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
along with IWSG Founder Alex J. Cavanaugh are
Stop by their posts and thank them for hosting.
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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.
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 optional question is:
As a writer, what was one of the coolest/best gifts you ever received?
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Happy December, Everyone!
I hope all is well with each of you.
Yes, a straightforward and noncontroversial question,
definitely a gift at this busy time of year!
The best gift I ever received as writer was a framed picture
of the cover of The Antigonish Review which published my first short story
together with the title page of my story "Ugly Little Bastards."
My family surprised me with it on Christmas morning 1982
the year my story was published.
This gift symbolized my family's love for me and their unconditional support
during one of the most difficult times in my life.
Personally for me, that story in that literary journal was validation.
I was a writer.
My writing journey has followed a different course from what I imagined,
but whenever I doubt myself and my writing,
I look at that framed picture and feel the validation.
The gift of a loving and supportive family.
including Terry, my parents, my siblings, their spouses, and my extended family.
Our Generation
Back: Roy, Terry, Peter, and Martin
Front: Sue, Barb, Me, Bertie, and Donnie
Missing: Pat
Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada
August 7, 2019
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue All Rights Reserved
Just in case you don't know, we have an IWSG Facebook site with thousands of members.
Today, if you'd like to link your IWSG post to our Facebook site,
you can post a link in the comments on our FB site.
We share our monthly IWSG question with our Facebook members,
and they can share their answers on today's FB post as well.
And here's a plug for me! ๐
Today on the home page of our IWSG website,
I have posted "What is the Point?" asking what is the point
of your writing and why do you persist during a difficult time.
Discussion is always welcome!
Have a healthy, happy, and creative December!
Take care!
My next post will be Friday, December 12th ๐ค
Just so you know, I monitor my comments before publishing them. This means your comment won't appear immediately. I will not publish mean spirited or commercial comments.




Dear Louise, the framed picture is wonderful. Your photo with your friends us beautiful and everyone looks happy and relaxed.
ReplyDeleteLovely post, dear friend ๐งก Thank you so much for sharing ๐
Thanks, Linda! You lift my spirits always! ❤️
DeleteAww, that's such a happy photo <3 And what a lovely gift! That first page makes me want to keep reading the story...
ReplyDeleteThanks, Deniz! You made my day! I hope yours is super!
DeleteYour framed first publication is such a powerful reminder of why you write, and it’s inspiring to see how the love of your family continues to anchor and affirm your creative journey
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine what my life would be without my family, Roentare. We have supported each other through so many challenges. I hope you are having a great week. And that you enjoyed your cardiology conference. My conferences were rocks. ๐
DeleteSuch a great gift!
ReplyDeleteRonel visiting for IWSG day Mic Drop. An Author’s Year in Review 2025
The best, Ronel! Wishing you the best today!
DeleteThat's a great gift. How thoughtful of your parents for arriving at the perfect, most ,meaningful gift, for their daughter, the writer.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dreaming. My family has always believed in me. Hugs to you! ❤️
DeleteMe too! --on a supportive family. Your gift of the framed short story was so thoughtful.
ReplyDeleteI understand how lucky you are, Teresa! Have a fun day visiting around!
DeleteThat is a really cool frame. You have an awesome family.
ReplyDeleteI know I do, Alex! I wish every family was as close as mine. Wishing you the best!
DeleteWhat a beautiful gift from your family! And that's a great picture of you and your family.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Natalie! I hope you are enjoying a great day! ❤️
Delete...I'm by no means a writer. But during my nursery career two articles were written about me in trade journals. I have them framed and hanging on my office wall.
ReplyDeleteMy reply vanished somewhere, Tom. I think two articles about you in trade journals is awesome. Think of all the beauty you've sent into the world! btw, have you read "The Light Eaters by Zoe Schlanger? I bet you'd find it fascinating. Enjoy today!
DeleteThe Antigonish Review! That's impressive, Louise! No wonder you felt validated!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Debra! I smile every time I think of it. have a great day, my friend! ❤️
DeleteWhat a beautiful gift! I love how they framed the cover and the first page of your story--classy. Family is everything.
ReplyDeleteYes it is, Jen! Have an awesome IWSG day!
