#IWSG – Reappraisal

February 5, 2025 by Roland Clarke

It’s time for my first Insecure Writer’s Support Group post of 2025, having missed the January IWSG post… I realised it was too late when I saw others posting. At least I managed a Christmas-New Year post.

However, I have also posted Episodes 28-32 of my Ukraine saga, Freedom Flights. I will post the next episode later this week, and there should be many more until I write about the just peace, hopefully this year.

Slava Ukraini

Heroiam slava!

Every month, IWSG announces a question that members can answer in their IWSG posts. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience, or a story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.

Remember, the question is optional!

February 5 question – Is there a story or book you’ve written you want to/wish you could go back and change?

***Cover design by Jonathan Temples. Cover photo by Nick Perry***

Initially, I felt I wouldn’t change any of my too few published fiction writings, although Spiral of Hooves was revised for the second edition. Perhaps rereading the novel would make me wish I’d changed more things.

However, some of the shorts posted on this site should be reappraised and, in many cases, revised even though I edit them a few times before letting my followers read them.

As an ongoing episodic tale, Freedom Flights will have to be revised. I’ve already started making changes to the collated episodes whenever I find mistakes and oversights. For instance, as I research the aviation aspects of the story, I notice incorrect jargon. In early episodes, I called groups of four to six planes ‘wings’ rather than ‘flights’… and other basic errors. When I’ve reached the final episode, Just Peace, I will start filling in the gap from 1950 to 2021 and revising the war episodes.

Naturally, there are other projects due for revision… one day.

The awesome co-hosts for the February 5 posting of the IWSG are Joylene Nowell Butler, Louise Barbour, and Tyrean Martinson!

Finally, don’t forget to visit more active writers via the IWSG site:

Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG, and our hashtag is #IWSG.

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group Day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer – aim for a dozen new people each time – and return comments. This group is all about connecting!

#IWSG – Cliffhangers

December 4, 2024 by Roland Clarke

It’s time for another Insecure Writer’s Support Group post of 2024, having just posted Episode 27 of my Ukraine saga, Freedom Flights. It was originally over 5,000 words until I found a good point to divide it into two – adding in a cliffhanger naturally. Now I need to create another ‘cliffhanger’ for the second half, which will be Episode 28… continuing from this:

Freedom Flights: Episode 27 – Defensive Relocation

Slava Ukrayini

Remember, the question is optional!

December 4 question – Do you write cliffhangers at the end of your stories? Are they a turn-off to you as a writer and/or a reader?

As you must have realised by the opening paragraph of this post, I often drag my reader to the edge of a steep drop and then…

Let go……aaaaahh.

But I try to resolve the leap of faith.

However, I believe there are rules, which when broken, can turn a reader/me off:

Never drop the reader or abandon them, i.e., zilch happens.
Never change elements, cheating the reader by removing or adding components that were essential to the cliffhanger, thus resolving it, akin to ‘Deus ex machina’. I first noted this with a few cliffhangers in the 1936 serial film ‘Flash Gordon’ with Buster Crabbe, which I watched in a SciFi film society. Items would appear or disappear to ensure Flash, Dale, and Dr Zarkov are saved. Other series flout this rule.
Never set up a cliffhanger and make it something else, like when the ‘Dallas’ scriptwriters resorted to making everything in previous episodes a dream = another cheat. Resorting to a red herring is infinitely better than cheating.
Never use a cliffhanger when there’s no guarantee of a sequel film/TV series/book
Final rule: (similar to Rule 3.) A cliffhanger should always have a satisfactory pay-off. Never throw the reader off the cliff, just a character who needs to die. (Is this a cliffhanger or a red herring?)

I like writing cliffhangers to keep my readers turning the page at the end of a chapter/episode, although it’s sometimes difficult or feels contrived… another turn-off as a reader.

I’m aware that I’m risking my readers’ ire with the cliffhanger at the end of Episode 26 of ‘Freedom Flights’. My most constant reader, Rebecca Douglass, commented, “…Nice cliff-hanger ending.” Although I’ve kept building reminders into later episodes, I reassure everyone that there will be a pay-off… as per the final rule.

Freedom Flights: Episode 26 – Deceptive Intuition

The awesome co-hosts for the December 4 posting of the IWSG are Ronel, Deniz, Pat Garcia, Olga Godim, and Cathrina Constantine!

Finally, don’t forget to visit more active writers via the IWSG site:

Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG, and our hashtag is #IWSG.

#IWSG – To Boldly Go

September 4, 2024 by Roland Clarke

It’s time for yet another Insecure Writer’s Support Group post of 2024, and I’m sure many of you know where I’m going to boldly go.

The final frontier?

