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Wednesday, December 4, 2019

IWSG...Keeping it fun


Every first Wednesday of the month, this group of writers comes together to offer support, advice, encouragement or simply to let  frustrations and woes flow. Writing is a tough journey, and we don't have to go it alone.

Thanks goes to the brain behind this group, Alex J. Cavanaugh! If you want to join in or find out more (because there is so much more to this group), then head on over here.

Twitter is @TheIWSG and hashtag #IWSG . They can also be found on Facebook or on the IWSG blog.


Not only am I thrilled to help co-host today (because that's always tons of fun), but the winners of the anthology contest are being announced, too! I was lucky enough to be one of the judges, and wow! The stories were terrific! This anthology is going to be a real treat and probably not what you expected. Adventurous? Yep. But each story is so much more than that.

The winners can be found HERE ... the IWSG blog (after 5am EST)!  Congratulations to all of them!

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Don't put down those pens, yet! January is just around the corner, which means it's almost time for...


From 8am to 8pm EST, you can tweet a pitch of your finished and polished manuscript (with genre, audience age group, and #IWSGPit ). If you receive a like/heart from a publisher or agent, then check out their submission guidelines, send in the desired materials, and Wa-La! Your story will get at least a glance.

I, personally, love peeking in on these just to see all of the awesome stories. The ideas are always amazing!

*****

I'm skipping over today's question because I wanted to share something with you, instead.
My co-author loves to whittle and has been creating the characters from our WIP.  We have quite the cast, and the ones I'm showing you aren't necessarily the main characters. At least, not in the first book. Let's just say that someone is going to be whittleing for many moons to come. 

The first two figures are still in the making, but I couldn't resist giving you a glimpse anyway (hope Mr. Co-Author forgives me.) 



This is Niles, a fifteen-year-old, who is trying to support himself and his sick, little brother. He works as a janitor at the castle. Later, he needs to learn how to fight... the scenes from which this figure originates. On his back are the arrows, and he's holding a bow. (I can't wait to see it when it's sanded.)


Meet Anglia (oh, I hope I spelled her name right!). She's nine/ten-years-old and a bit of a handful. She's extremely playful and has a rich imagination...maybe a little too much so? Niles becomes a big brother figure for her (that's why he's currently standing at her back). I'm super excited about where her story will take her during the series (yep, we're writing a series!) She packs tons of surprises! And yep, this is definitely a YA read...take that as a very slight and impossible-to-know-where-it's-going hint at what her future holds.



Meet Midnight. She's not a character in this first book and is a very, very tinsy-tiny side-character, whose name might or might not be mentioned in the series (We're still working on book one and although the basic plot stands for the series, who knows what surprises will pop up!). But her best friend, Fay, is definitely a force to be reckoned with in the first book. Fay carries so much spunk that her little body can hardly contain it. Since I can't find my Fay photo (and I'm sure Mr. Co-Author emailed it to me..hmmm), I decided Midnight was too interesting to ignore. Her wings are iridescent, and you can kind of see that in the photo if you squint. She's still drying in this image...perhaps, that explains her scowl? But then, she does have a bit of a dark side.



As you can tell, Mr. Co-Author and I are having fun. Considering how much rewriting and editing is involved, fun is a vital element and keeps the excitement level high.

So, does chocolate.

Tons of chocolate.


Have a Happy Holidays! And see all of you next month!!!

49 comments:

  1. I was fascinated with your whittled cast of characters. They sure do stimulate the imagination.
    Lynn La Vita @ Writers Supporting Writers

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  2. That's cool he is making the characters that way. I think that's a first. Very creative!
    Thanks for co-hosting today.

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  3. Whittling sounds/looks like an intriguing skill to have. And yes on the fun and on the chocolate! :)

    Thanks for co-hosting!

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  4. Wow, those characters are so cool! I've seen people to character portraits before but I've never seen wooden statues. Amazing!

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  5. Thanks for co-hosting this month, Tonya and for sharing your co-author's creativity. What a fun way to "picture" your characters!

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  6. How awesome to make replicas of your characters!!
    Thanks for co-hosting, and
    Merry Christmas!!

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  7. Thanks for co-hosting. And your story with your co-author already sounds really good. Happy Holidays!

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  8. I love the carvings--how creative and what a wonderful way to introduce characters in a story.

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  9. What an amazing talent! I couldn't whittle a toothpick, much less a character from a book.

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  10. Thanks for co-hosting! Wow, whittling characters. Wish I could do that but I tend to be clumsy and without a doubt my husband would forbid me to in the case he'll know I'll cut myself.

    Unfortunately, I won't be participating in IWSGPit. And I'd planned to have something completed and ready in 2019 to participate in the next IWSG twitter pitch too. But fell into a writing slump. I'll be cheering people on though.

    Happy Holidays! :-D

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  11. Those figures look wonderful! It must be so much fun to see them emerge from wooden blocks.

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  12. What a cool idea! Your co-author is very talented. Thanks for sharing these.

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  13. Fun must be had when writing! What a great way to get into your characters. Thanks for sharing, and for co-hosting this month!

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  14. What amazing figures! A terrific way to keep the excitement levels high. I'm partial to chocolate myself. ;) Thanks for co-hosting today.

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  15. Those are amazing! A writer and creator--I'm impressed!

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  16. Lynn - I was amazed that he is doing this! But then, he does get into the story.

    Alex - I bet he's one of the only writers who does it :)

    Madeline - Makes one want to pick up a knife and give it a try. ;)

    Ellen - I have a writer friend who is an artist and does oils of her characters. They're amazing!

