Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.
Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: Dolorah @ Book Lover,Christopher D. Votey, Tanya Miranda, and Chemist Ken
This month's question is: How do major life events affect your writing? Has writing ever helped you through something?
This is a good question for me as I haven't written a thing since Irma/Maria hit the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico in September of last year. So, to answer that question, in this case, writing hasn't helped me get through it. When I was younger, oh so much younger than today, my angst filled self wrote a lot more.
But there's good news. Inspired by the theme for the next Insecure Writers Anthology Contest, I've actually turned on my computer, opened a blank page, and written almost 2000 words. I have all of next month to fill out the story, polish and submit. It won't matter to me if I get included, what matters is that I've had a fresh, new idea, and am developing it.
As I'm not longer going to be post Hurricane Updates (unless something important needs to be said) I'm going to haul a few things out of my closet.
A Random Thought
A quote from Sophocles who, it appears, did quite a bit in innovating playwriting.
One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: that
word is love.
***
It was the White Queen, from Through the Looking Glass, who said to Alice: "When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." When life gets you down, think of or believe, six impossible things before breakfast. Take a deep breath and close your eyes. If you are aren't smiling by the sixth thing, think of six more. Keep thinking of impossible things until you smile, or until you understand that life itself is impossible. Yet here we are.
Here, for your entertainment, are Six Impossible Things. You can believe them or not as you wish.
1. Being carried away by a swarm of butterflies.
2. Living inside a giant Sequoya.
3. Having tea with Lao Tzu.
4. Discovering the Lost Continent of Mu.
5. Flying with Superman.
6. Being awarded the Nobel for Literature.
Being Thankful
Today I'm thankful for the nice rain we've had, the cooler temperatures, and the swarms of mostly snout butterflies that these conditions have produced.
What are you thankful for? Have any impossible things to share? Has writing helped you through rough times?
"Being carried away by a swarm of butterflies" Sounds like a great opening to a story :-) Good luck with your story for the anthology. Happy IWSG day!
ReplyDeleteRonel visiting on Insecure Writer's Support Group day: Course Correction
I'm glad to hear you're writing again!
ReplyDeleteThat's wonderful you are writing again. I wrote more in my angst filled youth, too.
ReplyDeleteI do understand where you are, Bish. I'm in the same spot for a different reason. Here's to recovery and plodding on.
ReplyDelete2000 words and counting! Go, Bish! That's epic. We haven't seen the same level of devastation from the hurricanes, but we have been involved in clean-up/recovery with those around us who got hit hard. Headed to South Carolina in a week to help there. I think sometimes natural disasters are a means to draw the best out of humanity.
ReplyDeleteAwesome! Get that story done for the contest.
ReplyDeleteThat's nice you're writing again. I've been where you are in regards to being unable to write because of something big happening. Some of us just don't have the energy to deal with everything and have to put something on the back burner. No reason to feel guilty.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with that story. I love when blog hops and contests and prompts inspire writing. I haven't considered this one but I love the topic idea.
ReplyDeleteI can see the hiatus from writing because of the hurricane. Sometimes, life just seems to serious to spend time on anything else.
I've occasionally written poems or songs when totally despondent. Most of those were written when I was in my late teens or my twenties. But they never helped me through anything. They helped me wallow in my misery instead!
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate to how your last year has stopped you from writing. Glad you are getting back to it again.
ReplyDeleteIt's been quite a traumatic year for you. I'm so happy to hear you're writing a story for the new anthology. My mind is often filled with impossible things. Not sure if that's good or bad :)
ReplyDeleteHi Bish - I can quite understand your withdrawl after last year's hurricane - just desperate for your sister and your friends et al on the Island.
ReplyDeleteI do like the idea of SIX impossible things ... which I think I'll take up - but when something awful/frustratingly irritating happens I remember to think I'm better off than many - I can get back to normal sometime. Being carried away on butterfly wings might just set me on a cloud to brain wandering without achieving much ... but I'd love to wonder - cheers Hilary
It's good to hear that you're writing again. 2k is great!!!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the anthology story! 2K in? You can do it.
ReplyDelete"Being carried away by a swarm of butterflies." Yes, I love that thought!
I know a couple of folks in PR that had it real back up until this past summer. Of course something like that will put a wrench in your writing gears. It's good to hear that you're back in the mix of it all.
ReplyDeleteThe IWSG anthology prompt is fantastic. 2K is awesome! I can't wait to see how it all turns out. Good luck!
I'm out blog walking today through my reading list, visiting people I've not seen in a while. Also finding lots of links that need to be deleted, as the blogs are gone, or people haven't blogged in a couple of years. Nice to see you still here. Afraid I don't join you being grateful for the cool weather. Was really cold yesterday at the football game, colder today, plus raining. Argh...hate summer ending and had to turn on the heat yesterday. I hold off as long as possible, but after being cold all day, hubby turned it on.
ReplyDeleteTraveling Suitcase
You've made it this far Bish, now see it through to the end!
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