Monday 9 March 2015

Inspiration

by Karen M. Davis

Who inspires you?


Do you have a certain author, or numerous authors, who you admire above all the rest? Do you find them inspirational because you love, love, love their books, their writing style, or the particular stories they write? Do they inspire you because they are just so good? Or does it have more to do with their back-story? How they got to be where they are?

Success seems largely a matter of hanging on, when others have let go. William Feather


I’m inspired by hard work, determination and persistence; all qualities needed to, firstly, finish a manuscript, and then to continue writing manuscripts even when almost buried under rejection letters.

There are many Australian authors I love and find inspirational. To name a few:

Anna Romer,who doesn’t know the meaning of giving up, took fifteen years to land her first publishing deal for Thornwood House and Lyrebird Hill.

Katherine Howell (crime fiction author) wrote for years and did many creative writing courses before she became published, and then eight books followed. 

Even Kate Morton, Australia’s No 1. Best Selling author, took seven years to write her first published book, The Secret Keeper.


Clearly success does not always come easily and almost never overnight. 
Lynne Wilding


But perseverance pays off in the long run.


There are many examples of inspirational authors, and people for that matter. The one person who has had the most influence, and is still a true inspiration to me, is my mother, the late Lynne Wilding.


Of course mothers always impact our lives but what I’m referring to is her resolve and unwavering passion in regards to writing. I remember her sitting at the dining room table with her old typewriter, papers spread everywhere as she tapped away on the keys to all hours. I also remember the look on her face whenever she received a rejection letter. Forcing a smile she’d say, “I must be getting better. They wrote three lines this time instead of one.”

I used to wonder where she found the patience... That was until I started writing and discovered a buried passion of my own. Suddenly it all made sense. It took over ten years for my mother to become published and then twelve best-selling novels followed. She still worried after each book that it would be her last, that she wouldn’t be able to do it again. But even through self-doubt she never stopped writing. She was my inspiration when I was writing my first book, Sinister Intent, and wondering if all the effort was worthwhile.


She is still my inspiration, especially on days when the words are not flowing, or things are not going according to plan. I think we all need a little inspiration at times.


Have you got a story of inspiration? If so please share it with us.

I love to laugh... at anything really; any laugh is a good laugh.

I love to love... my family.
I love to learn
... new things about people I know.


12 comments:

  1. Good morning everyone,

    I hope we all had a great weekend and are ready to start the new week... I'm looking forward to some inspirational comments because on a Monday I need all the inspiration I can get... What or who inspires you to want to read... or write?

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    1. Hi, Karen! Same here...Monday's for me are an uphill climb, but fortunately I have heaps in my life to 'inspire me.' Like you my Mom plays a huge role...I was fortunate enough to be blessed with a step-mom who is more like my fairy god-mother than an evil queen. She's been my inspiration since I was a frightened and somewhat unloveable three year old. She's often the inspiration for my heroines...her quiet preserverance and 'can do' attitude are qualities that I aspire to for myself and my heroines. She's also the person who pushed me to write...and keep writing against all odds.

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    2. Hi Dee Scully, you are very lucky, your step-mum sounds amazing. She is clearly an influence and inspiration to you and its great you can use that in your writing...

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  2. Hi Karen! Finding out about the long road to publication for the great Aussie writers you mentioned was inspirational for me. Anna Romer is one of my favourite authors and if she'd given up her dream of publication within those 15 years we might never have had the pleasure of reading her books.
    Writing is damn hard work and persistence is definitely the key to success.

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    1. Hi Marilyn Forsyth, I am with you as a fan of Anna's. She is one of my favourite authors too. A great writer and a lovely person. It is interesting when you speak to other writers, hearing their stories, their climb to publications and finding out that most have not done it easily or overnight. Persistence seems to be the common theme doesn't it.

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  3. Love this post Karen. Inspiration can come from anywhere but I love that your talented mother not only inspired you to write but was such a role model for never giving up. JK Rowlings had a heap of rejections and now is a household name - all because she never gave up. Stephen King had a huge pile of rejections and he is a international best seller every time he releases a new book. You need PIP in this business - Passion, Inspiration and Persistence. I am happy to see that you have PIP.

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    1. I must remember that PIP acronym, Cassandra. I like it!

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  4. Hello Cassandra Samuels, I am glad you explained what PIP is or I would have been lost. Thanks for the insight into a few famous authors there who did not make it without PIP. Very interesting. You clearly have a lot of PIP as well. It seems no one gets anywhere without it.

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  5. Hi Karen. inspiration for me comes from the great will writers have to write, the need to reach for their dreams of being published authors. Even as those rejections keep coming. Their tenacity and sheer determination to continue reaching for their goals and their passion for writing inspires me and so I write and always write.

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    1. Hi Enisa Haines, thanks for your comment. I think when you love to write - as you and so many of us do - we cannot help but do anything else but write. Hearing other peoples stories of determination can't help but inspire us, I think. So even as much as we enjoy our craft and will carry on regardless, those inspirational stories help to keep us going on the more difficult days. Well that's how it works for me anyway.

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  6. Karen, you're not the only one inspired by your mother. I found her one of the most lovely, positive, encouraging and inspirational women I've met in the writing field. Her sheer persistence paid off, and now the world enjoys her books.... and your books! Win, win.

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  7. Hi Malvina, thanks for your lovely words. I think, being a humble woman, she would have been surprised and delighted to hear your praise. I don't think she would have ever thought of herself as inspirational. Funny how a person inspirational, and so many other things, and they don't even realise it.

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