Creative Activities #IWSG

InsecureWritersSupportGroup.com

Shout-out to Alex and the awesome co-hosts for today:

Diedre Knight, Lisa Buie Collard , Kim Lajevardi, and JQ Rose!

Nov 6 question -

What creative activity do you engage in when you're not writing?

I haven't made much time for other activities recently. I do have some background in sewing, weaving, and bead art. I make good jerky. I have pretty good skills in trapping and natural weapons. (Instead of Cabela's, I go into the forest with nothing or nearly nothing, and survive with whatever I happen upon. 🏹 It depends on how long I'll be there.) 

Some people have given me flack over my skill of being able to turn, for example, deerskin into pants. Or to adorn something with beads. 

"Isn't that a feminine skill?"

In case you're about to take that stance, let me be clear. I have never whipped out a 🍆 reproductive organ to sew with, nor do I know anyone who has. But if you think a needle 🧵 and thread are held with such a body part, you have very different tastes in erotica and crafts than I do. 

Also, no, I don't sell those crafts. I don't do these activities often, just on occasion. 

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"The Harris-Walz campaign released a statement that more than 70 tribal and Native American leaders endorse Harris as president.
Begay said the Native Americans for Harris-Walz program’s goal is to organize and uplift the work of tribal citizens, leaders and organizations that has already been done and provide support to them." - https://ictnews.org/news/how-a-harris-walz-administration-would-impact-native-people-

I am writing this month. Due to policy shifts and last year's debacle, I am not officially participating in NaNoWriMo this year. Best wishes to those who are. 

#IWSG and #WEP Spooky Time #ghost #stories #Horror Horrorfest 2024

InsecureWritersSupportGroup.com

Shout-out to Alex and the awesome co-hosts for today: Nancy Gideon, Jennifer Lane, Jacqui Murray, and Natalie Aguirre!

October 2 question -

Ghost stories fit right in during this month. What's your favorite classic ghostly tale? Tell us about it and why it sends chills up your spine.

Classic ghost tales... classic... ummm.... 🤔
The Woman in White - as seen in the tv show Supernatural. A vengeful spirit who can cause pain and death, all while begging for help and being unaware she's not alive. I guess that sounds scary to me, enough for this prompt at least.

There's a better one I know, but to mention the word, especially in print, is forbidden. (Not that people outside of the culture don't use it. They do. Including a version in the show Supernatural. Season 1 Episode 2. Right there in the title of the episode is the word that should not be used, especially in print. Sorry, this isn't like "fear of a name only increases fear..." blah blah Harry Potter quote. No, it isn't like that. BUT ANYWAY)

Allow me to present links to some of my reviews of horror novels:

• https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4319398401  The Cure by Patricia Josephine Lynne 
• https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2952218899 The Phantom Forest by Liz Kerin
• https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2701846118 Twisted Tales by Deborah A Stansil
• https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2123074471 Caught in Between (The In-Betweens, #1) by Alison L. Perry
• https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2102749649 The Snowman (Detective Quaid #0.5) by Yolanda Renee
• https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1872165572 The Miniature Golf Course Murders (River Corners Mysteries Book 2) by Sara Penhallow

Here's a mini "lite horror" (more mystery/ myth) novella. https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1015003

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https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2024/10/wep-halloween-flash-fiction-special.html
FEAR THEMby J Lenni Dorner

Mother taps on the tallest, oldest tree in the forest. "Be careful, my child, for they will come for you. The time will never come when you can let down your guard. Our people have suffered for hundreds of years from this danger. Do you see this tree?"

I nod.

"The danger has existed longer than this tree has lived. Put your arms around it. Feel the years the tree has stood."

I hug the tree. The bark scratches the delicate skin on my young cheeks. My arms cannot wrap even halfway around the tree. "Why do they come for us?"

She frowns. "That question does not matter. You must focus on not being taken. Not only would you be separated from your family and home, but from yourself."

"From myself?" I rub a spot on the tree where the bark has been removed.

She pulls at my chin so I meet her stare. "The very essence of your being. All that you believe, all the knowledge your father and I have imparted, it would be taken. You would not know nature, and it would no longer know you. For that is their way. They do not share our connection to life. This is why we stay apart from them. To be taken by them is a horror beyond repair." 

The lesson was said before and would be taught again many times. 

Too bad I didn't listen well enough.

They came for me. And all that my parents warned proved to be true. Far worse than what they claimed. 

"Mother? Father? I have returned!" It took many years to find them again.

"We see you. But you cannot return beyond visits." Father hangs his head. The campfire illuminates the tears on Mother's face.

"I am myself. I know nature."

