Publishing Changes IWSG, Graduation Segregation, and Bans

https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html
My apologies to IWSG Substack bloggers.https://uniquelymaladjustedbutfun.blogspot.com/2026/07/iwsg.html(Posted prior to the rule rewrite.)



I wish it was easier to get representation for diverse books. 

And there's no writers guild for indie authors who are putting in the TIME but haven't hit the requirements in sales.

 https://authorsguild.org/membership/faq/
Okay, maybe there is. I just want to be able to have health insurance come January. AFFORDABLE health insurance. With affordable prescriptions. 

😔

It's exhausting fighting to live. Sorry. 

Here's a writing punctuation meme instead:

Here's why indie can be equal to Big 5:

---

In June, my Facebook feed filled with posts of graduation 👨‍🎓 ceremonies. Several posts were by friends of mine who don't know each other, but had a family member (child, nephew, cousin, etc) who graduated from the same high school as I did.

The graduation robes this year were a combination of the school colors, blue and white. 

The new blue& white robes!

My senior year, back in the late '90s, there was a BIG DEAL. First, in homeroom, we were all given a survey asking if we wanted a blue or white robe for graduation. I didn't know there was a choice. White gets dirty so easily, and I'm ridiculously pale (though I had been trying to get a tan, because it was the '90s and people still did stupid crap like lay in the sun for hours with SPF 4 tanning oil on), so I picked blue.

Weeks later, I was issued a white robe. 

🤔

The boys got blue, the girls got white. Period.

Me at graduation--
in all white

One girl (who, frankly, I'm shocked isn't a major politician today) refused the segregation and graduated wearing fluorescent green. 

We were friends. Not close, but friendly enough, so I'm kind of surprised I didn't know about the protest in advance.

As I scrolled on Facebook in June 2026, I saw young people who graduated from high my high school. The robe featured both colors. No segregation. And it seems that the solution didn't harm anyone. Didn't change the celebration of commencement. 

Why the hell did it take so long to sew two different colors of fabric together? 

See what happens when logic rules instead of hate? 

---

There are currently three bills in the US Congress calling for book bans. (Including medical textbooks in college libraries. Should a doctor learn anatomy?)

And three bills that counter those with the statement that literacy matters and school libraries should be funded. 

Not politically aiming for any message here. Just discussing with fellow writers that books are in danger. Classic books, non-fiction textbooks, new books, maybe your own books. If you decide you have feelings about the topic of books, and have Congressional Representatives, you may desire to research this yourself and contact them. 

I know my WIP would be banned. I'm insecure about bothering to pitch it to agents right now because all three of the proposed bans would aim at my book. It has diverse characters, and a teen girl gets pregnant by her teen boyfriend. So MY BOOK would absolutely be banned. How do I put that in a query letter? "Here's a YA that'll be nearly impossible to sell because it's guaranteed to be banned." 

I'm mentioning this not for political reasons, but as an author who is absolutely targeted by these bills. And the other WIPs? They all meet that criteria. Heck, I have a chunk of a YA story on this blog (April 2021) that would be banned. So I feel I have a duty to mention that there are 6 bills (3 for bans, 3 opposed) in the US Congress debate right now. Care or don't, that's up to you. But the bills aren't headline news, and writers ought to know, even if you don't do anything with the information. 

IWSG my Maladjusted Hat

HATS 

(Wait for explanation)

I have a question. HOW does one comment on Substack blogs in the IWSG without creating an account on that platform. OBVIOUSLY it can be done, because it's right there in the rules, so I know there has to be a way. I can't figure it out. Is it because I'm using my phone? 📱

Anyone? Because when I click "post" it wants a profile and sign up thing. And I haven't found the work around. 

HATS

See, I put together the above yesterday.

Maladjusted 

It's another word they used in the early '90s. Gen X people were not neuro divergent or autistic or have ADD / ADHD. (Gen Y, they stood in lines at the nurse for their pills 💊, Gen X just got blamed and yelled at, like all generations before us.)

Seventh grade, we got new school planners. In addition to being a requirement to put homework assignments in them, they also listed school rules.

HATS MUST BE WORN INSIDE THE SCHOOL. Upon passing through the entrance, all hats and head coverings (including, but not limited to, baseball caps, scarves, wigs, etc, unless medical exceptions have been given prior approval) are to be removed and must be stored in the locker or closet for the duration. 

🤔 If you're normal, that rule didn't get your attention.

