Created and hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writers Support Group posts the 1st Wednesday of every month. Click here to learn more or sign up.
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Optional Monthly Question: The IWSG celebrates 12 years today! When did you discover the IWSG, how do you connect, and how has it helped you?
My first IWSG post can be found here. Admittedly, I discovered the IWSG shortly after it formed, but didn’t have the courage to join for almost a year and a half. Ultimately, I’m glad I made the leap of faith.
The IWSG has consistently been the most encouraging and uplifting aspect of blogging for me over the years. I’ve been a part of other blogging communities that have come and gone, or that I left, for a number of reasons, and not all of them were bad. Some just reached their time to end.
As a writer, the IWSG has been a great way to network and promote, and even learn from others. As a blogger, it is the only reason I haven’t given up on blogging. I hope it sticks around for another 12 years and more.
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Now, on to the personal updates.
I had a plan in place to start chronicling my process of rewriting my first novel series. While I am still doing that, I hit a wall last month that I let keep me from posting. I lost countless pages of research I had done from the original series, plus a bunch of new stuff I am planning to incorporate, so when I went to start plotting things out, I stumbled, not able to access the ideas I had in my brain. I moped for a couple of days but then I eventually went back to redo the research. I never got around to posting last month, feeling a little defeated, but I’m hitting reset, yet again. So, as of now, that’s what I’m doing. Redoing research. Maybe in a month or two, I’ll be ready to start plotting, but in the meantime, I can still blog about the research I’m doing.
On a positive note, I’m enjoying reading again. Here’s what I read in August 2023.
The Masked City
Amazon | Bookshop
Murder at the Library
Amazon | Bookshop
If you’re up for it, I have a short video giving my star ratings for what I read, but if you enjoy video book reviews, I suggest that video. Hey, neither of them is that long, so you could watch both if you’re feeling frisky 😉
#short video – https://youtube.com/shorts/fjAWfvawikk?si=fC0JW0l2FQLWMnSe
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Where were you when you discovered the IWSG?
Did you read any good books last month?
It may take some time, but I promise, I will eventually stop by your blog.
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After hanging out with Alex, be sure to stop by and visit this month’s co-hosts:
Sonia Dogra,
J Lenni Dorner,
Pat Garcia,
Sarah – The Faux Fountain Pen, and
Meka James!
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Click here to visit other IWSG blogs and sites to receive and share more inspiration and support. (This month, I’m #27).
Did you know you can follow me for FREE over at Patreon to receive a monthly update on the creative projects I’m working on? I tell you the truth, it’s better than a newsletter!
Thank you for making it this far down the virtual page. Kudos to you! I’d love to know what you thought of this post in the comments below. Stay safe and be blessed.
13 replies on “#IWSG Sept. 2023- Happy Birthday Insecure Writer’s Support Group!”
Hi Toi! Happy IWSG Day!
I enjoyed watching the video. And I’m so sorry you lost the research work you’d done. But I’m glad you could hit reset again. Best wishes!
Thank you, Sonia. Glad you stopped by today!
That’s awful you lost so much research. I would’ve wallowed in self-pity for a few days, too.
Had you not joined the IWSG, we wouldn’t have know each other when we met at that writer’s conference a few years ago!
Yes. It was a lot of fun meeting you in person.
Another twelve years it is!
Losing research sucks…
Yeah, it was a bummer, but I moving forward.
That’s tough about losing that research. I can understand taking some time off to recover, but you have a great attitude to keep going!
Thanks for stopping by. It’s easy to get sad on the writer’s journey but the IWSG has helped me learn how to work past the pitfalls.
Glad you made the leap. IWSG has been the most consistent part of my blogging life, too.
Happy IWSG day! And yes, let’s write on for another 12 years, and another!
Hi, Toi! I’m sorry that you lost that research. How frustrating, but what are you going to do but trudge back and dig in again. I feel for you! I love the IWSG! It’s been a wonderful place to land. Here’s to 12 more years! Take care!
Very cool. I did leave a few book reviews on my blog and Goodreads last month.
The IWSG is celebrating 12 years today, which is so amazing for a blogging community of writers. A dozen years of support!
“The only thing you absolutely have to know is the location of the library.” – Albert Einstein quote
September is library card sign-up month! Get one, use one, and be grateful such places exist.
J Lenni Dorner (he/him or they/them) ~ Speculative Fiction &Reference Author, OperationAwesome6 Debut Author Interviewer, and Co-host of the #AtoZchallenge
Thank you for the book recs! It’s good to hear that you’re enjoying reading again. So sorry to hear about the research — wishing you all the best.