Hello, Go Teen Writers! It's Jill, coming at you from the road. I'm on my way to Reno, Nevada to attend the Realm Makers 5th Anniversary Writers' Conference. I'm teaching the teen track there, and I'm so excited.
I hope you're enjoying the summer panels. We've had a great time with this little project so far. In case you're new to us, this summer we're doing Q & A panels. Throughout the months of June, July, and August, we're posting a question each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. We answer that question, then pass it on to you. Please share your answer in the comments so we can all learn from each other.
Today is another deep, life-pondering question that I hope will get you thinking about what drives you. This is an important question to ask your characters, too, so you might give some thought to how each of them might answer this one.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
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| Jill Williamson |
Sadly, it’s my To Do list. I’m a work-o-holic. I actually like working. I’ll wake up but still lie in bed, thinking about what I need to do that day. And once my brain gets going, it gets excited, and I’ll head out to my desk to get started.
Now, this does not work on weekdays during the school year. My alarm is what gets me out of bed each day, to wake my children so they can get ready to go. On those days, I sit in the living room with some breakfast and a book, and I read. This is actually a much better way to start my day, though it is always WAY too early for a person like me to be awake.
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| Shannon Dittemore |
The sunshine! Literally. I realize you’re probably asking about my life motivation, but lemme tell you about how I deal with mornings. If it’s gloomy outside when I wake up, I convince myself to climb out of bed by making myself all sorts of promises. I’ll say, “It’s okay. You’re a grown up. You can take the kids to school and then climb right back into bed. No one will stop you.” I’m ridiculous, I know, but it’s truly what gets me through that first hour. By the time I’ve had a cup of coffee and dropped the munchkins off, I’m good to go. I’m awake and ready to write and I laugh at my droopy morning self. If it’s sunny outside, my wake-up routine is much more pleasant and it’s easier to remember that I do, in fact, have important life goals.
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| Stephanie Morrill |
Habit? Coffee? A sense of responsibility? There have been seasons of life (like when I’m really pregnant, or when we were in overwhelming seasons with Connor’s epilepsy) where I’m not exactly eager to do the day, but I really love my life. I love my work and my family.
I have a couple things actually. The first is that I've been running first thing in the morning before it gets so hot it would roast me. That is good motivation. For writing, it would be time before my parents wake up and turn everything on. If I go to bed at a good time the night before I will naturally wake up around 5:30. This is great because it gives me about 45 minutes to run, write, or do whatever I want to do in the peace of quiet of the morning.
ReplyDeleteYou're an early bird too! I thought I was doing good at 7-ish something. :p I love that quiet time in the morning. I need it to feel completely ready for the day.
Delete-Ann
Good for you, Maggie! I've been running too, but I have to do it in the afternoon. I'm on the treadmill in our basement, so it's not crazy hot.
DeleteWell, I think there are multiple things that get me going in the morning. God, family, exercise, and writing. While writing doesn't come until late morning through early afternoon, this is what gets me going. A purpose to live every day doing something. A hope to follow whatever purpose God has given me.
ReplyDeleteAlso an alarm that goes off at 5:20. But just because that alarm goes off doesn't mean I have to listen. There is a conscious choice to rise out of bed and get moving.
God bless y'all.
Yikes, 5:20! Is the whole family up by then, or do you get a bit of quiet time?
Delete-Ann
My parents are up because of my dad's work schedule. The sibs are still asleep and I'm up because I like to work out in the morning. I find the day goes better when I'm up early. Even on the weekends, I wake up around 6:00.
DeleteI guess I get a bit of quiet time because I'm usually in my room doing Bible study and doing last minute checks on my blog if its a post day or replying to comments I may not have seen the night before.
:D
What the....five A.M.??? Girl, you're devoted. I mean, I wake up fairly early, but I mean, that's...crazy.
DeleteNight walking and driving's so inspiring to me. I don't even know why..it just is. lol
I do pace around the room and listen to my music (that still counts as exercise!!! lol). I have a little worship time in the mornings. My sister sees me walking around, and whispering the songs, and later says that it's creepy. I see why....*cough, cough*
Eh. I know what Im doing.
God Bless!
@LHE, Lol. Hey, we all worship in different ways. :D
DeleteYes, we do. I guess my way's a little creepier than others, but I mean, it's hard not to move in some way or another when you praise God. Esp when you hear hillsong worship (Elohim). The ending of that song is amazing. You can't help but jump—or pace...in my case. lol
DeleteMy dogs and the cat. An internal alarm clock gets me up to feed and train them every morning and being outside in a quiet time helps energize me for my morning routine.
