Insecure Writer’s Support Group Post Day and News, D&D and Shazam Movie Review, and April Movie Preview

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. I encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.

The awesome co-hosts for the April 5 posting of the IWSG are Jemima Pett, Nancy Gideon, and Natalie Aguirre!

And before we begin, we need co-hosts for May 3, June 7, and July 5! We only have one scheduled for July (Natalie) so we really need some volunteers.

April 5 question - Do you remember writing your first book? What were your thoughts about a career path on writing? Where are you now and how is it working out for you? If you're at the start of the journey, what are your goals?

I wrote my first book when I was thirteen. It was awful and I stuffed it in a drawer. Wrote some other things but nothing caught fire like that first story. I pulled it out of the drawer about thirty years later. Promising storyline, great characters, just needed a total rewrite. I wrote a new story and it became my first published book.

I never planned on an author career. I just fell into it. I kept writing and fans kept wanting more. Five novels, a short story, many anthologies and articles later and it’s far and above what I ever envisioned. Add the success of the IWSG and it just blows my mind.

As an author, I have no more goals. I think CassaDark summed up the ending well. Maybe continue more stories for Dragon of the Stars? I know Trudessa would love that!


Over at the IWSG site, Pat Hatt posted about a scammer alert from Tonja Drecker – writers, you need to be aware! Check it out.

IWSG Goodreads Book Club:
For the month of April, we will continue to read the two selections from the previous month and will host the discussions on 4/27/23. The challenge theme, for anyone interested, will be Libraries. The general "What are you reading" discussion is going really well.
IWSG Member Book: Spiral of Hooves
Craft Book: Fight Like A Girl

WEP!
To enter the April Challenge, go here.
Life is Beautiful Post April 19 to 21at 2023.

A new release from IWSG member Patricia Josephine Lynn–
Revelation of Love : A Sweet Fantasy Romance (Influenced Book 3)
Universal buy links here.



Many of you remember author M. Pax. She has been diagnosed with breast cancer. See how you can help her on her website: Books for a Cause: Purchase My Work and Help me Battle Cancer!

And I helped kick off the A to Z Challenge at the Operation Awesome site! Check it out.

Movie Reviews

Shazam! Fury of the Gods
Did you like the first one? Then you will love the second one.
Sadly trailing at the box office, this second instalment is just as good as the first film – great action, great humor, and great characters.
This one focuses more on Shazam than Billy, although the rest of the kids are featured more as themselves than their superhero alter egos.
There are some really funny moments, like the scene with the unicorn. (Not going to spoil it for you!)
Shazam has the hots for Wonder Woman, dreaming about her…and yes, Gal Gadot is in the film!
And Helen Mirren – why didn’t she start doing these actions flicks years ago?
Highly recommended!

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
So much fun!
If you know nothing about D&D, you will thoroughly enjoy this funny fantasy-adventure.
If you are familiar with D&D, you will enjoy this film even more and on a whole other level!
The leads are perfectly cast and fit their characters so well. (And play their characters well.)
There are so many Easter eggs and nods to traditional D&D. (Remember the D&D cartoon? You will be pleased!) Plus there are so many jokes. I need to go see it again to catch all those items.
The writers are definitely fans. This is a love letter to D&D fans. The writers and director did the story full justice.
Very highly recommended! And my favorite film of the year so far.

April Movie Preview

Here are the theatrical releases for April. Descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snark provided by me.


7 –

Paint
In PAINT, Owen Wilson portrays Carl Nargle, Vermont's #1 public television painter who is convinced he has it all: a signature perm, custom van, and fans hanging on his every stroke... until a younger, better artist steals everything (and everyone) Carl loves.
Director: Brit McAdams
Stars: Owen Wilson, Ciara Renée, Stephen Root
I guess the happy little trees turned on him…

The Pope’s Exorcist
Inspired by the actual files of Father Gabriele Amorth, Chief Exorcist of the Vatican, The Pope's Exorcist follows Amorth as he investigates a young boy's terrifying possession and ends up uncovering a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has desperately tried to keep hidden.
Director - Julius Avery
Stars - Russell Crowe, Franco Nero, Ralph Ineson
We all want to know – will split pea soup be involved?