DeleteThat is so sweet! My husband surprised me by printing and framing the cover art from my first series and hanging them on our bedroom wall.
ReplyDeleteYour husband is a prince, Diane! What a wonderful, thoughtful thing to do! Have a great day, my friend!
DeleteHey Louise!
ReplyDeleteThat is such a lovely gift! My family tells me my grades are bad because of it:) It is our family whom we expect to support us first and I can imagine how amazing it must have felt.
Happy xmas December!
I hope you have a great December too, Rida! I know your parents are pushing you to get good grades, because they want you to be independent and to have a successful future. But writing is in your heart, and you will continue to find a way to honor that.
DeleteEvery phase of live has its challenges. My hope for you is that you have a long, happy, and fulfilling journey during your amazing gift of life! ❤️
What a great present! Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sherry! I hope you have a Merry Christmas too! ❤️
DeleteThat is an amazing present! And I love that it's something you can look at to remind yourself you are a real writer. Great seeing the photo of your family. What a gift!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jenni! I hope you are having lots of fun visiting around today. Have a great holiday Season!
DeleteThat one sweet present! Here's to a very Merry Christmas and a successful 2026!
ReplyDeleteRight back at you, Lee! ❤️
DeleteThe frame work is so cool What a great gift.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Holly! Happy IWSG Day!
DeleteThat is a great gift indeed. Always have it there to look at when needed.
ReplyDeleteWas other Pat going to set the church on fire as a signal the day the picture was taken? Lol
Saw your other post too. The animals even gave you a shout at our zoo, or maybe a blame haha
๐ The Pat's in my life certainly liven things up! Hug all the animals for me, please!
DeleteGreat framed picture. Always nice to have a validation.
ReplyDeleteDo you know that you family photo is dated year 2029?
๐ No I didn't, Olga! Thanks! I have to check and recheck my posts, because my eyes see what they want to see. Have a great day!
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI want to get more involved with our Facebook. I love the present that your family gave to you. That is something that you never will forget. It landed straight into your heart.
Have a very merry Christmas and a safe crossover into 2026.
Shalom shalom
I'm happy to hear this, Pat! We would welcome more involvement with our FB. Yes, straight into my heart! All the best to you!❤️
DeleteThat is a beautiful gift! I am so glad you have such an awesomely supportive family. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Tyrean! And Merry Christmas to you!
DeleteLove the framed story! What a nice gift. :)
ReplyDeleteThank, Yvonne! Have a great day!
DeleteI had one of the only two poems, I wrote as a teenager framed by my mother. It was published in a Sunday School weekly newsletter for teens. I thought it was not the best of the two. Maybe the one I liked best was too long. Who knows?
ReplyDeleteYes, it was a good gift. Your framed gift was great. Wonderful family.
That was a thoughtful gift from your mom. Sometimes parents don't get it perfectly right. ๐ Have a good one!
DeleteOK, this might be a duplicate. I typed in a comment and had an interruption. I think the comment was lost.
ReplyDeleteYou have a wonderful family, a gift, and the gift they gave you was a blessing.
My mother framed one of two poems I wrote when I was a teenager. It was the one that got published in a Sunday School newsletter thing we were given at church every Sunday. I submitted two poems. They published the one I thought wasn't as good. Maybe the other one was too long. Who knows?
Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!
Such a lovely post. What a beautiful family you have, and they gave you a beautiful gift.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Thanks, Janie! Have a great day, my friend!
DeleteI would have never thought of doing that! You have a great family.
ReplyDeleteThanks, pj. I really love my family! Take care!
DeleteThat is a beautiful gift! I, too, have been fortunate to have the gift of a supportive family that really (mostly) gets it. And friends who support me as well, some of them writers themselves (even beyond the amazing IWSG group).
ReplyDeleteThat's wonderful, Rebecca! You are lucky! All the best to you!
DeleteWonderful answer. Framing that on the wall is great.
ReplyDeleteFriendships with fellow authors are definitely valuable!
Don't miss an opportunity to write why you like (or dislike) a book!
Have a wonderful holiday season. ⭐
J (he/him ๐จ๐ฝ or ๐ง๐ฝ they/them) @JLenniDorner ~ Speculative Fiction & Reference Author and Co-host of the April Blogging #AtoZChallenge
Thank you, J! Have an awesome day!
