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It's the first Wednesday
of the month ~
the day when members of the
Insecure Writer's Support Group
share their writing struggles
and offer their encouragement
and support to other members.
To visit the IWSG website, click here.
To become a member of the IWSG, click here.
Our wonderful co-hosts who are stepping up to help IWSG founder Alex J. Cavanaugh are:
Tamara Narayan, Patsy Collins M. J. Fifield, and Nicohle Christopherson.
I hope you have a chance to visit them and thank them for co-hosting.
I'm sure they would appreciate an encouraging comment!
Every month, the IWSG announces a question that members can answer
in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share
advice, insight, a personal experience or story.
Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post,
or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.
Remember, the question is optional!!!
This month's IWSG featured question is:
Have you ever pulled out a really old story and reworked it?
Did it work out?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Aloha!
This month's IWSG Day finds me newly arrived in Honolulu
still recuperating from a serious bout of flu/cold.
I'm back to accessing the internet at a table in the Royal Grove's lobby.
I dearly love Hawaii!
Diamond Head Crater
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved
I have never reworked an old story,
but once I complete my northern manuscript that's exactly
where I am going.
I have lots of stories and even the beginning of a novel to retackle.
Plus, I want to have another go at the story I entered in last year's IWSG contest.
I crammed too much into 6,000 words, and I have lots I want to improve.
So I'll look forward to everyone's answers to this month's question with great interest!
My Latest Writing Hidey-Hole
The Royal Grove, Honolulu, Hawaii
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved
And now for a little revealing fun!
I scribbled down some behaviors that identify me as reader.
Do you share any of these?
1. I have have dozens of books scattered about my home
waiting to be read.
2. I always have magazines stacked in my bathroom to sneak in
a little quiet reading.
3. I can sit in a bookstore for hours, drinking coffee and browsing
through books.
4. I worry that I don't have enough time to read and reread all the
books I'd like to in the time I have left.
5. I can't catch a flight without buying a book in an airport
bookstore.
6. I snap photos of books I see and would like to read.
7. I get anxious if I have a day that I can't read.
8. I know where you can buy a book to read late at night
on Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas.
9. I love talking on the phone with my sisters and friends about
good books to read.
10. I think a new book smell beats a new car smell hands down!
I'd love to hear about a behavior that identify you as a true reader!
IWSG Reads:
published by Insecure Writer's Support Group writers.
I recently finished reading
As We Know it
by Carrie Butler
Goodreads Blog
I don't know about you,
but I spend time imagining what might happen
if the Cascadia subduction zone lets loose,
especially when I am in Seattle or Victoria.
So I couldn't resist reading Carrie's novel on what
The Really Big One would do to the Pacific Northwest
if a full margin rupture occurred along the subduction fault
that runs from Cape Mendocino, California, USA
to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.
I'm happy to say that Carrie,
unlike the script writers for numerous disaster movies,
gets the geology right.
That's really important to someone like me with a passion for geology.
It's not just the 9.0+ earthquake that will get you;
it's also the tsunami that will arrive within fifteen minutes and wipe the coast clean.
I, for one, hope to be nowhere around when this earthquake strikes,
and it will strike.
It's not a question of if, but when.
Tourist Elena Cordova is not so lucky.
She finds herself struggling to survive the earthquake, tsunami, and aftermath with strangers,
including Vincent a war veteran with both survival skills and PTSD.
Watching these two imperfect people fall in love as they fight to live was lots of fun.
I was rooting for their survival and love to the last page;
and truly the book was much more about love than geology ~
which was just fine by me.
As We Know It was definitely an enjoyable read!
One of Honolulu's Fascinating Trees
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved
Happy Writing in March!
Aloha! Hope you are enjoying the rain. Diamond Head should be plenty green tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteBooks, and more books are cluttering up my closet and shelves and even the floor. It's a wonderful life to be able to read and write at will. My e-reader is a constant companion, also.
