IWSG & Inspirations

 

Happy August! Did you enjoy IWSG’s first ever Twitter pitch party last week? Well, lucky for you the fun doesn’t end because today’s IWSG Day! We came out last week and we’re back again, the first Wednesday of the month. Whether you’re struggling or flying high in your writing journey, we gather today to lend you our support. Thanks that we can be there for each other goes to ninja extraordinaire Alex Cavanaugh.

Don’t forget to check out today’s awesome co-hosts Christine Rains, Dolarah @ Book Lover, Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, Yvonne Ventresca, and LG Keltner!

Interested in joining us? Click on the badge above. Our Twitter hashtag and handle are #IWSG and @TheIWSG.

So what’s been going on with me this month?

Well…I’ve been thinking of trying something new. I know my 2017 writing plan said no new stories this year. Been on a romance binge and recently I’ve read a fairy tale retelling anthology by Jill Myles (pseudonym). And it got my muses doing the happy dance.

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Technology and the Writers of Tomorrow by Katie Kapro

Every summer in my small city, the streets of downtown are overrun by flocks of elementary school kids wielding notebooks and pencils. They wear neon yellow backpacks with “Summer Writing Camp” emblazoned on the front. The flocks, generally corralled by a teacher and TA, hole-up in coffee shops, museums, and public parks, dispersing amongst the patrons with eager observational stealth. They listen in on strangers’ conversations, taking notes on people’s speaking patterns, storytelling rhythms, and mannerisms. They eavesdrop, in other words.

All the kids in these flocks are aspiring writers. Somewhere along the line they fell in love with stories. Some will tell you it’s because they love to read, others because they love to imagine, others because they simply nerd out over the art of stringing words together. Twenty years ago, I was one of those kids; squarely in the reading camp.

To Prologue or Not To Prologue

Welcome to this third segment of “To or Not To!” If you’ve been following my blog than you know that this post is an ask and answer. I put out a question to readers and writers about a certain topic. The previous two were about romance and one of its many tropes, the love triangle. I asked how you felt about including a romance plot in a story. And how you felt about love triangles.

Well in today’s post we’ll be discussing prologues. Love them or hate them? If you run a search online you’ll find a bunch of results about how publishers and agents feel about them.

They. Do. Not. Like. Them.

So what’s a prologue? A prologue is a prelude of the story that offers background information. So why is it liked about as much as that annoying cousin you dread meeting during the holidays?

IWSG Day & Reorientation

I’m taking a short break from my break to say Happy IWSG Day! As always, the first Wednesday of the month is when we gather to share not only our insecurities. But also our triumphs. Giving encouragement and lending each other support as we continue on our writing journey. And all thanks for this monthly get together is the ninja extraordinaire Alex Cavanaugh.

To find out more about the group and/or maybe even sign-up, click on the badge above.  And don’t forget to check out the co-hosts for July: Yolanda Renee, Tyrean Martinson, Madeline Mora-Summonte , LK Hill, Rachna Chhabria, and JA Scott!

Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

So, what’s going on with me this month?

Well I’ve entered the second half of my blogging break this week. It’s also my week as co-moderator on Unicorn Bell.  I’ve spent May and June, the first half of my break, reading so much I’ve lost count of how many books I’ve read.