titles are:

IWSG Member Book: Spiral of Hooves- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35838755-spiral-of-hooves?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=gj5lWOtgZ8&rank=1

Craft Book: Fight Like A Girl- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51763496-fight-like-a-girl?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=k5uSF2UokM&rank=1

The first themed challenge in the month of March is: Horse Crazy. Click the link provided to view the challenge and learn more: https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/18812-march-23-horse-crazy/

So, whatever it is that you are or aren’t reading, The IWSG Book Club is here to offer you encouragement. Remember, you can participate as little or as much as you like, but we truly hope to see you around. We wish you all the best with every rabbit hole you dive into. -Thank you. Toi

Here are the selections for January. Image attached. Fractions of Existence (Existence #1) by J Lenni Dorner https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36273731-fractions-of-existenceThe Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donald Maass https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28915986-the-emotional-craft-of-fiction