Hi, Gail! The rain is lashing down today along Waikiki! The Royal Grove lobby and music room is filled with people reading, doing puzzles, and catching an onramp to the internet on their computers. I plan to get in some serious reading in a cozy spot later today. One of the first things my husband and I noticed was how much greener Diamond Head is this year. This time last year it was so dry, and there was actually a fire on its flank, and we watched helicopters flying water in from Hula's. I haven't gotten comfortable yet with electronic books, but one day soon, I may give it a serious go ~ I actually have twenty or thirty books on my computer. Have a good one!
DeleteBeautiful pics! Nothing beats the smell of new books :-)
ReplyDeleteHi, Ronel! Thanks for your kind words about my photos! You can't beat Hawaii for finding beautiful and interesting things to photograph. Have a great day.
DeleteBooks everywhere is sure the way to be. New book smell is far cheaper than new car smell too lol yeah, we hope we are far far far away when that hits.
ReplyDeleteHey, Pat, where you're at! Thank goodness I'm not hooked on a new car smell, because I never have a new car! New books, though, that's a luxury I can afford. Have a great day, my friend!
DeleteI very much like Carie's voice. She's a fun author.
ReplyDeleteSO reader identity...
1. I have have dozens of books [loaded on my kindle] waiting to be read.
2. I always have [articles loaded on my phone] to sneak in a little quiet reading.
3. I can sit in a bookstore for hours, drinking [hot chocolate] and browsing through books.
4. I worry that I don't have enough time to read and [write] all the books I'd like to in the time I have left.
5. I can't catch a flight without [bringing my Kindle, loaded with reading content].
6. I [add books to my Goodreads list or Amazon wishlist] of books I see and would like to read.
7. I get anxious if I have a day that I can't read. <--This never happens because I start EVERY day with at least one article or inspirational story.
9. I love [reviewing/blogging about, ranting through social media over] good books to read.
10. I think a new book smell beats a new car smell hands down!
I loved your list, Crystal! And I thoroughly enjoyed Carrie's voice. She's an IWSG author I'll come back to, once I sample more of our talented member authors. I should adopt your daily routine of beginning with an article or inspirational story. I still jump out of bed and run around getting everything done before I settle down with my coffee ~ a holdover from decades of having to leave for work shortly after 6 a.m. Enjoy IWSG Day!
DeleteReading is a huge delight for me every day, and even the newspaper has interest if there is nothing else available. Years ago, I went to look after my elderly aunt, for probably 3 days, and had to be away from home for 6 weeks. I hadn't taken a book.so each morning walked to the diary, purchased the New Zealand Herald, and can guarantee it was read from front to back very thoroughly!!! I made it last a whole 24 hours. Are you re- writing the book that was proof-read? And in the warm and sunny spot right now? Please remember we are only a little further south than Hawaii, 11 hours flight time to Wellington, which is about 2 hours south of us.
ReplyDeleteHi, Jean! I have so missed my blogging buddies like you! I've been down and out, but doing much better now! I know exactly what you mean about reading a paper ~ any paper ~ and making it last till the next day's edition. I still enjoy reading the paper. Yes, I will be rewriting the selkie story (the one you so kindly proofed) and expanding it. I tried to do too much in too little text, so I'm excited about reworking it a little. I would love to visit New Zealand! I think this year is going to mostly be about working out where our main home base will be ~ It's been a long negotiation with trying places out. We shall see! I hope that you, Hugh, and the kitty cats are all well! Sending you a big hug!
DeleteGlad you are safe in paradise and feeling better!
ReplyDeleteHope you do expand out the story you entered for the contest.
Hi, Alex! Paradise feels awesome, even if it has been raining a lot, especially today. I realized shortly after I submitted my story to the IWSG contest that it had a fatal flaw in that it wasn't clear who the hero or heroine, a vital criterium for the contest. LOL And I'm a teacher! But my story wanted to be written the way it was, and I will go back to it. I was fighting the word count all the way. Thanks for all you do to make the IWSG such a wonderful website! Take care!
