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Wednesday, March 6, 2024

IWSG: AI and Writing and Winter Blues


Welcome to the Insecure Writer's Support Group. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world.

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG

The awesome co-hosts for the March 6 posting of the IWSG are Kristina Kelly, Miffie Seideman, Jean Davis, and Liza @ Middle Passages!

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. 

March 6th question: Have you "played" with AI to write those nasty synopses, or do you refuse to go that route? How do you feel about AI's impact on creative writing?

I've never heard of playing with an AI. That's what happens when you don't keep up with changes in the writing biz. As far as AI's impact on creative writing, I'm not sure. My first thought is nothing can create as well as a human mind. Then, I recall books and movies that take place in the future where AIs can think and come up with new ideas. Star Trek's Data, 2001's HAL. I'm still unsure about that impact. Would it have an emotion chip? What about the experience to know how emotion factors in a story. I'm curious what you all think about this.

If you missed me last month, I apologize. For some weird reason (winter blues, depression, meltdown), I stopped reading email in January. Information overload? Winter in the Great Lakes region means gray skies. Even though we've had a mild winter snow and temperature wise, I've still been affected by the weather. Or, I've let the weather influence my mood. Depression doesn't make sense. I hope you've had a better winter. 

The next #IWSGPit will be in March 27, 2024,

10:00 am - 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time.


Create a Twitter-length pitch for your completed and polished manuscript and leave room for genre, age, and the hashtag. On Wednesday, March 27, 2024, Tweet your pitch using #IWSGPit. If your pitch receives a favorite/heart from a publisher/agent check their submission guidelines and send your requested query.

Many writers have seen their books published from a Twitter pitch - it’s a quick and easy way to put your manuscript in front of publishers and agents.

CLICK HERE FOR THE RULES AND HOW TO PARTICIPATE


Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today. 




Wednesday, January 3, 2024

IWSG: BookBub, Authors, and a New Year

 


Happy New Year and welcome to the Insecure Writer's Support Group. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world.

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG

The awesome co-hosts for the January 3 posting of the IWSG are Joylene Nowell Butler, Olga Godim, Diedre Knight, and Natalie Aguirre!



January 3 question: Do you follow back your readers on BookBub or do you only follow back other authors?

Usually, I only follow back authors. I want to show them support. It never occurred to me to follow back readers. I'm interested in what everyone else says about this.

We're off in a new year, a new adventure. I'm glad to see 2023 in my rearview mirror. It wasn't as bad as 2020, but it wasn't a great year. My husband's health issues continued. I fell and partially tore my rotator cuff. My car was in an accident. Though no one was hurt (thank goodness), my car has been in the repair shop for three months, with no real estimate on when I'll get it back. Last month, I wrote that I'd killed my computer. Again. Okay, not totally killed. It was fixable, after more than a month of doing without. Do you see why I'm not sorry 2023 is over?

With my woes behind me, I'm ready for a new start. I spent most of my "free" time last year reading. I've enjoyed many new books and discovered new authors. I'm ready to delve into the stories I've started. I hope next month I can report on my progress. 

Wishing you all a great start to a new year.


Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today. 



Tuesday, December 5, 2023

ISWG: Reviews & C. Lee McKenzie’s New Release


 Welcome to the Insecure Writer's Support Group. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world.

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG

The awesome co-hosts for the December 6 posting of the IWSG are C. Lee McKenzie, JQ Rose, Jennifer Lane, and Jacqui Murray!


December question: Book reviews are for the readers. When you leave a book reviews do you review for the Reader or the Author? Is it about what you liked and enjoyed about your reading experience, or do you critique the author?

This is a tough question as I do both. I write reviews to share with readers books I really enjoy. I also write reviews to support the author. I would never critique an author in such a public forum. If something really bothered me, I would write to the author privately. When writing a review, I consider what I want readers to write about my books.

I hope you had a great November. Mine wasn’t that good. Family problems that I hope have been dealt with in a good way. My car was in an accident. I wasn’t the driver and no one was hurt. But I haven’t had my car for two months. Then I killed my computer. It’s “in the shop.” The same computer I’ve had problems with before. I hope it gets fixed faster than my car. Did I ever mention how much I dislike using my iPad to write posts?

 I sure hope December is better. I’m looking forward to the holidays. Hope December is a great month for you.

Our own C. Lee McKenzie has a new release. Yay! I’ve read her books and thoroughly enjoyed them. I’m looking forward to reading this one. 



Blurb: The desert town of Rattlesnake isn’t a destination. It’s a last resort. Seventeen-year-old Jonah Guthrie’s aunt sold their home in New England and fled to this place to escape the humiliation of his dad’s indictment for embezzlement and subsequent disappearance.  

While their late uncle left them a house and a silver mine, the house is a shambles and the mine is defunct. They’re almost out of money, so they have no choice but to stay in Rattlesnake. And then Jonah discovers they’ve inherited something else. Her name is Catherine, and she’s been dead for over a hundred year. Now, she needs his help.


Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUuj07mKQMI


Excerpt:

For a moment, the sun balanced on the tip of the tallest peak, then slipped behind the mountains, turning them black against the sky. They were out of options all except for going back to Old Cemetery Road and dealing with the property. From somewhere far out in the desert came the loneliest sound Jonah had ever heard. That high-pitched yowl caught him at the center of his stomach. Suddenly, he felt eyes on him from every direction, and the shadows grew teeth.


Buy Links


Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Rattlesnake-C-Lee-McKenzie-ebook/dp/B0CNJLNKHV/ref=sr_1_1

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1481237

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Rattlesnake%20(C.%20Lee%20McKenzie)&ac=1&acp=Rattlesnake&ac.title=Rattlesnake&ac.author=C.%20Lee%20McKenzie

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rattlesnake-c-lee-mckenzie/1144383328?ean=2940167647718 



Bio:

Until about a year ago, my writing was all about what was real and current in the world. I’ve written about cutting (Sliding on the Edge, 2009), death of a parent (The Princess of Las Pulgas, 2010), illiteracy (Double Negative, 2014–voted as one of the top ten novels for YA), homophobia (Sudden Secrets, 2014), injustice (Not Guilty, 2019, and paraplegia (Shattered, 2021–finalist in the Indie Book Awards). Then suddenly…Rattlesnake, my first other-worldly YA.


Connect with

 C. Lee McKenzie

Substack . Goodreads . Facebook . Instagram . YouTube . LinkedIn


Email

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today. 


Wednesday, November 1, 2023

IWSG: NaNo

 


Welcome to the Insecure Writer's Support Group. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world.

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG

The awesome co-hosts for the November 1 posting of the IWSG are PJ Colando, Jean Davis, Lisa Buie Collard, and Diedre Knight!

November 1 question: November is National Novel Writing Month. Have you ever participated? If not, why not?

I've never participated in NaNo. I admire those who do. One of my friends uses what she wrote for NaNo as the springboard for her next novel. Many find it very useful in making them focus. It seems like more work than I want to do. It's not just the writing but visiting others, touching base (as I understand it).

The timing makes it extra difficult. Thanksgiving--big dinner, lots of family and/or friends, visitors from out of state. Christmas shopping. I can find lots of reasons why NaNo is too much work for me. And also the reason why I admire those who participate.

Good luck and best wishes to all of you who are participating in NaNoWriMo.

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today. 



Wednesday, October 4, 2023

IWSG: Thoughts on AIs

 


Welcome to the Insecure Writer's Support Group. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world.

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG

The awesome co-hosts for the October 4 posting of the IWSG are Natalie Aguirre, Kim Lajevardi, Debs Carey, Gwen Gardner, Patricia Josephine, and Rebecca Douglass!

Here I go again. Last month, I forgot to post. I can hardly believe that myself. Worse, I forgot again this month. Remembered, sort of, in time. Apologies to anyone who stopped by and I wasn't there. Next month has to be better.

This month's question: According to various sources, generative AI will assist writers, not replace them. What are your thoughts?

I'm all for anything that helps writers. Will the AI bring me coffee or a snack? Yeah. Will s/he correct my grammar? Microsoft does that already. Will the AI feed me ideas? Okay. I could handle another muse. Maybe the AI would do the laundry, feed my husband when I don't want to stop writing. 

As far as the AI writing my story? I think not. That would take away all the magic. The most fantastic thing about writing is the surprise when a character does something unexpected. Since an AI (I'm thinking something like Data on Star Trek) doesn't have emotions, it wouldn't appreciate the thrill of finishing a book or seeing it in print.

AIs can't appreciate the best part of writing.

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today. 


Wednesday, August 2, 2023

IWSG: Do Over or Not?

 


Welcome to the Insecure Writer's Support Group. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world.

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG

I'm honored io join the awesome co-hosts for the August 2 posting of the IWSG:    Kate Larkindale, Janet Alcorn, and Shannon Lawrence! 

This month's question is: Have you ever written something that afterwards you felt conflicted about? If so, did you let it stay how it was, take it out, or rewrite it?

I did. In the sequel to my first book, I listened to my critique partner about the beginning scene. I always wanted to put back a scene she told me to take out. I left it out and have regretted it since Switched Too was published in 2012. I was a newly published author and didn't have enough confidence in my ability to tell a story. I should have listened to my instincts. 

Should I leave it alone after all this time or put the small scene back in?

Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today. 



Wednesday, July 5, 2023

IWSG: Dreaming


Welcome to the Insecure Writer's Support Group. IWSG is the brainchild of Ninja Captain 
Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Thanks, Alex, for starting this group and keeping it going. We are rockin' the neurotic writing world.

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.


The awesome co-hosts for the July 5 posting of the IWSG are PJ Colando, Kim Lajevardi, Gwen Gardner, Pat Garcia, and Natalie Aguirre!

July 5 question - 99% of my story ideas come from dreams. Where do yours predominantly come from?

I have crazy dreams that I don't remember ten minutes after I wake up. My ideas come more in that in between time when I'm just about ready to go to sleep. Not just story ideas. Character names have popped into my mind as I'm drifting off. I wouldn't say 99%, though. Maybe 70%. The rest come from books, movies, newspaper stories, and heaven only knows where,

Where do your ideas come from? 


Click here to find others on the Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop. Or go to IWSG on Facebook to see who’s blogging today.