ReplyDelete-Ann
Wow, we have so many early risers who hang out on GTW!
DeleteI am not a morning person at all. I still like to go to bed before eight-thirty if I can, so that helps some, but there's not much that motivates me when the alarm goes off. I do have animal chores to do right away, outside, and some mornings that helps me wake up --- pleasantly, if it's sunny and cool and there's lots to see, and not so pleasantly if we're going out in the middle of a blizzard.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm awake enough to do two things at once, I try to pray while getting dressed, which is somewhat cheering. (Hey, it's first thing in the morning, the sun is up even if we can't see it, we get to get out of bed --- they're all reminders of the Resurrection, and it's hard to be glum for at least as long as you're saying so.)
In the long term, what gets me to keep going every day --- what makes getting out of bed worth it? Knowing that my life, as tiny and short as it is, has a point. Knowing that my chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. It's simple enough I can tell myself that even while I'm stumbling around half-awake with my shirt on inside out.
https://ofdreamsandswords.wordpress.com
Knowing I can get back in it later.
ReplyDeleteRecently, it's been the Silmaril Awards. They're like the Emmies or Oscars of fantasy characters. And every day, I have a note to myself right by my alarm clock that says "Silmaril Awards". And then I leap right out of bed and go find out who won the award. It's SO much fun.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, they end this Friday, so I only have two more to go. :( That means I'll have to find something else to get me up and running. Wonder what that'll be...
What inspires me to get out of my bed? I guess knowing that I'm alive and God's given me another day. More chances to follow him and get to know him more.
ReplyDeleteWriting's been a little rough this summer. *sigh* I sometimes have worship time for myself when everyone else is either asleep or doing their own thing. That's usually at early mornings or late nights. I've been prepping my room to be painted, so I've been waking up earlier. Then i help with my baby cousin later on if they need me. :)
I want to get up earlier each morning to enjoy this summer while it lasts. When you wake up earlier, it makes the days feel longer. lol
My cat also jumps up where I'm sleeping and by the window, so basically he likes to stand there right in front of my face. lol He's so adorable, but he loves to wake me up. I open my eyes and see little cat eyes staring at me. Talk about freaky.
I'm seeing comments where you all are waking up around 5 a.m., and I'm looking at myself like "YOU'RE WASTING LIFE!!!" xD
God Bless you all, and I hope you're enjoying your summer. Some people I know have already started. It's still July!!! *prays that's not you*
Oh gosh, people are already back to school? What happened to the middle of August when they go back?
DeleteYour not wasting your life. Some people are just early risers and some aren't. No big deal.
Hopefully your painting goes well. What colors were you GJE thinking about doing? :D
Yup. I guess no one cares about a long break after MONTHS of toil. (drama) Some of the new schools are starting early to get a head start, i guess. I know my little cousin's already started. Poor, poor child. *sighs deeply* I think some go back to school around August 26. I may be wrong, though.
DeleteI feel like summer's flying by and my writing's just not...going anywhere. *wail* I did get up early today because we finally started to actually paint. (couldn't decide on the colors. lol)
Thanks! It's going pretty well so far. We decided to go with Midnight Fog (dark bluish, a kind of gray. I think it's pretty), Lake Breeze (a mint color, but a bit darker), and then Salmon Bisque (salmon pink). Two walls will be Midnight Fog, the other two will be Lake Breeze, and the trim will be salmon Bisque. Though, we have a two layer door, so we'll have a couple different colors there. This is going to work out really well! :) Thanks for asking, Ivie. <3
God Bless! *hugs*
Sounds awesome. The painting part, not the going back to school part. (Though I always looked forward to back to school. I'm a nerd.) *pushes glasses back up on my nose*
DeleteHave fun with the painting. :D
It's looking great! The colors are coming out perfectly. I think we'll do some of the other walls tomorrow.
DeleteReally? I always dread it. I dunno. Worrying about remembering formulas and how to do certain things kills me. lol Well, hey. That's a great mindset to have.
My mom and grandpa were actually doing the painting. We have textured walls, so it can get tricky. Plus, I have no experience whatsoever. lol
It's so satisfying watching the paint being brushed onto the bumpy walls. :D
These days, I get up because I know I have to. That's all.
