IWSG Day

Today’s the day for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. Hop to this page, if you’d like to sign up and join. We post the first Wednesday of every month. Try to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.

The awesome co-hosts for November are: Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, Ann V. Friend, JQ Rose and Elizabeth Seckman!

The submission period has closed for this year's anthology contest and now it’s time to make the selections for the judges, which is always challenging. Kudos to those who entered!

Are you on Instagram? We run a different prompt for each day of the month. Participants are welcome to comment or post on their own feed. If you’re posting, use the #theiwsg hashtag and also tag @theiwsg. You can use images, words, or a combination to answer each prompt. Each prompt is explained in more detail on the day it is posted. 

This month's optional question is: How has your creativity in life evolved since you 

began writing?

My process now is a far cry from what it used to be. In the past, I did an outline (sometimes very detailed) but nowadays, I don’t always have that luxury. So, while I’m going through my day, the story will percolate in my head until it’s time to sit and write. Other aspects have changed too, but I find one of the biggest challenges is getting back to the point where I write each day, no matter what’s happening.

So are you doing the Instagram Challenge or Nano? Has your process changed over the years? 

IWSG Anthology Contest

I can hardly believe it’s time again for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group post. On the first Wednesday of the month, the members share their fears and encourage others. It’s easy to join, click here to sign up. Try to visit a few new blogs and leave a comment. Alex’s co-hosts for today’s posting are Dolorah, Tanya Miranda, Chemist Ken, and Christopher D. Votey.

Optional Question this Month: How do major life events affect your writing? Has writing ever helped you through something?

When unexpected things happen my writing is the first to suffer. Weeks will pass before I realize I’ve hit a slump and something needs to change. Writing is cathartic for me, so yes, when I sit the world and its problems fall away and I’m immersed until I come up for air. What about you?

And in other news:

The 2018 Annual IWSG Anthology Contest needs your stories!

Guidelines and rules:

Word count: 3500-6000

Genre: Young Adult Romance

Theme: Masquerade

A Masquerade can be a false show or pretense, someone pretending to be someone they aren't. It can be a ball, a fancy dress party, it can be a mask. Open to interpretation.

Submissions accepted: September 5 - November 4, 2018

How to enter: Send your polished, formatted (Double spaced, no page numbers), previously unpublished story to admin @ insecurewriterssupportgroup.com before the deadline passes. Please include your contact details, your social links, and if you are part of the Blogging, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter IWSG group. 

Prizes: The winning stories will be edited and published by Freedom Fox Press next year in the IWSG anthology. Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title.

IWSG Twitter Pitch & Anthology Contest

Hey IWSGers! There is so much going on in our world right now. Can you believe it's a new month? Another opportunity to share what's going on in our world and to offer encouragement to those writers whose spirit may be flagging. This month's co-hosts are Nicki Elson, Juneta Key, Tamara Narayan, and Patricia Lynne.

On July 19, we have the Twitter Pitch Party and you can find the details here. Be sure to hone those pitches for the many agents and publishers who will be watching. You never know if this will be your lucky break.

In a few months, the IWSG Anthology Contest will be open. This time, the genre is young adult romance. Watch out for September 5, which is when the theme will be announced.

Today's optional question is: What are your ultimate writing goals, and how have they changed over time (if at all)?

I find that the more books I've published, the less time I have to write. One of the things I believe in is setting aside time to write. It may not be every day, but it is a fixed part of my schedule. I have to admit, I've been slacking off, but ultimately, I want to become disciplined about writing at least 1,000 words each day.

If I sprint for a half hour or just over that, I'll reach that goal. My long-term aim is to finish all the stories I've started writing, plus completing the series I've started. If I keep my discipline and focus, and set-time lines, I'll achieve a major chunk of my goals. They haven't changed much over time, but I do need to stay on course.

What are your goals? How are they different now, than say five years ago?

#IWSG Business & The Writing Blahs

I’m not sure where the time goes, but today heralds the April version of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! On this day we release our neuroses to the world and also offer encouragement to those who are feeling insecure about their writing. If you’d like to join the group, click here to sign up. While you’re at it, visit someone you haven’t visited with before and leave them some encouragement.

Captain Alex’s awesome co-hosts for today are Olga Godim,Chemist Ken, Renee Scattergood, and Tamara Narayan!

