If at First...IWSG March 2021

5:30 AM Elizabeth Seckman 55 Comments


You know how it goes...if at first you don't succeed, try, try and continue to mess up again and again. Then eventually just give up, say the hell with it and head to bed. 
That's how this month's IWSG newsletter got made. Three attempts. All three with errors. 
Newsletter #1 had the wrong guest hosts and question of the month. #2 was written in invisible web ink. (Don't even ask me how I did it. I couldn't repeat it if I tried.)  #3 had all of the correct information in normal ink, but there were grammar errors and typos. In my defense, it was well after midnight by the time I was sending that out because Mailchimp assumes that no one in their right mind would need to send out multiple emails in a day and locks the account. 
I was so fed up. I've been trying to wrestle real life and it was pinning me to the mat. Part of me was tempted to send the Ninja a message and bow out as an IWSG admin, but that's quitter thinking. And writers can never be quitters...no matter how many newsletters they make members suffer through.

Sorry for that.  

March 3 question - Everyone has a favorite genre or genres to write. But what about your reading preferences? Do you read widely or only within the genre(s) you create stories for? What motivates your reading choice? I am a reading tramp. I'll read anything any time anywhere. 

                                                                     Join Us!

The awesome co-hosts for the March 3 posting of the IWSG are Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen Jacqui Murray, Chemist Ken, Victoria Marie Lees, Natalie Aguirre, and JQ Rose! 

Image by Markus Winkler from Pixabay

55 comments:

  1. Goodness! I didn't even notice the typos. If it makes you feel better, there was an issue with getting the print version of Dark Matter right and it took over a month of me messing with it and getting it right. (And we're talking mistakes that after this many years, I should NOT be making. Who forgets the ISBN?)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I think the world has us distracted! I'm pretty sure that's it.

      Delete
  2. You quit and I'm going to go all Ninja on you.
    Don't worry about it. We'll get it right next month.

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  3. I had never heard the phrase "I am a reading tramp." Unique and quite nice :)

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  4. Reading tramp - love it!

    Don't worry about the newsletter - this is a supportive community and all of us have had times when things just haven't gone right no matter how many times we try it.

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    Replies
    1. We do have a supportive community. One of the best there is.

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  5. No worries about the typos in the newsletter. And yes, we writers never give up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, we cannot be quitters. There is always something we need to learn or some error we need to own up to.

      Delete
  6. A reading tramp! Love it.

    Wasn't technology supposed to make our lives easier? I swear, some days standing outside my house and shouting would be more productive than anything I do online! Although you'd have to shout pretty loudly to get the IWSG message out there...

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    Replies
    1. Oh technology...some days I am the master, other days it kicks my butt.

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  7. When you read my blog post this month, you'll see that you're not alone in screwing up. I'm still apologizing.

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  8. Awww. Sorry you had such a rough time with the newsletter. Glad you didn't quit, though! It'll be better next month, right?

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    1. That remains to be seen...I will definitely start it sooner than the day before!

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  9. I love the phrase 'reading tramp'.

    And I had no idea invisible web ink was even a thing. I kind of love that it is, though. Sorry it gave you a hard time.

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    1. When I was a kid, you could get these markers that wrote on the paper and you couldn't see the words unless you took another marker and rubbed over it. 1970s high tech.

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  10. As long as no animals were harmed in the correcting of the newsletter, no worries, it's all good.

    Reading tramp? Love it. Me too. Sometimes I just have coffee with a book and bail after a chapter or two. But I love it when a love affair blooms and . . . okay, not going there. ;D

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    1. Two dogs and a cat were in the room- neither got kicked. LOL

      Without proper foreplay, premature evacuation is often the result.

      Delete
  11. I like the phrase reading tramp! Hahaaa... Your posts, no matter what you write, always give me a chuckle!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Cathrina. That makes my writer heart happy. :)

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  12. Reading Tramp sounds like more fun than Reading Omnivore ~ LOL! I too have had invisible web ink strike; and, no, I haven't figured out where it came from. I admire your persistence, Elizabeth, and I appreciate you and the other IWSG admins for all you do!

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    1. My cat once walked across my keyboard and changed the onscreen language to some language I don't know how to read. If I'd wanted to change it, I'd never have been able to figure it out.

      Delete
  13. Sorry the newsletter was so frustrating! I knew something was wrong when the first one went out since I'm a co-host this month and didn't see my name, lol. You figured it out eventually, though!!

