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 J. Cavanaugh are Joylene Nowell Butler, Jemima Pett, Patricia Josephine, Louise - Fundy Blue, and, Kim Lajevardi!
along with IWSG Founder Alex J. Cavanaugh are Joylene Nowell Butler, Jemima Pett, Patricia Josephine, Louise - Fundy Blue, and, Kim Lajevardi!
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.
if they aren't sure what to write about on IWSG Day.
Remember the question is optional.
This month's featured question is:
This month's featured question is:
Have any of your books been made into audio books?
If so, what is the main challenge in producing an audiobook?
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Happy April, Everyone!
Here comes spring ~ If you live in the northern hemisphere.
I love how the days are getting longer here in Colorado.
Thank you for an easy question to answer this month.
I am wiped out from traveling, world events, and technology hell during the last month.
None of my books have been made into an audiobook.
I don't have books.
I have shorter pieces of fiction and nonfiction, none of which have been recorded.
I have, however, recorded hundreds of books written by elementary children,
primarily in second and third grade.
After I "published" the books, we sometimes recorded them on cassette tapes.
The young authors were usually thrilled to read their books aloud to create a recording.
Their published books and recordings made a fun center
for classmates to spend time in reading and listening to the books.
While I could share lots about this classroom process,
I know very little about producing a professional audiobook.
I'm looking forward to learning about the process from all of you!
I've been home for a week after a long and enjoyable stay in Waikiki.
Now that everything is unpacked and order restored here at home,
I need to get back into regular life again.
I feel at sea, directionless after the strange interlude of the pandemic
and the uncharted and dangerous waters of world events threatening our future.
I hope writing will help me restore a sense of purpose and direction,
and quickly.
On a lighter note, I think I found the rooster I described in my last IWSG post,
the one I nicknamed Putin.
Of course I didn't try to catch him and wring his neck.
I chased him around the lawn and bushes by our building with my camera instead.
Toward the end of my stay, I found myself waking up at night
and listening for his ragged crowing to be sure he was alive and okay.
I'm trying to think of a better nickname for him.
He doesn't deserve to be called a name as dark as Putin.
Putin
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
February 24, 2022
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
I hadn't seen her in over fifty years, but the intervening years vanished
as we caught up.
Poor husbands ~ LOL ~ It's a good thing Terry and Bruce hit it off well.
We spent some wonderful and laugh-filled hours together on two occasions.
Kathy and I Outside Nico's Restaurant
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
March 22, 2022
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Terry, Kathy, and Bruce
Nu'uanu Pali Lookout
O'ahu, Hawaii, USA
March 10, 2022
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Congratulations to Alex, our talented IWSG founder,
who released his latest book CassaDark yesterday!
His Cassa series is sooo good, and I can't wait to read this one!
Wishing him every success ~ Check out that Publisher's Weekly comment!
I've spent an inordinate amount of time in recent weeks dealing with technology problems.
I think I've conquered them.
Hopefully, I'll be able to reply to your comments on my post.
Fingers crossed, I'm looking forward to a fun time visiting around!
Take care, and happy writing in April!
Till next time ~
Fundy Blue
https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com
My next post will be on Friday, April 15, 2022.
Authors are this reader's heroes. Audio books are a step I haven't yet taken. How I love that you effectively created them for your young students. All praise to you.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that your time away was so restorative, and love that you caught up with an old friends.
Thanks, EC! Writing, publishing, and sharing books was something my students really enjoyed. I usually had one Authors Tea during the school year as well, when parents, family, and others came and celebrated all the books the students had published. Those were fun days! Have a great day!
DeleteI had a rooster like that when I was a child, and later on when we had teen age daughters. The latter one was called Henry, but that name has been reserved for some secret sewing I am doing. " Offwithhishead" is a concocted name that even so isn't severe enough. Hope you both are well, spring is arriving soon, we have rain, cold wind, and darker mornings now.
ReplyDeleteHi, Jean! I was thinking of you when I mentioned spring in the northern hemisphere. I always hate seeing the days grow shorter. My sister Donnie is in Calgary, which is about two and a half hours north of here by plane. When I was talking to her on Monday evening, it was dark here and the sun was still above the horizon in Calgary. I find it interesting to think of different locations on the earth in the same instant in time. You are an inspiration, my friend! I hope you share your secret sewing! Hugs and love to you and Hugh!
