It's the first Wednesday of the month:
the day when members of the
Insecure Writer's Support Group
share their writing struggles
and writing successes
and offer their encouragement
and support to fellow writers.
To visit the IWSG website, click here.
To become a member of the IWSG, click here.
Our wonderful co-hosts who are volunteering today,
along with IWSG founder Alex Cavanaugh are:
Olga Godim, Chemist Ken Renee Scattergood, and Tamara Narayan.
I hope you have a chance to visit today's hosts and thank them for co-hosting.
I'm sure they would appreciate a visit and an encouraging comment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Every month the IWSG poses a question
that members can answer with advice, insight,
a personal experience, or a story in their IWSG posts.
Or, the question can inspire members
if they aren't sure what to write about on IWSG Day.
Remember the question is optional.
This month's featured question is:
When your writing life is a bit cloudy or filled with rain, what do you do to dig down and keep on writing?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This month's question is uncomfortable.
I struggle with distractibility at the best of times.
I'm a bushy-tailed woodrat,
and I've spent my life scurrying from one enticing thing to another,
dropping one shiny object for the next sparkly item.
And Honolulu has a whole lot of sparkle!
I wrote well in February,
but somewhere along my glitter trail in March,
writing fell by the wayside.
Distractions ~ Diamond Head Lighthouse
from the top of Diamond Head Crater
March 10 2018
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Irresistable ~ A Dilophosaurus
Expedition Dinosaur at the Bishop Museum
March 3, 2018
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Now I'm back home and back to reality:
emptying suitcases, doing laundry, restocking the larder,
and settling back into writing.
Honolulu, with its beauty and cultural richness, is behind me;
and I have to wait until next March
to see the special friends I've made there,
both locals and snowbirds like me
who return each year from around the world.
Monday Night Kanikapila
at the Royal Grove Hotel
March 26, 2018
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Thanks Carolyn or Marianne for the photo!
The Jet Plane I Didn't Want to Leave On
Honolulu International Airport
March 27, 2018
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
that I am inconsistent at digging down and keeping on writing.
I'm binge and bust, and I'm getting tired of it.
Last IWSG Day, Michelle Wallace wrote about her #100words100 days challenge.
Her post has stuck in my mind ever since,
like glitter glue in my bushy woodrat tail.
I've decided to set the same goal:
write 100 words for 100 days in a row.
Surely 100 words is doable.
Surely many times 100 words in one day
turns into hundreds of words in one day.
I'm home for a bit, probably not 100 days,
but in the next month or so,
I am determined to establish consistency,
consistently that will carry me through my future travels.
I'm certainly ready to go for it.
I'll let you know how it goes.
One day down, ninety-nine to go.
Happy writing in April!
Making Leis is Glittery Fun
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
March 16, 2108
© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue
All Rights Reserved
Happy writing in April!
Notes:
1. Dilophosaurus: An Early Jurasssic theropod dinosaur that lived in North America about
193 million years ago. Wikipedia
2. Kanikapila is an impromptu jam session of Hawaiian music at a beach or family
gathering. The word comes from kani which means sound and pila which means any
string instrument in the Hawaiian language. Wikipedia Hula dancers can join the fun.
3. Bushy-Tailed Woodrat:
This rodent, with its distinctive large round ears and long bushy tail, is the original "packrat"
and is known for its attraction to shiny objects and its trading habit of dropping something it
is carrying for a more attractive item. Wikipedia
Look who's back. You stay home for 100 days? We wouldn't ever place a bet on that lol maybe against it. It is a good challenge to keep one motivated though. Just put on some sun glasses and then you won't see the sparkle of those sparkly things.
ReplyDeleteHey, Pat! What a great feeling to wake up to a funny comment from you! I'm glad to be home and glad to be back to my blogging buddies! I need to mask all of my senses ~ LOL! Have a good one, my friend!
DeleteHappy Writing!
ReplyDeleteIf I was at that spot at Diamond Head I would never leave.
Hi,Sandi! I've climbed Diamond Head six years out of the last seven just for that iconic view and several others ~ and to prove to myself that I still can! It's glorious. It's always hard for me to leave Hawaii. All the best to you today!
DeleteLots of fun distractions in Hawaii.
ReplyDeleteOne hundred words. You can do it. This blog post has you covered for two days already.
Thanks for the encouragement, Alex! I wrote my post late last night after a major grocery shopping expedition, my first back-to-reality workout with my trainer, and tackling tax papers for my husband. Your comment made me realize that I didn't make myself clear on my goal: a minimum of 100 words per day for 100 days in a row. We all need readers to clarify our thinking and writing. So today I'm looking at another 100 word minimum! Take care, my friend! Have a great day!
DeleteHawaii always sounds like good times
ReplyDeleteHawaii is always fun, Adam, even when it's unusually cold, windy, and rainy, which it was. I had so much fun, and I plan to share some of that fun in future blog posts. I hope that all is well with you and Daisy!
DeleteAny goal of writing words deserves a pat on the back. Sometimes it's small but small adds up. JEALOUS of Hawaii and you. :)
ReplyDeleteHi, Teresa! Michelle's post had a big impression on me. I'm ready for consistent writing. We managed to spend two months in Honolulu with a lot of deal-hunting and up front work by my husband. I plan to do a post with some budget tips in the future. I hope that you have a chance to spend some time in Hawaii. It is a wonderful place. Aloha!
