Special thanks go to the co-hosts for this July 7 posting for IWSG: Pat Garcia, Victoria Marie Lees, Chemist Ken, and Louise – Fundy Blue! All have encouraged so many of us along the way. Now for this month's question!
July 7 question: What would make you quit writing?
Before the pandemic, I would have thought not much would push me away from writing. As with many others, though, this last year and a half has been one of reflection and perseverance. Challenges from IWSG and National Novel Writing Month (and Camp Nanowrimo) have kept me relatively focused. Writing to a challenge somehow enhances my own commitment to writing.
I'm working on two projects just now, Island Wife, the fourth historical fiction novel in the Standing Stones series, and The Missing Sarcophagus, the next novel in my art crime series that began with The Seventh Tapestry. Through some combination of due diligence and hope, I'm able to write most days, though worries about friends and family who are struggling with illness make me sad.
Connections with friends and family mean more each day. Yesterday, my hubby took me to a movie, for the very first time in over a year and a half. The movie was truly horrible. Won't say which one. But we ate a lovely yakisoba in the Food Court with chopsticks and reveled in having a date.
Another friend recommended Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwoʻole (1959-1997). Wikipedia says his name means 'the fearless eye, the bold face'. I listen to his "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" with awe. This is why we write, sing, dance, draw, and paint!
For even on those days that challenge us, we need hope for our future. May the coming month bring you moments to cherish.
This past year+ has been a challenge on so many fronts. Glad you've got projects to look forward to. And here's to more date nights.
ReplyDeleteThank you, C.L. I'm sometimes staggered by how much change we've faced in this last year, actually more than a year now. And yet, little by little, we're reclaiming those moments that bring us joy.
DeleteThat's great that you've found ways to keep your writing focus given the challenges of the pandemic. And yes, connections with family and friends are important too.
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by, Natalie. I think those connections with family and friends help keep us feeling almost 'normal.'
DeleteI've always loved that version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with your writing projects!
Thank you, M. J. The first time I listened to this versiion of "Somewhere . . . ," I was moved to tears. He has such an innocence about his singing, and he lived such a short life. Yet he brought joy to many.
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteBeth, I don't know why but I always receive your IWSG postings one day later. It is the same with anything I post on my Blogger blog. I never receive a copy of what I published until the day after.
I truly understand what you mean. I was so thankful that I had my writing projects and they kept me hopping. We have started opening up here and I hope that I start back singing to concert goers that want to hear me sing soon.
I agree also about hope. Hope is needed today more than ever. Without hope we lose something very precious, the reason to live.
Wishing you a great month of July and best wishes with your two manuscripts.
Shalom aleichem
Hello, Pat. Thank you for your thoughtful comments and good wishes. And thank you for hosting once again for IWSG. I didn't know you sang. Have you posted on You Tube? I found your video trailer for Turn the Light On. Congratulations! What an impressive video. Yes, the writing projects are like an anchor, but also, in some ways, also keeping us connected. May we be blessed with many good words.
DeleteI like your phrase "Through some combination of due diligence and hope, I'm able to write most days." That's all any of us can do. I wish you luck with your two ongoing projects.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Olga. May your own writing go well in the coming month!
DeleteWell Beth, you have inspired me again! I am so impressed with your dedication and determination to write. And write you do, so beautifully. You are one of the most organized writers I know. Bless your heart. You are generous with ideas and quick to help. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting, Sandy. I'm thinking of you on these hot, sunny days and hoping you are finding time for reflection and writing as you watch your flowers grow!
DeleteThank you Beth for your post and reviews. Please keep on writing, you inspire many to hold on too. Wishing you an inspiring and restful summer.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love this version of "Over the Rainbow"! I heard it first on the soundtrack for "50 First Dates" and had to find it for myself! I think I played it every day for a month ;-)
ReplyDeleteHang in there, and keep writing! I consider every minute I spend working, every sentence I get down, to be a triumph--an insight, if that's what it is, that came with a period of struggling to write at all. So celebrate the progress, and don't let worry derail everything.
ReplyDeleteGlad you're hanging in there with writing. You're right the last 18 months have brought home how important the connections in life are. I think it helps to think that writing is a form of connection that's important - as long as you intend to share it.
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