Rebecca M. Douglass, Author

    Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting--and we owe it all to the amazing Ninja Captain Alex ! Let’s rock the neurotic writing world! Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG. The awesome co-hosts for the March 1 posting of the IWSG are Diedre Knight, Tonya Drecker, Bish Denham, Olga Godim, and JQ Rose!

 I found this in the archives from 2016. It made me laugh, and I hope it gives you a smile.  Sit back and enjoy a warm vacation as winter continues... 860 words The Devil’s in the Details   “Watch your step as you exit the bus. The ground may be uneven or extremely hot. Watch your step…” The guide droned on, words and intonation exactly the same as each person stepped down out of the tour bus. He seemed unaffected by the exclamations of the tourists.   “It’s sure hot here!” “Hope the hotel has AC.” “Darling, I don’t know…” “Well you said you wanted to go someplace warm.”   The man and woman, dressed in plaid Bermuda shorts (him) and a hibiscus-print sundress (her) clutched each other’s arms as they looked around the blasted volcanic landscape. All that hot lava looked very close.   “Hey! Keep moving!” Someone behind them called. “We want to get off this bus and see too, you know!”   “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea,” the woman whispered

Okay, not writing as in generating new text, but editing and rewriting, which any writer knows is the real work of writing. Yes, work on the first of the new Seffi Wardwell series has resumed, and I'm diving into what was wrong with my main character and how I can fix that. The woman in my head had definitely not come out on the page, and I had to dive into some hard places to ask myself why not. The answers were complicated, but I think in large part boiled down to me not being ready (when I first drafted it) to deal with some aspects of her backstory.  I think I can handle Seffi's story now, but I have also realized that a lot of it doesn't need to enter into the book at all. Figuring out just what the reader needs to know will be part of my task. I'm also working on moving the narration more into deep POV, something I've been learning about and think would improve the narrative voice. If you are interested in getting a sneak preview--i.e., being a beta reader (po

Teddy Roosevelt and saving our public lands.   Title: Leave It As It Is: A Journey Through Theodore Roosevelt's American Wilderness Author: David Gessner Publication Info: Simon Schuster, 2020. 352 pages hardback; 12.5 hours audio. Source: Library Publisher's Blurb: “Leave it as it is,” Theodore Roosevelt announced while viewing the Grand Canyon for the first time. “The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it.” Roosevelt’s rallying cry signaled the beginning of an environmental fight that still wages today. To reconnect with the American wilderness and with the president who courageously protected it, acclaimed nature writer and New York Times bestselling author David Gessner embarks on a great American road trip guided by Roosevelt’s crusading environmental legacy. Gessner travels to the Dakota badlands where Roosevelt awakened as a naturalist; to Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon where Roosevelt escaped during the grind of his reelection tour;

Since I have actually caught up with my travels, I thought I'd dive into the archives and start sharing some of the "art" photos I've taken in the last few years. I enjoy shooting abstracts, but can include very few in my slide shows and fewer still in my trip reports on this blog. There's no narrative here--just enjoy the photos. I've explained some of them, but you don't have to read that part! Amazing how often close-ups of rocks look like aerial photos of the arid West. Sandstone offer nearly limitless possibilities, with or without lichen. This and the following 2 shots are from Valley of Fire State Park, NV--some of the most colorful rock I've seen anywhere. Just add water. Plants. Ancient trees--Bristlecone, white pine, and similar--fill me with wonder at the colors as well as the twists and curves. And one to leave you with... sometimes it's all about perspective. Hope you enjoyed those! ©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2023  As always, please ask per

Reviewing this fascinating memoir today. Title: The Electricity of Every Living Thing: A Woman's Walk in the Wild to Find Her Way Home Author: Katherine May Publication Info: Trapeze, 2018. 285 pages (Kindle edition) Source: Library Publisher's Blurb: In anticipation of her 38th birthday, Katherine May set out to walk the 630-mile South West Coast Path. She wanted time alone, in nature, to understand why she had stopped coping with everyday life; why motherhood had been so overwhelming and isolating; and why the world felt full of expectations she couldn’t meet. She was also reeling from a chance encounter with a voice on the radio that sparked her realisation that she might be autistic. And so begins a trek along the ruggedly beautiful but difficult path by the sea that takes readers through the alternatingly frustrating, funny, and enlightening experience of re-awakening to the world around us… The Electricity of Every Living Thing sees Katherine come to terms w

 I am happy to give a little attention to the sweet love stories of Patricia Josephine Lynne. Take a look! About Patricia A paranormal and fantasy junkie, Patricia J.L. loves to craft young adult and new adult stories about vampires, mermaids, angels, demons, zombies, and other mythical monsters. Aliens might even appear in her stories. No matter what fantasy creature you crave. Patricia J.L. has a story for every imagination! You can find her young adult novels under Patricia Lynne and her adult novels under Patricia Josephine.   Get in Touch! pjlauthor@yahoo.com twistingmyths.blogspot.com/ twistingmyths.substack.com facebook.com/groups/twistingmyths twitter.com/twistingmyths    Influence: Sweet fantasy enemies-to-lovers romance series INFLUENCE OF LOVE  Their voices guide us. Or deceive us. But is there more to Light and Dark?