The Insecure Writer’s Support Group ~ No#37

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!
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.
Today, I’m co-hosting alongside Elizabeth Seckman, Lisa Buie-Collard, and Chrys Fey.

Don’t forget to visit and thank them for co-hosting.

Have you ever thought about your story as being alive?

Here’s a BEAUTIFUL quote that captures the story as a living, breathing entity!

A story is alive, as you and I are.
It is rounded by muscle and sinew.
Rushed with blood. Layered with skin, both rough and smooth. At its core lies soft marrow of hard, white bone. A story beats with the heart of every person who has ever strained ears to listen. On the breath of the storyteller, it soars. Until its images and deeds become so real you can see them in the air, shimmering like oases on the horizon line.
A story can fly like a bee, so straight and swift you catch only the hum of its passing.
Or move so slowly it seems motionless, curled in upon itself like a snake in the sun.
It can vanish like smoke before the wind.
Linger like perfume in the nose.
Change with every telling, yet always remain the same.
-Cameron Dokey-

Isn’t this quote AMAZING? And INSPIRING?
So look after your story… be protective of your plots and characters… hold them close to your heart… and when it’s time to release them into the world, let them go… they need to spread their wings and fly!
*                    *                    *                    *                    *
So it’s time to introduce myself! I am…
~ a multi-coloured, rainbow nation child of God…~ who embraces an optimistic-realistic life view…
~ a writer-in-the-making on a never-ending journey…
~ flash fiction lover with dreams of writing and publishing a  mystery/suspense/thriller story one day in the not-too-distant-future…
~ songbird, entertainer, pianist, educator…
~ a walking contradiction: terrified of speaking in public, yet entertains hundreds of patrons at weekly gigs
~ lover of coffee, popcorn, cashew nuts, vegetables, rooibos tea…
~ non-confrontational peacemaker… but don’t you dare mistake niceness for weakness or you will come short!
~ compassionate person who is a champion for the underdog…
…and I think I’ve exhausted my 100 word limit!

 Don’t forget to include a short introduction with your IWSG post. I’m off to visit some insecure writers! Have a wonderful day!

85 Comments

  1. cathrina constantine on January 7, 2015 at 12:03 pm

    Great Post Michelle. I do feel my characters coming to life as I write. In fact I hate to let them go. Sometimes they whisper to me and I must write a sequel….

  2. Diane Burton on January 7, 2015 at 12:34 pm

    Loved your post, Michelle. Thanks for co-hosting IWSG this month. I have to laugh at Cathrina’s comment (above). My characters never whisper. They shout until I write their stories. LOL

  3. Loni Townsend on January 7, 2015 at 12:43 pm

    Wonderful quote! I relate, and totally feel my stories are alive. 🙂

    Thanks for co-hosting!

  4. Christine Rains on January 7, 2015 at 1:12 pm

    Fantastic quote! Thanks for sharing a little bit about yourself. And thank you for co-hosting today. 🙂

  5. Alex J. Cavanaugh on January 7, 2015 at 1:21 pm

    And you’re also an awesome IWSG admin!
    That was a wonderful quote. Wish my stories were alive enough to write themselves though.
    Thanks for co-hosting today, Michelle.

  6. Angela Wooldridge on January 7, 2015 at 1:27 pm

    Hi Michelle, that’s a marvellous quote and a great post too (yay for all champions of underdogs!) Happy New Year and thanks for hosting, Angie

  7. Yolanda Renee on January 7, 2015 at 1:56 pm

    When I read my intro to my husband and said what do you think, is it accurate? He said, “yeah, you told them your a nice person, just don’t piss her off!”
    We sound a lot alike! The non-confrontational peacemakers – and I love to host, but hate public anything! 🙂

    The quote was wonderful and yes the stories and the characters are very real to me, very personal, and a hell of a lot of fun!
    So nice to meet you again!

  8. Dean K Miller on January 7, 2015 at 2:17 pm

    Our stories are alive, which is why they bring so much to those who read them. They grow, change, mature, wrinkle, find new life and yes, sometimes they must be buried forever. Thanks for co-hosting this month.

