The Insecure Writer’s Support Group ~ No#112

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.

The awesome co-hosts for the July posting of the IWSG are:  Pat Garcia, Victoria Marie Lees, Chemist Ken, and Louise – Fundy Blue! 

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

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

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.
Remember, the question is optional!

JULY 07th QUESTION – What would make you quit writing?
If you enjoy writing can you really quit? I don’t think so. You may have phases, be it a few weeks, months or maybe even years, where you don’t write much; but eventually you will find your way back to the blank page.
Unless you make a conscious decision to stop writing. That’s different. Does a writer ever make a conscious decision to not write? I don’t know.

The Seventh Annual IWSG Anthology Contest is still open. 
Guidelines and rules:

Word count: 5000-6000

Genre: Sweet Romance

Theme: First Love

Submissions accepted: May 7 – September 1, 2021

How to enter: Send your polished, formatted (double-spaced, no footers or headers), previously unpublished story as a Word file to admin @ insecurewriterssupportgroup.com before the deadline passes. Please include your full contact details, your social links, and if you are part of the Blogging, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter IWSG group. You must belong to at least one of the IWSG groups if you wish to enter. Content must be PG rated or lower – please see below for guidelines.

Definition of Sweet Romance: Two basic elements comprise every romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending. A Central Love Story: The main plot centers around individuals falling in love and struggling to make the relationship work. A writer can include as many subplots as he/she wants as long as the love story is the main focus of the novel: An Emotionally Satisfying and Optimistic Ending. 
In a romance, the lovers who risk and struggle for each other and their relationship are rewarded with emotional justice and unconditional love. 


My apology if I haven’t returned your visit over the past few bloghops. It’s been a crazy few months! At the moment, we’re in the midst of a third wave which is ravaging the country – but this too shall pass.
I will be visiting blogs over the next few days.
Happy IWSG Day!

43 Comments

  1. Patricia Anne Pierce-garcia Schaack on July 7, 2021 at 11:55 am

    Hi,
    I too think it would have to be something awful and horrible for a writer to stop writing.
    I hope your life settles down.
    Take care and all the best.

    Shalom aleichem,
    Pat G @ EverythingMustChange

  2. Jemi Fraser on July 7, 2021 at 1:12 pm

    I can’t. imagine quitting either. Breaks yes, but quitting, no!
    Hope things settle soon for you and yours!

    • Michelle Wallace on July 7, 2021 at 3:39 pm

      My day job requires pen and paper, so I’ve always been writing. It’s just normal.

  3. Alex J. Cavanaugh on July 7, 2021 at 2:58 pm

    I think most authors who make the decision don’t really mean it!

    • Michelle Wallace on July 7, 2021 at 3:42 pm

      I think so too.
      Writers get their moments of frustration, where they feel like giving up.

  4. L. Diane Wolfe on July 7, 2021 at 4:18 pm

    I hope your wave subsides. They keep threatening one for us but it’s not happening.

  5. Yvonne V on July 7, 2021 at 5:11 pm

    Thanks for posting the anthology info!

  6. Yolanda Renee on July 7, 2021 at 7:03 pm

    Breaks are always good, but quitting for good. Impossible. Love the definition of romance, thanks!

    • Michelle Wallace on July 8, 2021 at 4:58 am

      Yes, you’re a perfect example of what will happen if one never quits! Good luck with the new series, Yolanda.

  7. Carrie-Anne on July 7, 2021 at 8:07 pm

    I couldn’t imagine ever not writing. Even when my normal daily wordcounts have been destroyed by lockdown, I still have tried to write at least a little something every day.

    • Michelle Wallace on July 8, 2021 at 5:00 am

      You’re such a prolific writer.
      When times are tough, little by little is also good. Every word counts.

  8. Anna on July 7, 2021 at 8:30 pm

    I’ve been on the sidelines when one of my writing friends quit for a while. Her whole personality changed. No outlet led to a very unhappy woman. I was glad to see her start up again. I think all of us were. 😉

    Anna from elements of emaginette

  9. C. Lee McKenzie on July 7, 2021 at 9:18 pm

    I have a hard time quitting anything, so giving up writing would definitely be a challenge and vow I probably would take back anyway.

