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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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:
Is there anything you'd like to see changed, added, and/or rearranged about the book publishing industry?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Happy July, Everyone!
I hope that you have had a happy, healthy, and fulfilling June!
I've been home since last IWSG Day, and that has been wonderful.
I've had time to sit out on our deck with Terry and enjoy the long summer evenings.
Almost Mid-Summer's Eve
Looking West Toward the Rockies
Aurora, Colorado, USA
June 16, 2026
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
Being home has also forced me to confront all that remains
to be done after our major home renovation last year.
"You're still unpacking?" gasped my bought-and-sold-many houses,
moved-way-too-many-times best friend over dinner late Sunday afternoon.
"I'm not you, Cheri." I deadpanned.
Our Amazing Friends, Cheri and Gary
Maggiano's Little Italy
Englewood, Colorado, USA
November 28, 2019
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
They had recently arrived from their winter home in Arizona
to spend the summer in their Colorado condo on the far side of town.
We get together as often as we can.
Cheri can pack up or unpack a house or condo in two or three days,
and she doesn't have to resort to Swedish Death Cleaning like I must now.
She does not get distracted like I do.
Guaranteed she wouldn't have come across the receipts for her wedding night
like I did while sorting through a stack of papers this week.
She'd have pitched those receipts after her wedding month.
And she wouldn't have been sidetracked like I was
by preserving them in my journal while enjoying a margarita. 😂
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
My distractibility, okay ADHD, also explains why I'm always racing to finish my IWSG post.
Despite all good my intentions, here I am again madly typing at the last minute.
Really, did our posting day have to land on the first day of the month?
So this month's question asks what I'd like to see changed,
added, and/or rearranged about the book publishing industry.
What I really want is a magic wand that I can wave over my manuscript mess
and transform it to a published best seller on the New York Times Best Seller List.
I'd be doing a book tour with the planning and financing handled by my publishing company
~ nice hotels and meals please, also a makeup artist and a hairstylist to accompany me.
My publishing company would arrange for me to appear
on CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip, where the panel and I would discuss
my brilliant expose of Canada's treatment of Indigenous people in my memoir.
And ... well, that ain't going to happen.
So, since I, as a writer hoping to get my memoir published, have to do all the heavy lifting
of marketing ~ like defining my target audience, building an author's platform,
promoting my book online and in live venues, finding reviews, and selling my book,
so I, as a writer who frequently feels like Sisyphus,
want to own the rights to my book and higher royalties.
My Writing Mess
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
My Father's Students and Classroom
Photo by Donald Blair MacBeath
Lansdowne House, Northern Ontario, Canada
January 1961
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
But I'll worry more about these things when the time gets closer.
Meanwhile I'll keep plodding along on my manuscript and our house.
Happy Canada Day to all the Canadians celebrating today! 🇨🇦 🇨🇦 🇨🇦
Happy Independence Day to all the Americans celebrating on the 4th! 🇱🇷 🇱🇷 🇱🇷
May the US beat Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup today! ⚽ ⚽ ⚽
I'll be celebrating everything!
Canadian by Birth, American by Naturalization
Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, Canada
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
If you are also a member of our Facebook Group,
I invite you to visit and to provide a link to your IWSG post.
Facebook members are invited to answer our July question too.
Happy creating in July!
Take care!
Till next time ~
Fundy Blue
Standing Into Danger https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com
Copyright ©2026 – All rights reserved.
My next post will be Friday, July 10th 🤞
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.
I want one of those magic wands too. Your picture of the sunset is gorgeous. I'm glad you're enjoying being home.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Natalie! Have fun today!
DeleteMy wife is one of those unpack-quickly type. We stay in a hotel, within minutes she has spread out all the bath items, food, and clothes.
ReplyDeleteJust keep working on that manuscript and enjoy some time at home.
I will, Alex! May I borrow your wife? 😂
DeleteThe little red hen, right? He who does the work should take home the pay. =) Wishing you epic writing, focus, and patience as you work through the pages!
ReplyDeleteCluck, cluck, Crystal! I do need epic focus. All the best to you.
DeleteCan I borrow your magic wand after you're done with it? Please!!! Lol
ReplyDeleteI'm the type that can be packed and ready to go in a few hours too. Depending on how long it takes me to stuff the cats in carriers.
You staying put for a whole month is super rare haha
Hope you have a good 1st and 4th.
I find that wand, I'll pass it on to you immediately! I laughed at the image of you stuffing the cats in carriers. I had fun chatting with you and your nephews the other night. All the best to you, Pat!
DeleteI've never seen that flag. Amazing! I bet you loved a month home.
