Wednesday, April 6, 2016

E is for Elizabeth 1 and a quick meeting of the Insecure Writer's Support Group!



My theme this year is the ABCEDARIA of Women who have inspired me.


E is for Elizabeth I (though I'm awfully fond of Elizabeth II as well)



Why this queen? I'm not in fear of repeating myself - I know I am! Elizabeth fought the establishment that thought she should have a man on hand to lead a country. She had to be quite different than the others I've mentioned in order to get her way - more wily than feisty. She played a waiting game and she won in the end. It would be hard to imagine a more difficult growing up than she had. Rather than the life of privilege we might imagine she had - she was a motherless child who saw what happened when anyone went against her fierce father. She also saw what happened when strong women married in order to rule so she went a different route. Elizabeth was smart, passionate and devoted to her one true love - England. She encouraged art, music and the theatre. We would have had to look hard to find Shakespeare today had Elizabeth not taken an interest in the young playwright. She created masques, carnivals, wrote verse and music and knew much about politics, history and economics. And she was a red head! What was not to like?

Other Es I like are author Louise Erdrich (Love Medicine, The Beet Queen) an Ojibwa writer and Amelia Earhart, pilot and adventurer.

Any rulers that you admire? Living or dead?

And now for a quick meeting of the IWSG

I have to admit that I'm not feeling too insecure right now. I'm preparing my query package - I feel like for the very first time I have a ms that is polished, edited, and revised to a good quality. I have the support of my mentor and I'm feeling frisky! I have 55 thousand words on a new novel (a mystery!) that will keep me busy while I'm doing the long wait to hear back from agents and publishers AND I have a very good idea for yet another novel (literary) that is keeping me awake nights as it ferments.  I think my discipline of showing up is starting to pay off. My writing is getting stronger and I have this strong feeling that if I build it - they will come. (hope you all know that reference). So...if you are feeling insecure - please remember it isn't you out there - it is your work. Stand proud for it and if you establish the joy of discipline (make no mistake - discipline = joy) then you will succeed.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad to hear you're in a good place with respect to your writing, Jan. I'm sending lots of positive energy your way. And about Elizabeth I? What an empowered person she was! Gotta love it!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Just keep the production line rolling.

Karen Jones Gowen said...

Wow, how exciting! Good luck with your query process and new projects.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

I love IWSG, but I love it more when people aren't feeling insecure - the positivity is downright contagious! Good luck with all of your projects! :)

J E Oneil said...

Good for you for not feeling insecure! Querying always makes me nervous. Stay positive and stay writing :)

Susan Scott said...

Elizabeth was an energetic gal for sure. I love the history of her and Mary Queen of Scots and all those embattled women fighting for what they believed in ... and as you say, maybe no Shakespeare.

Good luck with the query process! And thanks for this lovely post Jan!