How Did the IWSG Begin?

by Alex J. Cavanaugh

On September 7 of this year, the IWSG will celebrate its twelfth year. Twelve years! Considering where we began, that’s just incredible. And just where did it begin? 

via GIPHY

Here is its story.

I’d noticed blog posts from writers mentioning their doubts, concerns, and lack of confidence. I also saw the positive replies they received and realized that the writing community offered an abundance of support. Writers want to see other writers succeed. An email exchange with another author led me to tell him that he needed an insecure writer’s support group. That’s when the lightbulb came on!

What if we posted as a group every month? The group would act as a form of therapy, letting writers post about situations where they need encouragement or to offer words of encouragement to others if they have experience. I tossed out the idea to my fellow writers and on September 7, 2011, we launched the monthly blog posting of the IWSG.

On the first Wednesday of every month, we share our thoughts about writing on our blogs. We also have an optional monthly question to assist with member's posts, which can be found on the Sign-Up page. But it’s become a great way for members to not only receive support, but to stay in contact with one another.

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group has grown since conception. Over 130 people are a part of the blogging community that posts on the first Wednesday of every month, known as IWSG Day. (At one point, that number topped out at around 330.)

The group has expanded beyond blogging into other forms. We have a Facebook Group with 5000+ members, an Instagram group with 1200+ followers, and a Twitter account with 12,100 followers. Our free monthly newsletter, which has featured industry experts like Jane Friedman and Sandra Beckwith, has 700+ subscribers. We have an IWSG Goodreads Book Club as well. And of course, the website boasts thousands of links to other great writing sites and databases.

For several years now, we’ve run a Twitter pitch event, #IWSGPit, every January. Many writers have signed with a publisher or agent as a result. (IWSG Admin Diane Wolfe, who runs Dancing Lemur Press, has signed four authors from #IWSGPit!)

We offer two free guides for writers: The Insecure Writer’s Support Group’s Guide to Publishing and Beyond and The Insecure Writer’s Support Group’s Guide to Writing for Profit. Our anthology contests have produced seven books - Parallels: Felix Was Here, Hero Lost: Mysteries of Death and Life, Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime, Masquerade: Oddly Suited, Voyagers: The Third Ghost, Dark Matter: Artificial, and First Love: The Art of Making Doughnuts.

We even have our own merchandise which include pens, magnets, and a T-shirt! All profits from those sales goes into paying for the domain and IWSG site. Otherwise, it’s all volunteer-run and with no ads.

I and the other administrators are actively pushing the group to greater heights. Nothing is impossible when insecure writers band together. And we welcome to suggestions and requests; whatever it takes to make the group better for writers!

 

Alex J. Cavanaugh works in web design and graphics. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is known as Ninja Captain Alex and is the founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. His Cassa books are Amazon Best Sellers and winners of the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award.

Website  --  Insecure Writers Support Group

Facebook  --  Instagram  --  Twitter

#IWSGPit  --  IWSG Merchandise

Prepare for Ignition! "Dark Matter: Artificial" is about to Liftoff!

Happy New Year, Everyone!

 

And it is already happier than the last one.

I have great hope for the coming days, weeks, and months;

and I feel the weight of heavy black clouds lifting,

starting with the potential end of this tragic pandemic.

One of the exciting things on the horizon is the release

of the 2021 IWSG anthology on May 4th!

Congratulations to the ten talented IWSG members

whose stories are included in this anthology:

Artificial by Stephanie Espinoza Villamor

Space Folds and Broomsticks by CD Gallant-King

Rift by Kim Mannix

The Utten Mission by Steph Wolmarans

Sentient by Tara Tyler

One to Another by Deniz Bevan

Resident Alien by Charles Kowalski

Nano Pursuit by Olga Godim

Resurgence by Elizabeth Mueller

Vera’s Last Voyage by Mark Alpert

A thank you to our awesome publisher: 

The Insecure Writer's Support Group is fortunate to have L. Diane Wolfe

and Dancing Lemur Press to publish our sixth anthology.