ReplyDeleteWriting has been going worse now than it ever has gone for me. Ever.
Life feels so empty now . . .
I'm sorry you feel that way. Maybe taking a break from writing will help. I've had to do that before and it really helped with my inspiration. Often times, we put too much pressure on ourselves to get done when we need to slow down and enjoy the process.
DeleteJust remember you have a purpose here and you're loved.
God bless you! <3 <3
Ivie, you’re so sweet. My problem isn’t overworking myself, though. I noticed several weeks ago that I was in need of some inspiration for my (enormous) novel, so I decided to take a novel hiatus and just do “lax” writing in the meantime.
DeleteWeeks have dragged on without so much as a sniff of inspiration. Taking walks, going to the park, reading new books, watching documentaries—all the activities that usually ignite my imagination—simply refuse to yield anything worthwhile. I feel like I’ve finally dredged up every last seed of inspiration there is to be found in this barren, lonely little town.
To make matters worse, I am not satisfied with the quality of my “lax writing.” Everything I write seems stiff as if it were forced (although it isn’t), and as drained of wit as something I have read two hundred—no, three hundred times before.
I’ve had dry periods in the past, but none of them were ever near as severe as this. This is a veritable drought. I drag myself on across the desolate sands of the day, yet there is no oasis in sight. The dunes under which my sun crawls to sleep look just the same as those lifeless ones over which it has risen.
I feel sad and lost and I don’t have the heart for anything anymore.
Thank you so much for your sympathy, Ivie. Be assured that you are also loved. God bless you thousandfold, and may He help you write.
I completely understand. I get that way sometimes. It can be hard to balance an idea when it feels like it isn't going the way you want it to.
DeleteI'm not sure if it was intentional or not, but your words here are poetic, the type of prose I struggle to write. Something like this is a gift.
I am often unsatisfied with my own work and it can be rough. If you don't mind me asking, what's your novel about?
I know exactly how you feel. The lost feelings will go away with time. It can be a tough season of life. Joy is around the corner for you. Just know that no matter what you're going through, with God's strength, you can overcome it.
<3 <3
I'm sorry you're feeling this way. I don't know if you're a Christian, but Jesus turned my life around. I had this depression and sad, helpless feeling for so long. I wanted to die, but I figured out that Jesus wasn't the one leaving me, I was leaving him. His love is the kind of love you never want to leave. He is my joy and my inspiration, and I believe if you let him, he can be yours too. He loves you, Hanan Adi.
DeleteI was in the same exact place you re in right now. I was looking everywhere else, but in God's direction. I was looking for earthly things to help me have joy and feel whole, but that never helped. I may have been happy for a little while, but never joyful. My joy comes in Christ and Christ alone.
I'm sorry you feel empty and i know what that feels like. God's the one thing that will help you. The Love that will never let you go. You'll find the oasis, and when you drink from it, you'll never thirst again.
God Bless! *hugs*
@ LHE (I'm sorry I don't know your real name), I understand what you are trying to say. I am not a Christian but I do believe in God and I am praying every day to Him to help me bear this burden. He has helped me with many burdens in the past and I believe He will continue to do so, if only I am patient. It's just the being-patient stage that I'm stuck in right now, and it's wearing me out. Thank you anyhow for your loving words and God bless you too. *hugs back*
Delete@ Ivie (your name is really sweet, by the way), my novel *The Justice War* is a medieval epic fantasy story set in the feudal land of Asgarn on the brink of a serf rebellion. But I'll stop there so as not to put you to sleep. It's an enormous work that I have been working on for three whole years and I love it like my dearest friend.
It has occurred to me that my previous comment was better-written than most of what I have been writing these days. You must be good inspiration, then, Ivie!
Thanks so much again to you both for your sympathy and sweetness. May God make clear your paths. <3 <3 <3
I would put my whole name, but...crazy stalkers. Lol
DeleteI am praying as well for you, friend. Just keep pushing forward. Sometimes it's the hardest to be patient. It feels like you're waiting and nothing's happening, but things are happening. We just don't see them. :)
You're welcome, and thank you for that. I guess what Im trying to ask is: "Do you have Jesus in your heart? Is he your Lord and savior?" The only way to truly be his is to accept him into your heart and make him your Lord and savior. I don't want to sound pushy or rude. I really don't.
I'm praying for you Hanan! <3
Aww, thanks, LHE. I don't believe that Jesus is God, but I do believe he is a prophet of God, and I love him dearly and find his life inspiring.