  9. Rachel Schieffelbein on January 7, 2015 at 2:17 pm

    Great quote! What a lovely sentiment. 🙂

  10. Anne on January 7, 2015 at 2:19 pm

    You are a truly beautiful person Michelle, and you’re right about guarding our work. That’s definitely something I need to keep in mind. I feel like I over-stretched a bit this past year in terms of seeking opinions from people who definitely disagree with me – and maybe that’s okay. Some of my favorite books have been the ones I’ve “hated” and that’s why I keep reading. Thanks so much!

  11. Crystal Collier on January 7, 2015 at 2:20 pm

    Wow. Right now I feel like my story is a mush puddle of goo I have to sift through every so often, wishing I had gloves–or a slave to do the work. LOL! That’s the pregnancy talking.

    It’s true, every story has a life and we have to find the right way to cultivate it.

    Sending cheese to fabulous you for hosting! Here’s to an epic 2015!

  12. ChemistKen on January 7, 2015 at 2:23 pm

    In one sense, I do think of my story as being alive. It grows from nothing, and it’s constantly changing as it evolves into it’s final form. thanks for the thought.

    And thanks for co-hosting this month’s IWSG!

  13. SittieCates on January 7, 2015 at 2:30 pm

    You are a kaleidoscope of colors, Michelle. Positive as ever. 🙂

    Happy new year! Thanks for co-hosting for this month!

  14. Shell Flower on January 7, 2015 at 2:47 pm

    Great quote. I really love that and it speaks to my post this week. I totally forgot my intro. Oops! Thanks for the reminder.

  15. Sia McKye on January 7, 2015 at 2:50 pm

    Good quotes and description of writing and making it alive. My characters are alive and inhabit a real world. If they don’t feel that way, you don’t really have a story. 🙂
    Sia McKye Over Coffee

  16. Beth on January 7, 2015 at 2:52 pm

    wow, love this!

  17. J.L. Campbell (@JL_Campbell) on January 7, 2015 at 2:54 pm

    Hey, Michelle,

    You are lots of special things. I love me some Cashew nuts too.
    Wonderful interpretation of what a story is to us.
    Thanks for hosting.

  18. Murees Dupé on January 7, 2015 at 2:59 pm

    Your introduction just confirmed what I always thought…You’re just awesome. May 2015 be a wonderful and positive year for you.

  19. Tyrean on January 7, 2015 at 3:06 pm

    Thank you for co-hosting today! Your quote is exceptionally wonderful! (I hope you don’t mind that I plan to copy it out and give it to my writing classes) Plus, I love your intro! I agree with Murees. You’re just awesome!
    Happy 2015!

  20. Peaches Ledwidge on January 7, 2015 at 3:11 pm

    The quote – wonderfully crafted. Thanks for sharing, Michelle.

  21. Mary Aalgaard on January 7, 2015 at 3:20 pm

    I need to go back and edit my post and add an introduction. I missed the note. I liked your quote so much that I read it twice. My stories are definitely alive. The characters feel so real that I see the action happening in my head and hear their voices, feel their feelings.
    Thanks for co-hosting IWSG this month! Love your blog, love your writing, love your inspiration!!
    Play off the Page

  22. Sydney Aaliyah on January 7, 2015 at 3:27 pm

    “a multi-coloured, rainbow nation child of God…~ who embraces an optimistic-realistic life view…”

    I love that. Nice to learn more about you. I am going to think more on that quote, my writing is alive. Interesting idea.

    Congrats to a great 2015.

  23. Anna Simpson on January 7, 2015 at 3:38 pm

    Nice to meet you. I’m thinking you forgot superhero, but I might be biased. 🙂

    Here’s my link if you’d like to drop by 🙂

    Anna from Shout with Emaginette

  24. Elizabeth Hein on January 7, 2015 at 3:39 pm

    Happy New Year. I appreciate that you are such a champion for the underdog. Thanks.

  25. Jemima Pett on January 7, 2015 at 3:41 pm

    I love my characters, especially the baddies. It comes as a shock if I discover I have to kill one of them off. I really grieve for them. Of course, with some it was inevitable from the start, but they still surprise you when they go (kicking and screaming).