This spunky dynamo and DLP published the first five anthologies

using Dancing Lemur Press imprint Freedom Fox Press.

Here's a peek at what readers have to look forward to:

Dark Matter: Artificial

An Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology

Discover dark matter’s secrets…

What is an AI’s true role? Will bumbling siblings find their way home from deep space? Dark matter is judging us—are we worthy of existence? Would you step through a portal into another reality? Can the discoverer of dark matter uncover its secrets? 

Ten authors explore dark matter, unraveling its secrets and revealing its mysterious nature. Featuring the talents of Stephanie Espinoza Villamor, C.D. Gallant-King, Tara Tyler, Mark Alpert, Olga Godim, Steph Wolmarans, Charles Kowalski, Kim Mannix, Elizabeth Mueller, and Deniz Bevan. 

Wikimedia:  "Dark matter is invisible. The effect of gravitational lensing

causes multiple images of the same galaxy. 

A ring of dark matter has been suggested to explain this.

In this image of galaxy cluster (CL0024+17) the dark matter is seen in blue."

Preliminary publication data:

Release date: May 4, 2021

Print ISBN 9781939844828 $14.95

EBook ISBN 9781939844835 $4.99

Science Fiction: Collections & Anthologies (FIC028040) / Space Exploration (FIC028130) / Genetic Engineering (FIC028110) 

186 pages

A huge thanks to our hardworking judges:

A panel of agents, authors, and editors handpicked ten tales that will take readers on a journey across time and space. 

Dan Koboldt, author and #SFFpit founder

Lynda R. Young, author

Colleen Oefelein, agent, The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency

Damien Larkin, author

Ion Newcombe, editor and publisher

Julie Gwinn, agent, The Seymour Agency

David Powers King, author

A huge thanks to our Ninja Captain:

Without the vision and hard work of IWSG founder Alex J. Cavanaugh,

none of this would be happening!  

He is one amazing and generous spirit!

Visit Alex at 

http://alexjcavanaugh.com/

http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/

http://twitter.com/AlexJCavanaugh 

What to read while you're waiting:

Let me recommend any and all of the first five IWSG anthologies.

        

                       2016                           2017                          2018                            2019

2020

Coming on Wednesday,  January 13, 2021 . . .

Our next post will introduce the talented authors of Dark Matter: Artificial.

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue 

Upcoming IWSG Events . . .

Ready to try your hand at a Twitter pitch? Then join us January 20, 2021 for #IWSGPit - https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-twitter-pitch.html 

And polish, polish, polish those pitches. Good luck!

For some excellent tips check out Alex J. Cavanaugh's post:

Twitter Pitch with Gusto!

Twitter Pitch With Gusto!

The Insecure Writer's Support Group has a special event coming

on January 20, 2021:  Its annual IWSG Twitter Pitch!

And today we have just the person to explain all things Twitter Pitch,

IWSG founder and science fiction writer Alex J. Cavanaugh.

His expertise can help you pitch your manuscript to publishers and agents.

Twitter Pitch With Gusto!

by Alex J. Cavanaugh

If you are a writer preparing to query your manuscript or you’ve been in the trenches awhile, you’ve probably heard the term Twitter pitch party. Maybe you’ve participated in one with no results. We can help you prepare and get the most out of an event.

 

What is a Twitter pitch party? It’s an event put together by an organization for writers to pitch their manuscripts to agents and publishers on Twitter. Writers pitch their manuscripts in a tweet with the appropriate hastags, and agents and publishers heart the ones they are interested in seeing. It usually occurs over the course of a day, allowing time for multiple pitches and time for agents and publishers all over the world to check the feed. It gives writers an advantage over those sending in unsolicited submissions because when they query a manuscript that received a heart during the pitch, it’s been requested!

