It’s the Monthly Blog Hop for the Insecure Writers Support Group founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh.

The first Wednesday of every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or    story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post.  

    Be sure to visit the Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website. 

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

Today's hosts are: Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Liza at Middle Passages, JH Moncrieff, and Jemima Pett!

October 7 question - 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?(Thanks Melissa Maygrove for the question!)

 

Lately, I have been asked by agents if anything I am sending them has been generated by AI. My answer is no and always will be. 

 

Okay,  about today’s question... 

I’m only going to talk about AI and professional writing.

With all the questions floating around about AI... 

It made me wonder...

Does Grammarly count?

What about the thesaurus feature Microsoft Word? 

Or other software? 

Here’s my take...

If simple information already exists in a program...

And all the program is doing is retrieving it...

I don’t consider that AI generated.

But when AI generates something specifically for you...

It’s different...

It’s getting info from its artificial neurons (brain)...

And while it may look like it is composing original material... 

It’s actually only offering something it garnered from billions... 

Of already existing sentences, and everything else out there...

Analyzing it all, playing around with it, and then spitting out what looks like original text. 

And it sure looks good, doesn’t it?

And so fast!

I can see why many lazy writers...

Or those writers with no talent...

Would use it.

But for me and my creative writing?

It’s generated only by me.

Now, about ghost writers...

When authors like James Patterson and Stephen King

Put coauthors name on their book’s cover... 

Is it the same as authors being a ghost writer or not?

What’s your take on all this?

 

Always,

Em-Musing

 

 

It’s the Monthly Blog Hop for the Insecure Writers Support Group founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. 

The first Wednesday of every month, an optional question is announced that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience, or even a story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post. Be sure to visit the Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website.

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

This month’s awesome co-hosts for September 2 posting of the IWSG are Kate Larkinsdale, SE  JS Pailly, Olga Godim, and Natalie Aguirre!  

 

September 2 question - Do you have a favorite character archetype you tend to gravitate toward in your writing?

Remember, the question is optional! 

Of course I know what an archetype is, 

But I never thought about defining my characters...  

Curious, I Goggled it and found this: 

The Twelve Character Archetypes: A Guide For Writers...

On the Jericho Writers site.

Interesting how many there are:

The Sage, the Innocent, The Explorer, The Rebel, The Hero,

The Magician or Wizard, The Jester, The Everyman, The Lover, 

The Caregiver.

And then I wondered about me.. What am I?

Turns out I am part Jester, part Lover.

So? do you have a favorite archetype for your characters?

And which archetype are you?

 

Also, I found an older post that I wrote years ago... 

And just for giggles, because I am part Jester...

I’m reposting it now.

Have a great holiday weekend!!

CAUTION: WRITER THINKING!

Writing can be dangerous!

Well, not the actual physical writing part…

But the thinking, envisioning, and fantasizing part…

Because you can do it anywhere ...

Like driving on the highway… 

Concocting a plot twist…

At 75 mph!

And then after about ten minutes…

You look around and go…

“Where the hell am I?

Caution: Writer Thinking!

Or like when you’re putting on mascara….

With a wand that has hundreds of hard bristles…

That could potentially blind you.

But deep in your brain cells…

Your envisioning which actor your hero looks like…

When—OW! 

You just poked your eyeball!

Caution: Writer Thinking!

And then there’re times when you’re at a party…

And all you want to do is find a corner… 

And think of a name for your heroine…

But instead, the most boring person in the world…

Has cornered you…

Telling you about one of their boring dreams…

When suddenly they ask you…

“So? “What do you think my dream means?”

Now you’re desperate…

And you realize you don’t have a clue…

But…

You have to say something 

So, you smile sincerely and say something stupid like…

“Well, I hope all your dreams come true.

He then glares at you and snarks back, I dreamed I died.  

Caution: Writer Thinking!

So, for all those who live with a writer…

Or heaven forbid, are driving with a writer…

Be on the lookout for that glazed and fixed stare…

Because...

Caution: Writer Thinking

 

Always, 

Em-Musing

 

 

 

LOST TIME

 

It’s the Monthly Blog Hop for the Insecure Writers Support Group founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. 

The first Wednesday of every month, an optional question is announced that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience, or even a story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post. 

                  Be sure to visit the Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website.      Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

 The Awesome co-hosts today are:

                          Shannon Lawrence, Diedre Knight, Liza, and Pat Garcia!

August 5 question - As a writer/author what is something you regret? Or something that you wish you'd done differently in your writing process?

Remember, the question is optional! 

I regret not taking my writing seriously way back when... 

I had always been writing poems, short stories, and other ditties...

But I didn't see a career in writing.

Eventually,  I became a copywriter for radio, TV, video, & film...

But I regret the time it took for me to realize I had talent...

My insecurities held me back

And then when I began writing novels...

I regret it took me even more time to consider trying to get published

My insecurities held me back

Ah, well . . .  as the French say —c'est la vie. 

And speaking of the French...

I was in Paris some years ago staying in an Airbnb...

I had one day alone before my next round of family and friends arrived...

So I sat down at the desk that was there and thought I'd get inspiration to write something amazing—by mere osmosis!

I mean. . . I was in the  city where Hemingway, Fitzgerald,  Stein,

Joyce, Ezra Pound, Miller and countess other authors had created some of their most creative works... 

Something creative should have seeped into me.

But mais non...

Frustrated, I did a  French thing and let something else seep into me.

OK, there was only a few drops left in the bottle of champaign I had the night before and I thought just a few golden droplets would somehow rally my muse. 

