Friday 4 February 2011

Coffee Morning - Giving up

Morning fellow racers – boy do I have a treat for you this morning. It’s my 30th today so please help yourselves to birthday cake, krispy kremes and some fresh coffee (I am working today after all – proper drinks later!!)
So being 30 today means I have reach rather a significant milestone and it’s got me thinking. Where am I going, what is this all for? I haven’t had huge success (if any) with my writing and I sometimes wonder whether I should put my efforts into doing other things. For instance I’d really love to play the keyboard that is hiding under a pile of dust under my bed. I’d like to learn another language, travel, watch more films, read more books. The list is endless. But I love to write and I am feeling very inspired by my shelf of inspiration here:


This keeps me going, keeps that pen in my hand. What if anything keeps you going? Family, friends, other writers. Please share with us because we all need that inspiration to keep us going.

Happy Friday Everyone!!!

17 comments:

sheepish said...

I am writing this comment using my Dragon recognition software. I am hoping it will help me to transfer my work in progress from my notebook to my laptop. One of my problems is the time it takes me to type. This system works very well as long as I'm using standard words. Unfortunately in my novel I have French names which cause the software difficulties. However I am hoping to overcome these problems. One of my reasons for giving up writing would be the time it takes me to transfer my notes to my laptop. With practice this system should speed up that process. Of course it doesn't help with procrastination, that's something I have to sort out for myself. Can I ask what are krispy kremes? The software couldn't spell crispy creams! Oh and of course happy birthday and have a lovely weekend.

Rachel Green said...

Sheepish -- I've just installed Dragon and having such problems I prefer to type!

Happy birthday Lily!

My inspiration to keep writing is twofols: one, to find out what happens next and two, to write for calls for submissions. My current novel is a follow up to Screaming Yellow for both reasons, so it's all good!

Karen said...

Happy 30th Lily - I remember that milestone. Hope you're not as freaked out as I was!

I really want to learn to play the guitar properly, so I hear what you're saying. It's gathering dust in the corner at the moment. Then again, if I REALLY wanted to, surely I'd make time? The truth is, writing is my first love and to do it well takes time and practice and seeing my writing improve is what keeps me going. That and reading blogs about writing!

Have a great evening :o)

Maria said...

Didn't even realize it was your birthday - shame on me! Have a good one, Lily. Nice that you're not groaning at hitting the big three 0. By the time you reach 45 plus you'll understand how relative the whole age business is!

Jenny Beattie said...

A very happy birthday to you. You're still such a young 'un.... don't let's hear any lamenting for what you haven't achieved (yet.)

I don't seem able to stop writing, even when I really want to give up. It's not anyone else but something inside me. Family and writing friends (and non writing friends) are always such great encouragement.

(My daughter - 14 - said to me a few weeks ago 'Just think what kind of terrible example you'd be setting us if you gave up.' That put me in my place!)

Denise said...

Happy Birthday! I'll be reaching a similar milestone, but beginning with a 4 later this year... That's also got me thinking since I've been writing with the intention of getting published for 5 or 6 years now, but have submitted nothing. I think my problem is not making the time for it, and not keeping going. I've let the actual writing become an intermittent hobby despite thinking about it every day. Kick up the bum time for me I think!

HelenMWalters said...

Happy Birthday Lily.

Writing is a bit of an addiction isn't it? I must admit that at the moment one of my motivations is to make money. That does mean I'm spending more time on short pieces that I can sub quickly and less time on the novel.

I suppose the main motivation with the novel is just to see if I can do it.

Amanda said...

Happy Birthday Lily!

I've yet to reach 30 *coughs* ... No, I remember turning 30. Personally, I think if writing is in your blood, you will do it. It's like you have no control. That, of course, doesn't stop you doing all the other things too. Often they help the creative flow. Just carry your notebook about while you doing them. x

David said...

Happy Birthday, Cheryl! Hope you had a great one.

Hmmm....what keeps me writing? I think it's the possibilities. We all start off with the same blank page/computer screen but after a couple of hours of typing away we have (hopefully) come up with some intriguing characters and an interesting plot - and the best thing about it is no one else in the world could have done it just like we have.

Of course there are bad days too where nothing good seems to come but we won't talk about that!

I think if your day job doesn't give you much room for creativity then you need to find an outlet somewhere.

Dx

Anonymous said...

I hope you enjoyed your birthday and you're not too hungover from your celebrations.

These days, writing has gone down on my list of priorities. I'm still doing it, but I'm no longer afraid to put it down and then pick it back up later. What keeps me going? I simply want to tell those stories, even if it's just to my friends.

Graeme K Talboys said...

Happy Birthday, youngster!

Me? I'm addicted. I have withdrawal symptoms if I cannot write.

Plus it's one of just two ways I know to stop the voices in my head (the other involves poking them with a cotton bud through my ear). Actually, the cotton bud thing doesn't work. So I have to write or I'd go... Oh. Too late.

Suzanne Ross Jones said...

Belated HAPPY BIRTDHAY, Lily.

Love you inspiration shelf.

XX

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

Happy belated birthday, Lily. I hope you had a great day.

I'm a writing addict and always feel so much better when I've written something, rather like an exercise enthusiast who feels better after having been to the gym (or so I gather!).

andewallscametumblindown said...

Oh dear. Since my mother died two weeks ago, my routine has gone wonky - or even more so. I forgot to come here on Friday. Are there any treats left?

What keeps me going? I have a message to tell the world. One day, it will be out there.

By the way, are any other members going to write about themselves for us newbies? The two descriptions I read were very interesting. I'd like to read more.

Also, it seems to me that there are several suggestions floating around about what this group could do to help all of us. But none of these are going to happen unless someone organises them. No, I'm not offering; I usually make a mess of such tasks.

Happy belated birthday, Lily!
Miriam

Annieye said...

Condolences, Miriam on the death of your mum.

Happy birthday, Lily (my daughter is 30 - so I feel quite old!)

When I was 30 I'd had a couple of short story successes in The People's Friend and then sulked for around 20 years when my next two were rejected! It would be nice to be a published author but writing fiction is sadly just a hobby for me. I wish it wasn't - I wish I could write novels for a living.

If I want to do something else with my free time rather than write, then I just go ahead and don't feel guilty. On the other hand, if I want to write and can't because life gets in the way it makes me really miserable and I find concentrating at work really difficult because my head is somewhere else ....!

Cheryl said...

Thanks everyone for your birthday wishes and for sharing what keeps you going. I think its also a compulsion and I guess its how I identify who I am and it sets me apart from everyone else which i like.

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