ReplyDeleteThat's my special flag, Jacqui! I spotted it on a boat in Annapolis Royal , Nova Scotia years and years ago. I'm going to be home fore July too. 😂 Have fun today.
DeleteOne suggestion: don’t post your credit card number online. Consequences are kind of high on that one. Hehehe
ReplyDeleteI wouldn’t mind a magic wand that made my writing dream come true either. Sign me up.
Happy Canada Day! Celebrating everything is how it should be done. :-)
Thanks for the tip, Anna! That credit card vanished in the mists of time well over thirty years ago, but I eliminated the photo just to be more careful. Duh! 😂 I'm watching England and the DR Congo right now ~ a very exciting game. Happy Canada Day to you!
DeleteI, too, could use a magic wand to fix my MS, which has holes you could drive a truck through. I'm pretty good at packing up and unpacking for trips, but moving house completely is a pain. Yes, there are some boxes I haven't opened since moving to Seattle 4 years ago, but they are a special case. I *think* I've unpacked everything that should be unpacked.... almost.
ReplyDelete😂😂😂 Thanks, Rebecca! I will have this unpacking done before four years. I *think*.🤞. If I get that magic wand, I will be sharing it with you and other IWSG members.
DeleteAnd thanks for co-hosting today!
DeleteAnonymously Esther O'Neill East of the Sun, We never met, but a friend's mother rehomed every single book, as soon as she'd read it. This meant that their house remained an almost book free zone. Perhaps the friend's chosen career was inevitable. Librarian, of course, OX1 3BG
ReplyDelete😂😂😂! Librarian for sure. That's karmic. I have rehomed thousands and thousands of books, but I still have a massive collection. My books are friends, and they're difficult to say goodbye to. And I keep buying more. 😭 I hope you had lots of fun on IWSG Day.
DeleteI always enjoy looking at your photos, so thanks for sharing them. I'm sure your writing "mess" will eventually become a great published book, no wand necessary :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the vote of confidence, Ronel! I'm so glad that you enjoy my photos. All the best to you.
DeleteOh my gosh, Louise! I save everything, too. And I get distracted. Constantly. I have WAY TOO MANY scrapbooks of our family adventures. And stories told. And I’d much rather be unpacking our last few boxes from our move...six years ago! Ahem. Than trying to market my college memoir. Life is tough. Stay strong, dear friend!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Victoria! My friend Cheri told me that anything I haven't used in a year should be tossed. Ha! Like I'm going to do that. You'll get to the boxes eventually and likely discover something wonderful that you have forgotten. Love and hugs to you!
DeleteHey Louise, When you find that magic wand and are done with it, please toss it my way, would ya:) Heh. Happy 4th.
ReplyDeleteHappy 4th, Sandra. I'm making a wand list to pass it on should I find it. 😂
DeleteI love your magic wand ideal! If only it were so easy. And all the stuff writers have to do (marketing, editing, everything) does feel a bit overwhelming. I'm glad you've had a nice month at home and with your friends.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jenni! I love being home and spending time with my friends. All the best to you!
Delete...distracted, should be my middle name. It difficult for me to stay on task, I flit from one thing to the next!!!
ReplyDeleteI think you are amazing at posting blogs, Tom ~ so consistent and prolific I'm jealous. And, of course, I'm behind on visiting again. 😂. I'd such a flitter. My brother calls me his beautiful butterfly. 😂 Aloha, my friend!
DeleteHappy Canada Day today, Louise! And Happy 250th Independence Day on Saturday!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Debra! It's so good to see you back from your break. I hope you had a blast.
DeleteI'm back in Edmonton but still on my break. I'll officially be back in the blogosphere on July 15th. I'm doing a French Intensive Course at Alliance Francaise that starts next week, so no time to blog until that's done!
DeleteGood luck, Debra! 🍀🍀🍀 I've given up on French. 😂 I think I have a better chance with Hawaiian. I hope you had a great Canada Day. We are looking forward to a fun 4th at home. I have lots of "bad" July 4th goodies for us. We are going to enjoy all the fireworks from our deck. No fighting the traffic that way. All the best to you, my special friend. 🌺❤️🌺
DeleteAh, I would like that magic wand, too. However, I love the picture of that receipt and the other of your book pages!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tyrean! I was thrilled when I found that receipt. Happy creating and enjoy summer!
DeleteIt sounds like you uncovered some warm memories during the dreaded organizing/unpacking! Your magic wand is lovely--I hope you find that one day.
ReplyDeleteIt's those unexpected warm memories that keep me moving forward, Jennifer. Who knows ~ maybe I'll find that magic wand in the mess ~ slipped in by a fairy just for me. All the best to you!