    Thanks for welcoming me into the ISWG, Michelle!

  26. Emma Adams on January 7, 2015 at 3:45 pm

    Those are some great quotes. Thank you for co-hosting!

  27. Michelle Tran on January 7, 2015 at 3:56 pm

    Great post! Definitely an inspiring quote! Thanks!

  28. Krista McLaughlin on January 7, 2015 at 3:59 pm

    That’s a beautiful quote – thanks for co-hosting today! 🙂

    We sound a lot alike! Writer on an endless journey, who loves coffee and popcorn and hates public speaking. 🙂 Good luck with everything this year!

  29. joylene on January 7, 2015 at 4:03 pm

    I love your post too, Michelle. I’m smiling and thinking how lucky I am to know you, even if it’s only through the internet. Happy IWSG and thanks for co-hosting.

  30. Jacqui Murray on January 7, 2015 at 4:06 pm

    Nice to meet you, Michelle. Love the thoughts.

  31. Jeff Chapman on January 7, 2015 at 4:07 pm

    Inspiring message about stories. Mine certainly have a mind of their own.

  32. L. Diane Wolfe on January 7, 2015 at 4:34 pm

    The story comes to life when we pour our heart into it.

  33. Heather M. Gardner on January 7, 2015 at 4:36 pm

    Interesting take on the story. I like it.

    Thanks for sharing a little bit about yourself!

    Thanks for co-hosting!
    Heather

  34. Kai Strand on January 7, 2015 at 5:27 pm

    Love the quote and your intro. Thanks for co-hosting. It’s nice to ‘meet’ you.

  35. Carrie-Anne on January 7, 2015 at 5:56 pm

    That’s such a truthful quote. A good story always comes fully alive, more than just words on a page, with passion and commitment from its creator. After so many years with characters, and after finishing each book, I feel like I’ve gone on an emotional journey with them.

  36. C. Lee McKenzie on January 7, 2015 at 6:10 pm

    100 words is never enough to capture the person you are. You did a great job and going over the limit is perfectly understandable. I’ve never heard of rooibos tea, so I learned about something new today!

  37. Lori L MacLaughlin on January 7, 2015 at 6:14 pm

    Wow, love the quote. So visceral and so true. My characters are as real to me as real people. Thanks for the inspiration and thanks for co-hosting!

  38. Mary Pax on January 7, 2015 at 6:29 pm

    I need to feed my stories. They must be quite hungry today. 🙂 Great quote, Michelle.

  39. Chrys Fey on January 7, 2015 at 6:33 pm

    I loved your introduction, Michelle! And I definitely believe that a story is alive. The quote you shared is amazing and truly inspiring.

    I’m happy to be co-hosting with you. 🙂

  40. James Pailly on January 7, 2015 at 6:40 pm

    That is truly beautiful. It’s amazing when stories start to grow on their own, going in directions we never expected or intended. Much like real children.

  41. Debra on January 7, 2015 at 6:51 pm

    Wow, that’s a lot. hehe Thanks for co-hosting, and nice to meet you!

    • Debra on January 9, 2015 at 1:53 pm

      And thanks for stopping by my blog! I’m not new to IWSG, but it’s still nice to be welcomed. 😀

  42. Gail M Baugniet on January 7, 2015 at 6:51 pm

    Pleased to meet you, Michelle. A walking contradiction . . . shades of Kris K. “partly truth and partly fiction.”
    Thank you for co-hosting IWSG for this month.
    Happy New Year!

  43. Gwend Gardner on January 7, 2015 at 7:13 pm

    What a wonderful allegory on writing. Loved your introduction about yourself. You’re my kind of lady! Happy New Year, Michelle!

  44. Michelle on January 7, 2015 at 7:31 pm

    Hi Michelle! That’s a great quote. Thank you for co-hosting this month.

  45. Corinne O'Flynn on January 7, 2015 at 8:28 pm

    What a fabulous quote. But I loved reading your intro so much! I love your sense of wonder and possibility. The world needs more positive people. Happy to have landed here today to find you! Thanks for hosting ISWG!

