IWSG DAY, December 3, 2025, THE COOLEST GIFT I’VE EVER RECEIVED by Pat Garcia

Welcome to our Twelfth IWSG, Day of the year 2025. 

 

IWSG is a writers’ support group created and led by Alex J. Cavanaugh. 

 

At IWSG, we believe in the power of sharing and encouragement. Writers of all levels and genres can express their doubts and concerns without fear of judgment. Our community is a haven for all insecure writers!

 

This group is an immense help to many of us, as we are willing to share our insecurities and successes or offer encouragement and support to others.

 

So, if you’re a writer seeking a supportive community, IWSG is the place for you. Join us and experience the benefits of sharing your journey with like-minded individuals. The link below will lead you directly to us.

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and our hashtag is #IWSG.

The awesome co-hosts for the December 3 posting of the IWSG are Tara Tyler, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Pat Garcia, Liza, andNatalie Aguirre!

THE COOLEST GIFT I’VE EVER RECEIVED

The coolest gift I’ve ever received was winning my first writing challenge. I will never forget it. It was for The Woman and Her Dream under the Prompt UTOPIAN DREAMS for The WEP.  I had been competing in the WEP Event for over 4 years and had never placed because the writers who competed were all excellent in their craft.

 

It was around December 16, 2016, when I received the notification while sitting at my computer, working on another story. Let me say, I screamed, cried, danced in my office, and gave glory to God. I even called family and friends in the United States. 

Since then, I have received other acknowledgments for my stories I have submitted to the WEP and to other writing organizations. Still, none will ever diminish my joy over my very first win.

Christmas is right around the corner, and a new year marches in at 00:00 on January 1, 2026. I wish all of you a Merry Christmas, and I hope to see you again on January 7, 2026.

Shalom shalom,

Pat Garcia

IWSG DAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2025, SURPRISE! SURPRISE! By Pat Garcia

Welcome to our Eleventh IWSG, Day of the year 2025. 

 

IWSG is a writers’ support group created and led by Alex J. Cavanaugh. 

 

At IWSG, we believe in the power of sharing and encouragement. Writers of all levels and genres can express their doubts and concerns without fear of judgment. Our community is a haven for all insecure writers!

 

This group is an immense help to many of us, as we are willing to share our insecurities and successes or offer encouragement and support to others.

 

So, if you’re a writer seeking a supportive community, IWSG is the place for you. Join us and experience the benefits of sharing your journey with like-minded individuals. The link below will lead you directly to us.

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and our hashtag is #IWSG.

The awesome co-hosts for the November 5 posting of the IWSG are Jennifer Lane, Jenni Enzor, Renee Scattergood, Rebecca Douglass, Lynn Bradshaw, and Melissa Maygrove!

SURPRISE! SURPRISE!

I must admit that, as much as I love writing, I went through stages of shock after I made up my mind to do what I feared: write. I felt like I had jumped into an ocean where sharks were circling around me, trying to eat me. 

As long as I was working alone, I was great, but I wasn't making any progress. I discovered that I couldn't rely on my own judgment. I needed to find out what I needed to do to educate myself. I was surprised and then shocked at the road ahead of me.  

 What helped me after I found out what was needed was the dogged determination to do whatever it took to learn how to write a book. I truly believe that good books like the Christmas Carol By Charles Dickens, Madame Bovary By Gustav Flauber, The Chronicles of Narnia By C.S. Lewis, Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradford, The Sunlight Dialogues By John Gardner and many other authors who are now considered the classics and the gamechangers of writing went through unbelievable torment trying to express themselves on paper so that their readers would see what they saw. They didn’t give up because they knew it was in them, and they wrote and rewrote those manuscripts until they brought them to life.  

 

As for me, I am still learning. I can always improve by examining my style and writing better sentences. And, I have also learned that these improvements come only with faith, tenacity, perseverance, and continual practice. These qualities are the driving forces behind what I write now, and that requires hard work. 

Have a nice month of November and stay safe.

Shalom shalom

Pat Garcia

IWSG DAY, September 3, 2025, AI and Its Future In My Writing By Pat Garcia

Welcome to our SEPTEMBER IWSG Day of the year 2025. 

 

IWSG is a writers’ support group created and led by Alex J. Cavanaugh. 

 

At IWSG, we believe in the power of sharing and encouragement. Writers of all levels and genres can express their doubts and concerns without fear of judgment. Our community is a haven for all insecure writers!

 

This group is an immense help to many of us, as we are willing to share our insecurities and successes or offer encouragement and support to others.

 

So, if you’re a writer seeking a supportive community, IWSG is the place for you. Join us and experience the benefits of sharing your journey with like-minded individuals. The link below will lead you directly to us.

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and our hashtag is #IWSG.

The awesome co-hosts for the September 3 posting of the IWSG are Kim Lajevardi, Natalie Aguirre, Nancy Gideon, and Diedre Knight!

 AI and Its Future In My Writing  

I still haven't made up my mind regarding AI. I haven't taken the time because life got in the way. I'm aware of the changes taking place in the writing market, and I have brought a book and will take a course sometime this year. 

Have a lovely month of September.

Shalom shalom

Pat Garcia