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:
As a writer, do you have favorite themes that you like to explore in your stories? If so, what are they?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Happy November, Everyone!
I hope all is going well for you.
Terry and I have been enjoying the mellow fall weather.
Our brilliant fall leaves have faded and many of them have fallen.
My world is resting before the arrival of winter.
Looking Down on the Path Leading into Our Nearby Park
Along Piney Creek
Aurora, Colorado, USA
October 31, 2026
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
Throughout my life I have felt deeply connected
to the natural world and its landscapes and seascapes,
and this fascination has impacted my writing from the time I wove my first stories.
I have been particularly interested in how different environments
shape the lives of the people who live in them.
Not just people, but all living things,
are bound to their place and time on our beautiful Earth.
A Mule Buck That Hangs Out in My Neighborhood
Heritage Eagle Bend
Aurora, Colorado, USA
November 1, 2026
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
This magnificent mule buck looks so comfortable on the lawn across the street from me.
Based on his physical characteristics and antler structure, he is about 4.5 to 5.5 years old.
Technically he is a 4x4 with eye guards (when counting antler points).
He was born nearby, somewhere along Piney Creek, likely in 2021.
He has never had to worry about being harassed or hunted by people,
so he lounges contentedly, unconcerned about me stalking him with my iPhone.
He may even remember me, because I've been watching him for years.
He is absolutely a product of his place and time.
The Mule Deer Lying in the Grass Is Likely Him (Note the Nose)
Along Piney Creek
Aurora, Colorado, USA
May 13, 2021
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
I am interested in the bones of the Earth, how they've shaped living things throughout time.
And I wonder about life beyond the Earth throughout our galaxy and beyond.
I think about the Fermi Paradox:
Why haven't we found evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations?
A trillion galaxies in our universe.
One hundred billion stars in each galaxy.
Trillions of potential worlds.
Intelligent life should be out there somewhere.
Why haven't we found it or made contact with it?
Our Deepest View of the Cosmos Via the Hubble Telescope
Hundreds of Galaxies in All Shapes and Sizes
Hubble Ultra Deep Field Photo ~ Wikipedia
I think about an amazing science fiction novel written by Kim Stanley Robinson,
published in 2015, Aurora.
It's one of the best books I've ever read.
I've never forgotten a phrase:
"... life is a planetary expression..."
The full quotation is this:
"That's why you aren't hearing from anyone out there. That's why the great silence persists. There are many other living intelligences out there, no doubt, but they can't leave their home planets any more than we can, because life is a planetary expression, and can only survive on its home planet." (Robinson, Kim Stanley. Aurora. Orbit, 2015, p. 428)
You may think I have wandered far afield from Piney Creek
to the far reaches of galaxies in space and time.
But the principle remains the same:
Living things are shaped by their environments,
by their landscapes and seascapes,
by their particular places and times.
I can't think of a story I've written, long or short, published or unpublished,
that isn't founded on a specific location and how it impacts the characters in my tale.
Setting has always inspired and driven my writing.
I keep thinking of life as a planetary expression.
We are an expression of our planet.
We need to take better care of our earthly home.
I used to dream of living on the moon, on Mars, and beyond.
(Even wrote a few stories, thankfully lost in time. 😂)
But no more. I'm grateful and happy to hang out in my place and time,
along with my muley buck, Old Man Cottonwood, and ever-changing Piney Creek.
Old Man Cottonwood
Along Piney Creek
Aurora, Colorado, USA
October 20, 2026
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
Wispy Cirrus Clouds and a Bright Patch of Sun Dog
Along Piney Creek
Aurora, Colorado, USA
November 3, 2026
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue. All Rights Reserved
Happy creating in November!
May life be happy and safe for you!
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, November 13th. 🤞
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.
