Fabulous Fifteen - IWSG September 2026

 

Welcome to IWSG Day. The goal of this blog hop is to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who’ve been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a haven for insecure writers of all kinds. IWSG is the brainchild of our ninja leader Alex Cavanaugh. Co-hosts for September are Kate Larkinsdale, SE White, JS Pailly, Olga Godim, and Natalie Aguirre. For links to all IWSG contributors, click here.

Hey all! I’m passing on this month’s question in order to celebrate IWSG’s fifteenth anniversary. When I read that number, my first thought was, IWSG is fifteen? Oh Lord. How old does that make me? Please. Don’t ask!

When IWSG first came along, I’d been blogging for a while and was starting to realize how helpful it can be to communicate with other writers. I was also feeling pulled in a few different directions. Somewhere along the line, instead of struggling to post daily here, then weekly, I began limiting my Middle Passages entries to these first Wednesday of the month IWSG posts. So many years later, each time that monthly head’s-up email arrives, I make it my priority to sit down and write a solid essay. That’s fifteen years’ worth of solid essays, my friends. Do the math. To my knowledge, I haven’t missed a one.

It happens that a few weeks ago, I opened Middle Passages to its pre-IWSG days, searching for a piece I’d written years ago that included a recipe for roasted tomato pasta sauce. It’s been a prolific tomato summer and I hadn’t made the sauce in a long time. BTW, it’s simple, and every bit as yummy as I remembered, so if you want the recipe it’s here. Anyway, once I found what I was looking for, I kept clicking around this blog, jumping from post to post reading, finding quite a few I don't remember writing. My daughter was sitting across from me, and when I looked up I said to her, “You know what? I AM a good writer.”

That’s what IWSG has done for me. It’s delivered the opportunity to practice and improve my craft, often challenging me to dig deep to discover my views on a particular topic, and then to word my thoughts in a clear and understandable way. Today, I may lack confidence in some aspects of the writing life, but thanks to IWSG, that doesn't pertain to my actual writing. On top of that, IWSG has introduced me to so many other writers, people whose posts and comments teach, support and encourage me. I am better at what I love because of this. Please know how grateful I am to each of you.

During a seminar English class my senior year of college, the professor asked if anyone kept a diary, and I was the only one who raised a hand. When she asked why I did it, I said, “Because when I’m ninety years old, I want to look back and see who I was now.” Welp, I'm not there yet, but there's been a heck of a lot of living since then, and I haven’t kept a diary in eons. Instead there's this, a hundred and eighty IWSG essays making up a body of work that informs me not only of who I’ve been, but also of who I’ve become.

I was clueless when I wrote my first IWSG essay that I'd still be here after all this time, nor did I anticipate what a tremendous resource for writers this space would become. I'd like to extend a huge thank you to Alex for his foresight in founding, managing, and growing IWSG, as well as each of the  the administrators who’ve donated their time to make IWSG a success.

Last, but not at all least, thank you to those who read and comment here. I’m pretty sure I couldn’t, or wouldn’t, do it without you.

What has your experience been with IWSG?

Reminder: as a way to celebrate IWSG during this anniversary month, if you can, please support some of our fellow members by buying a couple books from those who have links on their pages.