 

Each Twitter pitch party has its own set of rules, but here are the general guidelines:

* One pitch per hour. Writers can send multiple pitches if they are for different 

   manuscripts.

* Use appropriate hashtags. Those pitching should use the hashtag of the 

   Twitter pitch (for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, it’s #IWSGPit), 

   the hashtag of the genre (#SF for science fiction, #R for romance, etc.), 

   and the hashtag of the age group (#YA for young adult, #A for adult, etc.).

* Only agents and publishers interested in a manuscript are allowed to heart

   the tweet.

* Writers can retweet their fellow writers’ pitches.

* No images allowed in tweets.

 

Who is a Twitter pitch party geared towards? Any writer with a complete and polished manuscript that is not committed to an agent or publisher. Writers should also check the guidelines and be sure their manuscript’s genre fits the event. No need to pitch a young adult adventure book during a science fiction Twitter pitch!

 

Before the event, compose several tweets. There’s not any room for fluff in a 280 character tweet. Plus all appropriate hashtags need to be included, which makes it even shorter. A pitch needs to convey the story in one to three lines and pack a punch in the process.

 

What needs to go into the pitch? Debra Dixon says to always include Goal-Motivation-Conflict in any manuscript pitch. You probably also heard about including the “who-what-where-when-why-how” in a pitch. But in approximately 200 spaces, you need to identify the main character, his motivation or goal, and the crisis. Composing several different pitches lets you try each one several times during the day, and you’ll know by hearts which ones are the most effective.

 

Before the event, it’s also best to run those pitches past others. Send them to your critique partners or a couple trusted writer/author friends. The more pitches you can compose for them, the better. They can help you narrow down the best three or four. There are also online groups and forums where you can post your pitches for feedback. Polish those pitches right up until the day of the party.

 

The day of the event arrives – you’re ready! Be sure to double-check the times and the rules. When the pitch opens, send out your first pitch, and pitch again at the appropriate intervals. Remember, no images and only retweet your fellow writers’ pitches – don’t heart them. Keep an eye on the feed to see what is being pitched and who is hitting the heart button on those tweets. Check on your own pitches periodically for hearts. If you get a heart, that means some agent or publisher is interested in your manuscript. Get excited!

 

The event will end, but that’s not the complete end. Don’t send out any more tweets, but do keep checking earlier ones. Some agents and publishers can’t tune in the day of the event but they search the hashtags later for manuscripts of interest. A heart could turn up several days after the party.

 

It helps if you can research agents and publishers before the event, but that’s not always possible. (You can research them during the event as their hearts appear on pitches.) But if you’ve received some hearts, check out those agents and publishers before sending them anything. Check their site and Google their name. You can search Critters Workshop http://critters.org/c/pubtips.ht and SFWA http://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/ for them as well. Make sure it’s someone you can trust and that they offer what you want in terms of publishing.

 

After receiving a heart, go to their Twitter page. Often agents and publishers will post exactly what they want to see if they have clicked the heart on your Tweet. Then go to their submission guidelines on their website. Just because they hit the heart button doesn’t mean you can just query them any old way. Follow their guidelines on their site and for the Twitter pitch event. Unlike an unsolicited query though, yours has been requested! So be sure to note in either the subject line or in the email that they hit the heart button during the pitch event.

 

Several things can happen after a Twitter pitch party. Those with hearts on their pitches get to send in queries. Those queries can turn into partials or full requests. They might even turn into a signed contract for a manuscript! (My own publisher has signed four authors from Twitter pitch parties.) But what happens if there are no hearts? That usually means one of two things—either timing was bad and the right agents and publishers weren’t watching the Twitter feed or that the pitches still weren’t quite right. Don’t despair! Learn from the event. Keep polishing those pitches. Get outside help to make them shine. (And of course, keep sending out query emails and letters.) There is always another Twitter pitch party on the horizon.

 

Ready to try your hand at a Twitter pitch? Then join us January 20, 2021 for #IWSGPit - https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-twitter-pitch.html And polish, polish, polish those pitches. Good luck!

