IWSG: Scary Ghost Stories

 

Welcome to October! The year seems to be moving along faster as we get closer to the end, doesn't it?

It's time again for another Insecure Writer's Support Group post. Learn more about the IWSG on their website and Facebook page.

Our hosts this month are Nancy Gideon, Jennifer Lane, Jacqui Murray, and Natalie Aguirre. 

Here's the question for this month: Ghost stories fit right in this month. What's your favorite classic ghostly tale? Tell us about it and why it sends shivers up your spine.

This is a tough question to answer. I read a lot of fantasy/paranormal cozy mysteries, but I don't find them particularly scary. I'm going to jump ahead in the season a bit and choose Dicken's A Christmas Carol with the ghosts of Marley, Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future. Even if ghosts aren't real but metaphors, it can still be scary to look at traumas from your past and realize how little future you have left. 

Enjoy the fall season, and I'll see you again in November!

IWSG: English Rules Worth Breaking

After a busy summer, it's good to be back for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Learn more about the IWSG on their website. 

Our hosts this month are Beth Camp, Jean Davis, Yvonne Ventresca, and PJ Colando.

Our question this month has to do with school and English rules: Since it's back to school time, let's talk English class. What's a writing rule you learned in school that messed you up as a writer?

I didn't learn these rules in creative writing classes, but from writing books. The two rules I would put here would be to avoid adverbs and "said-bookisms" (other words to use besides "said"). I think these rules are writer rules, not necessarily something the average reader would consciously notice. I don't avoid adverbs completely; instead, I tend to use them to achieve the right nuance, or to push against the verb that's being modified.

I will admit that I'm more hesitant to use said-bookisms. To me, they can draw attention to themselves, especially if they're not physically possible or if several of them are used in a row. I prefer to use physical actions or descriptions to identify the speaker to break up a list of "saids," That said (pun intended), I'm experimenting a bit more with said-bookisms and adverbs lately. As long as they're used in moderation, they are useful writing tools. I think once you have a certain level of writing experience, you can tell when to use adverbs and said-bookisms and when not to.

What writing rules have you had to unlearn? Feel free to share them in the comments.

Super Crazy Summer

Last week was the first time in years that I missed posting for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. By the time I remembered it, it was already too late to post. However, I do have some very good reasons for not fitting it in.

For starters, we've been busy with long-overdue home renovations this summer. We replaced our decrepit deck with a patio, but the biggest change was removing all the carpet and replacing it with wood laminate. We split the project into two stages for the first and second floors. It would have been impossible to do it otherwise, since we had to move things from floor to floor. Although the second floor was finished nearly three weeks ago, I still haven't finished setting my office back to rights. Some of that is due to searching for a replacement desk, but my time's been limited for other reasons described below.

My son's school (a private one that he's attended since kindergarten), closed permanently this year due to declining enrollment. We've known about this since last November. It was a big shock at first, but the students on the whole have shown resiliency and made the most of their final year together. In the meantime, we found him a new school for his senior year. Since he's interested in the military, he'll be attending a boarding school that's also a military academy. This way, he'll be able to see if the military really is a good fit for him. This will be a big change for the entire family, and there's been a lot of work involved in preparing for his new school. I think it will be a good experience for him. Alex's old school offered a special summer session for juniors, so he was attending summer school until the end of July.

The day after summer school ended, we took a short trip to Washington D.C. We were there for about three and a half days, but we still managed to pack in a lot of sightseeing. We saw some of the memorials, two parts of the Smithsonian (American History and Natural History), the National Archives, the Capitol, and the Library of Congress. We also met with friends and took a ghost tour. (The photo was taken at the end of the tour.) I think I set a personal record for daily steps!

Anyway, my son leaves home next Friday, and the following Monday marks the beginning of our unannounced recertification audit window at work. The craziness never ends; it just shifts about to different aspects of my life. It's a miracle I got any writing done this summer! 

Despite everything, I expect to be back to my regular blogging schedule next month. Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll even be able to blog from our patio.

IWSG: How Do You Write?

Welcome back to another Insecure Writer's Support Group post! Learn more about the IWSG on their website or Facebook page.

Our hosts this month are J.S. Pailly, Rebecca Douglass, Pat Garcia, Louise-Fundy Blue, and Natalie Aguirre.