Mais non. 

Ah well...

I should have remembered the only thing alcohol has ever given me... 

Was a headache the next morning.

Now, at this time of my life...

I don't want to waste anymore time being insecure.

What about you?

Do you have something you regret? 

Or something that you wish you'd done differently in your writing process?

Are you insecure?

Always,

Em-Musing

WHAT?

 

It’s the Monthly Blog Hop for the Insecure Writers Support Group founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. 

The first Wednesday of every month, an optional question is announced that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience, or even a story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post. Remember, the question optional.  

                  Be sure to visit the Insecure Writer’s Support Group Website.

                        Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

The awesome co-hosts for the July 1 posting of the IWSG are Rebecca Douglass, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Cathrina Constantine, and Jacqui Murray!

 

July 1 question - Is there anything you'd like to see changed, added, and/or rearranged about the book publishing industry? 

Anyone who has queried their manuscript... 

Or other writings to an agent, publisher, or wherever... 

Can tell you it can be a long and arduous journey...

And, more often than not...

You'll get either a quick decline with no explanation...

Or there’s no response after months of waiting... 

And you’re left wondering—WHAT?

What didn’t they like?

So, to answer today’s question...

If I could add something to the publishing industry...

It would be new technology for responding to queries called...

SPECIAL AGENT GLASSES 

They would work like this:

An agent would wear the glasses while reading a submission... 

Their thoughts about the submission would transfer to the temple part of the glasses...

And because the temple part of the glasses is by your temple (close enough to the brain)...

The agent’s thoughts would be transmitted via some new technology...

And sent back to the writer’s email submission...

With an answer or decision...

But before the agent’s thoughts were actually sent...

An AI Sensitivity Program would have captured the agent’s thoughts...

And edited them into a helpful response to the writer... 

So they’d know exactly what the agent was thinking about when reviewing their query or submission package...

And this would be done within minutes...

Not days, weeks, months…and sometime never.

Agents workload would decrease and they'd be happy...

And writers would be ecstatic for knowing WHAT.

It'd be a win/win situation.

Yeah, I know it’s not possible now...

But who knows the future, right?

Thoughts?

Hey Meta…let’s talk.

 

Always, 

Em-Musing

BIT BY BIT

 

It’s the Monthly Blog Hop for the Insecure Writers Support Group founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. 

The first Wednesday of every month, an optional question is announced that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience, or even a story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post. Remember, the question optional. 

                  Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!                           Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG. 

Today's posting  posting of the IWSG are Victoria Marie Lees, Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, and Lee McKenzie!

June 3 question – Do most of your story ideas come from one place (the news, dreams, etc.) or do they hit from all over the place?

Call it inspiration...

Call it my Muse...

Call it what you will...

But ideas come to me at will...

Like a poem, a short story, or some other little ditty.

But once...

A bit of an idea came to me while I was in the shower and I dismissed it....

Then the next day more bits came to me in the shower...

Again, I dismissed them.

This happened for more than a few weeks...

And the bits turned into big bits... 

And I started to keep a notebook in the shower...

Well, not in the shower, but you know what I mean. 

Then often many bits would come so fast... 

I had to jump out soaking wet just to write them all down.

After almost a year...

I looked at my notes and thought, I think I have a book here. 

And that’s when I decided to write the novel. 

Then, after a year or so…

And having gone down many paths of research...

I finished it.

But more years would go by before I even thought to get it published.

Where my muse then? 

And...

What about you?

Where do your ideas come from?

 

Always, 

Em-Musing

 

The first Wednesday of every month, an optional question is announced that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience, or even a story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post. Remember, the question optional.

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world! Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

May 6 posting of the IWSG are Jenni Enzor, Jemima Pett, Jamie of Uniquely Maladjusted but Fun, and Kim Lajevardi! 

May 6 question - What was the most inspiring feedback you received from readers, including agents, editors, and beta readers.

It seems like a lifetime ago...

That I went to a writer’s seminar in Pasadena...

And had a one-on-one with a prominent agent...

Who represented John Updike - The Witches of Eastwick

And—woo hoo—my story had witches.

I had sent a partial a few weeks before my meeting...

And when I met him, he told me, he liked the premise of the story…

And said to send the whole manuscript...

And I did...

And this is what he sent back

 At my next writer group meeting...

I was starry-eyed and flying high...

And showed the women what the agent had sent back ...

But all the writers in the group... 

Were romance writers with RWA...

And didn’t have an agent...

They were contracted directly with a publisher who did the editing .

My story, however, was not in the romance category...

It was religious horror.

(yes, I know…but these women took me under their wing)

I then queried publishers who handled horror...

But no nibbles.

**sigh**

I was too naïve and insecure to contact the agent again...

And eventually I let the ball drop on this manuscript.

**sigh**

Years later... 

I self-pub’d.

I really don’t ever want to self-pub again...

I did not enjoy the process...

It was painstaking.

But now...

I’m querying to agents for Love in the Time of Wrinkles...

A humorous work of Upmarket Women’s Fiction—

That and has been read by several professional betas and they loved the story...

(and no, the betas were neither family members or friends)

It has also been fully edited by a paid editor...

But after many, many many queries...

This one too is  getting declined.

**sigh**

      WHY?

So? 

Is this my destiny?

I’m a good writer...

But getting an agent and seeing my book in a bookstore is never going to happen?

But ya know what?

If I have to self-pub again (damn it), I will.

So?

What’s your story?

 May it make me smile.

Always, 
Em-Musing