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

 

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 or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

                         Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

The awesome co-hosts for the April 1 posting of the IWSG are Melissa Maygrove, Cathrina Constantine, Kate Larkinsdale, and Rebecca Douglass!

 

 April 1 question - 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?

Oh, you betcha I have songs and playlists.

I have two playlists that I put together years ago that I listen to when I’m writing in the early mornings.

 The first is music from Windham Hill that offered distinctive sounds that became synonymous with the New Age genre that produced acoustic music with folk, classical, and jazz influences. Prominent musicians were William Ackerman, Liz Story, George Winston, Michael Hedges, Alex DeGrassi, to name a few. Here's one of their albums.

My other playlist includes New Age music from Narada, another label from the ‘early 80’s with artists like Paul Speers, and David Lanz. The label evolved through an expansion of formats to include world music, electronica, jazz, acoustic guitar, Celtic music, new flamenco, and piano releases.  

Now, about songs that are relevant to my novel, Love in the Time of Wrinkles  that I’m the process of finding an gent for.

 

The first would be “Kiss of Life”  by Sade. While my novel is fiction, it’s inspired by my true love story. Is there anything more exciting than a first kiss? At any age? 

https://youtu.be/MmOau-PMWJk?si=uSNNPUPny8JsUoaL

https://youtu.be/1qJU8G7gR_g?si=iPUU5veaE4nT8fKl

The second song would be “At Last” by Etta James. When I finally made the move to Mexico after four years of waiting, wanting, and planning, I moved into my second act and all I could think was, at last.

 

And for music during the day writing... 

It's Sky TV's Brazilian station. 

So...

What're yours?

 

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 or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.

                          Today's awesome co-hosts for the March 4  posting are:

  PJ Colando, Ronel Janse van Vuuren and Natalie Aguirre     

The March 4 question: What elements do you include in your book launch? Or what do you have in mind for your future book launch? Or what advice do you have to offer to others planning to launch a book??

 

I come from anther time...

A magical time...

When writing a book was all an author had to do.

When the book was finished...

And the author landed an agent...

And the agent landed a publisher...

And the publisher had the manuscript edited...

And all the details about book cover design, promotion, etc...

Were handled by said publisher.

That was it!

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!

Yeah, the only thing magical about this scenario...

Is my thinking.

Promotion for an author’s book was always necessary...

Before the Internet, and Facebook, and Instagram, and Algorithms etc...

It was all done differently, but still done.

So, getting back to today’s question...

What I’m doing about my book launch?

I’m in the process of putting together a marketing plan... 

And having a more engaging social media presence.

And you?’

What do you do for a book launch?

Or have any ideas to share?

 

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 or let it inspire your post. Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG                                                                                                      Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!                             

The awesome co-hosts for the January 7 posting of the IWSG are Shannon Lawrence, Olga Godim, Jean Davis, and Jacqui Murray!

January 7 question - Is there anything in your writing plans for 2026 that you are going to do that you couldn't get done in 2025?

I watched a YouTube video recently on how to achieve my goals for 2026 

In my case it’s:

- Sending out more queries for my humorous women’s fiction novel

- Landing an agent 

- And getting on the road to publication. 

But, interestingly enough...

I learned that setting my goals wasn’t the main way to achieve them...

It’s prioritizing  one —main—goal...

Focusing on it... 

Filtering out the less important ones...

And, not getting distracted by all those distractions...

They’re everywhere...

On my computer when I’m Googling something...

On my phone social media ... 

And it’s so tempting to open up a reel, and then off my mind goes...

Or I choose a smaller goal because it’s instantly gratifying...

Like designing my next landscape project...

Or organizing my office.

I need to create a pair of blinders...

So that every time my mind or eyes wander a buzzer goes off and a voice says, 

"FOCUS! You can do this!"

.

And what about you?

What do you want to achieve this year that you didn’t last year?

And how do you stay focused or eliminate distractions?

 

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 or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. Remember, this question is optional
           

The awesome co-hosts for the December 3 posting of the IWSG are Tara Tyler, Ronel Janse van Vurren, Pat Garcia, and Natalie Aguirre

December 3 Question: As a writer, what was one of the coolest/best gifts 

you ever received? 

 

I got a gorgeous gift of a pen one Christmas...

From my best friend, also a writer.

 

 

She said she has one just like it...

And uses it all the time when she writes.

Beautiful, no?

And I love it, yes!

But sadly...

I don’t use it.

It’s been sitting in a ceramic jar with all my other pens and pencils for several years now..

Why?

Because I’m very specific about the pens I use.

It’s not about the price, the quality, or how beautiful a pen is... 

For me it’s how it feels in my hand... 

Like the thickness when I hold it...

I like my pens to be more sleek... 

And fit slimly in my hand.

I also like fine pen points — .7 to be exact.

I like the ink to flow freely...

But not a gel pen.

And it can’t weigh heavy between my fingers. 

Me?

My pen preference?

BIC Diamente...

It’s actually made here in Mexico.

One of many countries where they’re made.

And you? 

What’s the coolest/best gift you ever received”

And what’s your pen preference?

 

Always,

Em-Musing

From me here in the Riviera Maya

To all of you in the IWSG.