IWSG December 2025

Time for our monthly meeting of the Insecure Writer's Support Group, and the last of 2025! Hosted as ever by Alex J. Cavanaugh, the aim of the group is to offer a safe space where writers can share doubts and insecurities without fear of being judged. This month's co-hosts are Tara Tyler, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Pat Garcia, Lisa, and Natalie Aguirre. 

It appears we have a suitable question for the time of year. As a writer, what was one of the coolest/best gifts you ever received?

Well, this takes me back to my earliest forays into the writing world. Ah, so much hope and so many possibilities back then. (Okay, they're still there, but tempered somewhat by years of rubbing shoulders with harsh reality.) I have to say I haven't been showered with authorly parephenalia - my family don't indulge me with mugs, T-shirts, mouse mats, or fridge magnets, but that's okay. I've received some excellent writing books over the years and the standout has to be Stephen King's On Writing. I think it's the fact this book combines advice with a chatty, biographical tone that makes it more engaging as opposed to a dry list of rules. It makes you see how the writing mindset can be incorporated into your everyday life. It's a while since I read it, but a lot of it has seeped in, such as the idea that inspiration can come from anywhere. 

What else do I have to report as we approach the end of 2025? Well, I'm almost through a first pass of my AI/VR-skewering satirical/dystopian project. I've identified some pacing issues with the help of my excellent critique partners and I plan to continue fine-tuning with the aim of having some solid by the end of the year. I also have a few more queries for my previous MS that I want to get out in December. In other words, I'll keep ploughing on. I think King said his only two days off were Christmas Day and the fourth of July. Well, only one of those is a thing where I am. 

I'll wrap up by wishing you an excellent, stress-free and rejuvenating festive season, however you celebrate, and I'll see you back here in 2026! In the meantime there's always the plethora of superb authors to check out at the IWSG list.