Big IWSG News!

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

It’s time for the September posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. To join the group, click here. We post the first Wednesday of every month and use the opportunity to find a new blogs to visit and encourage other writers.


We're celebrating a landmark in that it's now four years since the group began and two years since the website went live. So we're celebrating with an offer that's too good t pass up. Drum roll please …

The IWSG Short Story Contest 2015


After the success of last year’s IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond, we decided to create another book. This time it’s a short story competition with the top ten stories getting published in an anthology. (Authors will also receive royalties on sales.)

The stories will be judged by a distinguished panel, so hop over to the IWSG site and get all the details. Remember to spread the word!

Today, I'll share something I left on my Facebook page a couple of days ago. I hope the words encourage you, if you have a need.

My best advice to writers starting their journey has always been to learn the craft of writing. After that, write the best book you can, every single time. No one will ever write a story that everybody gets. I've won awards with stories that readers have since rated as drivel, but whatever we write needs to be enough so that the readers who get it will want to read something else we've written.


There is no magic formula for a best-seller, or any such thing as overnight success. The words we continually string together for the love of the craft, even for a miniscule audience, is preparing us for greater things in the future if we pursue what we love with passion and perseverance. ‪#‎UnswervingPerseverance ‪#‎KeyToSuccess

Hope you're feeling the strength to persevere and that you're planing to enter the contest or tackle some other challenge.

23 comments:

  1. Prepping us for greater things - that's hopeful.
    This contest is going to rock!

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  2. Let the buzz begin!
    Thanks for the words of wisdom...

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  3. If there was a magic formula, everyone would be a best seller.

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  4. J.L., I'm going to give this a shot. I'm pretty darn busy but I think I can do this because of the small word count.

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  5. Exciting stuff! I've never been good at short stories, but I may have to give it a try.

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  6. I love what you said about how some people will love our work and others might think it's total "drivel". I have gotten some glowing reviews and then one person said she couldn't even finish reading it, it was so bad. I kind of laughed because though it zinged me a little, I know in my heart it's a good book and not everyone can possibly love it. Thanks for your words.

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    1. No problem, Patricia. The worst part is that we tend to remember the one bad review instead of all the good ones.

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  7. Great advice! I think even seasoned writers need to be reminded of that.

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  8. I have just returned from a writer's convention. After three days of writing advice from highly successful authors, I ended up feeling 'why bother' and discouraged about my abilities. Perhaps it was because I was trying to absorb too much and ended up overwhelmed. Your advice is just what I needed to hear today. Thank you

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Don't be shy, I'd love to hear what you think.