The Insecure Writer's Support Group: July 2020

It's the first Wednesday of the month, and that means it's time for another meeting of The Insecure Writer's Support Group. Alex J. Cavanaugh has gathered another group of wonderful co-hosts for this month: Jenni Enzor, Beth Camp, Liesbet @ Roaming About, Tyrean Martinson, and Sandra Cox.

Be sure to visit the IWSG website for great writing resources!

This has been a crazy couple of weeks for us at home. One of the tendons in my husband's leg snapped while he was at work not long ago. The good news is that it isn't a major one, so surgery isn't necessary. Since the tendon helped to support his knee, he will need to do physical therapy to ensure his knee doesn't give out a few years down the road. He also had an issue with one of his feet during this time. So he was off work a little more than a week, and we've been focused on getting him feeling better. Now that he's back to work, hopefully there will be a relative return to normalcy around here.

As things at home have been so crazy lately, I haven't done a lot in terms of writing. I want to change that. As such, I went searching through writing related quotes to boost my inspiration. I came across this one, which was just what I needed to see right now.

“The scariest moment is always just before you start.” -Stephen King

It isn't easy to get back into the swing of things. It can be downright intimidating at times, but that's okay. The important thing is to press on and keep writing.

Have a happy July everyone!

The Insecure Writer's Support Group: June 2013

The Insecure Writer's Support Group is the creation of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh.  His co-hosting minions for this month are Sheena-kay Graham, Suzanne Furness, and Laura Eno.

This month, I'm not feeling an particular insecurities.  I mean, I still have the basic ones that crop up from time to time, but I think I've been keeping too busy lately for any of them to really bother me.  So I thought I would post a little inspiration for those of you who may be feeling particularly insecure this month.  Here are some quotes that 

“The enemy uses those things your insecure about. Free yourself and take your power back by being secure in who you are - flaws and all.” ― Yvonne Pierre

“Your insecurity is when you compare your polaroid with someone else's glamour shot.”― Brian Hooten

“Don't be afraid to write. I think a lot of writers of all ages have a fear that they aren't any good at writing. That fear is normal. I feel it. Most writers who care about what they are writing feel it. When you feel like you're not good enough, write anyway. It's just a pesky bug that's whispering lies. The best way to swat the bug is with your pen.” ― Tanya Anderson

"It's insecurity that is always chasing you and standing in the way of your dreams."-Vin Diesel  

"It is when we all play safe that we create a world of utmost insecurity."-Dag Hammarskjold 

Overcoming Adversity

The amazing Nick Wilford recently hosted the Overcoming Adversity Blogfest. Entries from that inspiring blogging event have been compiled to create this uplifting anthology.

Blurb:

A collection of seventy moving and uplifting original pieces - real life, flash fiction, and poetry - about battling against the odds and the ultimate triumph of the human spirit. The contributors include Amazon bestselling authors Alex J. Cavanaugh and Kyra Lennon, and the cream of upcoming talent.

The anthology is part of a fundraising effort to send the editor's stepson, Andrew McNaughton, to a specialist college in England. Andrew has cerebral palsy, and is a remarkable young man with a promising future. However, the free further education options offered in his own country of Scotland will not challenge him and allow him to progress. In order to access the education he deserves, Andrew will have to pay exorbitant fees, thus creating a situation of discrimination.

Help us get Andrew to college by buying a book that runs the full gamut of human emotions, ultimately leaving you inspired and glad to be alive. Whatever struggles you are going through, our sincere hope is that this book will help.

If you've ever had to overcome adversity, or if you're currently going through a dark time and feel alone, this book will speak to you.

Purchase Links:

Amazon UK
Amazon US
Smashwords
Goodreads

Blogspiration 39: Exploration

Blogspiration is a weekly meme hosted by GrowingUp YA & Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers & writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video is posted weekly, on the day of the author’s choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation & just a little SOMETHING.

This is the last week for Blogspiration.  Thanks to the awesome hosts who made this possible!  I'd also like to thank everyone who got involved with this meme, because you all contributed something special.

Though this is the end of Blogspiration, I think I'll still try to post something inspiring each week, simply because it helps me to boost my own spirits when I begin to feel frustrated.

For this post, I wanted to address the topic of exploration.  Humans are explorers by nature.  The urge to explore and understand motivates scientists to do what they do. There's a sense of wonder in this process.  I enjoy seeing the wonder of discovery in the eyes of my children when they see something for the first time.  Even as adults, we need not lose that sense of wonder.

From Quasars to Quarks
Facebook page.