DeleteA friend of 50 years! What a treasure.
ReplyDeleteYour rooster is such a beautiful shade of red. Maybe you could call him Titian after the painter.
"I need to get back into regular life again."
I have been saying this same thing for two years. 😂
I like Titian, Sandi! Are we ever going to get back to normal? We're certainly living in challenging times. I keep reminding myself we've been through difficult times before and we'll get through these. Have a great day, my friend!
DeleteWelcome back to the mainland! Hope you get settled in and writing soon. I love the story about your students books on tape. Thank you for hosting IWSG this month.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Liza! As much as I love Hawaii, it's always good to come home to Colorado, even if the wind has a cold, piercing bite like it does today. Co-hosting today is grounding me, which is awesome. Have a happy April!
DeleteThanks for the mention!
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's an awful name for that rooster.
Cool you connected with a friend while in Hawaii.
Thanks for visiting today, Alex! You are an inspiration! Take care, my friend!
DeleteAnd thanks for co-hosting today!
ReplyDeleteYou bet! I always enjoy co-hosting!
DeleteGlad to see you had a good time in Hawaii. Is it possible not to? Not somewhere I'm ever likely to go, now.
ReplyDeleteYes, rename the rooster, please, he's beautiful.
I love the work on the kids books, getting them to do their own audiobooks. With Ronel's hint on self-recording books as a podcast (see her comment on Loni Townsend's post), it might be with way to go!
Have fun with your co-hosting :)
Jemima
Thanks, Jemima! I can't imagine having a bad time in Hawaii. It is a glorious place. We're already looking forward to returning next year. I had so much fun with my kiddos when I was teaching. There are times when I really miss being with my students. I hope you're enjoying your cohosting today, too, Jemima!
DeleteThanks for co-hosting this month. I'll be on the hot seat in May. Love your experiences with grade schoolers. I did something similar with my son's 5th grade class. After speaking to them about my writing, I challenged them to take one of three story starts and write their own three page follow up. Then I read them and picked three very different efforts to discussion during another class visit. Those three young authors lite up like fireworks to have their work discussed. It was so much fun. I started writing very early and hope some of those kids were encouraged to just into our wonderful and stressful career. Also, raging jealousy over the Haiwaii pix. What fun reconnecting!!
ReplyDeleteHi, Nancy! I'm sure your son's fifth grade teacher was delighted to have you as a guest! I would have been. We all long for recognition and validation of ourselves as creators. I also remember the joy lighting up children' faces as they shared their work. I hope you are enjoying visiting around today!
DeleteHi Louise!
ReplyDeleteThank you for co-hosting the IWSG this month.
Sounds like you had loads of fun recording the stories with those young writers. You need to convert those book recordings that are on cassette tape, into a modern format so that you don't lose all that precious work.
What a wonderful occasion - to reconnect with an old friend after 50 years. All the memories...so many stories to share.
I hope that as you get back to your writing, it will help you to restore a sense of purpose and direction.
Take care!
Thanks, Michelle! Co-hosting today is helping to refocus me. Regarding the children's book recordings, I let the children keep them at the end of the year along with their published books. The children and their parents really wanted them. But I remember the fun! Happy creating in April, Michelle!
DeleteThanks for co-hosting this month. I hope you get settled in from your trip. I'm still navigating getting back to a more normal life too, though I do feel a purpose in life even the way it is. Hope we both find our way in getting back to normal while dealing with COVID.
ReplyDeleteHi, Natalie! It's always good to see you. It's very strange for me to feel without direction and purpose. I've always been driven. I know that this is a passing phase. I need to get my second booster shot for Covid. I'm so thankful that I made it this far without catching it. People in Hawaii were taking it very seriously! Have a happy and fulfilling month, Natalie!
DeleteThat's neat you made recordings for your students. I bet it was exciting for them.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy Alex's book!
Hi, Diane! You know I will enjoy Alex's books! It was wonderful to see him get a shout out from Publishers Weekly. Happy April to you!
DeleteI had a handsome rooster once. I named him Rooster. I know, not very exciting. LOL. Glad you're home safe and sound. Hawaii sounds wonderful. Perfect time of year to visit, not too humid or hot. Thanks for co-hosting!
ReplyDeleteHi, Joylene! I think Rooster is great! I don't mind that I never had a rooster of my own. I have some bad memories of being attacked by aggressive roosters when I was little. Hawaii is wonderful! It's one of my favorite places in the world. But then again, so is home. Take care, my friend!
