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 Beth Camp,
along with IWSG Founder Alex J. Cavanaugh are Beth Camp,
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:
Since it's back to school time, let's talk English class. What's a writing rule you learned in school that messed you up as a writer?
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Happy September, Everyone!
This always seems like the true beginning of the year,
because it's back to school time.
English class?
It's not a rule that I learned in school that has messed me up.
It's emigrating from Canada to the USA.
Everything about writing is scrambled for me,
from spelling, to grammar, to vocabulary,
to any aspect of writing you can think of.
Writing In American English in My Journal
Aurora, Colorado, USA
June 29, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue All Rights Reserved
Writing in America is different from writing in Canada.
Throw into that scramble working in both countries
in the humanities, science, and education
and publishing in both countries
in nonfiction and fiction in a variety of genres
and my brain is addled. 😵💫
Then throw in my perfectionism and ADHD and I'm a mess!
So much so that some days I slam cupboard doors,
stomp around, or dissolve into tears.
Sometimes all three. 😵💫
My brain reminds me of my brother Roy's favorite scrambled eggs,
a mess of ingredients that he stirs around in a big frying pan
and affectionately calls "Yuck." 😵💫
My brother Roy enjoys one of my sister Bertie's lattes.
In Bertie and Peter's Home
Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada
July 30, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue All Rights Reserved
Working on my memoir makes me want to tear my hair out.
One of my primary sources is my father's Lansdowne House letters.
My father was a natural raconteur, but his handwriting was atrocious,
his punctuation inventive, and his spelling questionable.
When I'm quoting him, I use Canadian English.
When I write as me, I use American English.
I don't know which country I'll get published in,
but, I'm going to need an excellent editor! 😵💫
A Pile of Dad's Lansdowne House Letters
Aurora, Colorado, USA
March 13, 2016
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue All Rights Reserved
I've gone through a sea change since Terry and I returned from
our Nova Scotian and Vegas trip a few weeks ago.
For the first time in my life, I feel deep down inside that I am a writer.
I no longer feel like a fraud faking it till I make it.
I'm spending hours a day working on my manuscript and other writing.
My calendar is filled with scheduled blocks of time for writing.
I'm daily negotiating a steep learning curve as a new IWSG Admin.
I've just taken Joyce Maynard's "Writing Your Story" course
on memoir with the Great Courses,
and I'm working through Brooks Landon's course
"Building Great Sentences: Exploring the Writer's Craft," also with the Great Courses.
My desk drawers contain expense and tax files for writing.
And I have a business card in my name for expenses connected to writing.
I am bona fide writer; actually I'm a bona fide author!
And every Sunday evening when Terry takes me out to Las Fajitas for dinner,
I celebrate my progress with a large margarita,
Okay, maybe I'm pushing real a little far ~ lol!
Cheers, Jack!
Las Fajitas, Aurora, Colorado, USA
March 13, 2016
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue All Rights Reserved
When I flew to Nova Scotia in late July, I had two books
by fellow writer and IWSG Admin Pat Hatt in my carryon bag:
I knew we would meet up, and he would sign them for me.
I had read the first, but not the second,
something I rectified during my trip home.
Both were hilarious!
Pat's imagination has no limits,
and, these didn't disappoint with their nonstop escapades.
The first book was inspired by Pat's twin nephews
who begged him to write an adventure story about them
featuring a witch, a skunk, zombies, pirates, and more.
It ended with a cliffhanger, the adventure obviously continuing.
And the second book ended with a cliffhanger as well,
the wild adventure still continuing.
I asked Pat if he had written the next book yet.
"No," he said. "I'm working on it."
"Better get busy, Bud, because I'm waiting to read it!"
Pat is my good buddy, and next summer we hope to go out on
the Bay of Fundy and see some whales on Chad & Sisters Too.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the Skunked books, I know they are not for everyone.
They have lots of young boy potty humor and colorful Nova Scotian language.
They remind me of the Captain Underpants series of graphic comics
written by by American author and illustrator "Dav" Pilkey,
books my third grade boys read avidly.
Pat and I ~Two of Your IWSG Admins
Barb and Her Pat's Home
Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada
July 27, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue All Rights Reserved
Heading Out of Westport to the Bay of Fundy
Grand Passage, Nova Scotia, Canada
July 26, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue All Rights Reserved
Wishing each of you a fun IWSG Day.
A big thank you to our awesome co-hosts today.
Have a healthy, happy, and creative September!
Oh, guess who's traveling today?
I'll visit around as quickly as I can. 😵💫
Terry and I on the Bay of Fundy
On Mariner Cruises' Chad & Sisters Two
Out of Westport, Brier Island, Nova Scotia, Canada
July 26, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue All Rights Reserved
Till next time ~
Fundy Blue
Standing Into Danger https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com
Copyright ©2024 – All rights reserved.