14 –

Renfield Dracula's henchman and inmate at the lunatic asylum.
Director: Chris McKay
Stars: Nicolas Cage, Nicholas Hoult, Ben Schwartz
Finally, a role that requires Cage to suck!

28 –

Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World
The life and boxing career of George Foreman.
Director: George Tillman Jr.
Stars: Forest Whitaker, Sonja Sohn, Matthew Glave
I know how it ends – he invents his grill.

What were your thoughts on your author career path? Reading the IWSG book selections? Did you see Shazam? (If not, go give the movie some money!) Any of those April movies interest you?
Big question – who can help co-host the IWSG the next three months?
Now, go read the scammer alert at the IWSG site and my piece at Operation Awesome!

Insecure Writer’s Support Group, December Movie Preview, Movie-Show Reviews, and IWSG Stuff!

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. I encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.

The awesome co-hosts for the December 7 posting of the IWSG are Joylene Nowell Butler, Chemist Ken, Natalie Aguirre, Nancy Gideon, and Cathrina Constantine!

December 7 question - It's holiday time! Are the holidays a time to catch up or fall behind on writer goals?

I usually keep my goals a bit lower since there is so much going on this month. But I usually accomplish what I set out to do.

#IWSGPit is coming!
The next #IWSGPit will be in January 25, 2023
9:00 am - 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time

Create a Twitter-length pitch for your completed and polished manuscript and leave room for genre, age, and the hashtag. On January 25, 2023, Tweet your pitch. If your pitch receives a favorite/heart from a publisher/agent check their submission guidelines and send your requested query.
Many writers have seen their books published from a Twitter pitch - it’s a quick and easy way to put your manuscript in front of publishers and agents.

Get the full details here.

Here are the December selections for the IWSG Goodread Book Club

Little Ragdoll by Carrie-Anne Brownian

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King

Reviews

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Nice tribute to Chadwick Boseman and the Black Panther character.
It was also a very emotional film as it dealt with death, grief, and moving on.
However, it just didn’t quite rise to the same level as the first one and something felt missing. (And beyond Boseman.) I just didn’t connect with it or Namor – just can’t quite place my finger on it.
And of course, it was way too long. Cut thirty minutes and it might’ve been a tighter, better film.
Certainly worth seeing once.

Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities

This horror series dropped on NetFlix late October. Eight episodes, eight different directors.
Interesting mix of horror, some worked much better than others. Quality and acting are all top notch, it’s just the story itself that lets me down a few times.
A couple of the stories are based on Lovecraft.
The best are polar opposites – The Autopsy will have you covering your eyes while The Murmuring will haunt and touch you.
I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would enjoy it. But if you like horror, it’s a decent mix of stories.

The Contractor

Chris Pine is a discharged Special Forces guy who is contracted out to a private organization. Then things go wrong.
The main problem is it takes almost a third of the way in before the film gets interesting. Once it does, it’s picks up the pace and your interest as it throws you full into the action. Pine holds his own in a movie that really isn’t anything you haven’t seen before.
Worth a watch if you’re a Chris Pine fan or bored.

December Movie Preview

Here are the theatrical releases for December. Descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snark provided by me.

16 –

Avatar: The Way of Water
Director: James Cameron
Stars: Zoe Saldana, Kate Winslet, Sam Worthington
Jake Sully lives with his newfound family formed on the planet of Pandora. Once a familiar threat returns to finish what was previously started, Jake must work with Neytiri and the army of the Na'vi race to protect their planet.
The Na’vi are blue because the water is really damn cold.

21 –

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Directors: Joel Crawford, Januel Mercado
Stars: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Harvey Guillén
Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for adventure has taken its toll: he has burned through eight of his nine lives. Puss sets out on an epic journey to find the mythical Last Wish and restore his nine lives.
Actually, his last wish is to reverse his neutering.

Don't forget that today, December 7, marks the anniversary of Pearl Harbor.

I will be mostly offline after this week.
I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
As a Christian, I do celebrate the birth of our Lord, as it was His sacrifice that set me free – set everyone free who believes in Him. He is my Father, my salvation, and my peace, and I will never forget that. May He bless all of you!