    • Michelle Wallace on July 8, 2021 at 5:01 am

      I can’t imagine you quitting, Lee. You’re such a good writer, too.

  10. Elizabeth Mueller on July 7, 2021 at 10:30 pm

    I agree–I’d never stop writing. It’s interwoven with my very being!

    Thank you for showcasing the next IWSG story contest! Good luck to the entrants!

    ♥.•*¨Elizabeth Mueller¨*•.♥

    • Michelle Wallace on July 8, 2021 at 5:02 am

      Thank you for popping in, Elizabeth. All the best with your writing.

  11. Louise (Fundy Blue) on July 7, 2021 at 11:31 pm

    I hope the waves of Covid vanish from this world. Life has been crazy for a lot of us. I hope things ease for you soon, Michelle! we all do what we can at the moment. Sending you a big hug!

  12. Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy on July 8, 2021 at 12:40 am

    Good point about the writer never making a conscious decision not to write. Not writing usually happens as a result of things like stress. Or general life. Our attention is elsewhere. And that’s ok.

    • Michelle Wallace on July 8, 2021 at 5:03 am

      Yes, life’s challenges will always impact on our writing. We just have to manage the challenges.

  13. ChemistKen on July 8, 2021 at 1:46 am

    I’d think a writer would have to have a pretty traumatic reason not to want to write. It’s one thing to want to write, but not quite have the motivation to actually sit down and do it. It’s another to just not want to write, even if they have the time and opportunity.

  14. M.J. Fifield on July 8, 2021 at 2:04 am

    I keep saying I’m going to quit, only to turn right around and keep writing. I don’t know that I’ll ever do anything more than take a break once in a while.

    Hope things get less crazy for you soon!

  15. joylene on July 8, 2021 at 2:02 pm

    Stay safe, Michelle. That’s all that matters.

  16. Nick Wilford on July 8, 2021 at 8:33 pm

    Breaks are healthy, but stopping forever definitely isn’t. It can be maddening and frustrating, but also so rewarding that we can’t live without it. We’re stuck with it!

  17. Melissa Maygrove on July 8, 2021 at 9:29 pm

    Stay safe! Thanks for visiting my blog. 🙂

  18. Julie Kemp Pick on July 9, 2021 at 5:41 am

    Hi Michelle, I’m so sorry that Covid is still on the rise in South Africa. It’s truly admirable in the midst of all that’s going on, that you’ve continued to be a shining light in the IWSG. You are a wonderful person, and I hope that you and your loved ones continue to safe and healthy.

  19. Carol Kilgore on July 9, 2021 at 1:17 pm

    I cannot imagine not writing. It’s a part of me. Hope you and your family are all OK. One day, hopefully soon, we’ll all move past this awful virus.

  20. Madeline Mora-Summonte on July 9, 2021 at 1:32 pm

    Writing is such a huge part of who I am that I have no idea who I’d be without it.

    Take care and hang in there!

    • Michelle Wallace on July 10, 2021 at 1:50 pm

      Writing is actually more important now than ever, as a form of therapy, especially with the stress caused by the pandemic. Thank you, Madeline!

  21. Lee Lowery on July 10, 2021 at 8:13 pm

    Most writers I know have occasionally threatened to quit, but I think we all go through that phase from time to time. Even when I’m not writing stories, I journal like mad. Sometimes it’s all that keeps me [barely] on this side of insanity. 🤣

  22. Hilary Melton-Butcher on July 14, 2021 at 8:38 am

    Hi Michelle – I’m thinking about you and about the desperate times SA is experiencing now … apart from Covid – that sadly will spread more … and the riots that are happening. Stay safe – but keep writing – Hilary

  23. Toi Thomas on July 16, 2021 at 6:53 pm

    Hope this situation begins to improve in your country and all over the world. It seemed like things were on the rise for a while, but now…
    Thanks for stopping by my blog. I too have been struggling to visit other blogs, but I do always enjoy it when I am able to.
    Like you, I don’t think a writer ever really chooses to stop writing.

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