Our question for July is a technical one: What are your favorite writing processing, writing apps, software, and tools? Why do you recommend them? And which one is your all-time favorite that you cannot live without and use daily or at least whenever you write?

Honestly, I just use Microsoft Word. I think I've used it since I started writing back in the 90s, though I may have used WordPerfect as well. Word does everything I need it to do (I'm more of a pantser than a plotter; any outline I do make tends to be a collection of phrases), I'm familiar enough with it that I can format my manuscripts in it (though I also have a template that I purchased with unlimited usage), and it works well across devices. I can and do seamlessly switch from writing on my phone (a pain, but sometimes the most portable and convenient option) to my tablet to my laptop. I will occasionally write notes for stories in Sticky Notes, primarily because the app also allows me to port it from device to device.

Do you stick to simple word processing programs, or do you use more elaborate ones designed for writing fiction? Feel free to share in the comments.

IWSG: Ask What the IWSG Can Do For You

 Here we are at June already. The days are long (not long enough to get all my writing done, alas!), but the years are long. At least we have the Insecure Writers Support Group to help us. Learn more about them on their website and Facebook group.

Our hosts this month are Liza at Middle Passages, Shannon Lawrence, Melissa Maygrove, and Olga Godim.

We have an interesting question this month: In this constantly evolving industry, what kind of offering/service do you think the IWSG should consider offering its members?

As an indie author, I need to outsource tasks such as graphics and cover design. Therefore, the first thing I thought of was a list of highly recommended freelancers for editing, covering design, layout, or other writing/publishing related tasks. I'm not sure if writers who are planning to publish traditionally need these services, but at the least they might be interested in editors.

What more would you like to see from the IWSG? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

 

IWSG: Writing While Distracted

Welcome to May! I hope you're enjoying the spring flowers if they're still around. (Spring seems to be coming earlier and earlier.) With the start of another month, we have another post for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Learn more about them on their website and Facebook. 

Our hosts this month are Victoria Marie Lees, Kim Lajevardi, Nancy Gideon, and Catherina Constantine.

Here's our question for this month: How do you deal with distractions when you are writing? Do they derail you?

As a working parent, I don't have much time to write. That means I have to make the most of sub-optimal writing time, when there are other things going on around me. I've had to write while waiting for my son to be done with an activity or write in places where people think it's OK to talk to me while I'm obviously got my tablet open. So yes, I do face a lot of distractions, but how problematic they are depends on the situation. If I'm already having trouble getting into the POV or I'm not sure what to say next, distractions become even more distracting. If I do manage to get into a state of writing flow, then it's easier to tune out distractions. 

As far as actively trying to manage distractions while writing, I do this by controlling my environment when possible. Sometimes working at a familiar location or picking music that works as background noise helps. Other times, deliberately going somewhere to write, such as to a library or a coffee shop, makes me feel like I have to be more productive to justify the trip. Putting in extra effort helps me focus more.

What are your tips for dealing with distractions? Free free to share your tips in the comments. 

IWSG: Blogging History

T.S. Eliot may have thought April the cruelest month, but I've always been fond of it. (I'm biased, since my birthday is at the end of the month.) In addition to bringing better weather, April brings us another blog post for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Here's their website and Facebook page. 

Our hosts this month are Janet Alcorn, T. Powell Coltrin, Natalie Aguirre, and Pat Garcia.

This month, we've been asked to discuss blogging. Specifically, "How long have you been blogging? What do you like about it and how has it changed?"

I started this blog back in 2005, soon after getting married. At first, it was a way to keep in touch with some of my college friends who were also bloggers. Gradually, it morphed into a writing blog, though I do still post personal news on here occasionally. I enjoyed blogging the most when I was using it to connect with other writers. I'm still Facebook friends with some of the writers that I met through blog chains or the Blog Ring of Power. I've participated in the Blogging from A-Z Challenge several times. At my peak, I was blogging Monday-Friday regularly; now, I'm down to monthly posts. Life's gotten busier since 2005, since I'm now a parent. What writing time I do have I prefer to devote to my stories, especially the ones that have taken over my brain. Perhaps there will come a day when I drop this blog completely and focus on other social media sites. If that happens, I'll be sure to make sure people can still find me online.

What's your blogging history? Feel free to share in the comments.