If your brain 🧠 has been training, you see a typo. (If you're an informed activist, you see that a Klan member wrote it to screw with certain people.) 

But if you're maladjusted (note the name of my blog), you'll understand what I did.

I went to the office to ask for a hat. 

🥺🧢 I didn't bring one. I didn't know about the new rule. 😭 

"What are you talking about? Go to class!"

If you're normal, you'd think I'd shut up about it. My friends begged me to shut up about it. 

But I was disobeying a rule! And, umm... not totally sure how to obey the rule. Which, by the way, EVERYONE was breaking! We're supposed to remove them and then wear them while storing in lockers or closets. Our lockers were freaking small, the slender ones that barely held a backpack 🎒. How were we supposed to store ourselves? 

I eventually ended up in the guidance counselor's office about this. 

Who, eventually, realized I wasn't trying to be a little shit. 

I was genuinely upset because I felt I was breaking a rule. There had to be some way for me to obey this rule! The fact that the other 500 people in the building were breaking the rule didn't matter to me. I WAS BEING BAD. And I desperately needed to be able to obey the rule. I wasn't being an asshole. This was a genuine breakdown of a good kid who didn't understand.

He took my planner and grabbed a red pen. ^NOT 

"Better?" 

I stopped crying.

"What about everyone else's planners?"

"If they notice, I'll fix it. If you see something like this again, please come tell me."

"Okay. So I'm not breaking a rule?"

"Nope. Look at what it says now. See? You're behaving. Okay?" 

I'm better as an adult.

But

It isn’t as if I'm on medication for this. Or have any actual professional help.

So

Sometimes 

Like a splinter in the mind

I get obsessed over a rule.

And feel there must be a way for me to obey that rule. 

(Do not take me to a Bible study. You will find out how many contradictions are in there.) 

(I'm diabetic and have stage 3 chronic kidney disease. The food plans contradict themselves. And omg you don't want to know about my meltdown trying to figure that out, because the Internet has a whole trash heap of more information. Including a very trusted site that says I should eat CANDY 🍬.  And my doctor had to explain that's for stage 5 people who can't get calories from anywhere else and.... you DO NOT want to know.)

Maladjusted 

I'm not normal. (I'm not perfect. I make mistakes and typos.) And sometimes I get obsessed with the dumbest things that don't matter to ANYONE and have zero impact on the world. And sometimes it takes a friend to shake me out of a meltdown. 

But see how well I recall that hat story? 

Because it still bothers me a little.

I know fully right well that it was a typo. I'm a grown-up, I know.

But it's still in my head. I haven't thought about it in years. 

But trying to figure out how to comment without creating an account on that platform, it derailed me. 

And my brain 🧠,  all maladjusted, was 100% certain that everyone else in the group knew how to do it. That I was failing. AND I FELT INSECURE (as a person, not just a writer).

And, yeah, probably other people just skipped those or made accounts. I'm probably, no, I am definitely, the only butt nugget who obsessed over this. 

It's me. 

It's just me.

And I know that. 

Because I am maladjusted. 

But I'm an adult so I have to just get over it.

Except my brain is forever going to try to work this out. Even though it doesn't matter.

IT DOESN'T MATTER.

It does not matter.

The hats don't matter.

The inability to comment with creating an account doesn't matter. 

This has no impact on my life, on the world, on absolutely anything.

It doesn't matter. 

Unimportant.

Please don't contradict that.

It's the mantra. 

I have to keep telling myself that it doesn't matter. I'm maladjusted, that's why it matters to me. But it doesn't actually matter. It is not important. 

And I will NOT bring it up again. 🤐🙊

Motivation, Writing, Movies, #IWSG Story Ideas, 🏳️‍🌈 and AI neighborhood

Thank you to everyone who visited last month!
Here's a meme I found about writer motivation:

Movie 🎬  (on Netflix) Ladies First 

A misogynist wakes in an alternative reality.

It's not "women rule the world like women," but "women rule the world exactly like men in our reality," so he learns a lesson as to how life is for others. It'd make a smidge more sense if he had been turned into a woman and had to live in the real world. Or if he had trouble navigating the alternative reality because the ruling-class women didn't just mimic the shitty male rule to which he is accustomed.

QUOTE: "Balls [mean strength]? The delicate sack hanging off your body where the slightest tap has you weeping on the ground?" 

The signs and statues (especially if you know London) are fantastic. 

Still, a funny movie. Worthwhile. 👍

He learns to treat people with decency and respect. 

