Insecure Writer's Support Group

It's the first Wednesday of November, which means it's time for Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Support Group, wherein we writerly folk talk about our insecurities.  This post will be in lieu of [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday for this week, but you can still find some links below, at the end of the post.

Boy, what am I insecure about?  Everything, really.  I'm afraid to let people I know read what I wrote, because I'm afraid they'll hate it, that I'll be judged harshly.  Sending it off to an editor is actually easier than having a friend or family member read it.  I've always been like that on everything, though.  Have to give a speech?  As long as my family and close friends won't be there, I can do it.  I guess it's a fear of failure more than anything.  I can fail in front of a stranger, and it won't mean an awful lot.  But to fail in front of those close to me is to have them know that I couldn't cut it, and there's no escaping that.  Ever.  They will hold that failure inside of them forever, and when I see them I will know that they know that I wasn't good enough.

One insecurity is probably good per month, right?  

This week's links:

Contests:

The Pikes Peak Branch Pen Women Flash Fiction Contest theme is now officially up on the website.  The new theme is "Hidden Amongst These Worlds."  $10 entry, cash prizes.

Bookus Publishing's Very Short Fiction Contest deadline has been extended to November 10.  No entry fee.  Cash prize and publication.  The theme is pregnancy and/or childhood.  Readers vote on the winners.

Bookus Publishing's Water Danger Humour Novella Competition is open through November 31.  $5 Canadian entry fee.  Cash prizes and publication.  Readers vote on the winners.

Open for Submissions:

Fowl Feathered Press is looking for poetry for their chapbooks. 

The Pedestal Magazine is taking poetry submissions through December 13.  Paying market.

Other/Of Interest:

The Alliance of Independent Authors put out an article on media kits for indie authors.  It has great information for what you need, indie author or otherwise, to get your name out there via the media.

Have you ever tried Meetup.com to see if there are writers groups or critique groups meeting near you?  It's a great resource!

Random House and Penguin have agreed to merge, as detailed in this article at Publisher's Weekly.

What are you insecure about?  Any links to share?  How do you feel about Penguin and Random House merging?  Is this good or bad for authors?

May you find your Muse.

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Project 52 Update & Awards

Did you know September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month? We've all seen the pink stickers for breast cancer awareness, but the color of childhood cancer is gold.

This topic is near and dear to me, as one of my son's friends developed AML Leukemia when the two of them were 3 1/2 years old, just days before her baby brother turned 1. I learned a lot the year she was undergoing round after round of chemotherapy. It's shocking just how prevalent childhood cancer actually is, despite the fact that I very rarely hear about it. I understand why, of course. It's terrifying. No parent wants to think about their child getting cancer. I mean, isn't that just something you have to worry about when you start getting older? Isn't it something your grandparents have to watch out for? That's not even close to being true, of course, but the face of cancer we typically see is older. How common is childhood cancer? Here's a quote from the National Cancer Institute to give you an idea:

In the United States in 2007, approximately 10,400 children under age 15 were diagnosed with cancer and about 1,545 children will die from the disease. Although this makes cancer the leading cause of death by disease among U.S. children 1 to 14 years of age, cancer is still relatively rare in this age group. On average, 1 to 2 children develop the disease each year for every 10,000 children in the United States. Source.

I'm not typing this to scare anyone, which is why I posted the above quote. While the number was more than I thought, it does state that it is "relatively rare in this age group," this age group being children 1 to 14. I do think, however, that it is important to shed light on an under-publicized portion of the cancer population. All cancers are not created equal when it comes to research dollars, and there are many worthy charities out there fighting to find answers to why children develop cancer. In addition, there are charities that work to provide housing for the families of child cancer patients (Ronald McDonald House, for instance); programs that help children through their treatments by bringing them toys, activities, wigs, and other special items; places like the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which help give children who are suffering something to look forward to.

An all around wonderful charity supporting research and family assistance is Alex's Lemonade Stand.

My son's friend is in remission and is currently in first grade. She's doing wonderfully, thanks to her doctors, her family and many charitable groups who helped along the way. The last two years, we have attended something called The Miracle Party. At this party, children who have, or have had, cancer get to party like rock stars. They're honored in front of everyone for their bravery and strength. It truly is such a phenomenal night.

Now for a quick update on Project 52!

I have scratched out #26: Complete work on Pen Women scholarship and distribute information. Done! As a reminder, this scholarship is open to Southern Colorado women, 18 and up, who are seeking advancement and/or enrichment in areas of art, writing and musical composition. For more information, CLICK HERE.

I am making progress on several other items on my Project 52 list, but most of them are long-term projects. Still, yay! If you'd like more information on Project 52, please click on the logo on my right sidebar.

Lastly, I received two blog awards from Rachel Pudelek at Rachel-Dreamer, Bread Baker, Story Maker. Rachel is a mom and an aspiring author who blogs about writing. Thank you so much, Rachel! I hope you don't mind if I fudge on the rules for now.

I think there were other things I wanted to talk about, but this post is more than long enough, eh?

May you find your Muse.

Grant Available, Pen Women Tea & WriteOnCon + MS Contest

Thank you for the anniversary wishes last week!

I've mentioned before that I'm a member of the Pikes Peak Branch of the National League of American Pen Women. Well, I have a bit of news to pass on:

The PPB of the NLAPW is offering a grant in the form of the Denise Pomeraning Memorial Enrichment Grant. It is open to Southern Colorado women, aged eighteen and above, who are pursuing professional growth in writing, arts, photography or musical composition. You may mail or email your application, but it must be received by no later than September 30, 2011, with recipients announced by October 31, 2011. You can find more information on theOutreach page of the PPB NLAPW website: www.ppb-nlapw.org.

Also, there is a tea on August 20th at the Blue Sage Cafe on Centennial, from 2-4pm, here in Colorado Springs. This tea is held for the purpose of introducing interested parties to the women of the branch. You can find this on the Calendar page of the PPB NLAPW website.

I realize these are very specific to Southern Colorado women, so wanted to post about the WriteOnCon occurring online this week. It's a writer's conference held completely online, entirely free! Go here (www.writeoncon.com) for more information or to register.

There is a manuscript contest being run by WriteOnCon.com and TheReadingRoom.com that goes hand in hand with the WriteOnCon. Click here for more information on that.

Will I run into any of you at the WriteOnCon? Ever attended an online conference? Let us know your thoughts!

May you find your Muse.