#IWSG – Ghostly Tale

October 2, 2024 by Roland Clarke

It’s time for yet another Insecure Writer’s Support Group post of 2024, and I’m hoping you’re prepared to be scared. The witching time draws nearer.

Unlike my Ukraine saga, Freedom Flights, which is overdue by over two months from the last day my characters appeared on duty. As I aim to write a Halloween WEP flash, it may require some juggling to give it a Ukraine angle, although some of my characters are Witches.

Slava Ukrayini

The other writing news is I’m struggling to devise an acceptable query letter for my police procedural. I’m unsure what books to compare it to, although it must stand up in its unique way.

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!

October 2 question – Ghost stories fit right in during this month. What’s your favorite classic ghostly tale? Tell us about it and why it sends chills up your spine.

I’ve spent a few days pondering about my favourite classic ghost stories, eliminating some for length like Dracula and Frankenstein and others for being in the wrong season like A Christmas Carol.

Some authors had written numerous scary classics like Poe, Henry James, M R James, Lovecraft, Le Fanu, and even H G Wells… and four female authors are often overlooked, Elizabeth Gaskell, Rhoda Broughton, Margaret Oliphant, and Edith Nesbit. There are even foreign writers and numerous more modern writers to confuse my choice.

The more I remembered, the more I returned to my first choice.

However, I must mention Ambrose Bierce’s ‘An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge’ which is not a ghost story, but its twist ending makes me wonder how to classify it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Occurrence_at_Owl_Creek_Bridge

My original choice was The Monkey’s Paw by W W Jacobs which scared me when I first heard it many decades ago. It’s not as frightening or creepy as many others, but the simple formula of being granted three wishes that will end tragically makes it memorable. It’s also a formula cleverly used for an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. There have been numerous radio and television adaptations, including this 1988 Channel 4 short:

The story revolves around the White family, after Sergeant-Major Morris, a seasoned traveler, introduces the ominous monkey’s paw to them. Said to be cursed by an old fakir, the paw grants its holder three wishes, but with a dire warning: the fulfilment of these wishes brings unforeseen and tragic consequences.

If you wish to know more, but don’t have 30 minutes to watch the short film here are two rabbit holes:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Monkey%27s_Paw

The Monkey’s Paw Summary, Themes and Characters

The latter includes interesting thoughts on themes worth exploring.

Apologies if you aren’t scared.

Maybe my October WEP post might work.

The awesome co-hosts for the October 2 posting of the IWSG are Nancy Gideon, Jennifer Lane, Jacqui Murray, and Natalie Aguirre!

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!

The way things could be: Freedom Flights. How far can I stray?

May 7, 2024 by Roland Clarke

When I started writing Freedom Flights I intended to produce a fictional story set against as much of the reality of the current Russian invasion of Ukraine, until a just peace for Ukraine was reached. However, I gradually realized the fiction was overtaking the brutal reality. Deciding to create a fictional all-women squadron was an initial huge leap from reality, although it was created as a tribute to the real all-women Soviet squadron of World War II, known as the Night Witches or Nochnye Vedmy or Nachthexen.

Commander Evdokiya **Bershanskaya gives a briefing to her “Witches”.** **(Archives Vlad Monster, http://www.ava.org.ru)**

**https://www.gracpiacenza.com/night_witches_eng.html**

Two years on, I feel I’ve strayed a long way from reality, even if I include real events. And to develop things I’m on the verge of creating a road movie episode in which characters might become catalysts for future events. For instance, one character may be forced to take a step no politician has dared to… except perhaps Macron.

Can one individual force the supply of crucial weapons? Who initiated the surge in drone warfare?

Can a writer make their characters take such catalytic actions… as long as it doesn’t change history?

Whatever I decide to do, rest assured I will continue to remember the brave people fighting for our freedom in Ukraine. At least the aid bill has been passed so we can hope, pray, and breathe again. And maybe my intervention will mean something.

As always, links to the previous episodes can be found on my Freedom Flights page on the left-hand sidebar.

