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Wednesday, July 1, 2020

IWSG July 2020 - A Do Over


It's IWSG Day. The goal of this blog hop is 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. IWSG is the brainchild of Alex Cavanaugh. To find links to other IWSG contributors, click here. A big thank you to July Co-hosts: Jenni Enzor, Beth Camp, Liesbet, Tyrean Martinson, and Sandra Cox!

This month's optional question: There have been many industry changes in the last decade, so what are some changes you would like to see happen in the next decade?
 
Confession? I wrote a post in answer to this month’s question, but it wasn’t a good one, nor was my answer enlightening. In fact, my topic sounded more like sour grapes than anything else…which isn't how I really feel, so I decided to scrap it. Unfortunately, it leaves me lacking in ideas for a July post. For reasons regular readers might guess, lately my writing has been sporadic. To jog myself a bit, I re-read some of my (very) old IWSG posts, and found one I'd written during the 2012 Olympics. Perhaps it will give me impetus to move forward now.

I am never NOT amazed by the dedication of these athletes—the focus of the sixteen-year-old competing in her first Olympics, the twenty-one-year-old (virtual antique) competing in his second.  Many of these contestants continue to compete on the world scene for a few more years before they move on to develop entirely new careers.  After a point, I suppose, they have to. Once they age, the synapses don’t fire fast enough. Before they know it, each former superstar is eclipsed by someone younger and faster.  No matter how hard they work, age will catch up.

That’s the good news from where I sit.  Because, while the writing muscle demands exercise, it doesn’t have to get old. It probably isn’t a surprise to anyone reading this that I am sitting solidly astride middle age. Yet, when I look back at a blog post from three years ago, or an essay I wrote five years ago, it’s clear I am a better writer now, by far.  All my “practicing” over the past several years has yielded measurable improvement. I don’t have to retire due to age-related injuries. As long as I can situate myself in front of a screen, I can keep going, optimistic that in spite of my wealth of grey hair, I am still going to get better.

A friend of mine posted a Facebook tribute to his mother on her birthday last week.  It said something like: ‘My Mom turns 82 today.  She is strong and spends her days writing fiction, walking and keeping active.’  I tell you, I love watching all the Olympic medal winners. But if someone says something like that about me when I turn 82, it will feel fourteen-karat enough to me.
That last statement still stands, so I guess I better get writing.

What are your thoughts on this month's question? And what do you do to keep writing when life does all it can to distract you?


15 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

The writing doesn't wear out as we get better with practice and age, unlike athletes who lose it.

Nick Wilford said...

I'd like to think I'll always get better. Time will tell, I suppose!

Joanne said...

It's been okay to be on pause for a while - you've had a LOT of stuff hit you, plus throw in a pandemic. But I know you (through this blog), and words keep churning in the background. At the right time, they'll plop on to the pages. Believe me, I understand and I'm there - big lag of concentration and impetus.

Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe said...

I have adjusted to some things not being as easy as it was but I always strive to do my best. If I keep on doing, and don’t give up, there will always be something to learn. I have more posts in draft than publish but every now and then, I will go back to one and and think that with a little tweaking, I can turn lemons into lemonade.

Natalie Aguirre said...

Yes, it is great that we can continue writing as we age, unlike some athletic and other goals. And it's totally okay that you're writing sporadically now with all you're coping with. It's hard for most of us to stay focused enough to write a lot, and we're not dealing with a fresh loss like you are. Take care of yourself.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

Yes! I definitely needed this reminder, Liza - thank you!

Hope you're doing okay overall....

mshatch said...

Yes, thankfully my writing should only get better with age, though admittedly, it's been tough lately; I didn't even write my IWSG post until about ten minutes ago...

Chrys Fey said...

Looking back at old IWSG posts is great. There's hidden inspiration and encouragement there. :)

Tyrean Martinson said...

I love your thoughts here. There is inspiration to be found in the field of athletics, but to fully live we need to reach for inspiration in other realms, too - like writing. As the mom of two former international athletes, I'm thankful for their accomplishments in academics and I know they will be able to rely on their academics longer. I'm also incredibly thankful that their high school coaches emphasized having a good academic record over having a high athletic record - and these are coaches who now have Olympic-level athletes under their care (not my daughters, but athletes they know). The good athletic coaches know they need to feed the brain muscle, too. :)

Elizabeth Seckman said...

I've thought the exact same thing! I often pause to think how blessed I am to be obsessed with something that I won't age out of. I have forever to keep honing the skills. I have added exercise to my list of duties. I want to make sure I'm healthy because I may need the max number of years available to me to hit my goal.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Keeping active helps with writing. Fresh air and sunshine is good for the soul and creativity.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I want someone to say that about me at 82 also. A terrific goal. Thank you for sharing that.
It's so understandable that you're having some trouble getting back to writing. Virtual hugs to you and I hope the muse finds you soon.

Sandra Cox said...

Didn't Barbara Cartland and Mary Higgins Clark write into their nineties? Or close to.

Beth Camp said...

Writing and connecting to other writers, sometimes face to face and sometimes online, like through IWSG, helps me to focus. This chaos from the pandemic has disrupted so much, but we writers are lucky. All we really need is an empty tablet or access to a computer, and we can create and/or recreate our worlds. May the coming month bring you new words and a sense of peace.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Liza - yes ... I've been seeing a bit of rewind sport programmes - and loved seeing it ... amazing how motivated anyone determined to succeed has to be. This group is pretty special with how it inspires and what it offers via the blog and other projects. Good luck and keep writing ... all the best - Hilary