IWSG: Themes in Writing

 

Best of luck to everyone and anyone participating in NaNoWriMo this year! (I'm trying to finish some current WIPs instead). Welcome to the Insecure Writer's Support Group post for November. You can learn more about the IWSG on their website.

 

Our hosts for this month are Kalpana, Kim Lajevardi, Rebecca Douglas, Jennifer Lane, and Cathrina Constantine.

 

 Here's our question for November: As a writer, do you have favorite themes you like to explore in your stories? If so, what are they?

 

One of the themes that I like to explore is group dynamics. You can see some of that in my novel Twinned Universes. The main character, Paul, is a teenager, and his sister and friends are very important to him and the decisions he makes during the story. My fantasy series, The Season Avatars, focuses on a quartet of young women, each with a distinct type of magic that is more effective when they work together. 

 

What are some recurring themes in your stories? Feel free to share them in the comments. 

 

IWSG--Ghostwriters and AI

The year is winding down. I hope you're having a good fall (or spring, if you're in the Southern Hemisphere). I hope you're also ready for another Inscure Writer's Support Group post. Learn more about them on their website and Facebook.

 Our hosts this month are Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Liza at Middle Passages, J.H. Moncrieff, and Jemima Pett.

I'm not sure if the question for October was meant to tie into the spooky season or not, but it's an interesting one: Many people are calling for writers who use AI to disclose it. Most who employ ghostwriters do not admit it -- do you think authors who use ghostwriters should have to disclose that, too?

I'm not personally familiar with ghostwriting, but even a simple Internet search shows that it's a complex topic. Ghostwriters (or just ghosts) are used in other creative fields such as music or art, and this has been going on for hundreds of years, if not longer. Celebrities may employ ghostwriters to help them write memoirs, but it would be unethical for a student to hire a ghostwriter to write a class paper for them. Publishers sometimes use ghostwriters to "help" big name authors put out more books. There are situations where ghostwriters may actually get a byline or other type of acknowledgement for their work. At the very least, ghostwriters are paid for their efforts, and they have the choice as to whether or not to accept a particular project.

In contrast, AI and large language models are based on writing samples that were stolen without the authors' knowledge, consent, or compensation. (I've mentioned before on this blog that I have proof my work, including my own blog, has been fed into AI models, and I will die mad on that hill.) Like humans, AI is also prone to bias and can make mistakes, though I would trust a trained researcher over AI. 

I've been considering this question from the perspective of the true author, but I think this question is meant to consider what's fair to the reader. Ultimately, I do prefer transparency about authorship. Writing is a skill, and being able to write a book says something about a person. If I buy a book because it's by a certain author, I want the named author to be the one who wrote the words, not someone who is very good at imitating their style. If a celebrity hires a ghostwriter, I'll have a different impression of them depending on whether or not I know they hired someone. But I would still prefer a person's writing over AI's.

 How do you feel about ghostwriting or AI writing? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

 

IWSG--Favorite Character Types

 It feels like August passed quite quickly, probably because it was a very busy month for me. Hopefully with my son back at college and our annual food safety audit over at work, September will be a little more mellow.

 

Anyway, it's time for another blog post for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Learn more about them on their website and Facebook group. September is the fifteenth anniversary of this group, so congratulations to Alex J. Cavanaugh, the founder of the IWSG, and everyone else who's been involved!

 

Our hosts for this month are Kate Larkindale, SE White, JS Pailly, Olga Godim, and Natalie Aguirre.

 

Here's our question for September: Do you have a favorite character archetype you tend to gravitate toward in your writing?

 

I used the Beatles as models for my four Season Avatars in my fantasy series. Yes, there is a smart one, a cute one, and a quiet one (though I wouldn't say there's a funny one), but the modeling is also about the roles my magicians play in the group. Although two of them tend to be more dominant personality-wise, the other two have their own ways of influencing the group. I suppose the Beatles themselves might be considered archetypes (though as individuals each of them is more complex than an archetype). I'm sure some of my other characters could also be considered archetypes, though I can't think of how to label them at the moment.