     IWSG's Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh

Bio

Alex J. Cavanaugh works in web design, graphics, and technical editing. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, which hosts #IWSGPit every January. He’s the author of Amazon Best-Sellers CassaStar, CassaFire, CassaStorm, and Dragon of the Stars. The author lives in the Carolinas with his wife.

Visit Alex at 

http://alexjcavanaugh.com/

http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/

http://twitter.com/AlexJCavanaugh 

Website| Insecure Writers Support Group| 
Goodreads| Twitter| Bookbub| Amazon

 

* * * * * * * * * *

Coming on Wednesday, December 2, 2020 . . .

Our next post will be on IWSG Day in December.  A number of us are participating in this year's NaNoWroMo during November, so it's going

to be a busy month.  Have a great November and enjoy Thanksgiving!

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue 

* * * * * * * * * *

If you haven't read this year's IWSG anthology 

VOYAGERS:  The Third Ghost, you can find it here.

You can order a copy of
VOYAGERS: The Third Ghost 

at the links below.

Print 9781939844729 $13.95

EBook 9781939844736 $4.99

Juvenile Fiction - Historical / Action & Adventure /
Fantasy & Magic

Amazon - Print https://www.amazon.com/dp/193984472X/  - Kindle https://www.amazon.com/Voyagers-Third-Ghost-Yvonne-Ventresca-ebook/dp/B083C4WPR5/

Barnes & Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/voyagers-yvonne-ventresca/1135912991?ean=2940163430857

ITunes - https://books.apple.com/ca/book/voyagers-the-third-ghost/id1493413956

Kobo - https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/voyagers-the-third-ghost

Congratulations and Some Questions

Congratulations to all the IWSG members who entered this year's anthology contest.  You're all winners for submitting an entry.  It will be great fun to see what our members have done with the science fiction genre and dark matter theme.  Look for the winners to be announced toward the end of the year.


                    

Now comes the judging!  The IWSG administrators will create a shortlist of the best stories, and the shortlist will be sent to the official judges to pick the winners.  The IWSG has a wonderful slate of authors, agents, editors, and publishers as judges this year:  Dan Koboldt, Lynda R. Young, Colleen Oefelein, Damien Larkin, Ion Newcombe, Julie Gwinn, and David Powers King.   I don't envy them the task of picking the winner.

The winning stories will be edited and published by Freedom Fox Press, an imprint of Dancing Lemur Press, in the next IWSG anthology. Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title. Somewhere out there among our IWSG members is one lucky author who will share the honor earned by Yvonne Ventresca and previous winners Gwen Gardner, Jen Chandler, and L.G. Keltner, that of having his or her story grace the cover of the anthology. 

                                    

I was likely the least experienced writer of all the winners in Voyagers.  During the last eight or nine months I have climbed up a very steep learning curve. Along the way I received a lot of help from my fellow anthology authors, Alex J. Cavanaugh, and L. Diane Wolfe.  One of the best results of being featured in the anthology was my opportunity to work with Diane as my editor and publisher.  I have learned so much from this amazing person, and I am beyond grateful.  I was so green I didn't understand what she needed from me to collect my first royalty check.  But I'm a quick study and rectified that hole in my knowledge right away.

But, as a newly-published author, I still have questions.  I'm hoping this post will generate some answers:

1.  Do you, as an author, have a domain name?  Where is the best place to get one, and are there any pitfalls in choosing a name and in choosing a place to purchase your domain name?  Do you have to pay the fee annually?

2.  What is the best place to set up an author's website?  Is it possible to do this yourself or should you invest in having it done professionally?  What do you think are the most important things to include on your author's website?

I know that I could hunt this information down on the internet, but I'm tired of slogging around in the wilderness; I'd like some in-the-trenches guidance from IWSG members.  I'm sure I'm not the only one with these questions.  Any information would be much appreciated!

