Contents of this post:
IWSG
On a personal note
Journaling
IWSG
It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement. We post the first Wednesday of every month. I encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.
The awesome co-hosts for the January 5 posting of the IWSG are Erika Beebe, Olga Godim, Sandra Cox, Sarah Foster, and Chemist Ken!
OPTIONAL QUESTION: January 5 question - What's the one thing about your writing career you regret the most? Were you able to overcome it?
My short answer: My tendency to leap out of the gate with my books has caused me the most regret with self-publishing.
I've overcome this by getting some professional editing. This does not mean that my books are mistake free, but they are closer than they were without professional editing.
Ironically and conversely, with short story and poetry writing, my biggest regret is not sending things out quickly. I have had stories with errors in them get accepted for publication after I work with the editors to fix them, so while I am not advocating sending short stories and poems out without any kind of edit, I know from personal experience that my own private editing is usually good enough for short stories and poems to find their way into the world. What matters most in the short story and poetry world of publication through magazines is reading the specifics of a publication's submission guidelines and then following those guidelines as best as possible.
IWSG Anthology
And with that, I offer my great congratulations to the winners of the 2021 IWSG Anthology Contest: The Art of Making Donuts!
The Art of Making Doughnuts - Linda Budzinski
Paper Faces - Sylvia Ney
The Real Thing - Sammi Spizziri
My Heart Approves - Melissa Maygrove
Oliver’s Girl - Michael Di Gesu
Clyde and Coalesce - Kim Chan
My First Love(s) - Templeton Moss
How to Save a Princess - Katie Klein
The Castle of Ohno - SE White
Marmalade Sunset - Denise Covey
#IWSGPit is this month!
If you’ve never participated in a Twitter pitch party, this is your chance.
Dozens have signed book contracts as a result – you could be next.
Visit the #IWSGPit page for the rules and hashtags. And then join us on January 26!
On a personal note:
On a personal note, if you have seen my recent Facebook posts, then you know 2022 started out with a whollop for me. My mom went to the ER twice and the second time stayed the night. My dad had major dental surgery while she was in the hospital. Appointments followed. I cleaned their house and found some hard evidence of memory loss and confusion. My mom admitted to not knowing which side of the road she needs to drive on and my dad's hands are getting harder for him to use. Major conversations and decisions are at work about long-term care. So, this is to say, I may or may not be quick to reply here or to visit your blogs. I will do my best and will probably come visit late.
Journaling
When life overwhelms, I journal. When life is good, I journal. I use my journal to vent, create, list out what needs to be done for the day/week/month/year, write poetry, write short story starts, write out plot points, and brainstorm more general ideas. I take notes on Bible studies, sermons, and devotionals. I write down my current favorite quotes. I write reflections and stories from real life.
According to numerous studies, journaling can help people process emotions, increase/retain memory, and increase/retain creativity. I have found all of this to be true in my own journaling life.
And so, whatever type of writing you do, essay, story, poetry, novel, scriptwriting, I recommend journaling for life, for creativity, for your mindset. It has helped me find the silver lining in the stormy days, and it has helped me retain my creative spark in the mud of life.
This is my writing tip/encouragement for the month: try journaling.
And, if you don't feel comfortable with it, try list-journaling, talk-to-text journaling, or art journaling. There are many methods for journaling out there.
Also, I will be posting some slightly different content via my newsletter. When I finish it for this month, it will include some info about vision boards, motivational playlists, news about what I've been writing, and a small repeat about journaling. If you are interested in any of that, please subscribe
HERE.
