IWSG (DEC)

December dawns and for most of us that probably means frantic shopping, cooking, cleaning, decorating ... and the list goes on. I already feel like my on-line presence is dwindling as time becomes an even greater problem than normal. I had hoped to finish my current round of edits by Christmas but I suspect, in reality, this is unlikely to happen. Still, I guess it's not the end of the world if it creeps into the New Year and I am happy with the way it is progressing, which is the main thing. Any progress is good, right?

“A word after a word after a word is power.” 

― Margaret Atwood

Most days seem to be a fine balancing act between family, home life, friends, work and, oh yeah, that little thing called writing. It is just a fact of life that some days one has to take priority over the others, and family will always come first. My mainly secret life, the one spent with my characters and their trials and tribulations, is never far from my mind though.  It is most definitely 'the little thing' that helps keep me sane. It feeds me through times of trouble and gives me the opportunity to explore and grow. I can not ever imagine not doing it.

"I write to give myself strength. I write to be the characters that I am not. I write to explore all the things I'm afraid of. ” 

― Joss Whedon

Sure, I've got loads of writerly insecurities. I think having a creative mind tends to fuel the insecurities sometimes. We are supposed to be good at making things up after all, but for the last IWSG of 2014 I wanted to finish as I started back in January when I said my key words for the year were going to be positivity and focus. There's been a few wobbles, but on the whole, I think I have striven to maintain that goal. I haven't quite got to the place I hoped to be by the end of the year but I am still confident that I will get there in the end. Here's hoping that 2015 will see me realising a few goals and fulfilling a few of my dreams.  

"This is how you do it: you sit down at the keyboard and you put one word after another until its done. It's that easy, and that hard.” 

― Neil Gaiman

And finally, to all my writing friends out there,I hope that the coming year will bring the following for us all.

“let me live, love, and say it well in good sentences” 

― Sylvia Plath, The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath

 Thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh for founding this amazing group

Thanks also to this months fabulous co-hosts; Heather Gardner, T. Drecker from Kidbits, Eva E. Solar at Lilicasplace, and Patsy Collins


Don't forget to download your FREE copy of IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond.

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group Guide to Publishing and Beyond

Tapping into the expertise of over a hundred talented authors from around the globe, The IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond contains something for every writer. Whether you are starting out and need tips on the craft of writing, looking for encouragement as an already established author, taking the plunge into self-publishing, or seeking innovative ways to market and promote your work, this guide is a useful tool. Compiled into three key areas of writing, publishing, and marketing, this valuable resource offers inspirational articles, helpful anecdotes, and excellent advice on dos and don't s that we all wish we knew when we first started out on this writing journey. 

ISBN 9781939844088
235 pages, FREE 
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