DeleteI'd like that magic wand too.
ReplyDeleteMy husband is OCD so he's a quick unpacker. Me, I'm much slower. If he'd come across an old receipt, he'd immediately throw it away. Me, I'll think it over first whether I want to save it and put it in an album or throw it away.
I wish my husband were OCD, Lidy! 😂. He has other strengths, but quick unpacking is not one of them. Today he had a crew here trimming our fast growing forest of shrubs and trees overwhelming parts of our townhome. Every day a new thing. Such is life. Have a great weekend!
DeleteUnpacking is a slow endeavour. I'm not totally finished after my last move - years ago ;)
ReplyDeleteYour wishes for publishing mostly tally with mine, but i could do without promo ours, I prefer to remain incognito.
Hapyy celebrations of July and happy writing and unpacking ;)
Thanks so much, Charlotte! This introvert prefers to remain incognito too. All the best to you!
DeleteBeautiful photo of the summer sky! Best of luck unpacking. (I still have wedding receipts, too. )
ReplyDeleteI suspect we aren't the only ones to save wedding receipts, Yvonne! Enjoy your extended family reunion on Independence Day! 🎆🎆🎆
DeleteThanks for stopping by my blog. Love your images. The magic wand is just too good to be real, but that's what wishes are for. Love, "Canadian by Birth, American by Naturalization."
ReplyDeleteThanks, Toi! I can hear my stern Baptist Grandmother MacDonald saying, "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride." 😂 All the best to you!
DeleteOh, I want your magic wand too. Could I borrow one from you?
ReplyDeleteI'm making a list, Olga, in case I find it. I'll add you to it! 😂
DeleteHappy Canada Day and Happy 4th of July! I’m the opposite: American by birth, Canadian by naturalization.
ReplyDeleteI hope you had a great Canada Day, Kim! Wishing you a very happy summer!
DeleteI can relate to so much you say here. Sounds like my life in some ways. I just want to get it all done without stressing myself too much. Life has been good but now it want it to be relatively easy. Yeah, right!
ReplyDeleteLee
Yeah, right, for sure! 😂. I've adjusted to the idea that life is never going to be easy. Actually that's probably a good thing. Keeps us on our toes. Enjoy the 4th, Lee!
DeleteOh goodness. I'd be a mess, too, trying to move. Hope you enjoy the journey and trips down memory lane. @samanthabwriter from
ReplyDeleteBalancing Act
Thanks, Samantha! I'm such a sentimentalist ~ I always enjoy trips down memory lane. Have a wonderful summer!
DeleteTyping at the last minute is so like me ;-) I love to run across memories! It's like taking a mini-vacation back in time where even teardrops seem familiar enough to be put right back in the memory box. For next time ;-) Happy 4th!
ReplyDeleteWell said, Diedre! Wishing you a happy 4th too ~ a cool one!
DeleteThat magic wand vision sounds fabulous! I only wish something like that were possible.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your project! It sounds like an important story to tell.
I think it's important, Janet. All the best to you!
DeleteIsn't it wonderful to have such a good friend? Hey, I'd be with you on the stuff. I would not be able to part with those wedding lists!
ReplyDeleteYes it is! Cheri's been my friend for decades. She's like a sister. Happy 4th, Jeanie!
DeleteLove your post. That wedding night receipt is a keeper!
ReplyDeleteI'm getting better at decluttering, but it's a never-ending chore.
Have you ever read 'Clutter's Last Stand'? Good book.
Thanks, Melissa. I have not read "Clutter's Last Stand." I'll check it out. Enjoy July!
DeleteI have gone Indie, too. And I'm in a similar mess with my manuscript. The other day, the illustrator asked me what's taking me so long to get the book out! Eek.
ReplyDeleteWe authors have to do a lot of heavy lifting. 😂. Good luck, Yvette! 🍀🍀🍀
DeleteI always love your pictures!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Donna! All the best to you!
DeleteGood luck finishing your memoir. I'm like you. There are still a few boxes from when we moved 6 years ago that haven't been unpacked, mainly because of the layout of our house.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jeff! Are you moving when you retire? You might as well leave them packed until then. 😂 Happy 4th!
DeleteDear Louise, your friend seems to be incredibly organized! I'm rather chaotic myself, like you. And I think the world needs both – the structured and the creative, the gentle and the wild, those who hoard everything and those who can easily let go of things, etc.
ReplyDeleteI wish you all the best with your continued work on your book – and I think it's a good thing you don't have a magic wand. Ultimately, you'll be much prouder of the result, even if it was a lot of work.