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteHappy to hear you had time to checkout from the chaos and rela, and I hope you get settled in again.
Thank you so much for co-hosting.
Shalom aleichem
Thanks, Pat! Hawaii was really good for me, and I'm grateful that I was able to spend time there. I always enjoy co-hosting. We have such amazing members in the IWSG! I hope all is well with you!
DeleteBusy time for you! I love that you reconnected with an old friend. I'm sure your husband was understanding of that! My sis is coming to visit and I just know my husby will let us yack to our heart's content.
ReplyDeleteA rooster that crows at night? How did I miss that???
Hi, Jacqui! Sounds like we both have understanding husbands, Jacqui. Yes, a rooster that crows at night. That's why so many people hate him. He sounds off regularly between 3:30 am and 3:45 am and continues until daylight and the daytime noises of Waikiki drown him out. I nicknamed him Putin, because so many people dislike him. By the time we left I had grown fond of the noisy guy. I hope he's still there when we return next year. I think the urban lights throw him off his natural schedule. I hope that you are having a fun IWSG Day, Jacqui!
DeleteHow wonderful and fun to reconnect with an old friend! And I agree, even an obnoxious rooster doesn't deserve to be called "Putin" these days. How about "Poutine" instead? A bit of Canadian flavour, LOL!
ReplyDeleteYou're brilliant, Debra! As soon as I saw "Poutine," I knew it was perfect! Thank you! Thank you! Yes, it was wonderful to see Kathy again. We never stopped yacking. Hugs to you, my friend!
DeleteIn our old neighborhood we had lots of roosters. Mostly straggly and very vocal at 5am. Yesterday, we had a woodpecker pounding on the metal frame around bathroom window. Made a horrible racket. So, I have some idea what's going on with your feathered friend. I guess another name could be, "Cock" but I wouldn't go around calling him by name.
ReplyDeleteI think it is super wonderful you are recording the kids' books. What experience for them to hear their audio book in their voice! And share them in the Fun Center. I wonder if/how this experience inspires them in the future?
Thank you for co-hosting this month.
Lynn La Vita @ http://la-vita.us/
Hi, Lynn! That poor woodpecker must have been frustrated. Maybe that will discourage him from coming around. No, Cock wouldn't work, any more than Pecker for the aggravating woodpecker. Now you have me laughing. Thank you! Have a good one!
DeleteOh, Hawaii, how lovely. What a wonderful get-away. Your Putin rooster is funny.
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting IWSG this month!
Hawaii was lovely, Mary. I had fun trying to catch that rooster with my camera. I was trying to sneak up on him without him being able to flee the side area he was in. We kept trying to outmaneuver each other on opposite sides of a clump of spiky plants. I finally got some pictures. We kept the people waiting at the bus stop entertained for a bit. Have a great month, and may that Minnesota snow disappear soon!
DeletePS: Your writing/recording project with young students sounds wonderful. I also work with young people in theater. They are so creative and open.
ReplyDeleteYoung students are wonderful to work with, Mary. I also did a lot of theatre and choral reading work with my students when I was teaching. My teammates and I put on big productions where every kiddo had to dance, sing, and say at least a line. It pushed some of them beyond their comfort zone, but we made sure that each of them had a good experience. They also participated in creating sets and costumes. Writing curriculum based plays that included all the kiddos was a challenge, but somehow we always pulled it off. The arts are truly important for young kids to experience. They're important for all of us. Have fun with your young people!
DeleteYour visit to Hawaii sounds delightful, and so does your young writers project. Thanks for co-hosting! I wish you happy writing in April.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sadira! Co-hosting is always an uplifting event. Take care!
DeleteThanks for co-hosting! That is an amazing project for the kids! How thrilling for them to have their books "published" and on tape! I'm sure you've ignited the minds of hundreds of upcoming new authors!
ReplyDeleteWriting helps me to make sense of this sometimes senseless world as well.
Thanks for your kind and encouraging comment, Kathryn! The world seems particularly senseless right now. We've been lucky to live in peace and safety for decades, and now everything is shifting under our feet. Thank goodness we have writing to help us, Wishing you happiness and fulfillment this month!
DeleteHow nice to catch up with an old friend :-) Good post today. @samanthabwriter from
ReplyDeleteBalancing Act
Thanks, Samantha! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Happy April!