Watch with a pint of Guinness. 🍺

Movie 🎬  GOAT

Netflix animated movie. 

Basketball-like sport, but the courts, that's what makes this sport really interesting. Ice pond, a cave with stalactites, lava... 

And a team that doesn't practice together. 

They've got a LOT to learn and overcome. 🐐

Modo wins the most. "Roots run deep!"

Oh, and the twins are awesome. 🦏🦏

What's about to ruin my life:

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1YKgsjAwY3 (Brief video about this.)


Petition (if you're willing to help)
https://www.change.org/p/no-data-center-at-2401-w-emmaus-ave
They plan to put it across from apartments and Camelot for Children (a daycare for disabled kids). It's a Neighborhood. It's MY neighborhood.
And the Governor of Pennsylvania is giving them incentives! 🤦‍♀️Desperate times here.

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

My story ideas are from all over. Several are from life (as I discussed last month). One came from a dream my husband had. Some are from someone else because I have done some ghostwriting, but I can't discuss the details, obviously.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18Wkzqz3NB/

🏳️‍🌈 There are many books, authors, and people who need extra support (this month and always). 😶🧑🏾‍🏫 Censorship is a battle for everyone who favors freedom and equality.

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.

https://uniquelymaladjustedbutfun.blogspot.com/2026/04/hamburger-bowl-atozchallenge-shortstory.html...However, if you want a recipe and Netflix nostalgia, I'd suggest "H" 😉 


April Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2027 SIGN-UP March 29 -April 10 a-to-zchallenge.com

A Favor #AtoZChallenge #ShortStory Crossword Clue 19 Across #IWSG

I pull the vibrating, ringing phone from my jeans' pocket. My friend Wren Noel appears on the screen. "Hey, what's going on?"

"Liv, I'm in the hospital."

"What? Are you going to be okay? Can I do anything?" I wheel to the window. It's stupid, I know, because it isn't as if I can look out my window and see Wren Noel or the hospital. 

"Eventually. A nurse is holding the phone for me. They have casts on my arms and left leg. I'm feeling fairly useless. I have a choice of going to a nursing home, or, well, I can't really get around my own apartment, but if it were set up for accessibility, I could go."

I chuckle. "Sounds like we're having a slumber party at my place."

"The insurance is covering a visiting nurse and therapist, so I don't need too much help. But it would be for a few weeks."

"Seriously, it's fine. It'll be fun. We can binge-watch shows and movies while you heal."

"You're sure? I could go to the nursing home." They say nursing home as if it's Death Row. 

"I've been in your situation. Well, not exactly, but you know what I mean. You'll heal better with a friend. Besides, I don't want to take the bus across town to a nursing home to see you every week. Much easier if you come here."

They laugh. "Glad to do you that favor."

I wheel around my house, setting up the living room for when Wren Noel comes. I message my roommates to let them know they'll be here. My roommates mostly keep to their rented floors, with private entrances to the basement and second floor, but I feel it's polite to give a heads-up. 

"Fred, our buddy Wren Noel is going to stay with us," I tell my fluffy orange cat. He's more interested in his catnip mouse, but I've said it anyway.  I look for Sir Pusspuss, but, as usual, the gray and white ball of fur is nowhere to be found. Next, I inform the other creatures residing here. Wren Noel is just unusual enough to be intrigued, rather than frightened or appalled, by the outcasts of mythology living under my roof. The world may call them monsters, but I know they can be kinder and more loving than many humans I've encountered, dead or alive. 

I flip off the GOOD PSYCHIC COMMUNICATIONS neon sign. There are no appointments for the rest of the day, so I may as well seem closed. Then I roll to the kitchen and start on dinner. I'm not sure if they'll feed Wren Noel before transporting him here, but probably not. I make a roast chicken soup with lots of vegetables. 

As the transporter pulls in my driveway, I press three buttons on the remote to turn on the television. The familiar percussive tudum sound fills the room as Netflix loads. I wheel out to greet Wren Noel. Their complexion is as pale as usual, but all of their signature piercings have been removed, including the neckbolts. Their long, black hair is tied in a messy ponytail at the back of their head, secured with a rubber band. 

"Hideous, I know," they say as they see me.

"Well, there goes the plans for a magazine cover shoot. Darn," I say with a laugh.

They smile and wince. We continue with small talk and casual jokes until the transportation people are gone and they're comfortable in the living room.

"I can't thank you enough for saving me. Now, what smells so damn good?"