For IWSG News, here goes …

The IWSG Anthology, Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime, comes out on May 1. Click on this link to hop over to the book’s page and pre-order your copy today!

The IWSG Goodreads Group will be discussing Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need by Blake Snyder on May 23. Be sure to participate. 

The optional discussion for today is - When your writing life is a bit cloudy or filled with rain, what do you do to dig down and keep on writing? 

We all slow down at some point or another in our writing. At times, it can be hard to figure out why we do what we do especially when we hit a roadblock or the journey doesn’t seem worth it. I’m not recommending this for everybody, but one solution that works for me is to step away from writing for a bit.

There’s life, which never stops churning, there are good books (as evidenced by the hundreds of them on my kindle) and there is also the opportunity for a brainstorming session to keep the creative juices flowing. Most of all though, when the way seems cloudy, I remember the reason I started writing – for the love of it. That’s usually enough to refocus my energy and keep me going.

How do you combat the blahs? What’s your solution for keeping them away? What’s the first thing you do when doubt, discouragement, and fear show up?

And last, but not least, I've been busy as usual and had a book release in March. This one was a departure from the norm for me, but I had some awesome editors and my wonderful publisher, Garden Avenue Press, that made the publishing process a breeze. Here's my latest book baby! The Thick of Things falls into the category of women's fiction, but with strong romantic elements. It is a tale of love, devastating loss, and second changes. If you want to find out more, check here.

Thanks for stopping in. See you on the rounds!

#IWSG Post Day!

Welcome to another IWSG posting day, where we share our fears and insecurities and also encourage each other on our writing journeys. Take a little time out to visit fellow bloggers and leave some positive words. You may sign up here.

Helping Captain Alex today are Julie Flanders, Shannon Lawrence, Fundy Blue, and Heather Gardner!

It's the last IWSG post day for the year and a good time to look back at all you've achieved, as well as what you haven't. Hop over to the Insecure Writers Support Group page and check out some tips for facing the new writing year. 

The optional question this month is - As you look back on 2017, with all its successes/failures, if you could backtrack, what would you do differently?

I've done a fair amount of things this past year, and one of the things I wish I did better and more consistently, is keeping up with my newsletter. This is one thing that has flagged as the end of the year nears. I hope to do better in 2018.

What thing could you have done better this past year? Do you have plans in place for 2018 already? What improvements do you plan to make in how you approach your writing and publishing?

Don't forget to visit other IWSGers!

Announcing the IWSG'S Twitter Pitch

Today is the March IWSG post day when all of us share our insecurities or offer encouragement to those in need of it. You can sign up to be part of the group here.

The co-hosts for this month's IWSG are Tamara Narayan, Patsy Collins, M.J. Fifield, and Nicohle Christopherson!

A couple of things: Remember the IWSG is now offering even more cool swag, so be sure to visit the Merchandise Page and get your stuff.

This month's question (optional) is: Have you ever pulled out a really old story and reworked it? Did it work out?

The answer to this question is sort of yes for me. The story I used wasn't that old, but I did have a paranormal short that I wrote for a Halloween challenge hosted by Denise Covey in 2013. It's been several years anyway, so when the opportunity came to be involved in a paranormal boxed set, I dusted off that story and expanded it into Phantasm. The experience was a good one and taught me that everything has its use with time. What about you? Have you reworked any manuscript from the past?

And we have good news, the IWSG will be hosting a Twitter Pitch Party!
Hashtag:  #IWSGPit
Date: July 27, 2017
Time: 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Eastern Time

All writers and authors are invited to participate. Please see the rules below. as shared on the IWSG blog.

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

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. 

Rules: 

Writers may send out 1 Twitter pitch every 1 hour per manuscript. 

Publishers/Agents will favorite/heart pitches they are interested in. Publishers can either Tweet basic submission guidelines or direct writers to their submission guidelines. (Writers, please do not favorite/heart pitches.)

Pitches must include GENRE/AGE and the hashtag #IWSGPit. 

Ages: 
#C - children’s
#MG - middle grade
#YA - young adult
#NA - new adult
#A - adult
Genres: 
#AD - adventure
#CF - Christian fiction
#CO - contemporary
#F - fantasy
#H - horror
#HI - historical
#LF - literary fiction
#MCT - mystery/crime/thriller
#ME - memoir
#NF - non-fiction
#PB - picture book
#PN - paranormal
#R - romance
#SF - sci-fi
#WF - women's fiction

List of participating publishers & agents will be shared soon. Please join us and spread the word! 