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    1. To keep the format that was initially set up, I just copy a past version. When I typed in this month's info, I must have forgotten to hit save.

      Delete
  14. Don't worry about the newsletter. Things happen in life sometimes.
    "Reading tramp" - I love that!

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    Replies
    1. I suppose if that's the worst of my hassles, I'm doing pretty well. But it's extremely aggravating in the moment.

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  15. LOL I love that tern, reading tramp!!! I do mostly read what I write — Urban Fantasy and chick lit and cozy mysteries, but I like to read other stuff too. Occasionally I might enjoy a good thriller, but my other preference is self help books lol!!
    Hugs
    Suzy xx

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    Replies
    1. There are some genres I prefer over others, but nothing is off limits.

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  16. Your comment, "I'm a reading tramp. I'll read anything, anywhere!" made me laugh out loud (and I needed that!). You nailed it! That other message: 'writers aren't quitters' also got me. We may write more slowly sometimes. We may send out three newsletters -- and get locked out by MailChimp, but kudos to you for persevering. May your own writing hit all your goals in the coming month. After all, spring is nearly here.

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    1. Thank you, Beth! I do hope I can get a lot more writing and blogging done. I have been falling seriously behind. And you're right, the seasons are changing. We had two days of sunshine. Still cold, but the sunshine was a welcome change.

      Delete
  17. Oh lord, computers can be such incredibly frustrating things. I'm sorry yours decided to be a brat :(

    But I did learn the phrase "reading tramp" from your post and now I want to put it on a Tshirt. So I'm calling this month's IWSG a net win!

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  18. I love the "reading tramp" that you are! We all have our days when it comes to the newsletter. Sorry it was such a pain this time.

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    1. I was just annoyed that I was probably annoying everyone with an inbox.

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  19. "I'm a reading tramp." -- beautiful

    I quite liked the invisible ink newsletter. It was mystery. :) Sorry it was so rough.

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  20. I hope I didn't pressure you my commenting on the newsletter - just hoped to point it out, you know...
    And I didnt know about Mailchimp locking you out if you send a newsletter out and then need to correct it (more than once). Note to self: always send myself a test email (and read it!)

    I loved the invisible ink - I just highlighted it with my cursor and all was revealed :D

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    1. No pressure! I appreciate someone giving me a head's up, whether it's spinach in my teeth or my skirt tucked into my unders. I
      Sadly, I did do a test email and sent it to a few people, but we were too focused on grammar over content. Alex noticed the guest admins were wrong and notified me. I was at work, but didn't want to wait until evening to fix that because that didn't feel very appreciative of our admins, so I quickly sent out the correction, copying and pasting what Alex sent, so I felt pretty confident that was right. Wrong.

      I never thought to run the cursor over it. You must be part super sleuth!

      Delete
  21. I've had to do a correction email before this too. This was the first time I had to do three of them. Oy vey.

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  22. Hi Elizabeth - well done, is all I can say, for continuing and making sure it got sent out - good for you - have an easier March ... stay safe and at peace?! All the best - Hilary

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    1. I will keep at it! And start earlier so writing and editing are separated by at least 24 hours. You stay safe and peaceful too!

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  23. Thanks for trying to get the info to us. By the time I read the 3rd newsletter, I didn't notice the typos, etc. Thanks for all your hard work. No quitting!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Maybe I was finding errors that didn't exist by then! Like looking in a mirror, the longer you stare, the more flaws you see.

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  24. Sorry for your NL experience. They can be frustrating.

    As for genres, I like most of them. But I've found that's not the case with a lot of people.

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    1. It's the combination of technology and creativity that can cause the frustration.

      I do have preferred genres, but have read a bot of everything.

      Delete
  25. Hugs, Superwoman. You do have a lot on your plate and you don't quit! You're a hero.
    Reading Tramp. Ha. Ha. You are so funny.

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  26. I'm a tramp too. Oh, you mean books? In that case, I'm more of a puritan. I like to read what I write: irreverent humor.

    No worries about the glitches in the newsletter. Almost every time I comment, I make an error. Hopefully not this time.

    Love ya.

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    Replies
    1. I see no errors. Irreverent humor is just me all day, every day. No wonder we love each other!

      Delete
  27. Have a newsletter-free weekend, cookies (The edible kind:), good books, good movies and your muse prancing on your shoulder.
    Hugs

    ReplyDelete

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