Mother tisks. "Nature does not know you as it once did. You are not who you were. The change is clear."

I still see myself. They see a changed being. I sit at the fire, staring at the flames.

"Show us that you are aware. Point out all that we see, the proof of your difference." Father motions his hand up and down, as if pointing out all of my variations.

I start at my feet and work my way up. By the time I've listed twenty differences, I stop. "They did separate me from myself."

Mother wipes her tears. "Awareness is the true horror. Some are spared knowing. I'm sorry you were not."

Father extinguishes the fire. "Soon the sun will rise. You will go. Perhaps, one day, you might return to us. I wish it could be as who you were. We cannot save you, nor turn you back."

I move to the river, wishing I could wash myself clean of the changes, though I know there is no river strong enough to clean what remains of me.  

FCA 477 words

Tag: Some changes cannot be undone.

#IWSG Writing Rules Mess Up Writers

InsecureWritersSupportGroup.com

Shout-out to Alex and the awesome co-hosts for today:

Beth Camp, Jean Davis, Yvonne Ventresca, and PJ Colando!

Sept 4 question -

Since it's back to school time, let's talk English class. What's a writing rule you learned in school that messed you up as a writer?

I don't really remember any rules that messed me up back then. Years later, the "rule" about not putting more than four characters in an opening chapter was difficult to manage. Most rules for writers are broken all the time.


Finding Forrester 🎬

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📚https://www.nationalbook.org/adventure/Summer Reading Adventure (based in the United States). 🕮 Adventurers must submit by August 31, 2024. I plan to keep track this summer here, on my blog.


Completed!

AI in writing #IWSG #WEP

InsecureWritersSupportGroup.com

Shout-out to Alex and the awesome co-hosts for today:

Feather Stone, Kim Lajevardi, Diedre Knight, C. Lee McKenzie, and Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen!

Aug 7 question -

Do you use AI in your writing and if so how? Do you use it for your posts? Incorporate it into your stories? Use it for research? Audio?

Not really. I have Grammarly, but I use that as a spelling and grammar check. I do use the proofread option on https://wordcounter.net but I'm not sure that's really AI. Text-to-speech isn't especially new technology.  

https://www.grammarly.com/referrals/redeem?key=jj7qkjax276b5hju

I feel like we've had this discussion question before. I tried AI to rewrite my book summary/ "back page." 

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📚https://www.nationalbook.org/adventure/Summer Reading Adventure (based in the United States). 🕮 Adventurers must submit by August 31, 2024. (There doesn't appear to be an actual "signing up" stage. You just kinda do the activities.) I plan to keep track of these this summer on my blog.

I'm not sure what genres I haven't read? 
https://kingdompen.org/genres-youve-never-heard-of/

Cli-fi  -- Anyone have a suggestion? 

Cashier Memoir?
Solarpunk? (This sounds really interesting...) 
Growing Seeds from Stones: A solarpunk novella  I found this. Does anyone have any better suggestions?

Life tossed a lot of curveballs my way. My spouse and I dealt with the loss of a cherished family member. Which resulted in dealing with the state of Florida. I was nearly deported. (DO THE MATH, I'm a Native American. 👨🏽 I've got over 10,000 years of ancestors beneath my feet. Even when you build a stupid freaking convenience store and gas station over their burial sites, it is still sacred ground. Put a few fuel pumps on Arlington ⛽ and watch people get all protest-y, but do it to us -- no one cares. This is the place where generations of my people spilled blood. Where are they going to sell me? That was the case my lawyer made. I was very lucky to be saved.) 

I'm not calm. I want to make noise. There's a woman running for President, and a nutjob running for Emperor. "In four years you don’t have to vote again." -verified source (Sometimes it comes with a claim that he just means he'll change everything in four years. Other times, there's mention of Project 2025 and Agenda 47, where the American government is dismantled and replaced by a Monachy of sorts. "Dictator for life.") My spouse and I are terrified of November. I remember being attacked four years ago by "red hat" people. 🥚Egged on my way into a hospital. That's the dystopian nightmare that could happen again soon.

I'm trying to get back into writing and reading more. Honestly, I'm dealing with PTSD stuff and just fighting for my mental health right now. And looking at the real possibility of letting down my ancestors by fleeing our land next year. My spouse has family in Europe. I don't know. We don't desire to leave. But it might be our only way to survive. I can't do another 4 or more years of being under constant threat. I do not have it in me. 

Writing Software #IWSG @ScrivenerApp @ScrivenerCoach

InsecureWritersSupportGroup.com

Shout-out to Alex and the awesome co-hosts for today: JS Pailly, Rebecca Douglass, Pat Garcia, Louise-Fundy Blue, and Natalie Aguirre!

