Simon The Time Traveling Cat Takes A Nap | IWSG

The Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) is a place to share and encourage, where writers can express their doubts and concerns without appearing foolish or weak. It's a wonderful spot to mingle with like-minded people each month during IWSG day.

I'm co-hosting this month, along with Tyrean Martinson, Megan Morgan, Rachna Chhabria, and Jennifer Lane.
 
Every month there's an optional question which may prompt folks to share advice, insights, a personal experience or story. Some folks answer the question in their IWSG blog post or let it inspire them if they're struggling with what to say.

This month's question is:

"What steps have you taken or plan to take to put a schedule in place for your writing and publishing?"

Check out how people have answered this month's question, as well as the other insecurities and writing topics they may have shared by visiting the IWSG sign-up list here. If you want to see how I answered the question, have a look below.

But before you scroll down, let's take a minute to applaud the winners of the 2017 IWSG anthology contest! I'm so excited for them and can't wait to read >>Tick Tock: A Stick in Crime<< when it's published later this year.

Top honors go to Gwen Gardner for her story, A Stitch in Crime.

The other winning stories are:

Three O’Clock Execution - S. R. Betler
Until Release - Jemi Fraiser
Cypress, Like the Tree - Yolanda Renée
Gussy Saint and the Case of the Missing Coed - C.D. Gallant-King
Reset – Tara Tyler
Center Lane - Christine Clemetson
One More Minute – Mary Aalgaard
The Little Girl in the Bayou - J. R. Ferguson
The Tide Waits – Rebecca M. Douglass
Special Mention: Heartless – C. Lee McKenzie

****

"Move out of the way, lady," Simon the Time Traveling Cat said as he jumped onto the table. "You're in my spot."

"What do you mean your spot?" I asked indignantly. "I was here first."

Simon ignored me, nudging my water glass with one of his gray paws. "Hey, watch it!" I grabbed the water glass before he succeeded in tipping it over. "You almost spilled water all over my laptop."

"Oh, stop your whining, lady," Simon said. "It's not my fault that your stupid laptop is in my way. And why do you have to drink water from a glass anyway? Why can't you just drink it from a bowl like I do?" He swished his tail back and forth, knocking my notebook to the floor. "I'll never understand humans."

I picked my notebook up and set it back on the table. "Simon, can you please just go somewhere else and leave me in peace and quiet? I need to finish typing up my writing and publishing schedule for this year."

Simon narrowed his eyes and growled. "This is where I take my afternoon nap, lady. Why don't you go someplace else?" He glared at me and knocked my notebook back onto the floor. Then he padded over to my laptop and stared at the screen.

"You call this a plan?" he asked. "All it says is that you're going to finish revising your cozy mystery, Murder at the Marina, and then publish it this year. Big deal. You've been saying that for ages."

I leaned back and sighed. "If you had let me finish typing, you would have seen that I also plan on drafting the second book in the series, Bodies in the Boatyard, this year too."

"Whatever," Simon said as he pressed one of his paws on the keyboard. "This is my plan for the coming year."

I looked at the screen. "It's just the letter 'Z' repeated a million times."

"Geez, you really are a stupid as you look, lady. It means catching some Zs. You know, taking naps. Now move your laptop out of my way so I can get on with it. It's time for my afternoon nap. And by the time I wake up, there better be some full-fat milk in a saucer waiting for me."

What are your plans and/or resolutions for 2018?

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