Fi Phillips

This month's photo inspiration is a shot I took while out walking the dog. It was one of those days ('brisk' as my father would have called it) that pinches your cheeks and hurries you along. The grass was crisp over the frozen soil beneath, and as my dog investigated a nearby tree, I took a moment to, well, just take a moment. Normally, I look up. On that day, I looked down. Peering up from beneath the layer of frost were three daisies. While the winter world lay dormant and still, these tiny flowers dared to show their faces. This year is all about (more) change for me and these daisies, surviving in the chill, reminded me that to make progress, I will have to run the risk of poking my head outside my comfort zone. What do these daisies in the frost mean to you? Survival? Hope? Perseverance? Let me know. I'd love to know what they inspire you to write.

Perseverance. That's what it takes to be a writer. You keep on finding the ideas, pushing them into a write-able shape. You work at the first draft until it's finished. You take out the red pen and push through the re-write, then you keep on polishing and honing until you have a book that you're happy to submit. Phew - I'm exhausted writing about all that perseverance. In his article, Writing Is Worth It , Simon P Clark writes about this issue from his point of view. It's well worth a read of this post on the Writers & Artists website. Have a look .

Firstly, apologies for the delay in posting what was supposed to be a  Tuesday Choice Words article. A hospital appointment distracted me for the day. I'm fine, although a little tender and light headed, and raring to get back on the horse (or should that be a unicorn?). Perseverance is an important part of my life. I persevere as a parent to keep my children safe, healthy and happy. I persevere in trampling though the tangles that life throws in my way. I also persevere in my writing, even when I want to tear my hair out over a plotline or a paragraph. Isn't that what human existence is about, essentially, striving to continually move forward? In her article, Acme Anvils and the Long Unicorn Ride to Publication , Beth Cato discusses how she persevered with her own writing journey through agent and publisher rejection, penning her books, and the fight against self doubt. This is a topic that affects most of us writers. Have a look.

I've been following The Prosperous Writer blog by Christina Katz this year in my drive to be a more effective writer. This week she talks about 'perseverance'. She says, "Writers who succeed in the long run do not succeed solely because they are talented. They succeed because they have cultivated the art of hanging in there". J K Rowling faced and overcame many rejection slips before her Harry Potter books found a publisher. Stephen King drove his wife to distraction (and near bankrupcy) while he beavered away at his short stories and novels before finally hitting the big time and becoming the successful, prolific published writer he is today. I have to admire these people for sticking with it and believing in themselves in the face of rejection. On bad days I beat myself up for not persevering over the distractions of the last two decades but on better days I have to admit that those years have allowed me to hone my skills and build my life experience. I can now...