IWSG: July 2026

 

Hello writerly friends. The year is half over already! Yikes. I want to thank the founder of IWSG, Alex J. Cavanaugh and all the admins who make this group the best place to share and work through your insecurities. Find the entire list here.

This month's optional question:

Is there a genre you haven't tried writing in yet that you really want to try? If so, do you plan on trying it?

Excellent question. I really, really intend to dabble in poetry. I have a book and so many scraps of paper. But it never seems like I have to time to really put my mind to it. I will. Someday, I will.

My writing time now is all going toward the second draft of my current WIP. The name of the series and the books revealed themselves also. Not sure about the series name.

I've been good on my exercising. 10,000 steps on most days except when it rains, which unfortunately, is pretty often. I don't mind the heat dome, but rain keeps me inside. 

I'm also promoting the Chocolatetown Bookfest coming in October. It's the first year I've managed to secure a spot. Registration opens and fills up within two hours. It's crazy. 

I'm also busy planning the 2026 Pennwriters Annual Conference. We're extremely excited to have Chuck Wendig and Maria V. Snyder as our keynotes. We'll be in Lancaster, PA, next May. This month, we'll be settling the menu and collecting workshop proposals.

I enjoyed Dept Q on Netflix. The Accountant 2 was okay. Lots of funny stuff mixed in with the brutality. The Old Guard do is coming soon. I hope it's as good as the first one.

What genre do you want to try out? Are you okay in the summer heat? If it's summer where you are, that is. Anything entertaining you on the small or big screen?

IWSG: June 2025

 

Welcome to June's IWSG blog post. Thanks to our founder, Alex J. Cavanaugh, and the other admins of IWSG, we meet each month to share the writing wins, losses, questions, and advice with all the other writers on this list.

First apologies for missing last month's bloghop. I was very busy with the Pennwriters Conference and didn't even think of my post until a week too late. 

This month's optional question is a good one. I can wait to read the responses:

What were some books that impacted you as a child or young adult?

I was always a voracious reader, but I grew up way out in the back of beyond and I didn't have easy access to books. My little country school didn't even have a library until I was in sixth grade. My fourth grade teacher had a few shelves of paperback books we could borrow. I loved her for that.

A Wrinkle in Time was one of my first favorites and introduced me to speculative fiction. Bambi taught me that Disney really takes liberty with source material to make their movies family friendly. Where the Red Fern Grows taught me to really cry over a book. My oldest son reminded me that I traumatized him by giving him that book to read when he was in elementary school. I read every animal book I could get my hands on.

But in 9th grade, my english teacher did a unit where we had to read The Hobbit. From that moment on, reading fantasy was what I loved best. It wasn't until almost ten years later that I even considered writing a story of my own. Another ten years before I seriously considered it, and ten more before I started. Unlike a lot of writers, I had no desire to write a novel growing up.

The Pennwriters Conference was amazing. We're already well into planning next year's conference. More about that later this year. If you have a chance to attend a writer's conference, I highly recommend it. It's inspiring in a special way and there is so much to take in.

I'm working on the second draft of the first book in my next fantasy series. I finally came up with a series title and a few days into the second draft I figured out the title of the first book. The first draft is really rough so the second one is going to need a lot of work.

• "If everything was perfect, you would never learn and you would never grow." – Beyoncé

I'm enjoying Murder Bot though I wish the espisodes were longer. I binged Department Q on Netflix in one day. Enjoyable. I haven't watched the second season of The Last of Us yet, but it's on my list as is Captain America, Brave New World. I also will watch The Accountant 2 when it starts streaming.

Hope your weather has warmed up. Ours if finally doing so. Way too much rain lately. The older I get the more difficult it is to force myself to go outside when there is a chill, too much wind, or wet stuff falling.

Any good entertainment on your to-see list? Did you read any of the books I loved growing up? What was the first book to make you cry?

IWSG: April 2025

 It's time again for the first Wednesday blogging event. Thanks to the great admins at IWSG and our founder, Alex J. Cavanaugh, we have a safe place to share our concerns, victories, and ideas. See the entire list here.

This month's optional question: What fantasy character would you like to fight, go on a quest with, or have a beer/glass of wine with?

I always wanted to go through the Stargate to another planet and still haven't forgiven SyFy network or ending that series. But I guess if have to pick a character, I guess I would like to travel with Doctor Who and see all those worlds and universes. There must be so many cool things to see and beings to meet.

Still busy working on the conference stuff. This is always the tense time when deadlines are approaching and so is financial concerns. There is always the worry we'll cover the costs and break even. Even is our goal as a nonprofit. That also means we live on slim margins. It's looking like we're going to eek our way through. Pennwriters Annual Conference is good for another year.

Reacher was violent this year. Really, really bad guys but I found it somewhat predictable. Not sure how I like the new season of Daredevil, but so far, pretty good.

Had a great visit to Troy, NY to spend some time with my daughter and her wife. They have a great farmer's market every Saturday morning. Great food and crafts. They also have one of my favorite bookstores. Bought my granddaughter two books while I was there.

Helped her with some workstuff, though mostly I just carried things. She works at a tough job, emotionally. I couldn't do it everyday like she does.

Where is your fantasy vacation to and who with? Were you a Stargate fan? Is the spring weather drawing you outside? Are bulbs and blossoms adding color to your neck of the woods?

IWSG: Maych 2025

 

Time again for the first of the month blog hop with Insecure Writer's Support Group. Thank you to our founder, Alex J. Cavanaugh, and all the IWSG admins. Time to share our insecurities and support each other in this difficult business of being a writer.

Firstly, I hope you'll stop in and comment on my guest post on the IWSG blog page titled:

Planning a Conference: A Big Job and an Adventure

This month's optional question:

If for one day you could be anyone or *thing* in the world, what would it be? Describe, tell why, and any themes, goals, or values they/it inspire in you.