July 3 question -

What are your favorite writing processing (e.g. Word, Scrivener, yWriter, Dabble), writing apps, software, and tools? Why do you recommend them? And which one is your all time favorite that you cannot live without and use daily or at least whenever you write?

Joseph Michael's course on using the Scrivener App, the writing program, really helped me. Plot Your Book In A Month...With Scrivener by Stephanie Draven REALLY helped. (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25816650-plot-your-book-in-a-month-with-scrivener My review has mysteriously vanished. The book is no longer for sale, so... sorry. 🤷🏽‍♂️)

I like the way I can organize by Chapter. Also, I like the split-screen option, so I can have my notes up in one area and type in the other. Before Scrivener, I would open multiple instances of Word, or multiple tabs on Google Docs, or have notepad open as well as the word processor. 

Scrivener requires some learning to be useful. Just messing around isn't honestly the best way to master it because there are cool hidden features. Apparently, there's a fair difference between Windows and Mac.

I dislike it when I'm in the midst of a project and the app wants to be updated the next day, and then I have to figure out how to navigate the changes. I love the autosave feature (set to however many seconds). I've never used an "app" version on a mobile device, so I cannot speak to that. 
  

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📚https://www.nationalbook.org/adventure/Summer Reading Adventure (based in the United States). 🕮 Adventurers must submit by August 31, 2024. (There doesn't appear to be an actual "signing up" stage. You just kinda do the activities.) I plan to keep track this summer here, on my blog.

IWSG, Summer Reading Adventure, WEP, updates

InsecureWritersSupportGroup.com

Shout-out to Alex and the awesome co-hosts for today: Liza at Middle Passages, Shannon Lawrence, Melissa Maygrove, and Olga Godim!

June 5 question - In this constantly evolving industry, what kind of offering/service do you think the IWSG should consider offering to members?

I'm happy with this monthly bloghop check-in. There was a book club, and I LOVED that. I loved finding new-to-me books there and discussions with others. But I guess it wasn't popular enough. I don't know an answer here. Maybe members with popular social media pages ("Bookstagram") accounts would want to offer to showcase new book releases from members??? I don't feel that I qualify as such a person, so I can't detail the plan better. I believe my socials really only reach the speculative fiction crowd (fantasy, sci-fi, etc). I'm not a marketing expert, I just learn what I can. 

This question is hard. I'm going to talk about a reading challenge now.

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📚https://www.nationalbook.org/adventure/Summer Reading Adventure (based in the United States). 🕮 Adventurers must submit by August 31, 2024. (There doesn't appear to be an actual "signing up" stage. You just do the activities.) I plan to keep track this summer here, on my blog.



- June is an update month. My spouse and I have been dealing with some rough life stuff. I've got family members going through hard times. I can't talk about everything that's going on right now, but some of it is definitely stranger than fiction. I'm having Internet issues lately, too. It is always something, isn't it? And a friend who usually helps me has dislocated her wrist, so she's not available right now. 


 - Road Tripping. I'm behind on visiting the Reflections. I'm behind on everything right now. 

Reflections #AtoZChallenge 2024 and #IWSG Distractions

I have won because all of my posts are posted. (There were some issues getting a few to post at the intended times.) I wish I had pre-scheduled all of them like I usually do, but life didn't work out. I did visit and comment on about 80 blogs in April.

• Do you believe your blog saw an increase in traffic and comments during April 2024?

Yes. Not as much as in previous years, though.

• Did you check the MasterList to be sure your entry was correct?

Yes. 

• Will you do the challenge again next year?

Yes. 

• Have you followed the social media of the A to Z Challenge?

Yes. 

• What was your favorite comment left by another A to Z participant on your blog during the challenge? 🏆

This one, on the first day, is probably my favorite from the month.

• Did any other A to Z participant make you and your blog feel especially valued this year?

Yes. Ronel, our wonderful graphics person. Her comments really got me through this year. 

📣

Also, a huge thanks and shout-out to Natalie Aguirre, Locksley, Timothy S. Brannan, Frewin55, Donna B. McNicol, and TWW for your comments.

• Do you have a favorite blog that you found during the challenge this year?

Yes.  https://coinofnote.com/ A history blog with ancient coins. Love it! @CoinOfNote

• Do you feel you had a positive impact on the Blogging Community during the hop?

Yes, I hope so!

• Did you invite or encourage any other bloggers to join the challenge?

Yes. 

• Will you consider doing the challenge again next year?

Yes, you betcha! 

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Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
#AtoZChallenge a-to-zchallenge.com

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InsecureWritersSupportGroup.com

Shout-out to Alex and the awesome co-hosts for today: Victoria Marie Lees, Kim Lajevardi, Nancy Gideon, and Cathrina Constantine!