DeleteGood luck with your mission. I'm sure you can do it. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
Thanks, Anna! I'm feeling very positive and excited by this writing goal. Have a great IWSG Day!
DeleteWho wouldn't fall behind in those surroundings?
ReplyDeleteA bushy-tailed woodcut - LOL. Now I know what I am, too.
Hi, Diane! A woodcut ~ Oh Lord! Blame my tired eyes and a very late night ~ autocorrect is not an excuse. I'm a woodrat! If you ever want to read a fabulous mid-elementry-aged novel, I highly recommend Will Hobb's "Kokopelli's Flute." The main character transforms into a bushy-tailed woodrat every night. I read it to my third graders every year after it was published. That's how I found out that I am a woodrat. Have a great IWSG Day!
DeleteGood luck with your scheduled writing! One time when we were in Maui, we made leis as well -- so much fun! We kept them in the fridge crisper for quite a few days before they wilted.
ReplyDeleteThanks,, Debra! I hope all is well with you and your Rare One! Next year more lei making is in my plans. I love the fragrance and the cool touch of flowers around my neck. I wore mine for two days, and then placed my lei around the neck of Kila, a young monk seal, one half of my favorite bronze sculpture along Waikiki's beaches. Have a good one, my friend!
DeleteI cannot remember the children's story, but somewhere a fire engine, a digger or a train was struggling and the littlest one kept saying " I can do it, I can do it " , and you will do it. After all, if we did a word count, that might well be the first one hundred for day ONE. Hawaii looks wonderful, no wonder you are there to miss some of the cold days back home . I am not good under pressure, so would not try this, but I'm sure all the writers in your group will encourage each-other.
ReplyDeleteHi, Jean! It's so good to see you, and I appreciate your encouraging comment! I know I can do it, and I will. I hope all is well with you and Hugh. I can't wait to catch up on all that is happening with you! Sending you love and hugs!
DeleteHi Louise!!! Welcome back! :) Your photo with your friends is lovely! :) 100 words a day for 100 days SEEMS easy doesn't it? I wish you much success!!!...I may take a 100 day project challenge myself though I'm still thinking about what I'll be doing! Life is bringing challenges lately and I'm trying to restore my serenity! 8-s
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rain! I'm happy to be back! I've missed you and my other blogging buggies. I'm sorry that life is bringing you challenges lately, and I hope your serenity will be back in full force very soon. I'm excited about my 100 day challenge, and Day 2 is checked off. Good luck with choosing your 100 Day challenge! Sending you a big hug!
DeleteHa! Here in Michigan we have no such problems with distractions during February and March. We stay inside. The biggest problems comes from wanting to go to bed early when the nights turn cold, and that takes away from my writing time.
ReplyDeleteYour comment made me laugh, Ken! I remember only too well the grey, cloudy winters back East. My husband grew up in Michigan, and he still marvels at sunny winter weather here in Colorado, and sunny warm "winter" days in Hawaii. It's hard to work on cold nights. As I get older it's hard to write on any night, so it's mornings for me. At least April is here ~ Good luck with your writing!
DeleteYes! Go, write, create! I'm glad you're taking the challenge and I hope you have epic results from it. Your pictures are awesome. You're giving me back a little bit of wanderlust. =)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you enjoyed my pictures, Crystal! I get a lot of pleasure from photography. I'm excited about the wiring challenge and happy to be home to take it on. I was born with wanderlust in spades! I hope you get to indulge in a little! take care!
DeleteI would so get distracted by all those views! I've heard Hawaii is a beautiful and kind place to visit. Great photos.
ReplyDeleteHi, Jennifer! Hawaii is gorgeous, and I have experienced nothing but kindness from the people there. I can't wait to get back next year. I hope that you get to experience it in the future. Aloha to you!
DeleteHonolulu... I'll get there one day. Until then, I enjoyed your photos.
ReplyDeleteBTW: what a cute creature a woodrat is. I never saw a picture of one before.
Hi, Olga! I'm glad that you enjoyed my photos! I get almost as much pleasure from working with them as working with my writing. I do hope that you get to Honolulu. It's a great city, and the other parts of Hawaii are fun too.
DeleteI love the bushy-tailed woodrat because I see a lot of myself in it, like its big round ears. It helps me to remember, that like Arwen, creatures with big ears can be cute or beautiful. Then I'm kinder to myself when I see mine.
And despite their ADHD issues, wood rats build middens, sometimes over centuries. Those middens tell valuable stories to archeologists, climatologists, and other scientists. That reminds me that out of my distractibility good things can result and that I will get through my memoir, layer by layer! Have a good one!
If I was visiting Hawaii, I don't think I'd be writing much either. It's too beautiful. Good luck on your goal!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tamara! So far, so good on the goal! Enjoy your weekend!
DeleteTraveling gives you more to write about. I think a common misconception about writing is that if you aren't in a piling words onto a page zone you aren't writing but that's not always true. I'm not advocating always talking about writing and never actually doing it but sometimes taking the time to stare out a window for a little bit will do way more to loosen up the words you have inside you than staring at an empty screen berating yourself for not writing. I'm glad you had a good trip :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Taryn! I appreciated your wise comment. I had a blast during my time in Hawaii. All the best to you!
DeleteWelcome home! Good luck with your writing! At least you were being honest about everything! I love the pictures of Hawaii! That is such a beautiful picture of you! Big Hugs!
ReplyDelete