Tuesday, June 6, 2017

IWSG: Quitting is Not an Option . . .


The Insecure Writer's Support Group is a community of writers who share ideas and encourage other writers. It's a great place to express doubts and concerns as well as offer and receive tribulations and guidance from other writers. IWSG posts the first Wednesday of every month. I think you'll find it to be a great writer's resource that's well worth your time. Be sure to stop by and visit with some of the other IWSG writers/bloggers at IWSG Members.

The awesome co-hosts for the June 7 posting of the IWSG are JH Moncrieff, Madeline Mora-Summonte, Jen Chandler, Megan Morgan, and Heather Gardner!  

Quitting is not an option ~ Finish what you started . . . If I had a dime for every time I heard that growing up, I'd probably be laid back on some white sandy beach drinking pina colada's while my favorite bbf massaged coconut oil into my sun-kissed skin.  If my dear southern mama said it once, she said it a million times.  One thing everyone knew about her was she didn't know the meaning of the word "quit" - it was never an option.  And in hindsight, I understand she used it to motivate us into finishing our chores, homework, and projects before she had to take more drastic measures.  Oh, what I wouldn't give to hear mama's voice ringing in my ears now:

Sound familiar?  One thing I know to be true . . . If my sweet mother were still here, she would be telling me in no uncertain terms to continue writing and finish what I started.  As a child, my nose was always stuck in a book - either reading or writing.  While I  never lost my love of either, I did occasionally veer off course - getting sidetracked by real life and yes, even periods of disbelief in myself.  And yet, I've never given up on writing - I've simply not finished what I started yet.  

So in answer to this month's IWSG question: Did you ever say “I quit”? If so, what happened to make you come back to writing?

I have never said the words "I quit writing" to anyone . . . not even myself.  It's simply not an option.  But I have thought, "What's the use?" on more than one occasion during periods of time when life became a little too heavy for me to carry more.  I have definitely let writing simmer on the side burner way too often and long.  So why would I bother making it a priority now?  The short answer is I need to finish what I started.  The truth is "I have to write because for me - quitting is NOT an option . . . not when it comes to writing."  Mama said so.

How about you?  Have you ever given up on writing only to return later?  Why?

7 comments:

Chrys Fey said...

That white sandy beach sounds nice. ;)

I'm glad you've never said "I quit writing" to anyone. Not even yourself. I, on the other hand, did both. lol But quitting was impossible.

Sandra Hoover said...

When it's in you, it's in you! Right?! I veered off-course, but quitting was not an option...it's hard to quit something you're passionate about - some might even say "addicted to!" lol Glad you came back to it, Chrys! Thanks for stopping by today.

Fundy Blue said...

This had me laughing, Sandra, because I can hear those sayings in the voices of my parents and the extended adult family when I was growing up. I have sometimes quit and left things unfinished. Indeed some of those things survive in odd corners of my home. Throughout my life I've been a sampler of many things. But the ones that stuck, like writing, and teaching, and photography, I have not quit. I think that it's okay to recognize that something is not your passion and walk away from it. Who knows ... maybe later, maybe not ~ It's okay! Have fun following your obvious passion!

Sandra Hoover said...

Oh, I've done the same...I'm a "project" type girl and have started & abandoned several. lol But while I've had to lay writing aside at different times in my life - I've never given up on it. It seems writing & reading are two things I've always come back to.

Nancy Gideon said...

Did we have the same southern mama? I'm hearing her voice, too. Guess we'd better both pay attention.

Sandra Hoover said...

Maybe our moms were twins! lol And I know just like my mom - your mom didn't raise a quitter. Not an option! Really enjoyed your June IWSG post, Nancy. Always find it inspiring.

Beth Camp said...

How those encouraging words keep us going. Although I've always read and written stories and poems, my aunt introduced me to art and was the very first to believe in me. She made going to college possible, an amazing gift. Your post brought back some pivotal memories. Thank you!