amejoy - Yes, having a topic is a big help. While I have been a keen writer since childhood, I do find it helpful to have a theme around which a story can be woven., and when I joined the local writers' group nearly 20 years ago, the topics chosen by consensus at each meeting, really encouraged me to write and to approach it from a different angle, in the hope of making the piece more interesting. When I hosted the CWC, one month we had a title free month so entrants could write on any topic they liked. Interestingly, that was the month with the least number of entries, with many of the regular contributors saying without a topic they had no idea what to write about. From the short pieces I write for the writers' group, I have developed my writing and have about half a dozen partly-finished "novels" - works in progress, perhaps you can call them, though I doubt any will ever see the light of publication. However, I write for pleasure and find it such a therapeutic pastime. As I immerse myself in my characters and their situations, I can blot out the world and all the horrors in it, especially as I write light-hearted pieces only. Do continue with your writing - you have real talent and if you enjoy writing half as much as I do, then it will be a real delight for you,
