Once again, it’s time for our monthly blog hop with the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, a place where writers of all stripes can find education, encouragement, or just a sympathetic ear. Thanks to our fearless Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh and this month’s co-hosts T. Powell Coltrin, Victoria Marie Lees, Stephen Tremp, Renee Scattergood, and J.H. Moncrieff! Be sure to visit their posts and thank them for keeping this valuable connection humming. Join the IWSG monthly blog hop here: http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html

This month’s optional question: What started you on your writing journey? Was it a particular book, movie, story, or series? Was it a teacher/coach/spouse/friend/parent? Did you just “know” suddenly you wanted to write?

Gotta give credit where credit is due: Batman started my writing career. Not a cool, gravel-voiced movie Batman—my writing itch was triggered by the old TV series from the ‘60s, staring Adam West and Burt Ward. Campy, corny, and already in reruns by the time I discovered it, this show appealed to my childish sense of adventure and justice. When you’re eight or nine, you care a lot about what’s fair, and Batman was the supreme enforcer of truth, justice, and punching bullies in the nose.

Of course, the most fascinating character was Catwoman, played first by Julie Newmar, then by Eartha Kitt—has any woman every had a sexier voice? Batgirl was too goodie-goodie for my taste, so I blended her role with Catwoman’s to create a new character, a catsuit-wearing teen who lent her superb climbing, fighting, and detecting skills to the Dynamic Duo when she wasn’t off on adventures of her own. I was writing fan fic years before I knew what that was! No one paid much heed to a shy, skinny third-grader with skinned knees, but my crime-fighting heroine kicked ass.

Alas, those notebooks filled with Catgirl’s adventures are long gone. I wish I could summon her today and send her vaulting into the current RWA barn fire, where she’d bash the evildoers in their smug faces and send up a bat/cat signal just in time to summon the fire brigade and save the structure from collapse.

Burning barn image by Josh Manheimer from Pixabay 

In case you haven’t heard, the Romance Writers of America is burning. Until December 23d of last year, it was one of the largest organizations for writers in the U.S. and a powerful advocate for romance authors in their dealings with such adversaries as the Great and Powerful ‘Zon, plagiarists, book-stuffers, publishers who don’t pay their authors, and other evildoers. Despite its declared intention to advocate for all romance writers, the organization has been infested by bigots, and it appears the current national leadership—or at least several key players—have gone over to the dark side. Yeah, I’m mixing metaphors all over the place, but it’s a bloody mess, and it’s breaking my heart. As an officer of two chapters, I want to honor my commitment and contribute to rebuilding RWA—but each day’s news brings a fresh, steaming pile of “They did what?”

If you want to read more about this conflagration, here’s a good place to start. https://www.claireryanauthor.com/blog/2019/12/27/the-implosion-of-the-rwa

On that grim note, I wish you happy, productive writing in January. Do you belong to any writers’ organizations? Do you feel they represent your interests? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Title image by TyrusTime from Pixabay