Spunk on a Stick! L. Diane Wolfe Talks Insecure Writers Support
May 6, 2022
Hosted by Diane Dewey
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Guest Information
Episode Description
The Insecure Writer’s Support Group is a website media business with affiliates to enhance our service to visitors. It is a home for writers in all stages; from unpublished to bestsellers. Their goal is to offer assistance and guidance. IWSG wants to help writers overcome their insecurities, and by offering encouragement we are creating a community of support. Alex J. Cavanaugh, the founder, noticed a lot of blog posts from writers mentioning their doubts, concerns, and lack of confidence. He also saw the positive replies they received and realized that the writing community offered an abundance of support. Writers want to see other writers succeed, which is how he came up with the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. This group would act as a form of therapy, letting writers post about situations where they need encouragement, or to offer words of encouragement to others if they have experience. On September 7, 2011, Alex launched the monthly blog posting of the IWSG and it has been going strong ever since. On the first Wednesday of every month IWSG shares thoughts about writing on our blogs. We also have an optional monthly question to assist with member's posts, which can be found on the Sign-Up page. The Insecure Writer’s Support Group has grown since conception. Over 150 people are a part of the blogging community that posts on the first Wednesday of every month, known as IWSG Day. The group has expanded beyond blogging into other forms. It has a Facebook Group with 4800+ members. Our free monthly newsletter, which has featured industry experts like Jane Friedman and Sandra Beckwith, has 600+ subscribers.We are on Instagram, Twitter, and it also has a Book Club. IWSG offers a free guide for writers: The Insecure Writer’s Support Group’s Guide to Publishing and Beyond, plus our Guide to Writing for Profit. It has an annual anthology contest, which include titles such as Parallels: Felix Was Here, Hero Lost: Mysteries of Death and Life, Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime, Masquerade: Oddly Suited, Voyagers: The Third Ghost, and Dark Matter: Artificial. They even have their own merchandise which include pens, magnets, and T-shirts! Alex and the nine other administrators are actively pushing the group to greater heights. Nothing is impossible when insecure writers band together. Drop in with us to find out how Insecure Writers Support can help you & your project! Facebook Group / Newsletter Twitter / Book Club / Instagram IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond and IWSG Writing for Profit Anthology: Parallels / Anthology: Hero Lost Anthology: Tick Tock / Anthology - Masquerade Anthology: Voyagers Anthology: Dark Matter IWSG Merchandise
Dropping In
Friday at 8 AM Pacific Time on VoiceAmerica Variety Channel
Drop in to the dream of becoming an author. How does the book publishing business actually work? If you’re ready to tell your story, what’s the best way to do it? Do you need help crafting this tale? What about workshopping – is that helpful? When are you ready to show your work to a developmental or copy editor? The time may be now. If you’ve finished your manuscript, what are the next steps? Place your book in the context of the marketplace and decide, who is your audience? What’s the best platform to publish your work? Podcast, electronic or paper bound book? Are you well-versed in developing your book proposal? That means having your agent pitch down. Once you’ve secured an agent, what’s the optimal venue to get your book published, with all the support it needs to be seen and heard in media outlets? Whether through traditional, hybrid, indie presses, or a combination, we’ll bring you the experts in the fields of book coaching, agenting, editing, legal advice, publishing, and publicists, plus resources on the craft of writing. No matter what route you take, your best bet is to get educated. Drop in to how stories are made. In the end, we’ll all become stories. —Margaret Atwood
Diane Dewey
My most pressing question has always been about identity: Who am I? Growing up near Philadelphia with my adoptive family, my genetic identity was hidden. Then, my Swiss biological father, Otto, contacted me when I was age forty-seven in 2002. I’d been told by my adoptive parents that my biological parents were dead, supposedly to protect me. Meeting Otto upended my life. Through him, I met my German biological mother’s family to discover that her story too, had been changed; that she’d not wanted to surrender me and she’d searched for me all her life. Finding my truth was essential.
Based on my experience I am excited to talk to people about their own search for identity. My education includes a BA from Villanova University, a certificate from the Art Institute of Philadelphia and a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling from Capella University. I’ve worked for The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, The SoHo Partnership and the National Academy of Design and have studied writing through New York University’s Continuing Education program. As an entrepreneur, I founded my art appraisal business, The Realization of Art in 2006. My non-fiction writing has been published in Shared Space, a monograph, and in Artes online magazine. Writing workshops worldwide have given me the chance to learn and hone my craft. My first book, “Fixing the Fates,” was awarded the National Non-Fiction Author’s Association Silver Medal and the Living Now Award.
Episode Directory
May 2022
- 5/20/2022: Through the Lens of Food.Wine.Travel-Tarajia Morrell's Soul of NY Listen Now
- 5/13/2022: Fly Girl: A Memoir - Get Your Wings & Feel the Lift with Ann Hood Listen Now
- 5/6/2022: Spunk on a Stick! L. Diane Wolfe Talks Insecure Writers Support Listen Now
April 2022
March 2022
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