My next post will be September 6th!🤞
Meeting the book author Pat is such a happy occasion. The smiles are priceless
ReplyDeleteHi, Roentare! Pat is a good buddy of mine! It's so fun to see get together with him. Maybe sometime I'll get to meet you! I'd love that! Take care!
DeleteI am thrilled to read that you no longer suffer from imposter syndrome. Yay you.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sue! Right now I'm "suffering" from an overdose of chocolate and two lemon drop martinis. We're celebrating our 40th in Vegas. We had a late afternoon Thai meal, and I thought that I didn't need dinner. Now I'm trying to stay away from the snacks in the room ~ potato chips are $13.00! Anyway, I hope you're in the middle of a great week! Take care!
DeleteThat's great that you now feel like a writer. I had no idea writing in Canada is so different from how we write in the U.S.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Natalie! It's the spelling, the punctuation, and the grammar, drives me nuts. I hope that you've been having fun today! Take care!
Delete...I marvel at people's writing skills, I'm still trying to learn to spell.
ReplyDeleteHi, Tom! Thank God for internet searching. I can just say a word, like "serendipity" into search, and up pops the right spelling. It so beats looking up words in Funk & Wagnalls. Dad would always make me look the word up ~ lol! I hope you've been having an enjoyable week. Every day is a gift! Take care.
DeleteYes, you are an author!
ReplyDeleteI can see where the two countries' versions of English would mess you up.
Very cool you met with Pat. Yes, his books are hilarious.
Hi, Alex! It's always fun to see Pat. I'm believing in myself now. It feels good! I hope that you've had a good IWSG Day, my friend!
DeleteYou are awesome! I think you wrote this describing me, "Then throw in my perfectionism and ADHD and I'm a mess! So much so that some days I slam cupboard doors, stomp around, or dissolve into tears. Sometimes all three."
ReplyDeleteLucky you running into Pat Hatt!
Thanks, Teresa! I'm glad that I'm not the only one that slams, stomps, and cries ~ lol! Fortunately, my storms are squalls that blow over quickly. Terry has learned how to take quick cover. Pat lives about 1 1/2 hours away from my three sisters in Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia. We just had to start coordinating plans. I hope all is well with you! Thanks for visiting.
DeleteYou are a dedicated author of your craft! When I see the word "skunked," I immediately think of cribbage!
ReplyDeleteHi, Debra! I've been skunked plenty in cribbage. Double skunked is the worst, especially if I'm playing with my brother. Here's hoping that you don't get skunked too often! Hugs to you!
DeleteIt will take a good editor to smooth it all out. And one that recognizes the differences. You'll need a story Bible that defines the differences. My Irish author had to make one for our editor because of the differences in spelling and phrasing.
ReplyDeleteHi, Diane. Yes, I can imagine that an Irish author would have even more of a challenge. I keep thinking of your "In Darkness" collection of novellas. They were really good! Jewels and Clarence were really out there for a love story, but you made it work! All the best to you!
DeleteThat can be exhausting. I kinda get it because.... when I'm writing conversations..... Amercian / Britain and Indian gets mixed up. LOL.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful September:)
Hi, Señorida Anastasia! I so hear you! You have three sets of language rules thrown together ~ lol! We just have to keep doing the best we can. Happy creating and writing! ❤️
DeleteWhat a lovely post. I enjoyed learning about your life as a writer -- and remember too those days when I doubted I could ever be considered a 'real' writer. Thankfully, now, I just write! What a mixup of Canadian and American language (thinking too?) you navigate. I'm in awe!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Beth! You're so kind! I hope that you've had a fun day!
DeleteI love your commitment surge in writing since your return and no longer "faking tll making it!" And yes, the syntax and spellings vary, don't they? That's an interesting observation. I say get it down and written now and revise later!
ReplyDeleteJeanie… I tell my sister, Louise, just get it out there, all the time. Bert
DeleteOoh! Double dose of "Get it out there!" You, Jeanie, and my sister Bertie ganging up on me ~ lol! Love and hugs to you both!
DeleteBy the way, Bertie, I saw some amazing latte art at Urth Cafe today. I'll send a photo. You'll have to up your latte game ~ lol!
DeleteGreat post today! English does come in all different varieties, so I appreciate your struggle to switch from Canadian to North American! But you did it! And you're writing something that's obviously very important to you, Thumbs up!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lee! Yes, my memoir is very important to me. I WILL get it whipped into shape! Take care!
DeleteYeah. Switching from American to Canadian can be a pain. I just stick with the American way, but then my idioms are more nova scotian lol oh well. My handwriting is awful too. Thank God for a computer.
ReplyDeleteWay to go on getting more done. You are a writer indeed. Tax forms and all.