"Chicken soup. Figured I'd go easy on you the first night."

"Liv, you're a goddess among us. Did I mention I'm supposed to work on making a crossword puzzle?"

I raise an eyebrow. "With which hand? I don't see how you're planning that."

"You know that side-hustle job I got making puzzles and such for that entertainment magazine?"

I nod. "Oh yeah, sure." If I had a nickel for every side-hustle job Wren Noel has mentioned over the years, I could buy myself a new wheelchair.

"Well, if we come up with some clues related to shows and movies, I was hoping you could help me create it. Not a lot of pay, but it's not all that much work, either."

"As long as I don't have to do your regular job. Communicating with spirits is one thing, but I'm not going to embalm the dead for you."

They laugh. "Relax, you'd need a special degree and an apprenticeship, it's a whole big thing, to get that job. No, just this fun side job. Like, what were you planning to watch? I see Netflix is queued up."

"Atypical. Sam Gardner is an autistic teenager. Have you seen it?"

"All but the last season. Sounds like a great place to start. We'll come up with a crossword clue to match the show." 

We eat our soup as we watch. I'm better at feeding Wren Noel than they expected me to be. They bite less than the creatures I've taken care of over the years. 

As the night winds down, we come up with our first crossword clue. I get Wren Noel settled before heading off to bed.

19 Across - The continent where Sam Gardner's penguins traditionally reside

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

My 2026 Theme is a slice-of-life short story with two characters binge-watching shows and movies while creating a crossword puzzle. Read and play along!

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

*Why stay with her instead of trying to get equipment?
Totally not political at all, but: 

"Beginning February 27, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) initiated a six-month nationwide moratorium on new Medicare enrollments for specific Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies" - https://www.statnews.com/2026/02/26/cms-national-moratorium-durable-medical-equipment/

 

Maybe it was too hard to find any.

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

handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.
The awesome co-hosts for the April 1 posting of the IWSG are Melissa Maygrove, Cathrina Constantine, Kate Larkinsdale, and Rebecca Douglass!
April 1 question - If you have a playlist (or could put one together) that either gets you in the groove to write or fits with one of your books, what is it? What type of music or what songs?

For this story, they're binging shows and movies, so there's not a soundtrack. If I had to pick a music genre for them, it would be Goth Rock. Lots of Type O Negative. 

🤔 What day is it? 

Six Days

Song by DJ Shadow 

At the starting of the week

At summit talks you'll hear them speak

It's only Monday

Negotiations breaking down

See those leaders start to frown

It's sword and g4n day

… Tomorrow never comes until it's too late

… You could be sitting taking lunch

The news will hit you like a punch

It's only Tuesday (What time is it?)

You never thought we'd go to war

After all the things we saw

It's April Fools' day (What time is it?)

Tomorrow never comes until it's too late

#IWSG Short Story Conundrum slice-of-life

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

handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.The awesome co-hosts for the March 4 posting of the IWSG are PJ Colando, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, and Natalie Aguirre!
Remember, the question is optional! March 4 question - What elements do you include in your book launch? Or what do you have in mind for your future book launch? Or what advice do you have to offer to others planning to launch a book?

I haven't launched a book. I'm in the editing, writing, or querying stage of everything. I ghosted for a book. I heard it sold well in Germany. (It was written in English. No idea if the author had it translated. It was a wolf story, and that's all I can say.) 

I'm instead going to use this opportunity to discuss the short story I'm working on for the #AtoZchallenge. 

I grabbed two characters from another story I was working on a few years ago. Two of my best friends and I were going to write a fiction book together. It never got off the ground. We had the first few chapters. One friend sorta lost her passion for writing. I still hope we'll go back to it someday. ANYWAY. 

My main character in that story is Liv Good (yes, she enjoys the punny name reference), a psychic-medium who has inherited the rather large family home. The downstairs has been reconstructed for her needs, as she's mostly wheelchair-bound. It's also the home to a few mythical creatures she cares for, making it a paranormal story. Being a psychic-medium doesn't pay all that well, which is why she rented out the basement and the upstairs to the characters my friends were writing about. 

One of Liv's friends is Wren Noel. He's this quirky goth guy who is just so fun to write. Totally non-romantic friendship, seriously. 

In my upcoming April story, Wren Noel will be injured after a car crash. He's going to stay with Liv for a bit while he's in a wheelchair healing, and it's way easier to be at her place (which is accessible) than at his apartment. 

