A Shout Out to All A to Z and IWSG Bloggers

From our Ninja Captain Alex J Cavenaugh:
In memory of Tina Downey, the A to Z Team is hosting a sunflower tribute on
September 8, 2014 – Remembering Tina Downey.
Prior to that date, for those of you who are members of the A to Z or the IWSG and want to participate, please purchase or plant a sunflower in her honor. (If you have to resort to plastic, that’s cool.) Take a photo of your sunflower and post it in her memory on Monday, September 8 on your blog. Tina loved her sunflowers, and we want to splash the blogging world with sunflowers that day and honor a truly amazing woman who was friend and family to so many. You can sign up HERE or HERE now or add your link when you post your sunflower.
Please help us spread the word! Let’s brighten the Internet with sunflowers the way Tina brightened the lives of so many.
Tina’s blog was at http://kmdlifeisgood.blogspot.com/

Tina Downey

For those of you following this blog who didn't know Tina, the name of her blog says all there is to say about her. She was a loving gifted woman/blogger who touched many of us, whether we just found her yesterday or knew her for years. A major team player on the A to Z Blogging Challenge, she brightened a lot of lives with her positive outlook on life even when it was beating her down. Check out her blog if you'd like to see what we all will miss...

IWSG Post For December 2013, yes, we are already here...

Check out the others posting on the IWSG at this link...
http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html

As a writer I spend a vast amount of my time alone, sharing my thoughts only with my computer. I have a life and some friends that I can talk to occasionally about those things only my computer knows. But I talk about writing, the actual mechanics and work of it, with them less and less. Only a few (and my hubby) have let me know they don’t mind the boring details. I find I tend to discuss that part of the writing life with other writers who don’t look at me like I have two heads when I get off on a tangent. So, thinking of my IWSG post this month, I realize I’ve cut back on sharing what I do with those who ask (perhaps only to be polite, which I do appreciate), and that I’ve started sharing more with my blogger buds. Being on two different blog hops a month provides me with an outlet, or should I say, inlet to others who understand what I do and how it feels.

A friend of mine read the original of this post (which evidently wasn’t so great) and shared with me a point I hadn't thought of, that she, and others of my friends, might take offense at how I wrote about not talking writing with people who are not "writers." I am blessed to have such a friend. That she would share with me her hurt (even angry!) feelings, because I wasn't clear on what I meant, and so my words wounded.

Which got me thinking of two things: how to write better (duh) and why I wrote what I did.

I realized that I have started to resent acquaintances asking, "How's the writing going?" because it feels like they think it’s just a hobby of mine, something I do to pass the time. I don't know how to answer that question (Maybe they don't know how to ask it?). Most folks don't really want any answer but, "fine," and I've started feeling protective of myself, so I guess my resentment came through in that first draft of this post. I have changed it because I don't feel that way about my FRIENDS. I don't want them to stop asking. 

Because to me this isn't a hobby. It's how I hope someday to make my living. I don't ask a grocer, or a printer or a dentist "how's business?" usually, especially in a social setting. I don't know. It just irks when I can't really tell them "how the writing is going." Which part? What do you mean? Do you really want to know or will a “fine” do for you? Perhaps it’s because I have yet to make my living doing this. Perhaps I’m insecure and that makes me resent being reminded that I haven’t sold a million books. I don’t really know yet. All I do know, is I am thankful to have friends who call me out when I make a mistake. I don’t want to do that one ever again.

Am I off the wall about this? Does anyone else feel protective of their writing space when folks ask a question like that? Anyone have any great replies that would make answering more fun? 

Image from:
jobspapa.com