Thank you also for your lovely comment. It sounded exciting to me that you almost lived in Port Alberni. But an adventurer like you simply HAD to venture out into the wide world. If you're in the mood for some more impressions of Canada from a foreigner's perspective: My blog continues with our Vancouver Island trip.
All the best from Austria 🤗.
Traude
https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2026/06/reisebericht-2025-von-ahornblattern-und.html
I will read your Vancouver posts with interest, Traude. Your travel stares are always fun and interesting. Have a great weekend!
DeleteWishing success with your memoir ~ go for it ~ Hugs ^_^
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carol! You and Izzy stay cool tomorrow! Happy 4th!
DeleteThanks for linking to AFFF
ReplyDeleteMUCH LOVE
Thanks, Gillena. Much love to you!
Deletedear Louise !
ReplyDeletei feel happy that you spent this week evenings with Terry while looking at such stunning sunsets :)
this first photo is so captivating wow ! i would love to see such beautiful sights more often .
your friend sounds amazing at things to be done . it's her gift indeed , everyone is unique and has unique gift .you have yours for sure dear friend!
i hope and i have faith that with your changed attitude towards things to be done in your priorities list ,it will be more easy for you, because you are not in hurry now but giving yourself place on top of everything else .it will definitely empower your mind to do everything with more focus and dedication in selected time periods !
miracles love faith and you mush have it always dear Louise :)
sending love and best wishes for you and loved ones!
We have amazing sunrises and sunsets in my area, Baili! It helps that we're on a hill at 6,000 feet (1829 meters) of altitude. And living with a long open space beside us helps. We were lucky to be able to buy here. Cheri is amazing. I've watched her in operation for decades. We taught together, and our families have spent a lot of holidays together. I have backed off a little. I actually feel like I've turned a corner, and I'm beginning to see progress. Sending you, Ali, and sons much love and best wishes. Blessing to you my dear friend! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Deletehi
ReplyDeleteHi, Baili! 😂
DeleteHave a happy 4th 🇺🇸 🎇
ReplyDeleteHappy 4th, Adam. I hope you and your family have lots of fun. Stay cool!!! 🇱🇷 🥂🎉🥳🎆✨
DeleteComing across your old stuff must have been so fun. "I think" to perfectly acceptable to be sidetracks by wonderful memories.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Holly! I'm a packrat so I have lots of wonderful memories. 😱😂. All the best
DeleteLouise, I had to laugh out loud when I read about your "distractibility", it was like looking into a mirror. This is exactly what happens to me when I try to achieve some kind of order and organisation. And somehow it is lovely to find these things and reminisce, with a margarita in hand (or a glass of rosé). When I really want to get something done, I set a timer (a reasonable time like 30-45 minutes) and the rule is "no distractions". If I find something interesting, I put it to the side and look at it after the timer goes off. This way I am fully focused and get things done.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your memoir. A magic wand sounds wonderful... I'm trying to write down my childhood memories that I want to give to my daughter some day. I asked my mom for the same and I am so glad that I have these, handwritten in a beautiful journal that I had given her for that purpose. It's one of the most precious things I own. I have joined a creative writing class through the Longlife Learning program of our local junior college and the prompts help me a lot. While reading your post I got this idea that I could post some of that on my blog; however, since I write in German I first would need to translate everything.
Writing a memoir is difficult and challenging, and I wish you all the best for writing yours. Do you have a special system? You said it's chaotic, but I'm pretty sure that it probably isn't that chaotic. If it works for you, it's good.
I can't imagine unpacking a whole home in 2-3 days. I'd be like you. I might even be slower. :) I hope you have a fabulous July. And I love that flag by the way.
ReplyDeleteSeems I'm really late to the party. I hope your magic wand works, Louise. And, I hope you get your memoirs published. Happy belated FFO, happy belated 159th Canada Day, and happy 4th of July.
ReplyDelete.
Hi!
ReplyDeleteToo late, I know but I am here:)
Love that sunset picture---I kept staring at it for a minute before I scrolled down. It'd have been amazing if there was a bibbidi bobbidi way to have our book out there! And I took struggle with that packing and unpacking but I've been surviving because of my great mother lol.
Aaaand who do you think will take the world cup this time???
Hello lovely lady. I'm finally up for a bit to get some commenting done. If you are handing out magic wands, send one to me. ha ha ha. I have had quite a bit published and the book part of it is quite daunting. I would change so much in that area. Anyway, glad you are home going through things and being distracted by some wonderful memories. Thank you for sharing with FFO.
ReplyDelete