What a Writer is Made of...

A writer is the sum of her life's experiences.

Welcome readers and writers to this month's session of the Insecure Writers Support Group--one of the last threads of blogging that keeps writers connected. The other social medias are not as personal as the blogging we once shared. When I started blogging about 15 years ago (holy cow!) I was so thankful to find other writers through blog hops and challenges, especially the April A to Z and then the IWSG.

I like to think blogging faded away because we all started writing more, and the thing we had to give up was blogging. I'm very thankful for the writer friends I've made and the IWSG keeping us posting at least once a month! And I try to keep in touch as much as I can. We understand each other...

• For most of us, writing isn't what pays the bills; we have real jobs to support our writing habit
• We have to find spare moments to write
• Sometimes, we go for days or weeks or more without writing a single word
• A song, strangers, mishaps, dreams, and more can all be sources that spark a new story or scene
• Our characters speak to us--usually at inappropriate moments =D
• Editing sucks the life out of finishing a manuscript
• We are our own worst critics and struggle putting ourselves "out there"
• Queries & Submissions are so strenuous to write, yet so easy for agents/publishers to ignore or negate
• We are perseverant because we have to be strong for our stories
• We crave reviews and critiques, while at the same time dread them--it's hard to share our work (it's a piece of our souls)
• A kind word or comment from a single reader can inspire us to keep writing
• Talking with other writers keeps us sane

Do you feel some of these? What would you add to this list?

Our writing journeys all started in different places for different reasons, but we are compelled to share our stories. It takes special people to suffer through the ups and downs of writing. Keep at it!

Lastly, I hope to get at least one more Tuesday Writers Chat session in before the holidays, but October is going to be insanely busy with my hub traveling all over creation for work. Then the end of the month will be bittersweet as my oldest son moves away, on to his next big adventure. I might consider NaNo this November to fill the void. But life usually fills the void for me, so we'll see!

I hope you wear your writer's costume this October and find time to work on your stories!

Let's go to School!

I love back to school time. 

Love the school supplies, new faces, and Fall is right around the corner. 

One of my favorite things about Fall is the pumpkin stuff. But I think they started a bit early this year. I've been holding back until this month to indulge in all the pumpkiny goodness. I don't want to get sick of it, and the stores are really going at it this year, close to Pumpkin Overload! I like to have a couple of items each week, including some apple & squash, and spread them out because I want the yummy fall flavors to last through November. (Then I switch over to winter deliciousness -- cranberry, mints, and cocoa!)

Fall and school also mean my writing grinds to a halt until I adjust my routine... So I'm stalled until I can fit in some writing time. And I have a very busy Fall with my kids coming and going, my husband traveling for work, and my school functions... At least I have a few Fall book events to look forward to! Then, BAM! All of a sudden, it'll be December! Time just keeps flying by.

So what flavors do you enjoy this season? Are you sick of pumpkin already??

And how is your writing going? I hope you are meeting your goals!

Keep Writing!

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I am Not a Robot

Hey Writers!

Welcome to IWSG - August 2024

If I was a robot, 

I'd be R2-D2!

Have you ever been accused of being a robot? LOL, right?

Apparently AI thinks a couple of my comments sound robot-generated... This is so jarring! What is this world coming to? 

And what does that mean? What makes my comment(s) seem "made up?"

When I comment, I choose items from the post to praise or relate to and say words like great, awesome, fabulous, etc. I also might throw in a compliment or answer a question they posed. I conclude with Happy July or Happy Summer and leave my blog link. Maybe it's the link? But I didn't leave it one time and the same thing happened. I was told my comment was suspicious and was forced to prove I wasn't a robot.

How dare AI tell a human she's a robot! When I see robot-generated comments, it's very obvious, unless they're getting better. For starters, it's not a name I recognize or it's gibberish. And it's on a very old post. Smart as it is, it might be complimentary, but it doesn't usually get specific. And it almost always asks you to go read their post--no human I know does that, only ads. 

All this AI really creeps me out with their stalking, predictions, targeting, corrections, and judgments. Like a baby's milestones, every new step is amazing in its infancy, but by the time it's an evil teenager we won't be able to control it as it morphs into the Matrix or I Robot! Though I'd like to say some AI is good--I even teach methods to create programs that teach robots to help--I just dread the day humans depend on AI for everything and not their own intuition and vibes, things robots don't understand. Yet?

Hope I didn't sound too gloomy. It was just such a startling thing to happen. And as a writer, I see drama and premonitions all around me! Ha ha. It would make a good book, but I don't want to give AI any ideas!

And here's a short update from my small, yet tumultuous corner of the world...

• My older son, soon to move to Dallas, had to evacuate his apartment due to a severe leaking/mold problem and has moved back in with us until said move. Nice to have him close for a bit longer since we won't see much of him way over yonder...
• Took a scouting trip to Florida--I'm trying to get ready for that move. I'm not excited about the year-round heat, among other things. Been there, done that...
• As for Writing News: I'm very excited to have several book events coming up, one each month into November! Wish me luck!

• And I'm happy to be cruising through my two novels: LEFTY (typing up ch 11) and MAGNETRON (rough draft ch 17)  So much Research--which I secretly love, expanding my knowledge!

PS - What do you think of this blurb for LEFTY?

Homicide Detective Gloria Benson has a successful track record solving tough cases in record time. Until she meets Pamela Kaplan who appears to be cursed. Trying to put her life back together after losing her right hand in a car accident, Pamela can’t understand why someone is killing the people close to her. Gloria has a hunch, but it seems impossible to prove, much less predict who will be next to die. Time is not on her side as the murders pile up. Has Gloria met her match?

Happy August. Hope it's full of inspiration!

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