uniquely maladjusted but fun: IWSG, Literacy, and #AtoZChallenge Reflections #Crossword Answers

Monday, May 4, 2026

IWSG, Literacy, and #AtoZChallenge Reflections #Crossword Answers

https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html

handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.The awesome co-hosts for the May 6 posting of the IWSG are Jenni Enzor, Jemima Pett, Jamie of Uniquely Maladjusted but Fun, and Kim Lajevardi!

Remember, the question is optional!

May 6 question - What was the most inspiring feedback you received from readers, including agents, editors, and beta readers?

Beyond my ghost writing (which has been published and, I'm told, sells well), and my published poetry, there's one YA novel I've been working on for a few years. The agents who have read it so far suggest I make my protagonist 15 before she celebrates her quinceañera.

Now, in case you didn't know why that's not practical, here's the reason in a screenshot from Google, explaining that a quinceañera is the celebration of the fifteenth birthday.

"So why is she at the end of her 8th-grade year if she's about to turn 15?"

Well, if you make it through the first three pages, you find out she was held back a year due to her mother's incarceration.

(Because the book is partly about the injustice faced by children of incarcerated parents. Which is where the idea for the book comes from, because it actually happened to a child I know. Her stepmother was a drunk driver who committed a hit and run, resulting in the death of a classmate of the girl, and the girl was forced to leave school for a year because she was bullied to the point that "her presence causes a distraction to her peers." -- They kicked her out for being bullied. They kicked her out for what her drunken stepmother did. An absolutely brilliant girl who had been top of her class.

And she was forced to sign a nondisclosure, despite being a minor child, so she isn't even allowed to tell her story! 😔

But I didn't sign anything. And I'll write whatever fictional story I damn well please, thank-you-very-much. So her story is gonna exist!
I just have to find an agent who understands why someone would not be 15 before turning 15.
Or I have to self-publish, but I have no idea how to properly market a YA book. How to get it in schools. And there's a lot about discrimination and stuff in the book. Under the current political situation, it'd be banned before any publisher would even consider it. So, not hopeful right now.)

And none of that is inspiring! 😅

Well, I did a slice-of-life last month for the A to Z Challenge. And it included characters from an Adult Paranormal story I've been kicking around with friends for a few years.

Comments included "fun" and "interesting."

I'm hosting this month and look forward to reading YOUR answers!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1D4VhSc3Uy/

What if we tried to raise the literacy rate in Pennsylvania? Too many adults don't read for fun! What if there was an incentive? The return of the BOOKIT program, where children read and earn goodies. Why can't we do something similar for adults? @resist.bot text SIGN PYSFRR to 50409 #literacy

[image or embed]
— Jamie (@jamiewriter.bsky.social) April 23, 2026 at 9:55 PM

https://bsky.app/profile/jamiewriter.bsky.social/post/3mk7g5wkbfs2x

{Story ending}

Wren Noel's casts are finally off. We watch one more movie together before they go home. It's a romantic comedy, kidding! It's a psychological thriller with blood and gore and some amazing plot twists. SEND HELP. Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien do an amazing job.

"Someone needs to earn an award for making Rachel McAdams look so unattractive and homely."

"Agree," Wren Noel says between bites of popcorn.

"Are you going to fix the crossword error 26 Across, where I accidentally wrote the third movie instead of the fifth?"

"Nah. Let the fans write the magazine about it. That shows they're playing along and interested, which means the editor will keep hiring me to make more word puzzles."

I laugh. "Never thought about it that way. Intentional errors."

We discuss our desire to never be forced to try to survive on a deserted island. Or some billionaire's private island.

"But being stranded at your place while mostly helpless for a few weeks was a great time. You're an amazing friend, Liv."

"Aww. Love you, Wren Noel," I say as we hug goodbye.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8036976/ 🎥🎬 SEND HELP 📺

The crossword clue will contain the LETTER of the day, though it might not be the *first* letter in the word.

My April 2026 Blogging from A to Z Challenge Theme was a slice-of-life short story with two characters binge-watching shows and movies while creating a crossword puzzle. Read and play along!

A 19 across — ANTARCTICA
B 21 across — BETTY
C 20 across — CLARITA
D 24 down — DADDY
E 14 across — ESPHENI
F 22 down — FRANKIE
G 10 down — GUMMIES
H 9 across — HAWKINS
I 13 down — GABRIELLE
J 18 down — JACKRABBIT
K 17 down — JEKYLL
L 16 across — LAWS
M 11 down — MAJUMDAR
N 3 across — NORMA
O 8 down — OKAY
P 15 across — PAMELA
Q 4 across — QUEEN
R 26 across — ROY
S 12 across — SCARAB
T 2 down — EATS
U 1 down — UNKNOWN
V 23 across — VERONICA
W 7 down — WISH
X 25 across — MATRIX
Y 5 down — YIPPEEKIYAY
Z 6 down — FONZIE

Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
#AtoZChallenge
a-to-zchallenge.com

I like the theme reveal. The reflection post gives me a reason to look back at the month. I have only seen a few people visit via the "road trip" on my blog. 🤷‍♀️ I definitely use the HTML badges to make my posts. I have met my blog posting goals, but didn't get to visit as many blogs as I had intended, which is probably why I didn't get a ton of comments. I don't know that I have favorites. Charlotte - MotherOwl- had a cool theme with the Wordle words. I did get comments from at least two co-hosts (J and Ronel). Liz A., Anne E.G., and Ronel left me the most comments this month. Pretty sure Blogger is open to everyone. IWSG is the other blog hop I normally do. Yes, I'll do this hop again next year. And I do visit the A to Z site a few times a year.

https://uniquelymaladjustedbutfun.blogspot.com/2026/04/sorry-i-didnt-love-you-atozchallenge.html -- That's the post I'll pick for the Road Trip. Lots of emotion.