Slava Ukrayini

#IWSG – Derailment

May 1, 2024 by Roland Clarke

This fourth Insecure Writer’s Support Group post of 2024 is living up to its title.

Getting to this stage has been one obstacle after another, from health issues to writing problems.

My Ukraine saga, Freedom Flights, has caused the most distractions. I managed to post Episode 19 almost on time, but Episode 20 missed the end of April self-imposed deadline. Blame a mix of uncooperative bowels, irrelevant change of conversations, and bouts of lethargy.

Read on for more occurrences of writhing and writing.

Slava Ukrayini

Remember, the question is optional!

May 1 question – How do you deal with distractions when you are writing? Do they derail you?

Apologies if this is brief as I’m struggling for vivid examples. So, I’m listing types of distractions, the worst being self-inflicted… like dozing off mid sentence/phrase/word/thought.

Pain that stops me from typing/thinking.

Random unusable idea.

Somebody changing the subject/interrupting.

Finding an interesting but useless rabbit

New ideas emerging as I’m being interrupted.

Auto-correction misleading the plot.

Fingers hitting the wrong key and changing intent,

Finally, writing rubbish to answer a simple question.

At this point, I fell asleep… and two hours later woke up and discovered two things:

When I type, I have to close one eye to not see keys double (= MS double vision), which wastes time but is not a distraction.
Falling asleep is a distraction, especially when the reason was pain kept me awake last night, because one leg slipped out of my hospital bed and got jammed somewhere and twisted for four hours until a carer rescued me.

Moving on from distractions, I do get derailed, sometimes to the point where I lose the plot until I force my struggling mind back on track. Other times, the derailment is total, at least until inspiration kicks back in… a few hours later, or next day.

As for dealing with distractions, it’s a matter of pushing through by being committed to the project. For instance, ‘Freedom Flights’ and its characters have grown close to me while writing more casual articles doesn’t hold my attention.

Sorry for posting late.

The awesome co-hosts for the May 1 posting of the IWSG are Victoria Marie Lees, Kim Lajevardi, Nancy Gideon, 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 Read or Not To Read

October 2, 2019 by Roland Clarke

Created and hosted by the Ninja Captain himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, theInsecure Writer’s Support Groupmonthly blog post is here again – and so am I, insecure, although a chunk less as I scheme ahead to NaNoWriMo.

Last month, I was meant to be submitting my Pitch Wars 2019 submission. The required query letter, one-page synopsis, and the first chapter of my completed manuscript seemed achievable by the September 25^th-27^th deadline. But I was unsure if I had a “completed and polished full-length, fiction manuscript”. I decided it was incomplete and ‘dusted’ more than ‘polished’.

So, what started as an insecure month, evolved into a decisive plan to revise ‘Fevered Few’. The short stories at its heart are becoming episodes and memories driving the main story. And I’m working on a new way to open this renewed novel, now called ‘Fevered Fuel’ and slated for its rewrite as my 2019 NaNoWriMo project.

Anyway, on to the IWSG monthly question.

October 2 question – It’s been said that the benefits of becoming a writer who does not read is that all your ideas are new and original. Everything you do is an extension of yourself, instead of a mixture of you and another author. On the other hand, how can you expect other people to want your writing, if you don’t enjoy reading? What are your thoughts?

Are any ideas new and original?

All writers borrow from others in some measure. Even Shakespeare borrowed – retold tales. Like others, he built on the past weavings of different storytellers – ancient Greek playwrights, medieval histories, and folklore. Can’t we do the same?

For me, reading is like settings and people – enjoyable fuel for the little grey cells.

All this feeds and inspires my writing about Detective Sparkle Anwyl of the North Wales Police/Heddlu Gogledd Cymru – and other scribblings and scratchings.

I’d like to believe Sparkle is unique, but I know she has loaned traits and actions from others. Perhaps, she will inspire someone herself.

The awesome co-hosts for the October 2 posting of the IWSG are Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Mary Aalgaard, Madeline Mora-Summonte, and Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor!