  46. Sarah Foster on January 7, 2015 at 8:33 pm

    Love the quote! Thanks for sharing and for co-hosting!

  47. Huntress on January 7, 2015 at 8:38 pm

    Most definitely the stories in my head are alive. Why else would I listen, reply back, and actually *argue* with my characters? If they aren’t alive, then I must be nuts.
    *oh, wait. Probably nuts anyway*

    Thank you for hosting this month!!!

  48. dolorah on January 7, 2015 at 8:46 pm

    When I talk about my characters I describe them and their lives as if they are real people.

    I didn’t know to introduce myself today, but I liked reading about you Michelle. Have a good week 🙂

  49. Michael Di Gesu on January 7, 2015 at 10:22 pm

    Hi, Michelle,

    What a great depiction of a story. Beautifully written!

    Nice to see/read more about who you are… Love the fact that you are nice, but STRONG willed.

    100 word limit? What’s that? LOL….

  50. Shannon Lawrence on January 7, 2015 at 11:08 pm

    That’s a fantastic quote! Also, I hadn’t thought of introducing myself each time with IWSG. Guess I haven’t been paying attention, huh? I need to do that next month. Love your description of yourself.

    • Louise (Fundy Blue) on January 7, 2015 at 11:23 pm

      Loved that quote, Michelle! Your post is uplifting and effervesces with optimism! Thanks for co-hosting!

  51. Carol Kilgore on January 8, 2015 at 12:15 am

    I love who you are!

  52. Southpaw HR Sinclair on January 8, 2015 at 2:25 am

    Wonderful quote and it’s nice to meet you again. 🙂

  53. S. Katherine Anthony on January 8, 2015 at 3:18 am

    Great intro!!! And what a fantastic quote, I’m totally inspired now, thanks milady, it’s exactly what I needed to read 😉

    Happy New Year, Michelle!

  54. Lynda R Young on January 8, 2015 at 3:45 am

    Don’t talk to me about cashew nuts!! I love them too much! 😉
    It’s great to get to know you a little better, Michelle

  55. Angela Brown on January 8, 2015 at 4:07 am

    Isn’t it wonderful to be a walking enigma? Someone that may seem easy to figure out until one realizes you are not. To contradict the expectation of you by simply being you.

    And that quote about stories really grabbed me.

    Have a great year.

  56. lilicasplace on January 8, 2015 at 4:57 am

    That is a great quote. Thank you for co-hosting this month and for giving us all a little tid-bit of info about yourself. 🙂 Have a great night! Eva

  57. krystal jane on January 8, 2015 at 5:19 am

    So awesome. ^_^ And so beautifully put.
    Loved your introduction!! Popcorn is the best.

  58. Holli on January 8, 2015 at 6:18 am

    I appreciate your visits to my blog every month, Michelle. They mean a lot. Thanks for introducing yourself so we could get to know a bit more about you.

    I’ve always felt my story was a living thing…or at least that my characters are. They’re the ones who tell me what’s going to happen, after all. I don’t have a clue.

    Happy New Year!

  59. Juneta on January 8, 2015 at 6:40 am

    Great post. I think the description of yourself was the best. Enjoy the little story too.
    Juneta at Writer’s Gambit

  60. Emily R. King on January 8, 2015 at 8:09 am

    Beautiful quote. Really makes me appreciate being a writer!

  61. Hilary on January 8, 2015 at 11:07 am

    Hi Michelle .. love the story in the quote – brilliantly told. While you are always out here boosting us on and encouraging us towards peace and compassion … and so good to read your bio here … happy writing, singing, playing in 2015 – cheers Hilary

  62. Marie Andreas on January 8, 2015 at 2:18 pm

    I LOVE that quote! Very inspiring and gets right to the heart :).

    Thank you for posting it and Happy 2015!

  63. jossiemarie on January 8, 2015 at 3:02 pm

    That quote is beautiful, thank you so much for sharing it. You sound like a great person too. I hope 2015 is a good year for you and your family 🙂

  64. Nicki Elson on January 8, 2015 at 3:56 pm

    So awesome – you’ve told us who you really ARE.