Scientists push toward new frontiers of understanding, but this is not the only way to gain new insights.  As a writer, I feel I go through a similar process. Writing emboldens me to see things that I may never get the chance to see in real life.  It allows me to experience things I'll never know.  Through my writing, I get to ask questions and seek out the answer through word play.

From Fantasy and Sci-Fi Rocks My World
Facebook Page

I hope I never lose my thirst for exploration.  Without that thirst to know and be more, we could never grow.

Blogspiration 38: Walk the Path

Blogspiration is a weekly meme hosted by GrowingUp YA & Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers & writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video is posted weekly, on the day of the author’s choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation & just a little SOMETHING.

Too many narratives revolve around someone saving someone else from certain destruction.  I'll never diminish the value of someone lending a helping hand to someone in a time of need.  That act can make someone feel loved, and it can certainly play a role in motivating them to do better.  However, in the end, we are each responsible for ourselves.  We cannot rely on someone else to pick us up when we're down, because we must make the choice to get back up.  The helping hand does no good if we don't move to get our feet back under us.

Background Image courtesy of arztsamui
 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Blogspiration 37: Moving the World

Blogspiration is a weekly meme hosted by GrowingUp YA & Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers & writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video is posted weekly, on the day of the author’s choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation & just a little SOMETHING.

I felt like celebrating what's possible.  All we need is a little determination and we can do practically anything.  Whatever your dream is, go out there and make it happen.  Don't accept excuses from yourself, because you deserve better than that.  And remember these words of wisdom.

Image courtesy of digitalart
/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Blogspiration 36: Inner Peace

Blogspiration is a weekly meme hosted by GrowingUp YA & Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers & writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video is posted weekly, on the day of the author’s choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation & just a little SOMETHING.

So many people try to achieve happiness in their lives by buying the latest tech gadgets.  While there is nothing inherently wrong with consuming things, there is something wrong with the idea that you can fill the empty spaces in your life with more stuff that you don't need.

That's why the quote below resonates with me.

Image courtesy of Jennifer Ellison 
/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Contentment comes from being okay with who you are.  Until you achieve that inner peace, you'll never feel satisfied.

Blogspiration 35: Hold On to One Another

Blogspiration is a weekly meme hosted by GrowingUp YA & Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers & writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video is posted weekly, on the day of the author’s choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation & just a little SOMETHING.

Last week I asked the question about why we risk love.  There are, of course, many kinds of love.  Even if you are one of the people who has given up on romantic love, odds are you still feel plenty of love for certain people in your life.

The different kinds of love we feel for one another are valuable.  People are valuable.

Objects are replaceable.  People are not.

That's why I feel like the following quote is spot on.

Background Image courtesy of Stuart Miles
 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Have a great week, and make the best of your time with the people you love!

Inspiration and Looking For Some Lunar Love

My muse is kindly pushing me in a coherent path of inspiration this week, so that's good.  Maybe I'll be able to focus on one project in particular that's been needing some attention from me for awhile.  If I can get a few thousand words done on it and keep up with my normal posts, including my usual flash fiction pieces, that would leave me feeling pretty amazing at the end of this week.  We'll see how this goes!

I also have 200 followers as of last night, so that's inspirational to me as well. I wanted to say thanks to all of you!  It's satisfying to hit milestones like this one. It confirms that I must be doing something right and inspires me to keep moving forward.

Also, I thought I'd take the time to give a shout out for a new blog hop.  Mina over at Some Dark Romantic is hosting the Lunar Lovin' Hop to celebrate the full moon. Who hasn't looked up at the moon and been fascinated by its majesty?  It lights up the dark night and brings out the dark creatures of childhood nightmares.  So if you're in the mood to let it ignite your imagination again, sign up for this fun event.  The rules are simple!

In Mina's words:

1. Sign up on the linky list below (where it asks for "Your name" please enter your blog's name).
2. Use this badge on your blog's sidebar and Tweet or whatever to spread the word about the hop. If you don't use The Twitter, don't sweat it; join in anyway!
3. On Sunday, January 27, 2013, snap a pic of the full moon.*
4. Post that sucker up on your blog on Monday, January 28
5. Go check other folks' pics!

So head on over and sign up!

Blogspiration 34: Risking Love

Blogspiration is a weekly meme hosted by GrowingUp YA & Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers & writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video is posted weekly, on the day of the author’s choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation & just a little SOMETHING.

No matter how you look at it, love is a powerful thing.  It can inspire us to greater things, it fulfills our lives in ways that we could scarcely imagine without experiencing it firsthand.