 

Do you have a favorite character archetype? If so, feel free to share it in the comments. 

 

 

IWSG: No Regrets

It's only early August, but it feels like summer is almost over. My month will be busy at work and with preparing to move my son back to college. Hopefully you have more exciting plans for August.

One thing we can always plan on is the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Look for them on their website and Facebook group.

Our hosts this month are Shannon Lawrence, Diedre Knight, Liza, and Pat Garcia.

Here's our question for August: As a writer/author, what is something you regret? Or something that you wish you'd done differently in your writing process?

 At this point in my life, I don't want to waste my emotional energy on regrets. Certainly there are plenty of instances where I could have tried to be more conventionally successful or self-publish or promote myself more effectively, but I've accepted them. Given that I had a day job and a young child when I started indie publishing, it was a lot of work to publish as much as I did. And while I do wish I had more time for my original stories, the ones I am writing for the Good Omens fandom get more engagement than my indie-published work. Hopefully at some point I can return to my Season Avatars world and continue the story of Gwen, Jenna, Ysabel, and Kay. There are trade-offs to everything, and you just have to accept that.

Do you have writing regrets? If so, feel free to share them in the comments. 

 

IWSG: Finding An Audience

 

Apologies for missing the June post for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. We were on a family trip, and by the time I remembered, it was too late to post. There's always another month, right? Anyway, welcome to the second half of 2026. Links to the IWSG website and Facebook group are here.

Our hosts for this month are Rebecca M. Douglass, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Cathrina Constantine, and Jacqui Murray.

Here's our question for July: Is there anything you'd like to see changed, added, and/or rearranged about the book publishing industry?

I haven't indie published anything for a few years, and it's been even longer since I've had a short story published in an anthology, so I'm not current in the industry at the moment. For me, the hardest part has always been finding the right audience for my work. I'm not a fast writer or one who writes to market, which makes promotion difficult. There are lots of books chasing fewer and fewer readers. I'm not sure if this is something that can be changed; certainly, I'd love to see reading more encouraged. Perhaps there are better ways of describing books to entice readers. Some readers actively look for specific tropes that they like, but I think it's also helpful to include the unique details that make make a particular book resonate for a particular reader. 

How would you change the publishing industry? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. 

 

IWSG: Inspiring Feedback

 

Welcome to another Insecure Writer's Support Group blog post, where we connect with other writers. Learn more about the IWSG on their website and Facebook page.

 

Our hosts for this month are Jenni Enzor, Jemima Pett, Jamie of Uniquely Maladjusted but Fun, and Kim Lajevardi.

 

Here's our question for the month: What was the most inspiring feedback you received from readers, including agents, editors, and beta readers?

 

Without going into too much detail, one reader's comment on a work-in-progress led me to develop a backstory for a side character that not only worked well for character development but helped advance the main plot. They were very engaged with my story, at least up to the climax. (I'm not sure if they ever read the ending.) It's the engagement with other writers and readers that keeps me motivated to write.

 

What kind of feedback inspires you? Feel free to share in the comments.

IWSG: Music to Write By

 No fooling, the Insecure Writer's Group is sharing blog posts today. Learn more about them on their website or Facebook page. 

Our hosts this month are Melissa Maygrove, Catherina Constantine, Kate Larkinsdale, and Rebecca Douglass.

 Here's our question for April: If you have a playlist (or could put one together) that either gets you in the groove to write or fits with one of your books, what is it? What type of music or what songs?

I'm probably among the minority of writers, but I'm not a playlist kind of person. There are songs that remind me of certain characters or situations, but I don't have enough free time to match up songs to an entire novel. I do listen to music when I write. Often I'll just search for whatever song I'm in the mood for on YouTube, but if I feel lyrics will be too distracting, I'll listen to classical or harp music instead.

If you make playlists, how do you do it? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.