What is IWSG?
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer – aim for a dozen new people each time – and return comments. This group is all about connecting!
I’m back for the third time…
Let’s hope this one sticks!
I’ve been without a computer for the last six months+ and came back to find my website completely gone. Don’t know what happened. So, I’m starting again but going back to WordPress because at least I know I can trust them. I should have just used that in the first place, but I saw a new thing and got excited. Wasn’t worth it…
How has everyone been?
Question of the Month
Many people are calling for writers who use AI to disclose it. Most who employ ghostwriters do not admit it – do you think authors who use ghostwriters should have to disclose that, too? (Thanks Melissa Maygrove for the question!)
I have mixed feelings on this because I think ghostwriters should get credit too. If you’re talking about AI writing the story for you, then yeah, I think you should disclose it simply because saying you wrote it when you didn’t is a lie.
On the flip side, a lot of people get harassed just for saying they use AI, so it’s hard. I wouldn’t want someone being doxxed or something just because they said they use AI. Until it’s more environmentally and otherwise regulated, I think you’d need to disclose that you use it carefully. If you’re going to use AI to write your stories, do it under a pen name and keep your private life private.
That being said, if you use it to help with planning and research, then no. I don’t think that really matters. Other tools helped with these things for years, and you didn’t have to disclose them. Just because AI does it faster doesn’t mean you should have to tell everyone you’re using it.
Behind the Story: What Inspired the Shadow Stalkers’ Spiritual Traditions
Traditions as a Source of Conflict
When I created the shadow stalkers, I wanted their traditions to feel purposeful rather than decorative. Their customs shape relationships, leadership, training, grief, family, and personal freedom. The main character, Auren, was raised on Appolia, an island in the far north of the Serpent Isles. She believed shadow stalkers no longer existed, assuming they had all been slain in a war before she was born. Discovering she was a shadow stalker made her feel like an outsider to their culture, and she perceived everything as restrictive and harsh.
The Code and the Will of the Shadow People
The shadow stalker society follows a spiritual code established by the shadow people, rather than formal laws. This code shapes their culture—leadership, abilities, relationships, and penalties. It’s not arbitrary; every action serves a purpose, even if that purpose isn’t always immediately obvious.
The Foramar is the leader and spiritual guide of the shadow stalkers. The shadow people choose them before birth, and the current Foramar raises and trains them. The new Foramar assumes the role only after the previous one retires or passes away. In the Foramar’s absence, the Council of Elders, which supports them, takes charge until the Foramar returns.
This situation leaves the Council of Elders to interpret the code as they see fit, while also exposing their society to potential corruption. Drevin, the Galvadi leader, exploited this loophole to manipulate the shadow stalkers.
Fosterage, Family, and Training
Shadow stalker children are raised by guardians chosen by their parents, not by the parents themselves. Because training shadow stalkers is risky, parents are often hesitant to subject their children to it, driven by the instinct to protect them. Despite this, foster parents do love the children and build strong bonds, though they tend to be more objective than biological parents. Family remains vital to shadow stalkers’ lives, so they stay closely connected with their children and extended relatives.
Kado was selected as Auren’s foster father when her mother became pregnant. However, before Auren’s birth, Drevin, a shadow stalker exiled from the Dark Isle, invaded the island. Drevin gathered followers and brought them to the island, violating a core rule that shadow stalkers cannot bring ordinary humans there.
Auren’s mother died in childbirth before she could leave the island, prompting Kado to raise Auren in the Serpent Isles secretly. Because Kado was very close to Auren’s mother, Auren’s resemblance to her in appearance and behaviour made him feel deeply protective, which sometimes complicated his objectivity.
Mates, Duty, and Personal Choice
Shadow stalkers do not marry for love; the shadow people choose their mates. Although they eventually come to love their partners, the relationship begins with a strong, visceral bond. They are instinctively drawn to each other. When they feel this connection, they visit the Foramar or the Council of Elders to have the shadow people recognise their partnership.
The shadow people didn’t act to restrict the shadow stalkers’ individual freedoms; rather, they aimed to avert disaster. They knew which children would result from certain pairings, recognising that some could grow up to harm both the shadow stalkers and the inhabitants of the Serpent Isles. Therefore, they regulated pairings to prevent such outcomes.
Auren was raised in a culture where marriage was based on love. She always believed she would marry and start a family. The realisation that this wouldn’t happen as she had imagined was shocking, especially after meeting someone on the Dark Isle with whom she developed deep feelings.
Death and the Shadow World
The shadow stalkers view death as a transition to the next phase of existence, not an ending. Upon death, they become shadow people who guide their people from the shadow world. While they may feel sadness at no longer seeing loved ones in person, they do not mourn the loss.
Auren was raised among people who believed death was the definitive end. Once someone died, they were gone forever. When she discovers she is a shadow stalker, she also uncovers the true nature of shadow people. Although she understands on an intellectual level that shadow stalkers transition into the shadow world, she struggles to accept death emotionally. When her father and Calista, Kado’s niece, pass away, her grief creates tension between her and Kado.
Tradition Versus Change
Auren does not reject all shadow-stalker traditions; rather, she challenges others to rethink overly rigid customs. Similarly, Kado evolves from an inflexible protector to understanding that safeguarding Auren doesn’t require shielding her from tough decisions.
Traditions Should Serve People
When I created the shadow stalkers, I wanted their traditions to feel purposeful rather than decorative. Their customs shape relationships, leadership, training, grief, family, and personal freedom. The main character, Auren, was raised on Appolia, an island in the far north of the Serpent Isles. She believed shadow stalkers no longer existed, assuming they had all been slain in a war before she was born. Discovering she was a shadow stalker made her feel like an outsider to their culture, and she perceived everything as restrictive and harsh.
What spiritual traditions do you have in your stories?
The Insecure Writer’s Support Group
Join The Conversation on the Next IWSG Day:
- Publish your post. (Question provided if you need a topic.)
- Visit the co-hosts.
- Return the comments you receive.
- Make sure others can find your blog.
- Visit as many members as you can.
- Leave thoughtful encouragement.
- Introduce yourself to someone new.
IWSG Day begins with a post, but the community is built through the visits, comments, conversations, and friendships that follow.
A database resource site and support group for writers and authors. Featuring weekly guests and tips, a monthly blogfest gathering, a Facebook group, and thousands of links–all to benefit writers! #IWSG
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Thank you to Alex J. Cavanaugh for creating such an awesome way for writers to connect. And thank you to this month’s co-hosts: Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Liza at Middle Passages, JH Moncrieff, and Jemima Pett!
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