DeleteWhat a wonderful and thoughtful gift from your loving family. Thanks for sharing your family photo with everyone laughing. It warmed my heart.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lynn. From the satisfied and smug look on Peter's face, he must have delivered a great observation or joke. He's good at that. All the best to you!
DeleteThat's a great gift. A reminder but also a sort of memento of what you had accomplished.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely day.
Thanks, Lissa! I hope you day I lovely too!
DeleteA fabulous gift. I love that you have such a wonderful family. The photo is delightful.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nicole! Hugs to you!
DeleteWhat a fantastic gift! I still have the cheque I got for selling my first story because cashing it here was going to cost more than the cheque was for, so I just hold onto it as a reminder.
ReplyDelete๐ Authors are so well paid, aren't they? ๐ฅ Kate!
DeleteThat's an awesome gift! Family is good too. ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jean! Have a great rest of the week!
DeleteYou ARE truly blessed, Louise. More power to you and your cherished family. Love you, dear! Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Victoria! Hugs and love to you!
DeleteThat was the best gift I've ever heard of. I'm jealous, but in a good way. hehehe
ReplyDeleteHe he he, Anna! All the best to you!
DeleteAw! What a sweet and meaningful present!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kim! ❤️
DeleteFirst time I found this... and like this very much. Must try to find a Story.
ReplyDeleteWarm wishes for the 2. Advent ⭐️ ⭐️
Thanks for visiting, Erica! Warm wishes to you on this Advent Day!
DeleteA super thoughtful gift, certainly. Happy December!
ReplyDeleteHappy December to you too, Nilanjana! ❤️
DeleteThat's an awesome gift! No one has every done that for me, though one time for a book release my wife gave me a cake that said "Yay, book!" on it. LOL
ReplyDeleteI did once make her a frame much like you have, displaying a letter she wrote to Neil Gaiman and the handwritten letter he sent back to her. Yeah, we don't keep that on the wall anymore, unfortunately.
Hi, CD! I never pass up a cake! ๐ Kudos to your wife! How cool that she received a handwritten letter from Neil Gaiman. Have an awesome weekend!
DeleteWhat a lovely, happy family. And the framed cover was purrfect.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sandra! Have a great weekend!
DeleteWhat a lovely remembrance!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Samantha! Enjoy the weekend!
DeleteAnonymously Esther O'Neill, East of the Sun (and still without a phone signal.)
ReplyDeleteWonderful to have the support of your extended family.
Dear Louise, You are an excellent writer! I say so and I am always right, just ask my husband. LOL! Seriously, I dearly love a good piece of writing, so I appreciate your blog. xx
ReplyDeleteThe framed cover and first page is such a wonderful gift! And a wonderful idea in general--one I might have to steal. I could use some framed motivation on my wall.
ReplyDeleteAnd you're right--a supportive family is the best gift. I have one too, and I'm so grateful.
I read that first page, and I am intrigued. I'm off to google it to see if it's available online.
ReplyDeleteFamily is a great gift! Mine keeps me busy, but I love them.
I don't know if my other comment posted, but I looked for your story online and couldn't find it.
ReplyDeleteOh this is Priceless photo of your beautiful family dear Louise ๐ฅฐ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
ReplyDeleteI loved peaking into your story you have written long ago my amazingly talented friend ๐ฅฐ๐
I wanted to read more and it’s enough to prove the power of your writing ๐ฅฐ๐ค♥️๐
I loved your response to the question as well ,no doubt that what your family did was truly special and remarkable ๐ฅน and it will keep shining in your heart forever ๐ค๐ฅน
Sending you heartfelt best wishes and lots and lots of love and prayers ๐๐ฅฐ♥️
Support like that is a lovely thing. I'm grateful my family has been that for me. I know too many authors who don't have it.
ReplyDeleteDear Louise, I am just stopping by to let you know I am thinking of you. Sending you much love ❤️ and warm hugs.
ReplyDeleteWonderful gift and photo! I have my first "paid" article framed. I had published several pieces in academic journals but they weren't anything to look at, but this one had lots of my photos. Sadly, it wasn't a gift. I brought it for myself!
ReplyDelete