DeleteThat's cool you made cassettes, and that you got to reconnect with old friends.
ReplyDeleteThanks for co-hosting!
Thanks, Loni! I'm really glad that I reconnected with Kathy! We had so much fun together. I hope your writing goes well this month!
DeleteI look forward to your picturesque blog posts - a thousand words said in pictures of people who are all smiles.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Talklady! You perked me up at this late hour. I tied to follow back to your blog, but got lost. Maybe my brain will be working better tomorrow morning. Have a happy and creative April!
DeleteI look forward to your picturesque blog posts - a thousands words said in all of those smiles.
ReplyDeleteDuh! You're Talklady! Thanks, PJ! I've found you now.
Deletesomewhere I have a cassette tape of my first attempt at a book. Neither the book or my reading if it was very good!
ReplyDeleteWe all get better with practice. At least that's what I tell myself when I look at my early attempts at something. You should have seen me in my first ukulele class several weeks ago, and my second ~ LOL! My first attempt at a book was when I was ten, some pitiful mystery involving a lake and a scuba diver. I hope it never surfaces! Have a good one, PJ!
DeleteWhat a great thing to let kids record the reading of their own books. I used to love recording things when I was a kid. I wish I had thought of this idea.
ReplyDeleteHow great to catch up with old friends. I've been meaning to track down some of the people I went to school with years ago, but I don't know how they'd take to an out of the blue phone call from someone they likely don't even remember.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
Hi, Arlee! I'm still making the rounds this morning. I've reconnected with a number of old friends thanks to FaceBook and Blogger. My experiences have been positive. I find making contact via the internet less intimidating myself. Happy April enjoying your vinyl collection!
DeleteWhat a lovely place for a vacation! But I hear ya. Sometimes you need a staycation to recover from the vacation. Glad you reconnected with a friend. Thanks for co-hosting.
ReplyDeleteI dearly love Hawaii, Melissa! Fortunately I'm emerging from the staycation finally. I've woken up with purpose and direction today! Have a happy and fulfilling month!
DeleteHow wonderful to meet up with an old friend! I well remember the rogue roosters of Hawaii ;-) I wondered at the time how they'd get along with a few feral felines, though my three cats at home had no problem with our resident rooster. Our barn rooster couldn't, or didn't care to tell time correctly either ;-)
ReplyDeleteI appreciated your eloquent expression of times as they are. Somehow in the sharing, we all feel less alone.
Thanks for co-hosting!
Hi, Deirdre! The feral chickens in Hawaii are thriving. As far as I can tell, they have a few predators: dogs, cats, and motor vehicles. They are an increasing nuisance, and the state legislature is looking for humane solutions to eliminate them. Sharing at this troubling time does help. So does laughter. Take care!
DeleteWhat fun to connect with an old friend. I did that at my high school reunion. It was like the 50 years had disappeared. So much fun. Thanks for cohosting this month.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how 50 years can disappear, Diane, and wonderful too! I always enjoy co-hosting! Take care and have a great April!
DeleteI have some podcast episodes of my horror shorts. I'm not a professional actor and gave it my best shot. The ambient music covers up my fumbling a little. Ha! I always enjoy your posts. Thank you for co-hosting!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Adrienne! You lifted my spirits with your kind words. I've never tried a podcast ~ kudos to you. I bet you did very well with yours. Have a happy and productive April!
DeleteIt is great meeting an old friend after so many years.
ReplyDeleteI love it that you recorded the children's books. It must've been really rewarding.
Recording their books was rewarding, Olga. Teaching was rewarding. I miss the fun I had with my students. But I do not miss all the other things that teaching required let me tell you! You've been in my thoughts a lot in recent weeks, given your life experiences. I hope that you are doing okay. Sending you a big hug.
DeleteThe trip sounds great and wild meeting someone you knew so long ago. Definitely in the stars. hehehe
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
Definitely, Anna! Have a great day!
DeleteMust have been lovely to meet your friend after so long. Yes, please give this gorgeous rooster another name. Thanks for co-hosting the IWSG this month.
ReplyDeleteYou bet, Kalpana! I always enjoy co-hosting. I hope your day is going well!
