Wednesday, June 5, 2024

June is here!

It is another meeting of the Insecure Writers Support Group. We meet the first Wednesday of every month. 

 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!

June 5 question - In this constantly evolving industry, what kind of offering/service do you think the IWSG should consider offering to members?

Geesh! I don't know. I like what the IWSG already offers - in particular the ongoing sharing and encouraging and the safe haven for all of us. I'm becoming more and more allergic to improvement. Casting a wider net may mean you catch more fish, but it could just as easily mean you spend all winter knotting a huge net and finding a bigger boat to haul it out to the fishing grounds and all for very little benefit. I'm becoming an essentialist. To quote the website of Greg McKeown, writer of Essentialism - The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
"By applying a more selective criteria for what is essential, the pursuit of less allows us to regain control of our own choices so we can channel our time, energy and effort into making the highest possible contribution toward the goals and activities that matter."
Or as my daddio, Major General Mo Morrison, would opine "if it ain't broke don't fix it." 

So that's my two cents. Well two cents from Greg and two from Mo. That's their four cents!

Now onto other things. Yesterday (which was really more than a week ago as I have to write this early due to this and that) I called the publisher of my novel. On the phone. Weird right? I'd had over five months of emailing him, waiting a century or two to hear back and then trying again, all in the hopes of getting the rights to my novel returned to me. Guess he's a busy guy. Anyway I was desperate to have this done so I can jump into the joy and bliss of querying the second in the series. Which I couldn't do with him holding onto the rights. So he answered the phone (!! right?) and agreed immediately to my last offer. Now I'm waiting for the email he promised. I will then be free. A gay divorcee! 



Yesterday I got my garden in. Calloo Callay. today it is raining not just cats and dogs but rhinoceroses and hippopotami. Yes it is. Hope my poor little innocent bedding plants make it through or that'll be like I spilled a bottle of the most expensive Scotch. Maybe the plants are a bit cheaper but not if you include labour. 


I love that it is raining however. It has been desperate dry here and you may recall (probably don't why would you?) that last year at this time we had dreadful and very frightening fires that went on and on. Then a flood. 

Ah well.

I'll be away for a few days doing a Buddhist program so am getting this out early.

And by the way I do a weekly essay on Substack called Dispatches. If you are interested, it is completely free and it is just me rambling on. 

 




 


8 comments:

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Congratulations on getting your book back from the publisher! Glad he answered the phone. :)

I love the idea behind "the pursuit of less."

Natalie Aguirre said...

Congrats on getting your book back from your publisher so you can move forward. I hope you enjoy your Buddhist program.

Anonymous said...

Anonymously Esther O'Neill, East of the Sun, no gmail address, no signal, laughably bad broadband.

Glad you got your garden in, but nobody who lives where we do would be glad it's raining. 5C overnight, 13 by day, nothing's growing, lighting the woodburner every evening. Too cold and windy foir bugs, bats and swallows might starve.

Agree, don't fix IWSG - One day, maybe, I could be the writer phoning my publisher.

Fundy Blue said...

It's awesome that you received the rights to your book back, Jan! Have a good retreat, and I hope your bedding plants survived!

Shannon Lawrence said...

Congrats on finally reaching your publisher and getting him to agree to your terms! Wildfires definitely make you look at rain differently, don't they?

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Glad you finally got your publisher on the phone. What is with publishers who don't answer their author's emails?

You must live far north. My garden went in early April through May.

Margot Kinberg said...

So glad to hear you were in contact finally with your publisher. That's such a drain sometimes. And of course, on the opposite end of the spectrum, gardening is rejuvenating, so I'm glad you've been doing a bit it. I hope you're spared last year's disasters...

Beth Camp said...

Thank you for the reminder to focus on what is essential. So often, that 'to do' list gets longer and longer. At least, so far, I've been able to put the writing first! And, congrats on hearing good news from that publisher. I guess sometimes taking action (that phone call) reduces stress AND gets results! Have a great gardening month ahead.