DeleteOh, and congratulations on getting your room painted. It's very colourful!
DeleteThank you! I'm excited to see how it turns out. I have vision for it, but it's nice to see what you've created. lol We're actually still working on it, but I just checked to see how it's going, and i love it so far!
DeleteThe thing is, Jesus is the only way to eternal life. He's the way the truth, and the life, no one comes to the father but by him. (John 14:6) I mean, you're either for him or against him. You can't just believe that he's a prophet (I hope I don't sound pushy or anything). Believing that Jesus is a prophet of God won't give you eternal life or cover your sins with the blood of Jesus.
I just want you to know that Jesus loves you so much and that he wants you. He prays that you come to him and give him your heart. I know he's true, because he talks to me. He's told me his story and his love for me and for you. He just told me that his love for you is exceedingly great. He loves you. Your laugh makes him smile. :D (Please don;t think that's creepy. he knows you, but you don't know him.)
Let him hold you. He'll make you feel whole. I promise. <3 His love never fails.
I don't want to act like Im shoving God down your throat, but I just care so much for you. I know how you feel because I went through it, but there IS a way out. God is the only way out. I think you already know that, though. :)
Delete@Hanan Adi: You're very sweet. Ivie Brooks is my pen name. My mom helped me with it.
DeleteAs for what LHE said, she sees to have a gift of God speaking through her. When we're passionate, we may come off very strong, but we mean well. (We in general terms of people who are passionate about something.)
Your book sounds amazing. I've been writing mine for three years as well, the third year coming up in August. These books become a part of us, an outlet to life when we're tired of what's going on around us.
I'm glad God is helping you though this time. Patience is hard. I have such a hard time with patience, especially at this point in my life, but one thing I hold onto is knowing it will be worth the wait.
God bless you! <3
*seems. Not sees.
Delete@ LHE, I'm not offended at all. I don't agree with all that you say, but I do appreciate your kindness and caring. For instance, I don't believe that I need Jesus' blood to cover my sins. I believe that God (who is not a father or a son, but simply God) is the Most Merciful, and therefore as long as I sincerely try to please Him, and sincerely repent when I fall short of pleasing Him, He will forgive me. But as I said, I appreciate your love, and I admire your boldness and your readiness to share the love that you have found. Thank you for all that.
Delete@ Ivie: "One thing I hold onto is knowing it will be worth the wait."
It will be worth the wait . . . yes, I think that was what I needed to hear. Thank you for reminding me, dear friend.
No problem. Patience is hard, especially when you want to reach the outcome. This is something I've been constantly reminded of lately. It is so hard and annoying at times, but God has a plan.
DeleteHe's watching over you and cares for you.
God bless you!
<3
iviewrites.blogspot.com
Thanks for understanding. :)
DeleteEphesians 2:8-10— For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from ourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's handiwork , created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Anyway, I can't push you to do anything or make the decision to have Jesus as your savior. That wouldn't be right. But, I do want you to know that I care about you, but even more, Jesus cares for you. He wants you, but you have to want him. The only reason I keep pursuing you is because, I want you to feel the same joy that I feel and to know how real Jesus really is.
Maybe you could do this for me: I challenge you to listen to only Christian music for a month and tell how you feel after that. (There are some really cool songs, so you wouldn't have trouble finding anything.)
Jesus loves you so much, that's why he died. He couldn't stand to see you having to pay the penalty of sin.
(Romans 5:8—God demonstrates his love to us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us)
Are the blog writers Christians? (sorry, I'm new, so I may have missed this information)
ReplyDeleteYes they are, but that's not usually the primary focus of the blog. Its a lot about teen and young writers. Welcome, though. They have a lot of great information that has definitely helped me. They've taught me a lot and the people in the comments are always so sweet and uplifting.
Delete<3 Have a bless day. <3
Oh awesome! I am a fellow Christian too, so that is encouraging to hear!
DeleteMostly either my alarm, school, or xc practice. Left to my own devices, I'll get up anywhere between 8 and 10; if I have an event that requires an early bird state of mind, between 5-6. My alarm clock plays a good christian radio station when it goes off, so that's kinda nice. Whether I hit snooze and go back to sleep or not is a daily struggle. There will be the odd day when I get up at 1 (PM!) and then wish I'd done something with my life, but those days are few and far between.
ReplyDelete