Even so, taking the leap into love is risky.  You never know for certain how long it will last or how it will end.  I've been thinking about this a lot this week thanks to a story I'm writing.  

What makes us take that leap?  Will our risks make us believe in the beauty of love, or will we end up bitter?  After all, nothing can both heal and wound as well as love can.  Obviously, I'm happily married, so my risks worked out for me.  Even so, I see how it goes the other way for some.

Anyway, while in the midst of these thoughts, I saw this quote, and I thought it offered a perspective of how much love can hurt when it goes awry.

This quote comes from The Sandman Vol. 9: The Kindly Ones.

So, what are your thoughts?  Why do we risk going after love when it can end in this kind of pain?  What makes it worth that risk?  Do you ever write characters who take this view on love?

When Inspiration Pours . . .

I'm not short on inspiration this week.  My mind is overflowing with ideas at the moment.  Unfortunately, my muse gave me inspiration for several different projects, so I have to choose which project to focus on.  After all, we can't just explode and magically complete everything at once.  It would be awesome if we could, though.  Right now, I'm just focusing on one main thing and taking frantic notes about everything else so I don't lose my other ideas.

Every writer (at least every scatter-brained writer like me) should have a notebook dedicated to notes.  I've had several in my time.  My husband learned long ago that when he doesn't know what to get me for my birthday, a new notebook is also welcome.  Along with coffee and chocolate, of course!

I'll leave you now to go channel my inspiration (plus I have to serve my kids lunch).  Here's a bit of inspiration for the writers and readers out there.  It's written for readers, but I think writers have the same excuse to be exhausted.

Blogspiration 33: Lindsey Stirling

Blogspiration is a weekly meme hosted by GrowingUp YA & Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers & writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video is posted weekly, on the day of the author’s choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation & just a little SOMETHING.

I don't know what to say about this, other than it's amazing.  Insane musical talent, stunning visuals.  I wish I could produce something on par with this, but alas, I cannot.  Instead, I will admire it and share it with the rest of you.

Blogspiration 32: Drunk on Writing

Blogspiration is a weekly meme hosted by GrowingUp YA & Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers & writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video is posted weekly, on the day of the author’s choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation & just a little SOMETHING.

In the course of this week's reading, I stumbled across a quote that stood up and slapped me in the face.  The words fit perfectly with the way I feel about writing, so I had to share them with you.

Background Image courtesy of digitalart
 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

If I need to tackle a difficult issue, to make sense of something that seems utterly nonsensical, I write it.  Sometimes it feels like my brain would explode if I wasn't "drunk on writing."  Placed in the fictional world, my worst fears are just distant enough for me to get a good look at them.  Spilled onto the page, I can manage that fear and use it to my advantage, not my detriment.

Blogspiration 31: Nothing Happened

Blogspiration is a weekly meme hosted by GrowingUp YA & Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers & writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video is posted weekly, on the day of the author’s choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation & just a little SOMETHING.

So, the world didn't end.  This fact in no way surprised me, though I'm sure a number of people were shocked by this.  I often wonder, why do people listen when someone claims to know when the apocalypse will happen?  So many people have been  wrong before.  It just seems like a bad bet to make.  Here's a piece of advice.  If someone bets you that the world will end on a certain date, you bet against them.  No matter how certain they are, bet that the world will continue on as it always has.  If they're right and everyone dies, they can't collect their winnings.  And if you're right and you go about your daily business, you'll do so with a little extra something in your pocket.  This is the best bet you can ever make.

Anyway, since I've been thinking along these lines all weekend, this quote seemed appropriate.

Background Image courtesy of Idea go
 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

This is exactly how it felt as December 21st passed into the early hours of December 22nd without incident.  I'm sure I'll see this happen a few more times in my life.  After all, there's a lot of money to be made in the apocalypse business.  People have books to sell, gimmicks to peddle.  I see the motivation of the profiteers.  It makes sense, even if it isn't entirely honest.  What I don't understand is the people who honestly want the world to end.  Some people genuinely want to speed along the end of mankind.  They want to see it, to actually be there for it.  Apocalyptic movies are fun to watch and all, but I like knowing I get to go home to my kids afterwards.  I like waking up the next morning to a new day.

Oh well.  They can be disappointed, and I'll try to make the best of the fact that the world is still spinning with nearly 7 billion inhabitants clinging to its surface.

Blogspiration 30: A Cosmic Perspective

Blogspiration is a weekly meme hosted by GrowingUp YA & Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers & writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video is posted weekly, on the day of the author’s choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation & just a little SOMETHING.