Here's hoping today will be a great day for you. With is being Ash Wednesday, I'm off to Mass. Catch you later!

#IWSG Day & #VPK2 Set

Can you believe we've hit February already? Today is another IWSG post day when all of us share our insecurities or offer encouragement to those in need of it. This month, Captain Alex is being ably assisted by these trusty helpers: Misha Gericke, LK Hill, Juneta Key, Christy and Joylene Butler!

A couple of things. The IWSG is now offering merchandise, so be sure to visit the Merchandise Page and check it out.


The winners of last fall anthology have started a group blog to tell the world about their upcoming book. Visit Hero Lost: Mysteries of Death and Life and see what the group is sharing. 

We have a couple of new administrators for the IWSG, who you probably know. Please welcome C. Lee McKenzie and Heather M. Gardner.

This month, I'm not feeling insecure because along with seven (7) other authors we released a Valentine boxed set in which each story features a pet. The set did very well yesterday and underscores the value of group promotion. As the song says, No man is an island, no man stands alone. So happy to be a part of that experience.

Here's hoping you aren't feeling insecure about your writing today, but if you are, don't give in because everything worth anything takes time to achieve and there's no time limit on success.

Please check out our boxed set. It's a great price at $0.99. http://books2read.com/vpk2 

Don't forget to visit all the other IWSGers by hopping to the signup page. Have a great day!

What Happens When You Don't Pre-Schedule #IWSG

With a major event coming up at work, that will last for a week, you'd think I'd have done the smart thing and pre-scheduled my IWSG post. Nope, didn't do that, with the result that I didn't remember to post until just now.

Anyhooo, on the first Wednesday of each month writer's everywhere release their insecurity and encourage other writer to keep moving on. Alex's co-hosts today were Eva @ Lillicasplace,Crystal Collier, Sheena-kay Graham, Chemist Ken, LG Keltner, and Heather Gardner!

The IWSG Anthology Contest 2016 winners were also announced today! 

Many thanks to this year’s official judges: 

Elizabeth S. Craig writes cozy mystery series for Penguin Random House, Midnight Ink, and independently. She curates links on Twitter as @elizabethscraig that are later shared in the free search engine WritersKB.com. 

Richard Harland finished his first novel in 1993 and resigned a university lectureship to become a full-time writer. With seventeen fantasy, SF and horror novels published since, he went international with his steampunk fantasies, Worldshaker, Liberator and Song of the Slums. He has won six Aurealis Awards and the A. Bertram Chandler Award in Australia, the Tam Tam Je Bouquine Award in France. Writing Tips

Laura Maisano has an MA in Technical writing and is a Senior Editor at Anaiah Press for their YA/NA Christian Fiction. She’s excited to release her debut YA Urban Fantasy SCHISM, and she’s finishing up the sequel UNITY. 

Russell C. Connor has been writing horror since the age of 5, and has been in the self-publishing industry for a decade. He has published 8 novels and 4 novellas in both paperback and eBook, including the Box Office of Terror Trilogy and "Whitney," an epic horror novel about hurricane survivors fighting a washed-ashore sea monster. He also designs books for clients and assists them with self-publishing endeavors. 

Dawn Frederick is the founder of Red Sofa Literary, previously of Sebastian Literary Agency, and she brings a broad knowledge of the book business to the table—with multiple years of experience as a bookseller in the independent, chain, and specialty stores; sales, marketing, & book development at a YA publisher, a published nonfiction author, and an agent associate literary agent at Sebastian Literary Agency. 

Ion Newcombe is the editor and publisher of AntipodeanSF, Australia's longest running online speculative fiction magazine, regularly issued since January 1998. His qualifications and employment range from horticulture through electronics into literature and communications. 

Lynn Tincher,  author, public speaker, and executive producer, was born just outside of Louisville, Kentucky in the beautiful city of La Grange. She has written four books, with the fifth one currently in the making. Her first book, Afterthoughts was optioned for movie production by Kilted Pictures and Dancing Forward Productions in Los Angeles. It is currently in pre-production with plans to shoot in Louisville, Kentucky very soon. 


