Wednesday, August 23, 2017

THE CHALLENGE OF WRITING THROUGH HARD TIMES BY MIMI PIZARRO-LOGSDON

This week our members will be sharing their experiences 
on writing through hard times.  




I’d attempted several times to write the first line of this article. I hoped to make an eloquent or profound statement about the challenge of writing through hard times, specifically during my husband’s current illness. Unfortunately, now, in this moment, the only line that constantly circles through my mind, like the ticker tape that runs underneath the news broadcast, is “It sucks!”

It hasn’t always been that way. Writing has been a comforting friend. Written words are the catharsis that have helped me through many hard times.

When my older sister died of a heart attack at the young age of 50 in 2005, I wrote dozens of short stories about her and the fun adventures we had while growing up. They were my savior during my mourning. She was my half-sister, but I whole loved her. In fact, she gave me my first romance novel. While cleaning her bedroom, I found a manuscript she’d been working on. It was a regency romance novel. That day I learned something new about my sister. She was a romance writer.

Writing comforted me again in 2013 when I was diagnosed with Uterine Cancer. After surgery, I felt less of a woman and the whole experience made me depressed. I stopped reading. I wasn’t interested in literary novels, romantic swooning damsels, or contemporary hot women who had hot sex with hot guys. Luckily, I found my savior in Paranormal Romance and fell madly in love with the genre. It became my great escape and I began to write paranormal stories of my own. During my recovery, I attended forums, courses and workshops that led to wonderful friendships with some aspiring and established writers. Those friends suggested I’d benefit from joining the RWA and the New York Chapter. I joined Spring of 2014, excited to learn more about the art of writing romance. It brought me back.

I’ve gained an abundance of knowledge, skills, and creative growth as the result of my membership, Outlines, character profiles and scenes filled my imagination, resulting in several manuscripts. It became my passion. My husband noticed that I enjoyed it so much, he encouraged me to work towards getting published. Leading to positive progress and opportunities. When times are good, writing comes easy for. It’s fun. Happiness is a positive and productive motivator for me.

This brings me back to my opening statement. I know I’m not the only writer who has gone through hard times, has experienced loss, illness and/or an “almost” divorce. And, writing along with sculpting, painting and exercising is considered therapeutic. Writers such as Albert Camus and Alexandre Dumas wrote to release their anxiety towards philosophy and politics. Emily Dickinson and Anne Sexton wrote to help them through depression. Writing is an emotional art form. The past few months I’ve dabbled, and tried to write, but couldn’t. Instead, I shopped. It made me feel good for a day, but buyer’s remorse kicked in the next morning. This week my husband will have double surgery, half of his throat, a cancerous tumor and half of his stomach will be removed. We’ve been through a lot in 16 years, but this time I’m not scared – I’m petrified. My fear is stronger than my desire and all I can write are excuses why I can’t write. That’s why, “It sucks!” Still, the words “In sickness and in health, till death do us part” come to mind often these days. I have to believe it’s an omen that my writer’s block may be on its way out and once again writing will be my savior. Now more than ever I need to find the words to stand up to the challenge.♥


Mimi Pizarro-Logsdon has been writing romance stories since her teens, and loves the Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Paranormal genres. She has worked in the media industry for over 25 years, and currently works at HBO, Inc. She lives in New York with her husband and pets. One of them, an eccentric cat named George she features in her current romance series, "Immortals In New York." Follow her on Twitter: @mimilogsdon; Facebook: mimipizarro.


READ ROMANCE !




2 comments:

  1. "Writing is an emotional art form." I love that line Mimi. I'm new to RWANYC and one of the reasons I hesitated to join was writing for me has taken backseat to real life In good times and bad. When my sister in law died suddenly of a heart attack I decided not to wait to try to publish. I'm praying for strength for your husband and you. Prayer works. Try to keep writing if only a journal.

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  2. Mimi, my heart goes out to you and yours. Sending you all healing light. You will write again when the time is right. Catherine

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