Tag: insecure writers support group

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IWSG

#IWSG January 2020: How did this all start?

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Created and hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writers Support Group posts the 1st Wednesday of every month. Click the image to learn more or sign up.

Optional Monthly Question: What started you on your writing journey?
Was it a particular book, movie, story, or series?
Was it a teacher/coach/spouse/friend/parent?
Did you just “know” suddenly you wanted to write?

There were three distinct moments over a 20-year period that started me on my writing journey. First, it started with Peter Pan. I loved that story as a kid and read as many versions of it that I could get from the library. I wanted to be a lost boy and would write out adventures for me to go on. I also wrote other stories in my youth, but those stick with me the most and have inspired many of my stories.

Second, there was the teacher, the co-worker who revealed one day that she had written a children’s book about her journey to living in the U.S. and learning English. I had learned a lot from her and was inspired by her to write something, I just didn’t know what.

Lastly, there came “the dream” about the gray man. I feel like I’ve blogged so much about the inspiration behind my first book that there’s no reason to rehash it now. But after I started and then published that first story, I just couldn’t stop. Because of that dream, I started, writing, and blogging, and vlogging, and connecting with the writing community.

Sure, there were many other things along the way that also helped put me on this path, but those three things were pivotal in getting me where I am now.

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The December IWSG member spotlight was Donna K. Weaver. Be sure to stop by her blog and say hi.

IWSG Book Club News

Goodreads.com

The December 2019/January 2020 book will be On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King. Discussion Fun Day will be January 22, 2020.

I’m about halfway through it. The first chapter was rough, not the writing, just reading about his youth. It got better after that, but it’s very refreshing, at this point, to read about where he started compared to where he is now. I’m looking forward to finishing and discussing it.

WEP-IWSG

The 2020 challenges are on the way.  The WEP challenge for December was very touching. Here is my entry.

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Now, on to the personal updates.

I’m laying low for this post but here are a few nuggets.

I did a video wrap up with some goals for this year. I think I covered all the basis.

I brought back Counting My Blessings, but instead of posting to this blog, I’ve turned it into a vlog series. You can check it out here, with the updated image.

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So, where did your writing journey start?
Did you meet your 2019 goals?
Set any goals for 2020?
It may take some time, but I promise, will 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:
T. Powell Coltrin,
Victoria Marie Lees,
Stephen Tremp, and
J.H. Moncrieff!

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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 #42).

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Categories
Fun Hops IWSG

Footprints #WEPFF Challenge featuring My Way #amwriting #flashfiction

No one ever accused me of being a poet and I’m not going to pretend I know anything about the craft. I’m submitting a poem this month because that’s all that came to me after being sick and in quarantine for 10 days (missed 4 days of work). I am now going to try to read all the IWSG Day posts I missed from people who visited my blog and then I’m going to try to read as many of the WEP entries as I can (I will likely fall short of reading all the entries before the deadline, but it is what it is). It’s been a rough 2 weeks and I wrote this poem to help combat my feelings of being overwhelmed.

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My Way

A gray shoe leaving a print in the mud.
Pexels.com

I looked around one day,

And realized, I’d lost my way.

There was no path for me to follow,

But there were footprints in the hollow.

 

So many legacies left behind,

One would help me discover mine.

All I had to do, was take a step,

A step or two in someone else’s shoes.

 

But which way to go, which prints to try,

The ones too big, you can’t reach that high.

Or the ones so small, there’s nowhere more to grow.

Perhaps the ones, long and narrow,

Full of fears you can never know.

 

I looked around, overwhelmed with choices,

Big ones, small ones, deep ones, shallow ones.

 

The prints were my only way forward,

Regrets of a wrong choice, I could not afford.

 

Then I saw it, one pair on their own.

Footprints leading away from the rest.

Up the side of the hollow floor,

Footprints creating a new path never worn.

 

Someone brave enough to climb up and out,

To seek a path of their own without doubt.

But would I go that way, or would I stay?

Stay with familiar prints going the usual ways.

 

Each path led to a future unclear,

But those prints represented that 1% fear.