(I have to admit how much I admire these guys as I know they have commitments too – like Ronel’s recent release. Ticker-tape applause for all of them – plus toasts too.)

Purpose of IWSG: 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!

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or 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.

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 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!

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

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

#WRiTECLUBDFW – WRiTE CLUB 2019

April 27, 2019 by Roland Clarke

Although I’m struggling through the Blogging from A to Z tail end/aftermath, I’m about to follow WRiTE CLUB 2019.

Just what is WRiTE Club? In short, it “started off as a modest competition loosely derived from the movie FIGHT CLUB, and from there it has grown into a writing community sensation…”

Here’s the link for all the details: https://www.dlhammons.com/p/write-club-2019.html

Monday April 29^th is the start of the competition and hard work/thought for us reader-followers:

“Over the course of the next eight weeks, we’ll hold daily bouts (M-F) right here on this blog – randomly pitting the anonymous 500-word writing samples against each other. The winners of these bouts advance into elimination rounds, and then playoffs, quarter-finals, and then ultimately a face-off between two finalists to determine a single champion.”

There were a record-breaking 189 WRiTE Club entries from 137 writers! They received writing samples from writers around the globe that represent 40+ different genres and sub-genres. The twenty clever and avid slush pile readers have narrowed the entries down to the 30 contestants for the daily bouts.

Now it’s our turn. Anyone who visits the WRiTE Club blog during the contest can vote for the sample that resonates with them the most – leaving a critique to help writers hone their craft.

Plus, the readers can win too – if we vote. If you check out all the cool prizes at https://www.dlhammons.com/p/write-club-2019.html you will find all the rules, prizes and links.

So, if you are tempted to read and vote for some great pieces of short writing, visit WRiTE CLUB 2019 from Monday April 2019. You might even pick the WRITE CLUB Champion or be a reader/voter winner.

Where are my quills?

January 6, 2016 by Roland Clarke

If I was a real Elizabethan writer, and not an Elizabethan wannabe, then I’d be content to discard my dull goose feather and sharpen a new quill, then pull out a new sheet of parchment.

But Elizabeth II is on the throne and computers are more than just a quaint novelty. In fact, I’ve become addicted, whether for emails and accounts, or for writing. I can’t even throw the polyhedral dice to slay raiders without a computer.

Found at United Monkee

However, I’m forced to scrawl the first draft of this post without the security of my desktop, relying on my pen not crashing. Yes, my hard drive crashed for the third time in two months. So I’m feeling very insecure – more than I did when the old year ended.

Back in December, the insecurity was just about my writing. Was it worth reading? Was it worth spending time on? Or was it best to spare the readers from what might well be dire? I know too many excellent writer friends to muddy the publishing water with my attempts.

I was thinking of having a New Year sale… of my unresolved ideas. But second-hand goods are hard to flog – I learnt that trying to re-publish my first novel; but then few people bothered with it when it first came out in 2013. Anyway, as I’m struggling with the new plots, they have little value.

Fortunately, or not, my desktop resolved the issue by dying upside down, falling to the dreaded blue screen of death. I couldn’t face asking my technically-proficient wife to install yet another hard drive, so I bought a new machine. Now, for the third time in two months, I’m re-installing all my favourite pieces of software, from Office to Star Wars: The Old Republic.

However, I still need to decide if I’m cut out to be a real writer, rather than a dabbler in ideas. Only then can I install something like Scrivener. Is that going to be my 2016 resolution?

Is there an answer in the following? (And who said it first?)

“Our doubts are traitors,
and make us lose the good we oft might win,
by fearing to attempt.”

The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. We post our thoughts on our own blogs. We talk about our doubts and the fears we have conquered. We discuss our struggles and triumphs. We offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling.

Please visit others in the group and connect with other writers – aim for a dozen new people each time.

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!

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

And be sure to check out our Facebook group –https://www.facebook.com/groups/IWSG13/

The awesome co-hosts for the January 6 posting of the IWSG are L.G. Keltner, Denise Covey, Sheri Larsen, J.Q. Rose, Chemist Ken, and Michelle Wallace!