Not yet, as long as I can mention my Ukraine saga, Freedom Flights, although with so many events concerning Ukraine in July I’m still working on the final part, which is due out sometime after this appears.

To keep up to date I might have to make August’s episode brief, even if that means merging it into September using the Kursk incursion. Plus, as I write this on September 3, 2024, there’s been a deadly Russian attack on Poltava I can’t ignore.

Slava Ukrayini

The other news has been canine. Our Beagalier puppy, Taika continues to chew through Juanita’s oxygen tubes, although Monday, her son Jason put up some wall hooks near the ceiling for the tube. Taika will need to grow wings to reach it… except that night he chewed the part where it ran near the ground. Darn it!

Remember, the question is optional!

September 4 question – 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?

Back in the last century, my English Language teachers must have taught me endless rules I’ve either forgotten or absorbed so well they are ingrained.

Split infinitives were the first that came to mind, as did the classic split infinitive.

“To boldly go where no man has gone before.”

That line from the opening title sequence of Star Trek and its iconic mission statement was grammatically wrong we were told. Yet it made more sense to split the infinitive, and over time Star Trek won and people realized an infinitive could be split… most of the time. However, the ‘split infinitive rule’ never messed me up as a writer, not just because of Star Trek.

My best English Literature teacher told me that English grammar was an amalgam of Latin, French and English grammar, which led to oddities and inconsistencies. This included the split infinitive. In Latin the infinitive is one word as it is in French, a Romance language. Therefore: to go = ire = aller. I guess that means that if a verb is French in origin like ‘compare’ you can’t try to boldly compare 😉

Now I am an IFTW… Insecure Full-Time Writer the grammar rule I struggled to learn, is the one that messes me up. It’s also the one my editor questions me on. Maybe, I use it incorrectly.

The Oxford Comma. But rather than explain what it is, here’s an easy-to-follow infographic on its usage.

https://www.yourdictionary.com/articles/oxford-comma-guide

Finally, I’m interested that Grammarly corrected my simple uses of ‘to boldly go’ (and ‘to boldly compare’) but not the Star Trek quote.

For Trekkies: How Star Trek Boldly Made The Split Infinitive Acceptable

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/83484/how-star-trek-boldly-made-split-infinitive-acceptable

For Pedants & non: To Boldly Split Infinitives

To Boldly Split Infinitives

Sorry for the pedantry 😉

The awesome co-hosts for the September 4 posting of the IWSG are Beth Camp, Jean Davis, Yvonne Ventresca, and PJ Colando!

Finally, don’t forget to visit more active writers via the IWSG site:

Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG, and our hashtag is #IWSG.

#IWSG – Service or Rebuild

June 5, 2024 by Roland Clarke

Time for another Insecure Writer’s Support Group post of 2024, and more struggles. Getting to this stage has been one obstacle after another, mainly from ongoing health issues for both of us, Juanita’s more troubling issues is her dependence on portable oxygen, plus incessant coughing for months. At least, she now has a nurse practitioner making regular home visits

One concern we have is our trailer home since we discovered it was a meths den before we bought it. Has the meth impregnated the wall so much that our health is suffering? We are desperate to move as soon as possible.

Fortunately, I can sometimes distract myself from my health issues by attempting to focus on writing. My Ukraine saga, Freedom Flights, has helped the most. I posted three times in May, Episodes 20-23, despite rebellious bowels, something akin to sciatica, and bouts of lethargy.

https://wallup.net/eurocopter-tiger-attack-helicopter-aircraft-42/#google_vignette

However, through more occurrences of writhing, I have also been writing what will be June’s Episode 23, ‘Witches Troupe’.

Later today, I must return to writing ‘Freedom Flights’ as time is against me as life gets shorter. Even if the just peace comes soon, I have a gap from 1951 to 2021 crying out to be written.

Slava Ukrayini

Remember, the question is optional!

June 5 question – In this constantly evolving industry, what kind of offering/service do you think the IWSG should consider offering to members?

Apologies if this is brief as I’m struggling for valid suggestions. I had a few thoughts from idea creation to audio-narrator & editor suggestions, but then through meticulous exploration of the IWSG site I found everything somewhere.

If I had located a search feature, my delving might have been faster. Please, can someone tell me where that search function is?

Sorry for posting late.

The awesome co-hosts for the June 5 posting of the IWSG are Liza at Middle Passages, Shannon Lawrence, Melissa Maygrove, and Olga Godim!

Finally, don’t forget to visit more active writers via the IWSG site:

Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG, and our hashtag is #IWSG.

#IWSG – Blogging Life

April 3, 2024 by Roland Clarke

This fourth Insecure Writer’s Support Group post of 2024 has to steer away from the same complaints about my health.

