https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com
Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.
I’m elated to be one of the November co-hosts of the IWSG blog hop. The others are Jean Davis, Lisa Buie Collard, and Diedre Knight.
The photo above may/may not be our awesome founder, Alex Cavanaugh. Don’t forget to give him a shout-out. It’s protocol after all…Â http://Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh
Now for the heart of the matter. Our writing prompt this auspicious month is optional, as you know, but it’s perfectly topical, so give it a go! November 1 question: November is National Novel Writing Month. Have you ever participated? If not, why not? It’s only 1667Â Wds/day, Â writer peeps!
First, here’s my response from the goal-setting month of January: https://www.pjcolando.com/mistakes-made-mistakes-amended/
My preoccupation is different this month. I’m finalizing a compilation of blog posts I’ve written over a dozen years. The theme – and therefore the title of the book – is My Life as a Miracle – based upon a statement by the highly quotable genius, Albert Einstein.
The careful curation of past posts took most of the month of September. My go-to formatter has been undergoing chemotherapy, but she’s worth it – and I’m loyal – and is achieving that necessary task now.
I want to be supportive because I’m a cancer survivor, too.
I’ve also begun book cover selection with an illustrator. I wonder if anyone else has experienced the awkwardness of a verbal person (writer me) and a visual artist (book cover illustrator) trying to communicate clearly, concisely, and completely to convey the desired look and feel. We’re on round five and honing in, but sometimes my teeth ache.
Especially when I’ve spent 20-30 minutes trying to perfect my vocabulary in my reply email to achieve the ‘clear, consideration, and complete’ goal.
I can not merely say “no-no”…
It’s not only impolite in such a transaction, but a do-over is expensive.
Thanks for co-hosting this month. I’ve worked on projects in the past, with me as the writer, and someone else as the visuals person. I have about a 60-40 success rate. I think that’s pretty good. Sometimes things just don’t work out but it’s wonderful when they do.
Yes – after a mere seven revisions, the cover is done!
I do NaNo No No each year too. I found out while writing a couple of novellas that I just dont have the attention spanfor writing a novel. Reading a novel is a different story.
Thanks to you and all the others for co-hosting!
I’m glad that NaNo – novella works for you, Steven
I love that Einstein quote and your book title. I believe we are all surrounded by everyday miracles, and each of our lives contains miracles and magic worth celebrating. Good luck with your book!
You know I agree in the daily instances of miracles, even minor. The key is to recognize them and enjoy the grace.
I believe you cannot write a good novel in 30 days. A novel, yes. But a good one, no. I once wrote a post where the ghosts of Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Twain, and Zelazny discussed the merits of such a thing. https://rolandyeomans.blogspot.com/2017/11/iwsg-postwhat-do-dead-think-of-nanowrimo.html
Better than great blog post, Roland!
Love that quote, and that you survived cancer. I’m in awe. We may have to talk more about that in about a month.
Thanks – and you know where to find me, Jacqui. I’d be glad to chat –
Love that book title, the inspiring quote and the title of your post today. You’re an inspiration. All the best with the book!
Thank you. Compliments and encouragement from another author are the best!
That’s awesome you are putting together a book.
Thanks for co-hosting this month!
And I’m not sure I’m quite that classy…
Thanks for the compliment. The book is intended as a Christmas gift to family and friends and is a curated collection of blog posts I’ve written on the “life as a miracle” theme.
I’m willing and able to co-host any of the months of December – February. I like this community gig!
Thanks so much for co-hosting this month!
I’ve done NaNo before and I’m doing it again this year. I like the accountability and it helps me get my idea out into the real world and out of my head faster when I’ve got an achievable, measurable goal in front of me.
Best of luck on the cover illustration. I’ve yet to experience that but I’m sure it’s a delicate operation as well as a bit frustrating trying to get your vision communicated!
Have a wonderful November 🙂
Let’s hope that November is good for all – and peace comes for all people on the planet…
Thanks for co-hosting! Best of luck with your new project.
Thank you, Yvonne
Thanks for co-hosting today!
Loving the quote and the book title.
I self-published my poetry chapbook where I was both writer and visual person. I worked with an illustrator found on Fiverr to re-do the cover for the book’s anniversary. Remember emailing back and forth, as specific as possible what I wanted. And the outcome was better than I imagined.
Thanks for the thanks – I like this co-hosting gig!
My cover has been finalized and it is magical and better than I imagined, too!
Really love that quote. Sorry that I haven’t worked with an illustrator before. Thanks for co-hosting this month.
Thanks for the many times you co-host, too. It’s a great community.
I wish I had the time and the courage to tackle NaNo, but alas, I don’t. We’re all happy you survived cancer. I pray that one day there will be a cure for all. I lost my parents and many in my life to that dreadful disease.
Thank you for Co-hosting!
Thanks and hugs to you, Cathrina
I like the Einstein quote.
And I understand your book cover woes. I make book covers myself. It is not easy to mesh your own vision with that of the writer’s. Writers always have their own particular ideas, which is hard on the artists. :))
Kudos to you for having the ability to create your own covers – wow!
I’m in the “everything is a miracle” camp. It makes life so much more exciting. Thanks for co-hosting today!
Miracles or Mayhem – which is the better choice? Ha!
I love to co-host in this community!
I totally get it. It is a hard no from me today too, but I’ve done it about five times – four as a winner, the fifth as a whiner. My first published book The Crooked Knife got its start in a NaNoWriMo. Your book sounds awesome!
The cover for my book has been finalized and when the interior formatter has completed her magic, the publisher will do their part… Hoping for a holiday release
Your current compilation project sounds interesting. I’ve thought about doing something like it, but all together there is probably too much randomness in my blog posts.
NaNo is a tall order for most of us I think. I’ve got too many other things to do these days and I’ve been having to borrow my wife’s computer since mine went out of commission. That really puts a limit to things–or provides me a good excuse not to do NaNo.
Lee
Nice to hear from you! When you purchase a new computer are you going for desktop or laptop?
I’ve always loved that Einstein quote! It’s been on many of my classroom walls over the years!
Good luck with your cover!
Affinity for Einstein!
The book cover is finalized and all is moving forward to publication. Christmas time is the goal!
You made me laugh so hard with the NaNo meme. And it’s a NaNo no-no for me, too. I just can’t crank out that volume with any joy. And when I’m not happy writing, the words just suck. Thanks for coo-hosting this month!
You’re welcome for the laughs – did I mention that I write humor? Hahaha – and I strongly agree that there must be joy or the words suck! Attitude matters –
Great quote. Thanks for cohosting this month.
Einstein was a highly quotable brainiac. What would you have done if you met him, Diane? I imagine that he didn’t do small talk (wink-wink)
Thanks for co-hosting this month. And I love your idea for this collection. Sounds inspiring. @samanthabwriter from
Balancing Act
Thanks for reading my blog post – and the love, Samantha.
Thanks for cohosting today. You’ve given me some new ideas! And also explained why my niece and I had such trouble with covers. I never counted how many draft stages but I think it was rare to exceed four, mainly because she did several ideas for starters. They turned out best when I left her to it!
I love this co-hosting gig, which encourages interface with other writers. I hope your cover rocks!
Thanks for co-hosting! Sounds like you’ve got a lot going on. I hope your formatter pulls through fully healed.
Thanks to you, Loni – love your name.