    Hmm, in the ediing phase I do often use the term “fleshing out”…perhaps there’s more to those words than I realized.

  65. Rebekah Grow on January 8, 2015 at 4:00 pm

    Hi Michelle! Thank you so much for stopping by my site yesterday. It’s great to be back with the ISWG gang again. I really liked the quote you shared about writing. Love it.

    I hope you have a wonderful year with your writing and I would love to see your flash fiction sometime. We have a group called the Wonhundred Word Wednesdays. We post each Wednesday from a writing prompt. It’s been a lot of fun. We are in the process of putting together a book with all of our prompts to be published sometime this summer from what we did last year. If you are interested I can add you to our group.

    Cheers!

  66. Tammy theriault on January 8, 2015 at 5:38 pm

    michekle you are amazing!! Totally love it!

    • Tammy theriault on January 8, 2015 at 5:39 pm

      Yep. I found a new spelling of your name apparently. Haha!!

  67. Quanie Miller on January 8, 2015 at 5:50 pm

    My characters are definitely alive (they remind me of this fact everyday). I’m also a coffee lover. Thanks for co-hosting this month:)

  68. Cherie Colyer on January 8, 2015 at 6:04 pm

    I love how Cameron Dokey described a story. Thanks for sharing and thanks for co-hosting.

  69. Madeline Mora-Summonte on January 8, 2015 at 7:29 pm

    Love that, Michelle! And I also love the part in your bio about not mistaking niceness for weakness. 🙂

  70. David Walston on January 8, 2015 at 7:31 pm

    That’s a great way to look at things.
    With my luck, my story would hit me up for a loan.
    😉

  71. Toi Thomas on January 8, 2015 at 11:47 pm

    Whata wonderful quote and a wonderful intro. Thank you so much for co-hosting.

  72. Donna McDine on January 9, 2015 at 12:33 am

    Thanks for sharing Dokey’s quote…inspiring. Enjoyed getting to know you! Happy New Year!

  73. Patricia Lynne on January 9, 2015 at 12:56 am

    That is a beautiful quote. I quite like it a lot. =D

  74. Caryn Caldwell on January 9, 2015 at 2:37 am

    Oh, wow! I LOVE that quote! I hadn’t read it before, but I’m definitely going to have to mark it so I can remember it. Thanks for sharing it.

    Happy 2015, and best of luck with your writing!

  75. Nick Wilford on January 9, 2015 at 4:58 pm

    Great quote! And I never knew you were a musician. Learning a lot with these intros!

  76. Suzanne on January 9, 2015 at 6:23 pm

    Hi, thanks for co-hosting 🙂 Love your bio 🙂 xx

  77. Doreen McGettigan on January 9, 2015 at 7:43 pm

    That is an awesome quote! Since I write non-fiction (for now) I sometimes struggle to get my stories to breath on their own but when I am successful it feels like magic.
    Happy New Year and thank you so much for co-hosting this month!

  78. Jen on January 10, 2015 at 12:17 am

    Marvelous post! That quote is amazing!! Thank you for sharing that. I have wondered about the whole “story is alive” phenomenon and I believe it. They have such a way of possessing us and controlling us, getting into all our thoughts and day to day living. Thank you for the reminder that we need to take care of our stories!

    And thank you for co-hosting!
    Jen

  79. Angeline on January 10, 2015 at 7:44 am

    It’s been so lovely learning a bit more about everyone in the IWSG. Have a great 2015!

  80. Julie Flanders on January 10, 2015 at 7:44 pm

    Oh, that quote is beautiful!! So inspiring. Makes me want to stop screwing around and get writing on my story already. 😀
    I hope you had fun co-hosting!

  81. Stephanie Faris on January 10, 2015 at 8:44 pm

    I did forget to include my introduction with my post…I missed that instruction somewhere, but it was a CRAZY week! I love your introduction, though.

  82. tammy theriault on January 13, 2015 at 6:53 am

    when you said it’s alive…images of Frankenstein popped in. Miss you girl!!

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