Well, I would absolutely be Superman. If I could be Superman, there would be world peace and a lot of bad things would stop happening. Now, if the answer has to be someone or something that really exists, I think I would like to be the smartest, best hacker in the world. I would go after all those scammers stealing from regular folks. But since I can't be either of those things, I would just like to be the best person I can. I would like to be have more patience, be kinder, and a better person overall. I'm trying.

I'm so busy getting ready for that Pennwriters Annual Conference. We have so many awesome writers ready to share their expertise. It is a great weekend.

I'm also working on setting up some book signing events for the coming year. So far, I only have two on the schedule, but I'm hoping for more.

Please, please warm up soon. I have no tolerance for even chilly days and I want to walk outside.

I'm excited to see Daredevil coming back to Disney. Hope they did a good job. I watched Night Agent and didn't like it as well as the first season. The end of the first season seemed to end with the good guys on top. This season didn't feel that way even though they stopped the attack.

Would you like to be Superman? It would be a lot of responsibility. Are you attending or running any book events in the coming months? Are the days getting warmer in your neck of the woods?

Guest at IWSG

 Good day everyone. Not only will temperatures be above freezing for at least part of each day this week, but I have the supreme privilege of doing a guest post on the IWSG blog.

I was asked to talk a bit about the nuts and bolts behind putting on a writing conference. I highly recommend attending one if you can. There is nothing quite so inspiring as spending time with other writers.

I hope you'll visit and leave a comment. And if you're able, attend the 38th Annual Pennwriters Conference this May in Pittsburgh, PA. Would love to see you there.

IWSG: February 2025

 

I've been so busy, but I didn't forget the first Wednesday IWSG. I want to start with an apology for not getting around to other blogs the last two months. I'll do better.  Thank you to IWSG founder, Alex J. Cavanaugh and all the admins of this super supportive group. There is so much information on the IWSG site, you can spend all day there when you need to procrastinate. 

I expected to be done with my first draft on my newest fantasy series, but I keep writing and not getting to 'The End.' I will keep going, but the second draft might take forever. I already of a list of things to fix, rewrite, delete, etc.

I have a book signing in about 10 days. It's at a combination greenhouse and gift shop. I've been doing this event off and on for about ten years. I sold a lot of books last year and hope to do even half as well this year. I also give out information to other writers about IWSG and Pennwriters. I have the best of both worlds, Pennwriters, an in-person writers group, and IWSG, an online community. There is so much expertise in each group, that I will never learn everything that is offered.

"Teach thy tongue to say, "I do not know," and thous shalt progress." Maimonides

I expect many of you will be enduring an ice storm tonight into tomorrow. What it means for me, besides worrying about people who have to drive to work, is that my granddaughter will have virtual school. Since her parents are both teachers and will be conducting their own Zoom classes, that means Grammy is sharing her office. I recently gifted her with her own desk and desk chair because she loves using mine so much. Hers is like mine except smaller. She loves it and it means I can get work done while staying out of sight for her virtual school day. Stay safe and warm, everyone.

"The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain." Dolly Parton

I've been keeping up with my walking, averaging around 14K steps per day. I feel a difference in my energy the longer I keep at it. But I can't take the cold, so most of my steps are inside. I need a little warm weather to keep me motivated.

I've been watching a lot of documentaries on Amazon and Netflix lately. I can't seem to keep interest in any series or movies lately. Nothing I'm really looking forward to either.

Are you in the path of the coming ice storm and the two following behind it? Watched any good documentaries lately? How do you get your exercise when the weather is bad? What are you working on currently?

IWSG: January 2025

 Hello all in the brand new year. Time does go so fast. Thank you to the admins of IWSG and our founder, Alex J. Cavanaugh, for keeping this group together and growing. There's always something happening. Find the list of participants here.

This month's optional question:

 Describe someone you admired when you were a child. Did your opinion of that person change when you grew up?

So easy for me. My father was an amazing person. He was a WWII vet and mostly self-educated. Like a lot of men during that time, he didn't finish high school so he could enlist. After the war, he and my mother bought a farm and raised their family of seven children. It was a dairy farm and my father worked long, long hours. The farm paid for five of us to go to college, though it didn't cost near so much back in those days. Despite his tenth grade education, my father was a voracious reader, mostly non-fiction. We were very close with similar introverted personalities. It was really rough when I lost him. He had a strong faith, and I hope to see him again in a better place.

"The man who has done his best has done everything." Charles M. Schwab

I've been so busy with writing and writing related stuff. I've almost completed my first draft of the first book in my newest epic fantasy series. I've also been busy organizing the Pennwriters Annual Conference Registration. It is now open. If Pittsburgh, PA isn't too far for you, please consider joining us in May for 3 days of over 60 workshops, agent/editor pitch opportunties, networking with other writers, and some amazing keynote speakers. Check it all out right here.

I've barely turned on the TV and haven't watched any new shows for a while now. I've put on my writing playlist and work away.

"I'd rather die of passion than of boredom." Vincent van Gogh

I have been exercising regularly and getting results so that's a good trend going into the new year.

"Either you run the day, or the day runs you." Jim Rohn 

For Christmas, I received a new set of shelving for in my office. My TBR pile is better organized now. Then one of my sons surprised me with a brand new set of cookware from Cusinart and another son gifted me a new iPad Pro. So exciting.

I hope the snow storm didn't bury your abode this week. We only have a few inches but with this cold weather, we're likely to have it for a while.

Stay safe, and stay warm.

How much snow did you get if any? Who have you admired in the past? Have any plans to attend workshops or conferences in 2025?