That small chance that could be good or bad,

While the other prints were safe and clear.

 

Perhaps to fear regrets that have not come,

Is the problem that I took on.

Any path could work if I chose it,

If I rose above and didn’t abuse it.

 

I looked at the footprints once more,

I’d made up my mind which way to go.

I’d go my own way and leave my legacy,

Perhaps my path would help someone like me.

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FCA- 284-words- My Way 2019 Copyright © Toinette J. Thomas

**Update- For some reason, many comments are being delayed, not for approval, just being delayed. I’ve come across several that didn’t post until hours later. Sorry. I’m trying to figure it out. If you leave a comment and don’t see it right away, it’s okay. It’s probably just delayed. 🙁 **

Please visit other entries in this hop and enjoy some funny, scary, touching, and thought-provoking stories. You’ll be so glad you did.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Categories
IWSG

#IWSG December 2019: What Does the Dream Look Like?

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Created and hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writers Support Group posts the 1st Wednesday of every month. Click the image to learn more or sign up.

Oops! I forgot to post this morning and then my site experienced some technical difficulties.
You know how it is this time of the year. 😉

Optional Monthly Question: Let’s play a game. Imagine. Role-play. How would you describe your future writer self, your life and what it looks and feels like if you were living the dream? Or if you are already there, what does it look and feel like? Tell the rest of us. What would you change or improve?

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I’m not really sure what living the dream looks like for me because I have so many ambitions. I guess if I was to imagine that everything I ever wanted to do happened just as I wanted it to, it might look a little something like this…

As a writer, I wouldn’t necessarily be award-winning, but I’d have regular consistent sales of my four major series (only two exist right now) and would be traveling, at least, around the U.S. speaking about them. As a book lover and entrepreneur, I’d be running a successful book fair in Hampton Roads, featuring mainstream and indie authors from all over. My claim to fame would be as an advocate of reading.

Between my writing, speaking engagements, and my book fair, I wouldn’t have a day job anymore. My husband would be my manager and my sister would be my stylist… Oh, and I’d be surrounded by all my rescue pups, however many that may be.

A girl can dream, right?

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The November IWSG member spotlight was Ronel Janse Van Vuuren. Be sure to stop by her blog and say hi.

IWSG Book Club News

Join the IWSG Book Club on Good Reads for polls, freebies, book chats, and fun.
The December 2019/January 2020 book will be On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King. Discussion Fun Day will be January 22, 2020.

WEP-IWSG

Footprints in the sand…Footprints in the snow…and they don’t have to be human – alien, monster, unknown creatures…all up for grabs. Footprints are metaphors for so many situations – we walk in someone else’s footprints, we leave footprints in the sands of time, we minimize carbon footprints, or at least try to.

The next WEP challenge is coming quickly; not sure I’ll be ready in time.

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Now, on to the personal updates.

I’ve submitted to three anthologies. I was accepted to one, but it doesn’t offer a royalty. I honestly just wanted the practice of submitting and really liked their specifications. I’m still waiting to hear from the other two. I’ve submitted to anthologies before and have about a 50/50 track record on acceptance, which I personally consider a win.

I recently set up a vendor table, two weekends in a row, to sell my books and meet and greet people, while hoping to spread the word about my idea to host a book fair. I guess I’ll be focusing on fundraising for the next few months. I’ve designed some original t-shirt designs and set up an online store. We’ll see what happens. You can check it out here if you’d like. My husband and I are wearing two of the designs in the image below. I plan to add more designs later.

I’m happy to say that I’ve been busy writing some of everything: short stories, children’s books (trying to illustrate but it’s really hard), and even a screenplay. I’m very excited to take some time off from my day job to celebrate the holidays. Looking forward to time with family, sleep, and more writing.

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Ever consider where you could be in five years? What does your writer dream look like?
Submitted any work lately?
Looking forward to or enjoying the holiday season?
It may take some time, but I promise, I will 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:
Tonja Drecker,
Beverly Stowe McClure,
Nicki Elson, and
Tyrean Martinson!

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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 #42).

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords