It's the first Wednesday of the month:
the day when members of the
Insecure Writer's Support Group
share their writing struggles
and writing successes
and offer their encouragement
and support to fellow writers.
To visit the IWSG website, click here.
To become a member of the IWSG, click here.
Our wonderful co-hosts who are volunteering today,
along with IWSG founder Alex Cavanaugh are:
Christine Rains, Delorah@Book Lover, Ellen@The Cynical Sailor,
Yvonne Ventresca, and L.G. Keltner.
I hope you have a chance to visit today's hosts and thank them for co-hosting.
I'm sure they would appreciate a visit and an encouraging comment.
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Every month the IWSG poses a question
that members can answer with advice, insight,
a personal experience, or a story in their IWSG posts.
Or, the question can inspire members
if they aren't sure what to write about on IWSG Day.
Remember the question is optional.
This month's featured question is:
What are your pet peeves when reading/writing/editing?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My pet peeves require little thinking on my part.
They've been persistent peeves throughout much of my life.
My pet peeve when reading is lack of time!
I cannot go a day without reading,
and I could literally read day in, day out, all day.
But life doesn't allow that,
so I sure hope there are libraries in heaven!
A Heavenly Place to Read
The Main Reading Room
The Library of Congress's Thomas Jefferson Building
in Washington, D. C., USA
My pet peeve when writing is having to stop!
When I'm writing I don't want to eat, sleep, shower,
or do anything but write.
That means my supportive husband Terry
frequently plops food next to my computer,
often along with the questions,
"Are you sure you're having fun?
Are you sure this is what you want to do?"
My pet peeve when editing is my need for perfection!
My perfectionism had driven me crazy since early childhood.
I've managed to get it under control in most areas of my life,
but writing ...
I keep repeating my mantra,
"Perfect is the enemy of good!"
But it rarely works when it comes to writing.
Maybe I should try a new variation,
"Good enough is the new perfect!"
I'm looking forward to visiting around
and discovering everyone's pet peeves!
Happy writing in August!
When I'm writing I don't want to eat, sleep, shower,
or do anything but write.
That means my supportive husband Terry
frequently plops food next to my computer,
often along with the questions,
"Are you sure you're having fun?
Are you sure this is what you want to do?"
Behind every happy writer is a supportive spouse!
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
December 29, 2016
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
My perfectionism had driven me crazy since early childhood.
I've managed to get it under control in most areas of my life,
but writing ...
I keep repeating my mantra,
"Perfect is the enemy of good!"
But it rarely works when it comes to writing.
Not Enough Arrows on this Flow Chart.
I can loop around almost endlessly!
Maybe I should try a new variation,
"Good enough is the new perfect!"
A Better Mantra, Perhaps?
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
March 2, 2016
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
I'm looking forward to visiting around
and discovering everyone's pet peeves!
Happy writing in August!
So, a little less perfection and whole lot more time?
ReplyDeleteTerry supports you and that matters a lot!
You pretty much summed it up. Alex! Have a good day tomorrow!
DeleteSuper pics today, you and Terry, and a ship on the horizon. My pet peeve, a grammar or spelling error on a TV ad or banner. Our local Breakfast show must surely be tired of my emails by now, pointing out another mistake. They do not reply any more!!! Take care, dear friend, let that infection fly away.XXX
ReplyDeletea local news station I know always has typos. I take more time with my blog to proofread than they do
DeleteHi, Jean! Sometimes you just have to rail against the machine, even if it ignores you! It's the Wild West in our written language right now. I heard recently on CNBC, a business channel, that advertisers have found through research that younger people respond with more clicks to ads that contain emojis. The anchors and guest were discussing the inevitable move into more emojis and symbols and fewer words! Money talks! I feel your pain! Have a good one, my dear friend!
DeleteHey, Adam! I believe you! I'm so careful proofing my blog, but often something gets away for me. I'll go back and edit something after publishing a post, if I spot it. a little anal, I know, but that's me. Have a good one, my friend!