DeleteBeautiful photos, dear Louise, and I am very glad that you are feeling better. Sending you lots of love and warm hugs. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the love and hugs, my cherished friend! And thanks for your understanding! The best think about being sick is how great it feels just to feel normal! I'm back in my Royal Grove lobby where I can catch an onramp to the internet ~ backup is the Apple store down the street. This is our fifth year staying at the Royal Grove, and I'm enjoying running into old friends. It's been raining, and another guest, Nelson, has been been playing a lot of old songs on the piano nearby. I'm sure that you would have enjoyed his impromptu concert! And Emilio the cockatiel has been chiming in from his cage nearby. I do hope that you are having a wonderful day! Sending you lots of love and a big hug!
DeleteOhmygosh! Do I wish I were in Hawaii writing. Of course, if I were in Hawaii, I'd probably find it difficult to stay at my computer. So sorry to hear you're still tackling that flu. Speedy recovery, my dear. And yes! I do most all of the things you have listed as a reader. I long for days to just sit around and devour a new book. Love the photos. Feel 100% real soon.
ReplyDeleteHi, Victoria! Yes, sometimes it is hard to sit at my computer, but here I am. I am definitely starting to perk up with all the fresh air and rest here. We've been to Hawaii a number of times, so I can relax and enjoy and don't have to run about. Yesterday it poured and rained much of the day, so I did get to curl up with a good book. I ventured outside for a hula lesson, a happy hour, and a visit to the farmers market in Kings Village. Easy, easy! I love vacation. Have a great day!
DeleteMy office has floor to ceiling bookshelves on two walls. I have no idea why I thought that would be enough bookspace.
ReplyDeleteLOL, Patsy! I've got loaded bookcases in our office and storage area. I'm painfully paring the books down to a moveable collection. Books become good friends don't they? Have a great day!
DeleteHawaii! Sigh. Sounds wonderful. I used have stacks of books that my husband continually tripped over and complained about. He bought a Kindle for my birthday a few years ago and now I have most--not all--of them in one compact package, but I still refuse to give up my special books autographed by the author. Enjoy your tropical Paradise!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Valerie! Hawaii is good for body and soul! I haven't made the jump to ebooks, although my husband would love me to do so. I also refuse to give up those special books! Happy writing in March!
DeleteWow, that tree in Honolulu! Very envious of your time spent there....
ReplyDeleteI'm very grateful than I can be in Honolulu, Cathy! I think the tree may be a Moreton Bay fig, but I didn't identify it as such, because I wasn't sure. there are so many fascinating things to see here. Have a good weekend!
DeleteI am so sorry you have been ill, Louise, but thrilled that you can recuperate in such a beautiful place. It seems you have celebrated the rain, even as you look forward to sunshine tomorrow and a wonderful swim in the ocean. Now, THAT's the Louise we all know and love. :) I was a voracious reader as a kid and throughout my younger years, and I can still remember identifying with the first 5 points on your list, but as I grew older, I found myself reading only what I HAD to read for a late-in-life degree in creative writing and literature (93-96), and for my high school English and music teaching job. For the past 3 years or so, Bill and I have read aloud to each other every evening unless we are going out. I'm not sure how we came to be so dedicated to that activity, but it sure has inspired many conversations and thoughts and I would miss it terribly if we were to stop. This evening, we reached the half way point in David Sedaris's book: "Me Talk Pretty One Day." There was a hilarious vignette about his creative writing teaching assignment, and also one about movers and boxes of books. We both reminisced about the many moves we have made and the floor-to-ceiling books, usually unpacked over several days if not weeks, in the various places we've lived. Now, my books fill only two small bookshelves and Bill has downsized even more than that. We read from a Kindle and love it. No smell of new (or old) books, but for us, being able to download a book in a matter of seconds, and having all of our reads so conveniently at hand, works really well. Our previous two books were "The Couple Next Door" by Shari Lapena and "Do Not Say We Have Nothing" by Madeleine Thien. I'm not sure that I have much of a point to make in my comment except to say that we share your love of reading, though in a slightly different format. This IWSG meme is such a great idea! As always, stopping by your blog has given me a TON of things to think about. I'll have to delay commenting on your most recent post until tomorrow, but it, too, was full of the heart and honesty of your thoughts and experience. Just loved it. Until tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy Honolulu. To answer your question, I spend hours at home and in coffee shops staring at the screen of my reader. I think this behavior identifies me as a reader.
ReplyDelete