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 PK Hrezo,
Cathrina Constantine, PJ Colando, Kim Lajevardi, and Sandra Cox.
along with IWSG Founder Alex J. Cavanaugh are PK Hrezo,
Cathrina Constantine, PJ Colando, Kim Lajevardi, and Sandra Cox.
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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:
What is your favorite writing craft book? Think of a book that every time you read it you learn something or you are inspired to write or try the new technique. And why?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Happy August, Everyone!
I hope this month finds you happy and inspired!
It's discouraging to think of the tenacity of the Covid virus
in the USA and around the world.
I keep myself positive by remembering that each day
brings us one day closer to a normal life.
I hope that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy!
![]() |
| Ralph Fletcher Wikimedia |
Favorite writing craft book?
There are so many excellent ones
to choose from.
The one I return to repeatedly is
Ralph Fletcher's What a Writer Needs.
You may not be familiar with this book
because it's written for teachers.
Ralph Fletcher is a master teacher and writer.
Because of this,
his book is an excellent writing resource
for teachers of writing, teachers who write,
and writers who want to learn
and to improve their craft.
Fletcher is a serious and dedicated writer with the ability
to break the process of writing into its components
and to explain them with a clarity that even children can understand.
Children? Don't let that throw you!
Children are courageous writers,
and their honesty, insights, and originality can be breathtaking.
Fletcher beautifully blends the writing of children with the writing of published authors,
and there is much to learn from both.
I return to What a Writer Needs over and over
because of Fletcher's lucid explanations of things I need to learn,
relearn, and practice if I want to become a better writer.
I love this piece by a little first grader, Danielle,
which Ralph Fletcher shares in his book.
Ralph Fletcher, What a Writer Needs (Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Heinemann, 1993) p. 73.
"ho I sey.
Culrdpant.
in the sqi.
it macks a.
reabow."
As someone who has read the writing of hundreds of children,
I can easily read Danielle's piece:
"Oh, I see colored paint in the sky. It makes a rainbow."
Every time I think of Danielle's "Culrdpant. in the sqi,"
it reminds me to write fearlessly,
with my heart open to the wonders of human experience.
I hope each of you has fun visiting around today.
I know I'm looking forward to reading your posts!
Happy writing to each of you!