DeleteOne of my coworkers said he did a project on the great Gatsby in no time because he got the audio book
ReplyDeleteDarn! My project days are mostly behind me ~ LOL! I hope things are going well with you and your family, Adam. I'm sorry I haven't been by. Most of March and into April was a lost cause for me and computers. You're always so kind to visit! Take care!
DeleteRecording your students' "books" on tape is an excellent and fun project. I can imagine seeing their eyes light up listening to their own stories. Wow! Sounds like a great trip to Hawaii. Love that place. Now it's time to get down to business, eh?
ReplyDeleteYes, down to business J.Q. But that's okay. I'm starting to feel more like it. I hope all is well with you!
DeleteYou've certainly been around the ridges! Lovely pics, especially of the rooster LOL. Putin. Hmm. He certainly has claws.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm now going to call the rooster Poutine. My awesome blogging friend Debra (She Who Seeks) gave me the idea. It resonates with me as a native Canadian. I hope all is well with you, Denise.
DeleteThat is great that you randomly connected after 50 years. Darn, that is a long old time haha. Can't say I care much for turning mine into audiobooks. Just seems like a nuisance. I'll stick with actual words on screen.
ReplyDeleteYup, rub it in, buddy. It is a long old time! lol
DeleteReconnecting with Kathy was helped along by Ron (remember Ron, Jim, and Sophie Doodle?). Kathy saw my comment on an Instagram post of Ron's, realized I was in Honolulu, and asked Ron to contact me about getting together with her. We're all going to be in NS, fingers crossed, this summer and can hopefully get together in Wolfville or somewhere.
If there is a somewhere. I keep thinking about your random line about the human race going down the drain. I have to believe there's a drain screen or hair catcher to snag us before it's too late. It's getting harder to remain positive ~ too many loonies running things. But I haven't given up on us all yet!
Have a happy Friday and weekend!
Well to be fair, at least you got the long old time. Many haven't haha
DeleteAh. I remember them indeed. Funny how things work. Gonna spread your American Covid germs up here? Geesh. hahaha not that we don't already have it everywhere. Pups and I haven't made it as far as Wolfville yet. With my "retirement" we've been going everywhere.
Well let's just hope that drain lets the loonies go through and doesn't clog up with all the BS. But then if we got caught we'd be floating in sewage. Rather go pee on crabs.
That's so wonderful that you recorded all those second and third graders books! What a great way to promote reading and writing. I'm sure they'll treasure that experience forever. Glad you got your technology issues figured out. They can be so frustrating. Sounds like you had a fun trip. How lovely to reconnect with a friend after so long. Thank you for co-hosting!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lori! It's really rewarding to work with young kids, especially when you can share a love of reading and writing. When I got out of the Oil Patch and went into teaching, I figured that I'd teach science at the high school level. Luckily I discovered that my niche was second and third grade. I treasure my memories of my students and all the fun we had together learning and exploring. Have an awesome April!
DeleteHi Louise! Thanks for cohosting this month's question for IWSG. That's a great idea to record the grade school children reading their books. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteWow! You went to Hawaii. Lucky you! Say, how about "Rusty" as a nickname for the pretty--okay, handsome--rooster? All best to you, my dear!
Waikiki. It's on my bucket list. So glad you connected with an old friend. And how wonderful you recorded children's stories.
ReplyDeleteHave a great April.
I'm glad you had a wonderful vacation. How nice to get to reconnect with a friend. You guys don't look old enough to be apart for 50 years!!
ReplyDeleteThe world is a mess. I get in a brain spin over it. I'll wonder...is this what it felt like before WWII and the world seemed to implode? Then I have to slow my brain spin. You're right. It's a good time to write.
Putin. What a jerk. Maybe call him Good Putin. Rooster probably has more heart than the jerk in the Kremlin.
I love that you recorded those children's books. That's great!
ReplyDeleteSo nice that you got to slip in a vacation and time with old friends! The rest can wait.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to catch up with an old friend!
ReplyDeleteI believe a lot of us are feeling directionless after everything that's been going on. May we both quickly find the direction we need.
What a neat project with the children! Putin is a gorgeous rooster. Is there a famous redhead whose name you like so you can switch his name to that?
ReplyDeleteHawaii sounds like a nice place to be right now. Your rooster story is funny. I remember my first trip to Central America and waking up at 3 AM to a rooster in the tree outside the second floor hotel room, then waking back up around 5;30 to the smell of burning trash. But it grows on you.
ReplyDelete