DeleteWhen I'm in the zone stopping hurts more than anything else. So I'm with you on that one. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
There's nothing like being in the flow, Anna! Here's hoping you enter the zone lots of times this month! Have a good one!
DeleteGood enough can save time indeed, unless good enough is really someones excuse for being a lazy sob, then pfffft to them. haha I've gotten the "Are you sure you're having fun" question a time or two too. The way writing life goes.
ReplyDeleteSpare me from lazy slobs, Pat! Nothing makes me angrier than a lazy butt who expects others to carry him or her. You and I and other writers know, no matter what non-writers think they are observing, that we are having the best fun! LOL.
DeleteOh yes, regarding ROFLMAO ~ maybe I wasn't quite rolling on the floor, but I was laughing really hard ~ And, I'd rather roll on my carpet than the grass ~ actually, I prefer to roll on freshly-washed beach sand. Enjoy IWSG Day, my rhyming friend!
Lazy sobs, lazy slobs, both suck haha
DeleteBeach sand? You know that is like nature's giant litterbox, right? Go with carpet.
Great place to read, Louise, and I love this photo of you and your hubby! :)
ReplyDeleteArgh! I just lost my whole comment, Linda! Don't you hate when that happens?!
DeleteI love that photo of Terry and me. He is the sweetest, gentlest, kindest, and most loving man, and I think that shines through in the photo.
I actually got to read in the Main Reading Room of the Library of Congress (LOC). It was amazing.
My sister Bertie had an American-published book about to be released, so I acquired a researcher's license so I could go into the reading room and pull up an advance sheet on her book. Any book published in the US is stored in the LOC. It was exciting to imagine her book in the library. I had one of the librarians bring me a copy of a history of Wolfville, Nova Scotia that was published over a hundred years ago. What a thrill to sit there and read, even if only for a little while!
Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers, my dear friend, as you go through an unsettling time. Sending you lots of love and hugs!
Without those supporting guys in our lives, we couldn't do much writing, that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, Lee! Have a great day visiting around!
DeleteHa, I totally agree that behind every happy writer is a supportive spouse. I have one of those and it makes such a huge difference.
ReplyDeleteLucky us, Lynda! Thanks for all you do for the IWSG! Have a good one!
DeleteFantastic photo! Agreed. It takes a village, but most important of all is the support of those closest to you. Great post!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words, Adrienne! I hope that you have been enjoying IWSG Day!
DeleteLove your new mantra! And thanks for stopping by my blog today and commenting about my anthology story. :) So very appreciated!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Yvonne! I hope that you enjoyed your day as an IWSG co-host, although you're likely not finished!
DeleteI love it when I'm in the zone and nothing matters except the story. My guy, too, is super about feeding me, doing laundry, etc. I wish the zone happened more often.
ReplyDeleteI wish it happened more often, too, Diane. Sounds like you have an understanding and loving hubby!
DeleteWhen I lived in Washington, D.C. I would go to the Library of Congress and sit in the reading room. Such a magical place.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to know someone else who has shared the magic, Ellen!
DeleteGreat post....life does seem to get in the way of reading and writing at times. LOL!
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate to all those pet peeves, and I love the picture of you and your husband. :)
ReplyDeleteMy husband is supportive, too.
ReplyDeleteI barely have time to read all the queries and submissions I get now, let alone a book for fun.
Lol, I don't allow my children to get away with "good enough", but I could sure use some of it in my editing/writing.
ReplyDeleteNo pain, no gain, right? Writing is fun!!! *cough cough*
Ha - seems your pet peeves all have to do with writing!! I used to take writing more seriously than I do today. Smiles. But those you mentioned I definitely remember being able to relate to.
ReplyDelete(Visiting from Pat's blog!)
You and your hubby are so cute! My pet peeve, not enough time to create my paintings! LOL! Big Hugs!
ReplyDelete"The Library of Congress's Thomas Jefferson Building"
ReplyDeleteThat's an incredible photo! How do they get any work done there at all?? Uh...oh, wait. ;-)
I would go to the Library of Congress and sit in the reading room. Such a magical place.
ReplyDeleteทางบ้าน