IWSG: Wednesday, February 5, 2020 ~ Writing Inspirations

It's the first Wednesday of the month,
the day that 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 Lee Lowrey, Jennifer Hawes,
Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Catharina Constantine, and Tyrean Martinson.

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 announces 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:

Has a single photo or work of art ever inspired a story? What was it and did you finish it? 

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Happy February, Everyone!
I hope that your writing is going well this year.
I feel great about what I have accomplished so far.

With regard to this month's question,
a single photo or work of art has never inspired a story for me;
although, as a second and third grade teacher, I sometimes used
a photo or other objects as prompts for writing with my students.
I never considered the little demonstration pieces I wrote 
as my real writing, even if I felt inspired.  

However, landscapes often inspire me when I'm writing,
and I will use photos to help ground my story in a particular place and time.
Several years ago I wrote a short story "The Immigrants"
which was inspired by the Fundy Shore near Beautiful Cove on Long Island.

The Fundy Shore

Beautiful Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada

August 2, 2016

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

All Rights Reserved

Writers is an encompassing term, and writers write
in many genres which extend beyond fictional stories.
Yes, I write fictional short stories and have a novel in the works,
but I generally write nonfiction and have done so throughout my life.

A major nonfiction genre for me is blogging.
To date I have published 574 posts.
I might have published one post without a photograph.
Photographs have definitely inspired me to write certain posts.

This photo of a little blond pooch inspired my post The Art Lover.
Terry and I had spent a long day traipsing around Florence
and were trudging through the crowded Piazzale degli Uffizi
looking for a sidewalk cafe where we could rest our weary feet
and enjoy cool Aperol Spritzes in the shade.

The sight of this delightful little art lover collapsed
the busy, overwhelming kaleidoscope that is Florence
into something my tired mind could embrace,
and I will remember this moment long after grander ones are forgotten.   

Entranced by Obama!

Piazzale degli Uffizi, Florence, Italy

September 16, 2018

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

All Rights Reserved

I had the honor of being chosen for this year's IWSG anthology.
The inspiration for my short story "Dare Double Dare"
was my great grandmother's home which was built in 1785.
I drew on memories and photos for my short story,
but I thought I'd share a work of art illustrating her home:
a rug she, Sara Cossaboom, hooked nearly a century ago.

My Great Grandmother's House

by Sara Cossaboom

Smith's Cove Old Temperance Hall Museum

Summer 2015

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

All Rights Reserved

We ten authors featured in the IWSG anthology The Third Ghost have a blog.  
Today, IWSG Day, the spotlight is on Roland Clarke and his short story "Feathered Fire."  
We'd love to have you visit!
 https://iwsganthologies.blogspot.com

Courtesy of Dancing Lemur Press/Freedom Fox Press

Happy writing in February!