And now, the winners of the 2016 IWSG Anthology Contest – Hero Lost: 

L. Nahay – Breath Between Seconds

Roland Yeomans - Sometimes They Come Back

Elizabeth Seckman - Mind Body Soul

Olga Godim - Captain Bulat

Ellen Jacobson - The Silvering

Erika Beebe - The Wheat Witch

Yvonne Ventresca – The Art of Remaining Bitter

Sean McLachlan - The Witch Bottle

Sarah Foster - The Last Dragon

Renee Cheung - Memoirs of a Forgotten Knight

Tyrean Martinson - Of Words and Swords

And the grand prize winner: 

Jen Stanton Chandler - The Mysteries of Death and Life

Congratulations to the winners! Look for the anthology, Hero Lost: Mysteries of Death and Life, late spring. 

Five-Year Plan & IWSG

Today is another IWSG post day, when writers everywhere share their insecurities and offer encouragement to like-minded scribes. Today, Captain Alex is being ably assisted by Jennifer Hawes, Jen Chandler, Nick Wilford, Juneta Key, JH Moncrieff, Diane Burton, and MJ Fifield!

I'm not feeling particularly insecure today. Mainly, I miss writing due to being in a season of editing. I'm re-reading two books and I'm about to start editing another. Plus, with the impending holiday season, things will get more hectic. 

Anyway, planning is important in everything we do and this month's question as to where I see myself in five years and how I plan to get there is a good one at this time of year.

I think I'll be selling a lot more print books locally and pacing myself better. I would certainly hope to have a wider reach by then and my plans include contracting a professional to help me do that. First though, I gotta sell some more books.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Are you laying the foundation to get there?

Hop over to the IWSG site where I've posted today about planning, plus you can win a great book about audiobook production. Click through this link to get there.

Have a wonderful day!

IWSG Anthology Update

Today is another IWSG posting. The first Wednesday of the month is when we release our fears to the writing world and offer encouragement to other writers on the journey. Today, Captain Alex's trusty helpers are Beverly Stowe McClure, Megan Morgan, Viola Fury, Madeline Mora-Summonte, Angela Wooldridge, and Susan Gourley!

The question for today is How do you know when your story is ready?

Since I've been at this a while, for me, it's simple. My story is complete when on the edits, I am sure that I've tied up all plot points satisfactorily to answer all questions.

At the point where I start feeling sick and tired of my writing, that's usually a good time to quit. Also, when I start putting back commas I've taken out, that's the last step that tells me the book is finished.

How do you know when your story is finished?

For those who are competitive and like to give themselves a writing workout, don't forget the Anthology contest is open. Get details here. Please note that the word count has been revised, so your stories can be between 3,000 and 6,000 words. Have fun creating those stories!

IWSG Anthology Contest News

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. I encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.

Our awesome co-hosts today are C. Lee McKenzie, Rachel Pattison, Elizabeth Seckman, Stephanie Faris, Lori L MacLaughlin, and Elsie Amata!

September’s question of the month - How do you find the time to write in your busy day?

For years now, writing has become an integral part of what I do. It doesn't come naturally every day, but that's where discipline comes in. If I've committed to writing a story, then it means I have to sit down and put in the words. I've grown accustomed to writing during whatever time I have available - before work, at lunch time and after work as well. That's how I had a stockpile of stories before I signed my first publishing contract. 

It's a matter of making time for what is important to me and applying a generous helping of discipline to get each story done. 

And with that said, I have interesting news to share ...

Announcing the 2016 IWSG Anthology Contest!

Eligibility: Any member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is encouraged to enter – blogging or Facebook member. The story must be previously unpublished. Entry is free.

Word count: 5000-6000

Genre: Fantasy

Theme: Hero Lost. It could be about a hero turned villain, a villain's redemption, a hero's lack of confidence, a hero's lack of smarts, etc. It can be about any kind of hero including superheroes, mythological heroes, unexpected or unlikely heroes, or a whole new kind of hero. This theme has plenty of scope and we’re open to pretty much anything along these lines. No erotica, R-rated language, or graphic violence.

Deadline: November 1st 2016

How to enter: Send your polished, formatted, previously unpublished story to admin @ insecurewriterssupportgroup.com before the deadline passes. Please include your contact details and if you are part of the Blogging or Facebook IWSG group.

Judging: The IWSG admins will create a shortlist of the best stories. The shortlist will then be sent to our official judges.