I know I use science a lot in my inspirational posts, but that's because I find so much of the knowledge we garner through the scientific method to be absolutely amazing.  The universe is the ultimate form of inspiration for me.  It's where we live, it's the place from which we spring forth, and it's where we often look when we envision the future of humanity.

The video below nicely encapsulates the cosmic perspective and how we can simultaneously feel tiny and large when we look at the stars.  We are far more connected to the universe as a whole than many of us realize.

=

Blogspiration 29: Euphemisms

Blogspiration is a weekly meme hosted by GrowingUp YA & Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers & writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video is posted weekly, on the day of the author’s choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation & just a little SOMETHING.

This week's post is a tad on the silly side (or so far past the silly line  that you can't see the line anymore), but that's okay.  Silly can be inspiring too!

You ever hear those ridiculous euphemisms that make you laugh harder than the actual phrase the euphemism is meant to disguise?  Well, if you enjoy this sort of thing, you're in luck!  Thanks to the wonder that is Twitter, I discovered the epic awesomeness that is the Euphemism Generator!  To check out the fun yourself, you can find the Euphemism Generator HERE.

These are a few of the results I got when I tried it out for myself.  It's fun to think them over and figure out just what they might mean.

Oh, don't break anything!

Okay, what is "smurfing" and whose trap is it?

Don't you hate it when this happens?

Why don't you go try it out for yourself?  It may inspire a silly piece of writing, and if nothing else, it should inspire a laugh or two!

Blogspiration 28: Learning and Questioning

Blogspiration is a weekly meme hosted by GrowingUp YA & Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers & writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video is posted weekly, on the day of the author’s choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation & just a little SOMETHING.

I'm posting this a day early because I'll be posting for a couple of blogfests over the next couple of days.  Check my sidebar for links if you're interested in joining in on some blogging fun!

Today I thought I'd share some good life advice.

Background image from http://www.public-domain-image.com/

I think this quote is absolutely right.  Curiosity is expressed through the questions we ask, and that curiosity affords us the ability to learn and grow. Curiosity makes our present more rich and rewarding by allowing us to draw from the past and from the world around us.  This is what also gives us hope for our future, because as long as we continue to ask questions and explore, there are no limits to the things we can accomplish.

Blogspiration 27: Comfort Vs. Growth

Blogspiration is a weekly meme hosted by GrowingUp YA & Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers & writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video is posted weekly, on the day of the author’s choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation & just a little SOMETHING.

Sorry I'm so late in posting this.  The Thanksgiving holiday has kept me far from my computer until now.  The craziness is starting to die down, but it's hard getting back into a normal routine sometimes.

Anyway, as I've been off track for the last few days, I was thinking of how beneficial it can be to do something different for awhile.

Background Image courtesy of digitalart
/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It's easy to get stuck in a routine that's comfortable and familiar, and while in that routine, you may find yourself dwelling among those who think in a similar way.  After all, we tend to surround ourselves with people we can relate to. That's great, but we also need more than that.  Breaking from your routine and trying something new, or meeting new people, can be a great growth experience. Not only does it bring you back to your daily life refreshed and energized to do more, it also gives you a new perspective, possibilities for new and richer understandings about the world and life.

We all need to be daring and curious, otherwise we'd never be able to grow.

Blogspiration 26: The Future

Blogspiration is a weekly meme hosted by GrowingUp YA & Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers & writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video is posted weekly, on the day of the author’s choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation & just a little SOMETHING.

Sometimes it feels like our actions don't matter in the grand scheme of things, but they do.  And sometimes it seems as if the mistakes we've made will continue to define us for the rest of our lives.  When we find ourselves stuck with these less-than-constructive doubts, it helps to remember this.

Image courtesy of Victor Habbick
/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The past may be unchangeable, but we go forward with endless possibilities. While it may seem overwhelming to think that all of our choices will reflect on who we are like footprints in the snow, knowing how much of an impact our choices can have is also inspiring.  So get out there and do something amazing, because it really does matter!

Blogspiration 25: Enemies

Blogspiration is a weekly meme hosted by GrowingUp YA & Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers & writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video is posted weekly, on the day of the author’s choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation & just a little SOMETHING.

A lot of the time, people worry themselves to death about what others think of them.  I know I've fallen prey to that maddening tendency from time to time.  If you're the type of person who regularly speaks their mind, or if you wish to speak your mind but fear retribution for your opinions, here's a quote you should bear in mind.

None of us can please anyone, but if we can make a difference by making our voices heard, it's worth a few enemies.  

Sometimes, in order to be genuine, we need to be LOUD!