    Nancy - It is fun to see how they turn out!

    Cathrina - Honestly, when he told me he was doing that, I didn't know what to think. Now, I'm totally excited to see every single one. (If he'll read this and sigh?)

    Natalie - Thanks. I always say 'it's a great story...if I can write it right."

    Tamara - I'm going to present them as he goes on here because they are neat...I think.

    Elizabeth - How about a splinter? I'm thinking we could whittle that.

    Lidy - I'd cut myself too. As to the Pitch Party...I have the same problem. But next time!

    Diane - Ooo! I wonder if I could get him to do Lindsey for me too???

    C. Lee - He claims it's a lot like writing - he starts with a piece of wood with a general idea but the wood creates the characters and influences how they'll appear as he goes.

    Sadira - If I tell him that you said that, he'll get all shy. :)

    Lisa - I tend to have troubles getting into all of my characters. So, this is definitely putting a new twist on things.

    Christina - Then, I'm sending tons of virtual chocolate your way! It's the best when writing...and any other time too.

    Jacqui - I think its such a neat hobby, and I'm glad he's doing it. So, cool to watch!

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  17. Whittling - what a wonderfully unique way to bring characters to life!
    Thanks for co-hosting ;-)

    Happy Holidays!

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  18. Hi,
    I love the whittlings. They validate the character of characters making them real.
    Thank you for co-hosting and all the best.
    Shalom aleichem,
    Pat G @ EverythingMustChange

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  19. I'm so glad you are having fun with your series and your co-author! I love all the creativity that's going into the series and those whittle-ings.
    Happy writing and creating in December!

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  20. Thanks for co-hosting today ~ Tonja! Chocolate always helps, whatever the situation. I wish you success with your upcoming series! I can't imagine working with a co-author. Wow! I certainly enjoyed your book "Music Boxes." And I look forward to reading more of your work. Thanks also for being a judge for the 2019 anthology. Even though I'm sure you enjoyed reading all the submissions, the time demands and the task of picking just ten must have been difficult! Happy writing and happy holidays!

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  21. Those are incredible! Your descriptions of the characters spark intrigue as well. Thanks for sharing!

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  22. Wood carving is such an amazing and beautiful art form. How cool to have your characters immortalized with these carvings.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

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  23. Oh my goodness, those whittled characters are awesome!!!!!!

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  24. Very, very cool - those are beautifully done!!

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  25. I didn't know you were one of the anthology judges! How cool.
    Yay, the whittling!! I've been waiting for a picture! ^_^ It's also great to get some hints on what you two are working on. :D

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  26. How cool! Love the whittles :-) @samanthabwriter from
    Balancing Act

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  27. The carvings are amazing! So much expression and character developing - not unlike how they unfold on the page. And the visual inspiration is undeniable.

    Thanks for co-hosting today.

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  28. Super congrats on being chosen for the new anthology. Awesome. The competition is never in a genre I write in. One day...And aren't those carvings amazing?!

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  29. Thanks for co-hosting this month. Congrats on being included in the anthology. Always tough competition, so you deserved double congrats. Those carvings are phenomenal.

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  30. How creative! I use photography as an outlet. It's great to be able to switch your mind off writing for awhile and concentrate on something else.

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  31. I love your characters and thank you for sharing them with us. Are you serious about Midnight? And perhaps not including her? I love her already.
    Thanks for co hosting and congratulations for being included in the anthology.
    Happy Holidays to you too.

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  32. What amazing carvings, what a great thing to have alongside your book. I can imagine being an anthology judge was fun.
    Thanks for co-hosting today, all the best for holidays.

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  33. As hard as I think writing is sometimes, I can't imagine ever being able to carve like you can. Visualizing an object and then only cutting away the stuff that doesn't belong seems akin to witchcraft to me. Congratulations.

    Thanks for co-hosting this month!

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  34. I love your carvings. Thanks for sharing. I usually sketch alongside my work. I write all my first drafts by hand and have the callouses to prove it. Great post. Thank you for co-hosting. Happy IWSG Day!

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  35. Those are great, Tonja - and what a wonderful idea. And of course, when done and varnished, you could pour latex over them to make moulds, then get a production line going of your characters in plaster.... and people could get a free book with every model they purchase lol

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  36. A double-creative team here! Wow! I bet just by looking at the figurines, more story and character ideas pop up in seconds. Thank you for co-hosting this month and for being a judge in the latest anthology. Tough job! But, maybe also fun?

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  37. Thank you for co-hosting the IWSG this month, Tonja!
    Such creativity in those whittled figures. Artistry comes in different forms and I love connecting with various types of artists and their work.
    It must be great to co-author with another writer. Good luck with the co-authoring project! Sounds like fun.
    I wish you a wonderful Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

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  38. Beautiful work and what talent and fun. Sculptures of your characters. Happy Belated IWSG! And Happy Holidays.

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  40. Congratulations to the winners! That's super exciting. xD

    Co-author? How fun is that? How do you put two different minds to create one story? I struggled with my son and am with my daughter, though I flew right through it with my sister. *sigh*

    ♥.•*¨Elizabeth¨*•.♥

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  41. Thanks for co-hosting this month.
    Your whittled characters are very cute and cool.
    Thanks also for judging the anthology contest.

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  42. How cool that your co-author is making carvings of the characters! Those will be fun to have on display for book signings!

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  43. Oh, how awesome to have your characters in a visual medium like that! Good luck with the book.

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  44. Omg! Woah!! Those figures are so cool!! How long did they take? The WIP seems super amazing too! Good luck on your writing!

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