Prizes: The winning stories will be edited and published by Freedom Fox Press next year in the IWSG anthology. Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title.

We’re excited to see the creativity and enthusiasm that’s such a part of this group put into action. So don your creative caps and start writing. And spread the word!

Our amazing judges this year:


Elizabeth S. Craig writes cozy mystery series for Penguin Random House, Midnight Ink, and independently. She curates links on Twitter as @elizabethscraig that are later shared in the free search engine WritersKB.com.


Richard Harland finished his first novel in 1993 and resigned a university lectureship to become a full-time writer. With seventeen fantasy, SF and horror novels published since, he went international with his steampunk fantasies, Worldshaker, Liberator and Song of the Slums. He has won six Aurealis Awards and the A. Bertram Chandler Award in Australia, the Tam Tam Je Bouquine Award in France. Writing Tips


Laura Maisano has an MA in Technical writing and is a Senior Editor at Anaiah Press for their YA/NA Christian Fiction. She’s excited to release her debut YA Urban Fantasy SCHISM, and she’s finishing up the sequel UNITY.



Russell C. Connor has been writing horror since the age of 5, and has been in the self-publishing industry for a decade. He has published 8 novels and 4 novellas in both paperback and eBook, including the Box Office of Terror Trilogy and "Whitney," an epic horror novel about hurricane survivors fighting a washed-ashore sea monster. He also designs books for clients and assists them with self-publishing endeavors.


Dawn Frederick is the founder of Red Sofa Literary, previously of Sebastian Literary Agency, and she brings a broad knowledge of the book business to the table—with multiple years of experience as a bookseller in the independent, chain, and specialty stores; sales, marketing, & book development at a YA publisher, a published nonfiction author, and an agent associate literary agent at Sebastian Literary Agency.


Michelle L. Johnson is a literary agent, the founder of Inklings Literary Agency and has a business administration background in addition to a lifetime of working with books (sales, editing, and writing) and authors (marketing, promoting, event planning), and also has been a script/story consultant for an independent film.


Ion Newcombe is the editor and publisher of AntipodeanSF, Australia's longest running online speculative fiction magazine, regularly issued since January 1998. His qualifications and employment range from horticulture through electronics into literature and communications.


Author, Public Speaker, and Executive Producer, Lynn Tincher was born just outside of Louisville, Kentucky in the beautiful city of La Grange. She has written four books, with the fifth one currently in the making. Her first book, Afterthoughts was optioned for movie production by Kilted Pictures and Dancing Forward Productions in Los Angeles. It is currently in pre-production with plans to shoot in Louisville, Kentucky very soon.

IWSG & Parallels

It's another IWSG posting day, where writers far and wide share their insecurities and offer encouragement to each other. The captain of the IWSG ship, Alex, has a wonderful group of able assistants who will be helping him make the rounds today -  Stephen Tremp, Fundy Blue, MJ Fifield, Loni Townsend, Bish Denham, Susan Gourley, and Stephanie Faris!

If you don't belong to the group, sign up here and join an awesome band of supportive writers. 

My insecurity today? April was a crazy-crazy-crazy month and I wonder if I have any fuses left that haven't been totally burned out. 

Anyway, there's good news, the IWSG's anthology is out this week! 

Parallels: Felix Was Here
An Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology

Enter the realm of parallel universes! 

What if the government tried to create the perfect utopia? Could a society linked to a supercomputer survive on its own? Do our reflections control secret lives on the other side of the mirror? Can one moment split a person’s world forever? 

Exploring the fantastic, ten authors offer incredible visions and captivating tales of diverse reality. Featuring the talents of L. G. Keltner, Crystal Collier, Hart Johnson, Cherie Reich, Sandra Cox, Yolanda Renee, Melanie Schulz, Sylvia Ney, Michael Abayomi, and Tamara Narayan. 

Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these ten tales will expand your imagination and twist the tropes of science fiction. Step through the portal and enter another dimension! 

Print ISBN 978-1-939844-19-4 $14.95
eBook ISBN 978-1-939844-20-0 $4.99
Buy links: Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, iTunes, Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Goodreads, and the Blog.

Get up to the minutes writerly information from the IWSG Newsletter. Subscribe and win a free gift.

So, what has you feeling insecure today? Here's hoping you'll shake off those blahs and move forward with a positive attitude.

Don't forget to pick up your copy of the Parallels Anthology!