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 Beth Camp,
along with IWSG Founder Alex J. Cavanaugh are Beth Camp,
I hope you have a chance to visit today's hosts and thank them for co-hosting.
I'm sure they would appreciate a visit and an encouraging comment.
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Every month the IWSG announces a question that members can answer
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 featured question is:
Since it's back to school time, let's talk English class. What's a writing rule you learned in school that messed you up as a writer?
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Happy September, Everyone!
This always seems like the true beginning of the year,
because it's back to school time.
English class?
It's not a rule that I learned in school that has messed me up.
It's emigrating from Canada to the USA.
Everything about writing is scrambled for me,
from spelling, to grammar, to vocabulary,
to any aspect of writing you can think of.
Writing In American English in My Journal
Aurora, Colorado, USA
June 29, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue All Rights Reserved
Writing in America is different from writing in Canada.
Throw into that scramble working in both countries
in the humanities, science, and education
and publishing in both countries
in nonfiction and fiction in a variety of genres
and my brain is addled. 😵💫
Then throw in my perfectionism and ADHD and I'm a mess!
So much so that some days I slam cupboard doors,
stomp around, or dissolve into tears.
Sometimes all three. 😵💫
My brain reminds me of my brother Roy's favorite scrambled eggs,
a mess of ingredients that he stirs around in a big frying pan
and affectionately calls "Yuck." 😵💫
My brother Roy enjoys one of my sister Bertie's lattes.
In Bertie and Peter's Home
Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada
July 30, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue All Rights Reserved
Working on my memoir makes me want to tear my hair out.
One of my primary sources is my father's Lansdowne House letters.
My father was a natural raconteur, but his handwriting was atrocious,
his punctuation inventive, and his spelling questionable.
When I'm quoting him, I use Canadian English.
When I write as me, I use American English.
I don't know which country I'll get published in,
but, I'm going to need an excellent editor! 😵💫
A Pile of Dad's Lansdowne House Letters
Aurora, Colorado, USA
March 13, 2016
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue All Rights Reserved
I've gone through a sea change since Terry and I returned from
our Nova Scotian and Vegas trip a few weeks ago.
For the first time in my life, I feel deep down inside that I am a writer.
I no longer feel like a fraud faking it till I make it.
I'm spending hours a day working on my manuscript and other writing.
My calendar is filled with scheduled blocks of time for writing.
I'm daily negotiating a steep learning curve as a new IWSG Admin.
I've just taken Joyce Maynard's "Writing Your Story" course
on memoir with the Great Courses,
and I'm working through Brooks Landon's course
"Building Great Sentences: Exploring the Writer's Craft," also with the Great Courses.
My desk drawers contain expense and tax files for writing.
And I have a business card in my name for expenses connected to writing.
I am bona fide writer; actually I'm a bona fide author!
And every Sunday evening when Terry takes me out to Las Fajitas for dinner,
I celebrate my progress with a large margarita,
Okay, maybe I'm pushing real a little far ~ lol!
Cheers, Jack!
Las Fajitas, Aurora, Colorado, USA
March 13, 2016
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue All Rights Reserved
When I flew to Nova Scotia in late July, I had two books
by fellow writer and IWSG Admin Pat Hatt in my carryon bag:
I knew we would meet up, and he would sign them for me.
I had read the first, but not the second,
something I rectified during my trip home.
Both were hilarious!
Pat's imagination has no limits,
and, these didn't disappoint with their nonstop escapades.
The first book was inspired by Pat's twin nephews
who begged him to write an adventure story about them
featuring a witch, a skunk, zombies, pirates, and more.
It ended with a cliffhanger, the adventure obviously continuing.
And the second book ended with a cliffhanger as well,
the wild adventure still continuing.
I asked Pat if he had written the next book yet.
"No," he said. "I'm working on it."
"Better get busy, Bud, because I'm waiting to read it!"
Pat is my good buddy, and next summer we hope to go out on
the Bay of Fundy and see some whales on Chad & Sisters Too.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the Skunked books, I know they are not for everyone.
They have lots of young boy potty humor and colorful Nova Scotian language.
They remind me of the Captain Underpants series of graphic comics
written by by American author and illustrator "Dav" Pilkey,
books my third grade boys read avidly.
Pat and I ~Two of Your IWSG Admins
Barb and Her Pat's Home
Smith's Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada
July 27, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue All Rights Reserved
Heading Out of Westport to the Bay of Fundy
Grand Passage, Nova Scotia, Canada
July 26, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue All Rights Reserved
Wishing each of you a fun IWSG Day.
A big thank you to our awesome co-hosts today.
Have a healthy, happy, and creative September!
Oh, guess who's traveling today?
I'll visit around as quickly as I can. 😵💫
Terry and I on the Bay of Fundy
On Mariner Cruises' Chad & Sisters Two
Out of Westport, Brier Island, Nova Scotia, Canada
July 26, 2024
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue All Rights Reserved
Till next time ~
Fundy Blue
Standing Into Danger https://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com
Copyright ©2024 – All rights reserved.
My next post will be September 6th!🤞