Wednesday, December 5, 2018

IWSG: Pushing Through: The Purpose of Hard Times and The Power of Harnessing These Experiences!


http://www.alexjcavanaugh.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.htmlIt's the first Wednesday of the month, which means it's time to get insecure! Special thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh for creating/hosting the Insecure Writer's Support Group, a monthly forum for writers to share insecurities without fear of reprisal.

Full disclosure, the title of this post has nothing to do with solid advice or what do to with it. It's more a personal mantra than anything. Something that, over time, I'm now beginning to understand. I could go on about how last month was something of a cluster, for it started with a cold, continued with a wonky blood pressure issue, and concluded with two weeks of the worst back pain ever. But ... the turkey and rolls turned out great!

A year ago, I would've looked at these circumstances and felt justified in flipping the keyboard and absconding from computers for another hiatus. At the time, it may have been the right thing to do. There is something different about this present. Given these hard times, I still finished what I set out to do from my last post. Those 20K words. Edited and polished. The remaining 20K have yet to be written, but their chapters are formatted and ready with a summary on each. I am left to wonder how I achieved this in the face of falling dominoes.

I don't know the answer. However, it's very possible that so much crap has happened through the years before this that, in this go around, it was easier to push through it. And words have taken a deeper meaning, where my experience has a place in the realities of fictional people. Having been there, they can now climb out, too. The whole "not what you want, but what you need" bit. Batman knows.

What I got most out of this is a promise kept. It feels good. A feeling that's been absent for some time. As Monique would say in one of my favorite films, "I think all you need is a small taste of success, and you will find it suits you." You get bonus points if you know the movie!

So I come to understand that, in the end, this needed to happen for me. No one wants it or will say they want it. I still don't want it, but it's out of my control, and I now have plenty of fuel for the pages.

I end the year with gratitude and wish you all the best this holiday season and into 2019. I am especially grateful the blogosphere is still here and strong. Be safe. Endure. Harness. Push through. Thanks!

Have you ever used hard times as fuel for your writing? What hard time has made you better for it? Did you guess the movie yet?

I'm David, and Snoopy has an affinity for French girls ...

23 comments:

  1. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. You are now stronger and able to handle it better and thus write. Which you did! Awesome.

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  2. Hi David, a cold, a wonky blood pressure issue, and back pain are hard on anyone, but glad that you manged to overcome all these health issues. Shows how tough you are :) Like Alex I too believe that tough times make us strong.

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  3. That's why small goals are so important. Hit one, you know you can hit another. And you will.

    I thought Snoopy was the beagle from Peanuts?

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  4. I wrote through all of my illness the last few years and the writing seems like a huge mess, but it made me feel better to write it anyway. My current draft is so much better and so much closer to how I want to write. Writing through illness gave me the strength and the sense of accomplishment I needed to write my best now. I never gave up, even though I thought of it, even if I did for a day or two, I kept going back. And, now I feel like I am back.

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  5. I like that quote, but I had to Google it to find out what movie it came from. No bonus points for me. :)

    Hard times usually stymie my writing, but I find my way back eventually. So far, anyway.

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  6. Congrats on meeting your goal. I hope you're okay.

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  7. That which does not kill you makes you stronger. And you wouldn't get the trials unless you were ready for them. I'm glad you're able to use them as fuel now.

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  8. Hard times SUCK. I write during good and bad times, usually.

    If I were you, I'd keep an eye on your little elfy on a shelfy. He looks a little shady to me. :)

    Finish out the year in a great way, David!

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  9. At least you were able to push on through. Happy Holidays!

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  10. You carried on to create stories and characters. I can tell you've gained personal strength and heart from the experience.

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  11. This was a very inspiring post. So glad to hear you 'Powered' through. Happy holidays from our house to yours.

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  12. I[m sorry you were feeling poorly, but I'm glad you kept writing. Maybe there's hope for me.

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  13. Learning from hard times has definitely helped me go on. I can really relate to what you're saying. I just slowed down after another crazy year I want a more permanent slow down and more time to write in the upcoming year.

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  14. Congrats on reaching your goal. Pushing on through difficult times is not easy. Easier to give up and sit back. You've shown you have resilience. Great. Hope you have a great month.

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  15. Hoping things get better as you keep on keeping on.

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  16. Inspiring post, David. To push on.

    I recently went through a year of battling with my mom's dementia and cancer. Believe it or not, it somewhat helped to write, to get lost in my story, not think of the ultimate ending of real life. She passed peacefully.

    Keep your head above water, keep pushing on...

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  17. Well done on pushing through the challenging times! All the best to you as well for this holiday season and 2019. Cheers - Ellen

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  18. If you can turn life into art, then you've succeeded in my book. Happy holidays to you too! :)

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  19. I haven't used the hard times for writing, but I have learned to get over the hard times more quickly and get back to writing sooner. It's not always easy though.

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  20. This is an extremely inspiring post! Thank you for sharing.

    www.ficklemillennial.blogspot.com

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  21. I hope the New Year brings you less adversity. I know myself and a few others are waiting for the Woven sequel.

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  22. Great way to look at the stresses of life. I think the older I get, the less ruffled I am because I can honestly say been there, done that and already survived to whine about it.

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