Lost in the Wilderness

Western Nova Scotia

August 5, 2018

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

All Rights Reserved

And for any of you procrastinators out there who are finishing up your entry for this year's contest,

YOU STILL HAVE A WHOLE WEEK!
Woo Hoo!

Pinterest

Our next post will be on Wednesday, September 2, 2020 IWSG Day. 

Stay healthy and well until then!

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue

* * * * * * * * * *

Reviews of Voyagers:  The Third Ghost:

1.  Check out lots of reviews and ratings at Goodreads.

2.  Excerpts from Amazon reviews:

"It's been a long time since I've read a collection of various genre stories that had me so overwhelmed with emotion at the end, and the fact that it's a middle-grade collection still boggles my mind."

"What do slave ships, ghosts, time travel, Pompeii, WWII, aeroplanes, and the Iron Curtain have in common?  They all appear in this absolutely fantastic collection of short stories by the Insecure Writer's Support Group."

"The amazing thing about themed anthologies is that, while there's a single theme, the stories are incredibly varied. In the case of Voyagers: The Third Ghost, not only are the stories varied, but each is well-crafted and engaging... All take the reader on a short, but rewarding journey."

You can order a copy of
VOYAGERS: The Third Ghost 

at the links below.

Print 9781939844729 $13.95

EBook 9781939844736 $4.99

Juvenile Fiction - Historical / Action & Adventure /
Fantasy & Magic

Amazon - Print https://www.amazon.com/dp/193984472X/  - Kindle https://www.amazon.com/Voyagers-Third-Ghost-Yvonne-Ventresca-ebook/dp/B083C4WPR5/

Barnes & Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/voyagers-yvonne-ventresca/1135912991?ean=2940163430857

ITunes - https://books.apple.com/ca/book/voyagers-the-third-ghost/id1493413956

Kobo - https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/voyagers-the-third-ghost

Favorite Writing Craft Books ~ Part 2

This week we have more great writing craft books to recommend, with more Voyager writers and IWSG founder Alex J. Cavanaugh sharing favorite references of theirs.  I'm going to have to expand my writing references shelves in my study bookcase.  That's a great problem to have ~ LOL.  Enjoy!

Favorite Writing Craft Books ...

Bish Denham

"The Blind Ship"

Favorite Writing Craft Books

I have approximately 30 books on writing which include everything from books on the mechanics of writing (grammar, punctuation, editing etc) to structure (the nuts and bolts of plotting a story or novel) to inspiration (how to get inspired to write or how to generate ideas.) Here are three of my favorites from each category.

Mechanics: The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr and E.B. White

Structure: Structuring Your Novel: Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story by K.M. Weiland

Inspiration: My all time most very favorite book, Zen in the Art of Writing: Releasing the Creative Genius Within You, by Ray Bradbury.

Goodreads

Bio

Bish Denham is from the U.S. Virgin Islands, where her family has lived for over a hundred years. The author of two middle grade novels and a collection of retold Jamaican Anansi stories, she says, “Growing up in the islands was like living inside a history book.”

Blog| Facebook| Goodreads| Twitter| Amazon

  

Sherry Ellis

"The Ghosts of Pompeii"

Favorite Writing Craft Books

My favorite writing craft books are Save the Cat by Jessica Brody, which covers everything you need to know about writing novels and The Story Works Guide to Writing Character by Alida Winternheimer. This short book walks through how to create memorable, realistic characters who grow throughout a story. 

goodreads

Bio

Ellis' books include Don't Feed the Elephant; Ten Zany Birds; That Mama is a Grouch; That Baby Woke Me Up, AGAIN; Bubba and Squirt's Big Dig to China; and Bubba and Squirt's Mayan Adventure. 