[It wasn't long ago that my husband and I were both unable to walk- briefly, for different reasons, and not simultaneously. But wow, let me tell you how fun stairs are when you can't use your legs. Much less trying to navigate the rest of our tiny apartment.] 

Anyway! So the story is just the two of them hanging out and binge-watching. They're making a crossword puzzle because one of his side jobs is creating a monthly word game for an entertainment magazine. 

But... I mean... it's not about anything. There's no great conflict. It's a slice-of-life narrative. 

"From its inception, audiences loved that slice-of-life fiction was authentic and relatable. Known for capturing the essence of human existence (even when stories take place in fantastical worlds), slice-of-life fiction resonates with audiences for its ability to convey the beauty and suffering of daily life."

- https://www.campfirewriting.com/learn/slice-of-life 

An example of a novel-length slice-of-life is The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, which is one of my favorite books. 

"The ones where the focus is more on a character's journey through a period of time, and not so much about that one big bad problem that needs to be resolved." - http://blog.janicehardy.com/2010/12/just-another-day-slice-of-life-stories.html

My Conundrum

I've never written a slice-of-life story before. I wasn't even aware of the genre until I sat down to write this post and did a search on stories that aren't about some conflict. (Person versus __ ) I have no idea if it'll be any good. 

That's what is making this writer insecure at the moment!

Tips and encouragement are welcome. 

Rereading Earlier Works with the IWSG

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

handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

The awesome co-hosts for the February 4 posting of the IWSG are J Lenni Dorner, Victoria Marie Lees, and Sandra Cox!

February 4 question - Many writers have written about the experience of rereading their work years later. Have you reread any of your early works? What was that experience like for you?

A few years ago, I pulled out an old handwritten notebook and started typing the story I had written in it. My debate was- do I keep it as is, or punch it up for modern times? It's a YA story, set in the 90's because that's when I wrote it. Half the plot dissolves to dust if a decade of tech is added to the story. Two major conflicts are resolved with the popularity of mobile phones and the existence of caller ID. (Actually, caller ID coming to my area was why I originally gave up on the story. Because, seriously, as soon as the MC knows the caller, the story moves to the closing resolution pretty quickly.) 

{Yes, kids, there was a time when we had to just answer phones with no idea who was on the other end. Or we used answering machines to screen calls, because unlike voicemail, you could hear the message as it was being left and opt to pick up the phone. And yes, that's why the old people leave you three-minute messages, because you might pick up... even though there are barely any answering machines left.}

Obviously, there are new workarounds since I started typing the story, new ways to mask numbers, or disposable phones. So I could go back to that story, again, now, and update everything. 

But it makes me curious what another five or ten years will offer, what other new plot points might deepen the story as technology changes everything again. She could spend three-quarters of the story thinking it's an AI bot calling her! (Laugh if you want, but I had a bot texting me this month and didn't know until last week that it wasn't a human. Because why would a bot text me at 1am? Why??? Because the programmer is an idiot and the bot isn't supposed to be doing that. 🙈🫢) 

Anyway, I have three other stories on my plate right now. And I spend wayyyy too much time on medical drama and whatnot, and not nearly enough on actual writing. 

(For friends and those who read last month's IWSG post-- Dad is back home. He's doing well. Heart surgery went great. My uncle had my dad all worried that there were five other procedures and problems, but no, my dad did not have the same issues as my uncle or their father. Dad's was a fairly routine fix, the surgery was less than six hours, and his hospital stay wasn't even a week.)

IWSG 2026 Writing Plans

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

handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.
The awesome co-hosts for the January 7 posting of the IWSG are Shannon Lawrence, Olga Godim, Jean Davis, and Jacqui Murray!
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! January 7 question - Is there anything in your writing plans for 2026 that you are going to do that you couldn't get done in 2025?

Last year was a dumpster fire. Actually, that fire has been burning for five years. 😥

"Writer" is my most defining personality trait. I wouldn't want to be alive if I couldn't write. If I didn't have stories and characters in my mind. I don't want to BE without that quality. 

So I don't know what it means that I've committed such little time to what matters most to my identity. I mean, yeah, my family matters most, I love my husband most. But what I love most about myself, when I feel connected to my soul, that's the "JamieWriter" part of myself. 

When my local writing group met weekly, I definitely made more time for writing. Time to feed my soul, to feel a purpose, to feel alive. And there's talk of possible monthly meetings again. Hopefully that'll motivate me to function again. 