May 1 question - How do you deal with distractions when you are writing? Do they derail you?

I hate distractions. "I love you, but leave me alone for an hour." 

Yup, they derail me, especially if I have to do something about the distraction. If whatever the distraction is can be done in less than five minutes, I'm fine. Any longer, it'll take me out of my mindset. 

Zero Errors #AtoZChallenge

Zero errors...

Nothing, seriously nothing, will cause errors to be found like publishing.

What will you do when readers find your mistakes?

Do you fix them and re-upload your manuscript so future readers have a better experience? 

Sometimes there are limits to the number or corrected copies allowed. But most self-publishers allow chances to update fixes.

• Even the most famous authors make mistakes.
• Different styles make some errors debatable. 

 

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Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
#AtoZChallenge a-to-zchallenge.com

You Want More Books #AtoZChallenge

You want more books.

Because readers may want more. One book can sell another. If a reader likes a book, they might see what else the author has to offer. This is why many authors give short stories away for joining email lists and such. They like the free sample, they come back for more. 🤞 That's the hope and goal.

So don't stop at just one. Write more books. Enter more writing contests. Keep readers coming back for more and telling others about you. Keep making connections. 

 

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Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
#AtoZChallenge a-to-zchallenge.com

X, Facebook, Instagram, and the Social Media Promotion Circle #AtoZChallenge

Promoting a book using social media is almost required nowadays. Doing it too often will annoy your followers and cause them to flee. People don't want to just see ads. (Proof is in the people who will pay extra on streaming services to not see commercials.) 

Your fans do want to know you have a new release.

They just don't want to be "hit over the head" with the message constantly.

Getting five followers to share a post about your new release is known to be good for sales. More so if those shared posts get liked and shared. Likes give you evidence that someone saw the post. 

The Social-media Promotion Circle:

First, a possible reader learns your book exists via social media.

Second, that possible reader goes to the buy site and considers your book.

Third, your possible reader acquires your book.

Ideal Fourth, the reader leaves a review and gives stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Astounding Fifth, the reader shares their thoughts about your book on their social media!

🤩 Magical Sixth, followers of that reader learn your book exists. ⭕ Circle repeats.

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Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
#AtoZChallenge a-to-zchallenge.com

Winner for Contest #AtoZChallenge

If you held a contest, mention your winner. Congratulate them on your blog and social media.

https://jlennidorner.blogspot.com/2024/04/find-title-atozchallenge-win.html  I appreciate the comments, but I'm not sure that I found any extra title suggestions I especially want to use. "Dark Bequest," was pretty close though. Thank you, Frewin55. 

Maybe 

Dark Bequest at the Shamlin Ruins

Thoughts?

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Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
#AtoZChallenge a-to-zchallenge.com

Verify Publication #AtozChallenge

Verify Publication

Tale as old as ... well, as old as self-publishing online.

You think you've done everything right. Uploaded your correctly formatted manuscript, correctly sized cover, spell-checked book description, and intriguing author biography. 

But then the publication date rolls around, and your precious book isn't for sale?

First, Amazon uses the Pacific timezone. So it might not be available until a certain time during the hours they use.

Second, something could be wrong. Contacting customer service is known to have mixed results.

Ideally, have a friend buy a copy on release day to verify that it works, that they get the product you intended, and that everything looks as you desire. 

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Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
#AtoZChallenge a-to-zchallenge.com

Update Profiles #AtoZChallenge

This was touched on yesterday. Update your social media profiles and biographies to include your new publication. Books sell better when readers know they exist. 

This may seem like a foolish checklist item. But consider if someone writes a nice review and tries to tag you when they share on social media. How do they know they've found the right author? There are new sites cropping up all the time. Maybe you don't have one listed in your book bio because it didn't exist at the time of publication. This is why it's best to keep sites updated as much as possible.
 

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Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
#AtoZChallenge a-to-zchallenge.com

Tie in Goodreads, Book Bub, etc #AtoZChallenge

Once you have your release date and book description, tie your book to as many online places as possible.

https://allauthor.com/submit-your-book/?r=featuredbook The AllAuthor site has excellent promotional opportunities. 

Add the book to your Goodreads profile, Book Bub, etc.

Put it in your profiles. Think of all the ways someone might search for your book. Your author's name, the book title, and the characters. Find ways to make those searches lead back to you, to a buy link.

If you get your book in a library, put that link somewhere fans can find it (your blog, social media, etc).

http://216.164.218.250:8080/#section=home

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Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
#AtoZChallenge a-to-zchallenge.com