Instead, I’ll concentrate on wishing you all a Belated Happy Easter, hoping however you spent it, in worship, with family, hunting for Easter eggs, or all three, it was rewarding, enjoyable, inspiring, and fun.

So, onto the writing front:

The revision of Fevered Fuse is complete and with my editor awaiting her response.

My Ukraine saga, Freedom Flights, is still ongoing. Episode 18 was posted in three parts on consecutive days at the end of March, and the links were added to the above-mentioned page.

However, I discussed my thoughts about April’s episode, in Part 3 of Episode 18. I said, “What I write and whether I do depend on what happens in the war and on your comments.” Plus, I posed some questions to prompt comments, such as, “Am I posting too often? Should I spend more time writing post-1944/pre-2022 episodes?”

For instance, I have an unfinished Korean War episode, started during NaNoWriMo 2023, that I could work on, but the present war in Ukraine is an ongoing concern.

What should I do fellow Insecure Writers?

Slava Ukrayini

Remember, the question is optional!

April 3 question – How long have you been blogging? (Or on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram?) What do you like about it and how has it changed?

On May 25^th 2012, I posted for the first time here on Writing Wings…12 years ago at the end of next month.

Welcome to Writing Wings

Those twelve years feel like quite a journey, not just from Kent via Wales to Idaho, but from writing one-off stand-alone posts to creating sequences of themed posts like the six Blogging from A to Z Challenges (2014-2019) and the WEP/IWSG Challenges (August 2018-December 2023).

The monthly IWSG post has kept me blogging for much of that time… with a few lapses. My biggest regret is having to stop posting book reviews not just when I ceased being able to read. Even listening to audiobooks dried up as I watched more videos and podcasts linked to issues like the War in Ukraine.

Although I struggle with my health, I still enjoy blogging and writing keeps my brain active. Without having to write at least one post a month, my life would be emptier… and when nobody comments it makes me wonder what I’m doing wrong.

But maybe I’m at fault for just hitting ‘Like’ on other people’s posts and not commenting.

Sorry. if this is boring

The awesome co-hosts for the April 3 posting of the IWSG are Janet Alcorn, T. Powell Coltrin, Natalie Aguirre, and Pat Garcia!

Finally, don’t forget to visit more active writers via the IWSG site:

Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG, and our hashtag is #IWSG.

#IWSG – AI Experiments

March 6, 2024 by Roland Clarke

This is the third Insecure Writer’s Support Group post of 2024, so I’m still attempting to avoid repeating the usual gripes and writing failings. I’m aiming to steer away from …boring.

Not so brief, then, my health continued its erratic decline, including one day of dramatically ejecting what I ate. I dismissed the convenient suspicion of attempted poisoning… even if our departing aid company tried to mess up even our last few days. Due to the company’s inefficient scheduler/manager, over the last few weeks, our best aids kept being forced to leave. When our favourite aid, Shaunna, quit, we found ourselves an infinitely better company, Visiting Angels… who live up to their name. We did manage to say ‘hasta la vista’ to our best aids, and at least two were there on my nauseous day.

And Shaunna promises to stay in touch as a friend… of ours and our dogs.

On the writing front, the revision of Fevered Fuse may soon be complete as I’m working on the last 20 pages. However, I fear my editor might find things still need attention. My eyes are taxing me more and more, so I worry about how much more is achievable… a problem, as my Ukraine saga, Freedom Flights, is still ongoing. I’m not even sure when Episode 18 will be written.

However, ending on an upbeat note, my wife Juanita just celebrated her ‘27^th’ birthday on March 1^st, St David’s Day, as noted in my last post. Not only did her family visit bearing gifts, but also some of my ace aids brought flowers, chocolates, and cake. Shaunna even brought balloons and cooked a celebratory meal.

And I haven’t forgotten this photo of the two ‘forever’ roses I gave Juanita… red for Valentine’s Day and periwinkle for her birthday. What colour should I choose for our Anniversary on May 14th? Rainbow?

Two live roses dipped in 24-karat gold and a miniature rose bush.

Slava Ukrayini

Remember, the question is optional!

March 6^th question: Have you “played” with AI to write those nasty synopses, or do you refuse to go that route? How do you feel about AI’s impact on creative writing?

I was hoping to answer ‘yes’ and then give an AI synopsis a crash test. But although I use Grammarly regularly, I’ve not played with its Synopsis setting in the Generative AI… yet.

Going that route might save my eyes.

I’m not sure AI won’t create too many formulaic rip-offs of better-crafted books, flooding an already competitive market. Or perhaps I’m being too pessimistic, and instead, it will help some of us avoid our misteaks 😉

Sorry for my brevity.