On the other other darkside 🌑☁️😔

My dad is scheduled for heart surgery this week. And we're all scared out of our damn minds about his odds. So, utter chaos is waiting like an assassin in the shadows to totally fuck up everything. 

And I'm worried about the Chronic Kidney Disease diagnosis. Obvious by my recent GOODREADS reviews.

Book Party, goals, and #IWSG gift 🎁

 

Magnetic bookmarks 

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BU5GYe3BS/

My name starts with J. I'm torn between two indie books! Jewels of Darterra is a novella by my friend (and cousin in law) J Lenni Dorner. Juliana Lopez is Fu*king Fire is a Latinx Romance by my friend Dori Aleman-Medina. 

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1QbGyRCX4B/

Every writer needs to set their own goals. 

If YOUR goal is to traditionally publish, then you don't need to understand what other people are doing self publishing. 

But that is NOT the goal for EVERY writer. 

Your characters will get better when you realize that not everyone has the same goal.

🤔 

Actually, it's also a big core idea in sociology and philosophy. So the mind really expands when the revelation is learned and accepted that not everyone has the same goal.

🤯

Apply it to politics and suddenly so many news items will click in the mind. We don't all share the same "Utopia" idea. 

Seriously, this is a life changing realization.

Imagine Being A Writer #IWSG

 

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

I didn't imagine the downfall of NaNoWriMo. 

Actually, when I first started publishing, I hadn't heard of them. Still, a bit of a shock that it happened. (I don't disagree. The safety of children, and everyone really, must come first. Still, an International organization with so many members crumbled virtually overnight. 🤯 ) 

I got my start in poetry. Did pretty well. Met some incredible people as result. (Some who are no longer alive, at least one who is regularly in US news politics still today.) 

Horror was my favorite genre to write in. I had a 3-book series that was about to be a "deal," before I graduated high school. But the publishing house went under. And then I moved away for college (PENN STATE) and the box with the manuscripts was lost. And then the 3.5 floppy 💾 was destroyed. 

Nothing has turned out how I ever imagined it. I work for/with another writer sometimes. I was working on a collaboration. I have a dark YA that has been in the works for years, but it'll definitely be a banned book if any publishers ever pick it up. I could self publish, but I know I don't have the clout to get it to the right YA audiences. (Assuming such clout exists.) 

Getting back to the question, I thought it'd be 90% about writing. I thought getting an agent or publisher would be much easier. (Like my other experiences.) I had high hopes. I had positive energy, backed with evidence as things had gone smoothly. 

Don't let any time traveler go back and tell younger me what happens. She needs hope to survive. But, if there's a better future coming, and some time traveler could come give me a dash of hope right now, I could really use that. 

Bad surprises. Soul crushing. Uphill battles I never could have imagined and absolutely had no preparation to fight. 

🫣

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1E3dbiK3Xf/

Review: House of Dynamite 

Three excellent beginnings. No climax, no ending. 

"What happens if a missle is launched at the US?" 

(The movie doesn't answer this. It asks it, basically, three times. The movie president is, umm, not the current... um... in the movie, the White House has an East Wing. And, in the movie, no one asks if the missle came from within. So it's a FICTIONAL movie, to be clear, it is not "torn from the headlines." It is not political in that sense.)

Favorite Written by me #IWSG

 

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

Lake Wallenpaupack is in Pennsylvania. 

"Lake Wallenpaupack received its name from the Lenni-Lenape Native Americans who called the area's central creek "Walinkpapeek" or "Wallinkpaupeek," a name that means "the stream of swift and slow water". The name was then applied to the valley and subsequently the large reservoir created by a dam on the Wallenpaupack Creek in the 1920s."

(🗣 Wall In Paul Pack )

"It's a large, man-made reservoir in the Pocono Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania, known for its extensive recreational opportunities including boating, fishing, swimming, and hiking. The 5,700-acre lake, created in 1926 for hydroelectric power and flood control, offers over 52 miles of shoreline and is a popular tourist destination."

"The former town that now lies under Lake Wallenpaupack in Pennsylvania is Wilsonville. This community, named after Judge James Wilson, was submerged in the early 1920s when Pennsylvania Power & Light (PP&L) built the dam to create the hydroelectric lake, relocating residents and clearing the land for the project."

This is one of my favorite writings because it made my mom so happy to see it. Sure, she appreciated the poems I had published over the years, and was always supportive. But she really loved this little piece. Showed it to everyone.