IWSG May the 4th Be With You (and Five Reasons to Write with Obi-Wan Kenobi)

This post was written in advance and then, life threw a curve at me on Wednesday in the early morning hours. I almost didn't post this, then thought it would be a waste if I didn't, and then thought that the emergency wasn't truly so bad . . .

My mom has bounced back from so many injuries and illnesses that I thought she would be out of the hospital within a matter of hours. Instead, she's still there, struggling to breathe. She won't be home for Mother's Day.

So . . . just so you know . . . I'll run with the guest posts I have planned/prepped in the coming weeks, but I'm not going to post anything new of my own until things calm down.

May the 4th (Force) Be With You!

For IWSG today, I have encouragement from Obi-Wan Kenobi.

5 Wise Reasons to Write with Obi Wan Kenobi (and the Star Wars universe)

1. "Be mindful of your thoughts Anakin. They'll betray you."
Be mindful of your thoughts while writing. Don't let your insecurities betray you. 

2.  "Patience. Use the force. Think."
So, the rough draft just walked into a crowded bar and shape-shifted into something unrecognizable, don't give up. Have patience. Use the writing craft. Think through the problem. (Then, stalk and attack!)

3. "If you spent as much time practicing your saber techniques as you did your wit, you'd rival Master Yoda as a swordsman."
Daydreaming about writing only goes so far. Put pen to paper or hands to keyboard and write! 

4. "Mos Eisley spaceport: You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious."
When confronted with Imperial Storm Troopers of Grammar, the scum of plot issues, and the villainy of harsh critics, don't run away. Just proceed with caution and carry your light-saber silently.

5. "You have taken your first step into a larger world."
Every word takes us on our first steps into a larger world of story writing. Keep it up.

Bonus:  "That's no moon. It's a space station."
Write with high stakes! 


Trivia: Name the movies that go with the quotes.



NEWS
I have news from my writing corner, so I'll share those and then get on to exciting news that I've heard from the blogsphere!

Dynamic Writing 1 is going on sale for the summer from $25.99 to $16.99 in paperback (392 pages of writing instruction)!

The Five Reasons to Write Guest Series will get into full swing with guest posts starting next week! (I had a oops in my last post and said this week because I was too excited.)

Wings of Light Publishing is opening up submissions for Wing's Edge: A Fantastically Short Fiction Anthology. Reading period: May 25th - July 15th for hint, drabble, and flash fiction in the fantasy genre. Theme: Flight/Wings. See this page link more more details.

The Thing That Turned Me: An Anthology is coming soon! ARCs are out and reviews are coming in soon. It's super exciting to be a part of this wonderful group of writers, under the superb direction of Randi Lee.

I found a new market that's just opened up for speculative fiction, and they responded so fast and so positively that I'm super impressed. Check out Between Worlds if you have a speculative short story ready for market! (As always, check their guidelines carefully.)


Books I've read and loved in the last few weeks 
(BTW - I scrapped my rating system idea. Proceed with discernment if you are a young reader.)

Death Duel by Milo James Fowler - action-packed, speculative noir!

The Morrigan's Curse by Diane K. Salerni - an excellent, fun MG read.

Books I haven't read yet, but I'm excited about:
The New IWSG Anthology is out:
Parallels: Felix Was Here