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: Have you ever read a line in a novel or a clever plot twist that caused you to have author envy?
This happens to me all the time. I don’t know how anyone who loves stories doesn’t feel this from time to time. Even if you are an avid reader with no desire to write your name on the dotted line, I think a small part of you wishes you had the creativity to come up with some of the things that make you love reading.
On the flip side, I’ve also had moments when I thought, “I can do better than that.” For me, it’s all part of the reader/writer journey. If I stop being able to appreciate the writing of other people, that’s a problem.
Still, even with a bit of author envy, I’ve never taken it too far. Yet, I’ve heard of other authors who’ve tried to sabotage their perceived competitors. I hope these are just rumors. Personally, I feel that most writers are supportive of other writers, but that doesn’t mean all writers are friendly. There are writers in this world I don’t like but I can still acknowledge whether they have talent and or creativity. I can still be inspired by someone I don’t like if what they’ve written speaks to me, whether in a positive or negative way.
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The IWSG Book Club Presents:
Falling Down Rabbit Holes
by Toi Thomas, images by Ronel Janse van Vuuren – first appeared in the IWSG March 2023 newsletter, additional images added.
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!)
via GIPHY
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.)
via GIPHY
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: Goodreads | Amazon
Craft Book:
Fight Like A Girl: Goodreads | Amazon | Bookshop
The first themed challenge in the month of March is: Horse Crazy. Click this link provided to view the challenge and learn more:
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.
Now, on to the personal updates.
Long story short- I wrote a little, read a little, did some stuff, but mostly I lost a bunch of email subscribers when my subscription plan ended without notice. You can watch my WIP Update video on YouTube if you’d like to learn more. If you were following me via email, you’re not anymore. Here are ways you can follow me if you’d like.
EMAIL | FEEDLY | BLOGLOVIN | WORDPRESS
BLOGGER– enter the URL- https://etoithomas.com
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Here’s an idea I’m playing around with. What do you think?
Ever had author envy?
What do you think of the book club changes?
It may take some time, but I promise, I will eventually stop by your blog.
My response time has gotten slower but I’m still making my rounds.
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After hanging out with Alex, be sure to stop by and visit this month’s co-hosts:
Diedre Knight,
Tonya Drecker,
Bish Denham,
Olga Godim, and
JQ Rose!
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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 #28).
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.
No other updates this month.