IWSG - Familiarity and Inspiration

It's time for the July Insecure Writer's Support Group!


Created by Alex J. Cavanaugh, the IWSG gives writers a place to air their insecurities and lend their support to others. Anyone can join. Simply click on Alex's name and put your blog on the linky list.

This month's co-hosts are Rebecca Douglass, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Cathrina Constantine, and Jacqui Murray. Be sure to stop by their blogs!

The optional question this month is: Is there anything you'd like to see changed, added, and/or rearranged about the book publishing industry?

I mean, probably a lot. It would be great if it got the kind of respect and treatment of the other arts. The gatekeeping. The imbalance. So on and so forth. 

Do you have a word-count tracker that keeps a display of any sort? I wanted to be able to show novel word count and include it in my newsletters, but I'm not sure what's out there. I can track it on a spreadsheet, but I was hoping for something I input the word count to and it keeps track and has a visual of some sort (yes, I'm a beast in Excel and can make something, but I wanted someone else to do that work for me, LOL).

I went to Oregon, where I'm originally from, to visit family, and we took a couple days to go to the coast. I steeped myself in some coast time, found fossils, visited a ghost forest, and had an overall great time. The Oregon coast is one of my favorite places. Plus, I've been planning on setting a book there, so I got to have some creative stimulus and inspiration, and I'm looking forward to starting the writing.

Clam fossils on Wade Beach

Tree at the Portland Japanese Garden

Flowers at the Portland Japanese Garden

The fog makes me so happy!

Fossilized tree stumps at Neskowin Ghost Forest, Neskowin Beach

I keep myself accountable by keeping track of submissions each month, so here are my June stats.

4 short story submissions

4 short story rejections

0 acceptances

7 novel queries sent

1 novel rejection

I've enjoyed being back in the swing of things, but not getting rejections randomly in my email.

Have you been to the Oregon coast? What places inspire you? Are you submitting? What are your insecurities?

May you find your Muse.


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