She lives in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information about her work, she invites you to visit her websites at www.sherryellis.org and www.bubbaandsquirt.org.

diverse 

Website|Blog| Facebook| Goodreads| Twitter| Amazon

Charles Kowalski

"Simon Grey and the Yamamba"

Favorite Writing Craft Books

One book I always have close at hand is Brenda Ueland's If You Want to Write - a classic that I find myself dipping into whenever my writer's soul needs recentering. An excerpt:

"What's the use, we say, of doing anything unless you make money or get applause? Socrates and the men of the Renaissance decided that one's life should be devoted to 'the tendance of the Soul' (including intelligence, imagination, spirit, understanding, and personality), for the soul, in all probability, lived eternally. And so now I have established reasons why you should work from now on until you die, with real love and imagination and intelligence, at your writing or whatever work it is that you care about. If you do that, out of the mountains that you write some molehills may be published. Or you may make a fortune and win the Nobel Prize. But if NOTHING is ever published at all and you never make a cent, just the same, it will be good that you have worked."

goodreads

Bio
Charles Kowalski has published the full story of Simon, Oyuki and their adventures through haunted Japan in Simon Grey and the March of a Hundred Ghosts.  In addition to to middle-grade fantasy, Charles' thrillers for adults, Mind Virus and The Devil’s Son, have won prizes and nominations including the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers' Colorado Gold Award, the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award, and the Adventure Writers Grandmaster Award.

Website| Facebook| Goodreads| Twitter|Amazon 

Rebecca M. Douglass

"A World of Trouble"

Favorite Writing Craft Books 

The Kick-Ass Writer by Chuck Wendig. An irreverent, often potty-mouthed take on all aspects for writing from planning and plotting to the final polish, all delivered in one- to two-paragraph nuggets you can flag and return to as needed.

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King. This book focuses on what to do when the first draft is finished, and offers samples to illustrate the points about tight writing. It doesn’t help as much with the big-picture issues of plotting and story arc, but offers a lot for strengthening character and voice.

And for formatting an ebook so it works, Mark Coker’s Smashwords Style Guide. A free ebook that tells you exactly how to make your ebook pass the Smashwords “meat grinder” that is the gate-keeper for distribution to pretty much every market out there. It focuses on MS Word (their preferred document format) for both PC and Mac. I learned a lot in there about how my word processor works!

goodreads

Bio

Rebecca is the author of the delightful Ninja Librarian books, as well as a picture book for outdoor families, a mystery series for the parents, and her middle-grade fantasy, Halitor the Hero.  After more than seventeen years working at the library, she has retired still without learning all the secrets of the Ninja Librarian.

Blog| Facebook| Twitter| Amazon

Louise MacBeath Barbour

"Dare Double Dare"

Favorite Writing Craft Books

Like most authors I have many writing craft books that I consult frequently, and a number of them have been recommended by my fellow Voyagers authors.  Here are three favorites of mine that haven't been mentioned by the others:

On Writing:  A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King:

King is a genius as far as I am concerned, and I have returned to his memoir on writing over and over.  It's entertaining and jam-packed with information on the basic tools every writer needs.  I'll share one King quote that emphasizes what I think is something a writer must never forget:  "So, okay--there you are in your room with the shade down and the door shut and the plug pulled out of the base of your telephone.  You've blown up your TV and committed yourself to a thousand words a day, come help or high water.  Now comes the big question:  What are you going to write about?  And the equally big answer: Anything you damn well want.  Anything at all ... as long as you tell the truth."  

Writing is a subject that many elementary teachers must teach.  Over my teaching career I was fortunate to learn from the best writing craft authors and children's book authors.  Often an excellent book about teaching writing to children taught me as well, because such a book explained writing concepts clearly, succinctly, and concretely.  There is nothing like teaching a subject to learn a subject!  Heinemann is the publisher for writing craft books for educators, and their authors are fabulous.  One of my favorites is Ralph Fletcher, and his classic book is What a Writer Needs.  One of the charms of this book is seeing examples of children's writing as  younger authors grapple with the same challenges I do as a writer.  Fletcher writes, "Of all the writer's habits, consistency may be the habit that matters most."  So very, very true!