Wellllll I would have book 3 done if someone hadn't put another story in my head first lol that and that whole mail thing and kids and animals taking my attention.
Glad the books were enjoyed, potty humor and all haha
I do hope that the earwigs are wreaking havoc!!! You do have a lot on your plate, Pat. I also hope the kiddos have a good start to their school year. Take care, my friend!
DeleteI hadn't really thought US and Canadian English were so different, but I haven't tried to write in Canadian! Best of luck to you, and don't we all need a good editor?
ReplyDeleteHi, Rebecca! Oh, yes, we all need a good editor. I hope life is treating your well. Happy creating.
DeleteYou most definitely ARE a writer, Louise. Ardently so! Wow, do I relate. It took me years to embrace my Canadianism without cringing, I'm embarrassed to say. I remember so many confusing moments trying to discern what was heritage and what was from my southern cousins. Happy IWSG Wednesday, eh!
ReplyDeleteYou made me smile, Joylene! You get it, for sure. I am so divided. I will always be an American Canadian and a Canadian American. I love both my countries. Thanks for validating me as a writer! I'll get there, as long as I keep plugging away on my writing. It's a miracle to be able to see clearly again, which is definitely helping with my writing. Take care! Love to you!
DeleteI moved from the US to Canada, so I learned to add the (completely unnecessary) U to colour, flavour, and neighbour. Words end in -se instead of -ze. I think the silliest difference is jewelry (US) vs jewellery (Canada)…so many wasted letters! ;) I do really like calling the letter Z “zed.” It is fun to say!
ReplyDeleteOkay, you really have me laughing, Kim! I still say "zed." I can hear my American third graders saying "Zed? Mrs. Barbour, it's Zee!" I think you're doing better with the transition than I am! All the best to you!
DeleteGreetings Louise. I can remember your posts on your childhood depicting your Father, and it was good English to read! I wasn't aware that American English and Canadian so differed in text and style? Good luck to you in creating a balance of both that can be deemed publishable in both Countries.
ReplyDeleteIt amazes me how the written word is depicted, as I still don't know for sure what words in a sentence should come first and last, as they can be written either way sometimes? I am not studied so much in the rules of writing such as nouns and verbs etc, I just go with my flow - and I've seemed to have done alright thus far, or so far, or until now, etc! Ha.
Blessings to you my good friend. You sound like you are very busy with your writing, and with every sentence written, you are a sentence ahead than before - if that makes sense?
Take wonderful and gentle care. Love love, Andrew.
Hi, Andrew! I'm so behind! I've haven't visited your blog since your last couple of comments. Right now I'm in Las Vegas with Terry to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. We're having a great time, but I've had too much to eat and drink. I was supposed to be "good." LOL. The darn calories add up, and I'll have to work so hard to work them off. At least I was able to get my posts written before I left. The memoir that I'm working on is about Up North, and it's based on my father's letters and my memories. I just have to live long enough to get it done ~ lol! Take care my friend! ❤️
DeleteYou have such a colourful life! Thanks for sharing the photos :-) I stick to the British English we were taught in school for my writing -- no need for more confusion. LOL.
ReplyDeleteRonel visiting for IWSG day Adventures in Audio: Recording and Publishing a Podcast
Lucky you, Ronel! Wishing you all the best with your podcasting! Thanks for visiting!
DeleteOh going between the two spellings, etc, would be crazy.
ReplyDeleteThe photo at Las Fajitas is adorable! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks, H.R. I look forward to my margarita reward every week. I was drinking the small one, wishing for the big one forever. Then on Cinco de Mayo, I caved and got a big one. I haven't looked back since. LOL. Have a happy and creative September!
DeleteGreat to hear you've accepted that you are a bonafide author. Best of days in writing your memoir. Your travels are certainly inspiring.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Gail! I live to travel, among a few other things. I hope that you are enjoying a great week!
DeleteI live in Canada, but I don't think I use anything different from American English. I think it might have been different a few decades ago, but not now.
ReplyDeleteIt must be quite a chore to use those hand-written letters for your memoirs. I admire your dedication.
You have a point, Olga. I did emigrate 51 years ago. It has been a challenge to use my father's letters, but the upside is that my father'd words make me feel very close to him, even though he died 40 years ago. All the best to you, Olga!
DeleteHi, Everyone! Thanks for all the lovely comments. I really appreciate them. I will visit your blogs when I get home.
ReplyDeleteLove hearing about your writing and travels and ooh! you dad's letters must be so fun to go through!
ReplyDeleteSomehow I didn't know about Pat's books, I'll have to add them to the wishlist! Another Nova Scotia author I love is Helene Boudreau, who writes mostly MG and YA.
Congrats! It must feel great. :-)
ReplyDeleteLearning never ends! Enjoy the writing courses, Louise.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great pic of you and Pat Hatt.
I love your vibrant posts and pictures!