It’s the first Wednesday of the month, which means it’s time for another action-packed installment of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group!

(For more information and/or a complete list of participants, please click on the above link)

This month’s awesome co-hosts are Erika Beebe, PJ Colando, Tonja Drecker, Sadria Stone, and Cathrina Constantine!

This month’s (optional) question asks, “Have any of your readers ever responded to your writing in a way you didn’t expect? If so, did it surprise you?”

Frankly, any time any reader responds in any way to anything I wrote, I’m surprised. Because I am nothing more than a collection of anxiety, neuroses, and a severe lack of self-confidence & esteem stuffed into a trench coat pretending to be an actual person. You think that might be hyperbole, but yeah…it isn’t.

But I don’t want to dwell on that today. I mean, I dwell on that every damn day, but I don’t want to do it in this post. I’m in a mood (not the good kind, either, in case that was unclear) so instead I’m going to share some writing-related funny things that I’ve come across on the inter-webs when I was definitely not procrastinating on other things.

Some may contain naughty words. Consider yourselves warned.

And thanks for stopping by. I’ll try to be in less of a mood next time…

It’s the first Wednesday of the month, y’all, which means it’s time for another action-packed installment of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group!

(For more information and/or a complete list of participants, please click on the above link…)

This month’s awesome co-hosts are PK Hrezo, Pat Garcia, SE White, Lisa Buie Collard, and Diane Burton.

This months (optional) question asks, “Are you a risk-taker when writing? Do you try something radically different in style/POV/etc or add controversial topics to your work?”

I don’t think I’m a risk-taker. I don’t think I do anything radically different or controversial. Or even a little bit of those things, really. I just kind of…do what I do—what I think best fits whatever story I’m trying to tell (albeit super slowly and perhaps not particularly well. But it is what it is…)

I do, however, have truly incredible writer friends who never cease to amaze me with their creativity and ingenuity and bravery and all-around awesomeness. They take risks and make it look easy, and I bow down to their superstardom.

I honestly don’t know some days why they continue to let me hang out with them, but thank goodness they do. They make me want to do better.

Even if I am doing it super slowly.

Stay safe & well, all.

It’s the first Wednesday of the month, which means it’s time for another action-packed installment of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.

(For more information and/or a complete list of participants, please click on the above link…)

This month’s co-hosts are Sarah (the Faux Fountain Pen), Jacqui Murray, Chemist Ken, Victoria Marie Lees, Natalie Aguirre, and JQ Rose.

This month’s (optional) question asks, “Everyone has a favorite genre or genres to write. But what about your reading preferences? Do you read widely or only within the genre(s) in which you write? What motivates your reading choice?”

I have been in a reading slump for a good long while now. Don’t know why. But back when I did actually read books, I didn’t care about the genre. I read whatever piqued my interest. Fiction, nonfiction, whatever. All I cared about was a good story. If it had interesting characters doing interesting things, then I was good.

I’d choose a book because it had an eye-catching cover or an intriguing premise. I’d read a book that a trusted source recommended to me. And I would try to read the trends because I wanted to know what people were talking about. (I spend a lot of time being clueless, so when I can get a frame of reference, I like to do that.)

I know a writer who doesn’t read genre fiction. They won’t even consider reading genre fiction. Anything romance, fantasy, mystery, anything like that is an automatic nonstarter. For them, it’s literary fiction or nothing. And it makes me sad. I mean, I firmly believe people should read whatever the hell they want to read, but I occasionally get sad when I think about all the cool stories they miss out on because they’ve dismissed it out of hand like that. Nothing worthwhile there. It’s just genre fiction.

Which is, of course, not the case.

I also get sad when I think about all the cool stories I’m missing out on because of this stupid slump of mine. I hope whatever my problem is I get over it sooner rather than later.

On that note, I’m outta here. Thanks for stopping by today. I’ll try to do better the next time.

Stay safe and well.

It’s the first Wednesday of the month, which means it’s time for another action-packed installment of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.

(For more information, including a complete list of participants, please click on the above link…)

This month’s awesome co-hosts are Louise-Fundy Blue, Jennifer Lane, Mary Aalgaard, Patsy Collins at Womagwriter, and Nancy Gideon.

This month’s (optional) question asks, “Blogging is often more than just sharing stories. It’s often the start of special friendships and relationships. Have you made any friends through the blogosphere?”

I am pleased to report that I have.

When I started blogging a thousand years ago, I didn’t know what to expect. I figured it would just be me talking to myself about whatever random whateverness popped into my head that day.

But then I stumbled onto the writing community, which led to this writing community and the opportunity to get to know some truly wonderful writers who inspire me greatly. I even found some friendships that extend beyond the world of writing (yes, there is, in fact, a world beyond writing), and a brand spanking new accountability partnership (I’m not sure I’m holding up my end of this partnership particularly well, but I aim to improve).

And I wouldn’t have any of these things if I hadn’t started blogging. So to you all I say…

Thanks for stopping by today, everyone. Be safe and well.