I primarily write non-fiction, and I especially enjoy writing about science.  One of my favorite science craft writing books is Communicating Rocks:  Writing, Speaking, and Thinking About Geology by Peter Copeland.  Copeland does for geological writing what Struck and White do for general writing.  Copeland writes, "... the aphorism, attributed to Mark Twain, 'It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt' applies most of all to those who don't recognize that it does apply to them.  The good writer knows this might apply to her and works hard so that, most of the time, it doesn't."

goodreads

 

Bio

Born in Nova Scotia and raised throughout eastern Canada, Louise is a writer and blogger who now lives in Colorado.  She writes fiction and nonfiction with the encouragement of her supportive husband.  "Dare Double Dare" is her first middle grade story.

Blog| Facebook

Alex J. Cavanaugh

a.k.a. the Ninja Captain

Favorite Writing Craft Books 

A favorite of mine is Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need by Blake Snyder. It’s for screenwriting, but his fifteen beats fit novel writing perfectly. There’s also a sequel, Save the Cat! Strikes Back.  

goodreads

Bio

All of us in the Insecure Writer's Support Group know and appreciate its founder Alex J. Cavanaugh, a.k.a. the Ninja Captain.  He is a fan of all things science fiction, and his interests range from books and movies to music and games.  Alex has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design, graphics, and technical editing.  Alex is the author of Amazon bestsellers CassaStar, CassaFire, CassaStorm, and Dragon of the Stars.

Website| Insecure Writers Support Group| 
Goodreads| Twitter| Bookbub| Amazon

Coming on Wednesday, July 29, 2020 

Next week I'll share some tips for writing a Teacher's Guide for juvenile fiction.

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue 

* * * * * * * * * *

IWSG Members Supporting Fellow Members: 

The arrival of the Coronavirus pandemic has made it difficult for Insecure Writer's Support Group members to promote and sell their books, because many conferences, conventions, and other events have been cancelled this year.  Yesterday, one of our members Chrys Fey had a great writing craft book released.  Chrys is the author of the Disaster Crimes Series and an editor for Dancing Lemur Press.  She is also a moderator for the The Insecure Writer's Support Group Book Club on Goodreads.  

When Chrys Fey shared her story about depression and burnout, it struck a chord with other writers. That put into perspective for her how desperate writers are to hear they aren’t alone. Many creative types experience these challenges, battling to recover. Let Keep Writing with Fey: Sparks to Defeat Writer's Block, Depression, and Burnout guide you through:

·         Writer's block

·         Depression

·         Writer's burnout

·         What a writer doesn’t need to succeed

·         Finding creativity boosts

With these sparks, you can begin your journey of rediscovering your creativity and get back to what you love - writing. 

Please help spread the news about her latest book!

Release date – July 14, 2020

$17.95, 6x9 trade paperback, 256 pages

Print ISBN 9781939844729 / EBook ISBN 9781939844736

Writing / Self-Help: Depression – Stress Management

Keep Writing with Fey: Sparks to Defeat Writer's Block, Depression, and Burnout

by Chrys Fey

Amazon

  

Reviews of Voyagers: The Third Ghost:

1. Check out lots of reviews and ratings at Goodreads.

You can order a copy of
VOYAGERS: The Third Ghost 

at the links below.

Print 9781939844729 $13.95

EBook 9781939844736 $4.99

Juvenile Fiction - Historical / Action & Adventure /
Fantasy & Magic

Amazon - Print https://www.amazon.com/dp/193984472X/  - Kindle https://www.amazon.com/Voyagers-Third-Ghost-Yvonne-Ventresca-ebook/dp/B083C4WPR5/

Barnes & Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/voyagers-yvonne-ventresca/1135912991?ean=2940163430857

ITunes - https://books.apple.com/ca/book/voyagers-the-third-ghost/id1493413956

Kobo - https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/voyagers-the-third-ghost