3 Ways to enjoy the (Writer's) view this Week

While looking for an inspirational picture a few months back, I stumbled across an image of a girl rock climbing. I was instantly attracted to the colors and the feeling of accomplishment that the photograph captured, so I paid for a legitimate copy and made it my desktop for several months.

Though there are no words, I learned three lessons about writing while staring into the bright orange glow of the summer sunset:

1. Writing is a Journey.

You can't call yourself a rock climber if you only think about being one. The same is true of writing. Don't think one day you'll be a writer. Pick up your notebook and be one today. Start small, and work your way up to the harder, higher peaks as you gain confidence and experience.

2. Avoid Rock Wall Vision!

Writer's have a bad habit of getting so engrossed in a single project that we forget to look around. When we do, it's like keeping our nose pressed into the rock wall — we see only the work and forget the beauty around us. Be sure to enjoy creation while you create!

3. Enjoy the Results of your Labor.

Writing (like rock climbing) is exhausting. It requires focus, strength of character, and drive. Finishing a project is a lot like reaching the mountain peak — one of the greatest feelings is being able to look back from finish to start and say, "I accomplished that!"

These three lessons now help get me started each day because they, like the picture, remind me I'm doing something I love. Something that, though always challenging, is ultimately worthwhile.

A Novel Approach to Short Story Writing

A short story is simply a novel in condensed form.

I’ve shared several times before that when I really started writing the only thing I wanted to do was publish novels. I wanted the big book on the shelf. In my mind there simply was nothing else to write other than non-fiction. And I was never going there.

Years have passed. I’ve never published that 300-page tome. But it hasn’t kept me from continuing to try. In the meantime, I’ve learned the novel isn’t the only way to go.

Wanting to be a novelist is pretty common among writers. There is a sense of mystery and adventure to it. We’re readers by nature and we want to be just like the writers we’ve grown up loving. We want to create a world people will never forget.

In our rush to publish it’s easy to forget that most of our heroes started out small, then worked their way up to something bigger. Others built their entire career around the short story. As a result this medium is often overlooked.

But that’s beginning to change in both the world of reading and writing.

The Weekend Short Story Challenge

In honor of such literary giants as Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Isaac Assimov, Philip K. Dick, Ray Bradbury, and so many, many more, I propose a challenge to any who read this post.

Let’s write (and complete) something small this weekend!

Like a novel, the story needs a beginning, a middle, and an end. Start with a hook. End with a punch. And pack in the tension. It can be something completely original, or you can tell a well-known story from a different angle. Just make it unique.

For those not familiar with short stories, here are a few options to choose from:

Short: 1,000 – 3,000 words

Flash: 1,000 words or less.

Micro: Less than 300 words.

Nano: Less than 100 words.

As an experiment, I chose a Nano Story similar to Hemmingway’s six-word story “For Sale.”

Wanted: Six-month puppy seeks loving home. Loves Tag and Hide & Seek. Well trained. Missing her little playmate.

It’s my first attempt at Nano fiction, and I plan to try my hand at another this weekend. Whether they’re ever published or not, I’ve come to realize short story writing will help me focus on what’s really important when I go back to my novel.

Want to join me in the challenge? Let me know in the comment section below. Not your thing, but know someone else who might? Please share a link!

Writing as a Calling, Offering, or Encouragement: Finding your niche in 2013

Writing can be a calling, an offering, or an encouragement,
but if there is no joy in it you may find yourself wondering what the point is.

I read a blog post recently by Book Agent Terry Burns titled “Is writing a calling, an offering, or something else?” In it, Terry posited that a calling is a specific project that is confirmed to the writer in more ways than one. An offering is a gift, something the writer wants to do out of a labor of love but not one that has necessarily been placed before her as a specific task to complete.

Then there’s the third category — one that’s equally important, but perhaps not as specific as a Calling or Offering. Terry referred to this sort of project as an Encouragement.

In this case, Terry writes, “It is possible for God to make it clear that He wants us to use our writing skills for Him, but does not give us a specific book to write. He leaves that up to us.”

This can be incredibly freeing for a writer, or it can make writing even more challenging. It all depends on how we choose to look at it. For many of us, we can’t imagine a life in which we didn’t write, but there are many days we sit in front of the computer and wonder just what words we should commit to the page. It’s not uncommon to question at some point if being a writer is even what we’re supposed to be doing with our lives.

“Where do I fit in?”

This is a question I found myself asking multiple times during the past year. I always pictured myself as a middle grade writer. The fantasy I’ve poured so much time and love into remains an incredible passion of mine but it has yet to catch the heart of the publishing industry despite an editor showing some interest in it last spring. I keep telling myself I’m going to let it go, but I just can’t bring myself to do that yet.

For years I thought that book was my calling, my purpose for being a writer. What if perhaps it was an offering instead? One that taught me invaluable lessons and has done much to hone my skills as a writer.

And then there is The Writer’s Wellspring, which I created to learn how to blog and at the same time to encourage my fellow writers. I’ll admit I’ve often wondered if I’ve utilized it in the manner I’m supposed to. There have been so many times I’ve lost track of my original goal and have gone off in different tangents. During the month of December I strongly debated discontinuing posting here, but have since decided otherwise. I just started another blog called Jots and Thoughts, which I can use for more personal topics, thus allowing this blog to be what it was intended to be, a place for writers to find fresh inspiration.

What will your writing look like in 2013?

The lesson I took away from Terry’s article is that it’s okay to write for the sake of writing. Not everything is meant to inspire millions of readers around the globe. Sometimes it’s enough just to encourage a single soul. Even if that soul is your own.

Writing is a gift. Whether you’re following a calling this year, presenting an offering, or simply just releasing your thoughts into the void, writing should also be a joy. It’s too hard a craft to continue on with if it isn’t.

Does your writing pass the 3 tests of métier?

For me, writing is the only thing that passes the three tests of métier: (1) when I’m doing it, I don’t feel that I should be doing something else instead; (2) it produces a sense of accomplishment and, once in a while, pride; and (3) it’s frightening. — Gloria Steinem

What does writing mean for you?

I was looking for my old organic chemistry textbook the other day and instead found a book I vaguely recall telling myself I would never look at again once I finished Technical Writing. The book is called Writing with Style by John R. Trimble and it’s filled with academic conversations about writing that I found only somewhat interesting during my junior year as an English major.

The above quote was on the first page I turned to and, after reading it for a third time, I found myself asking two questions. The first was: What does métier mean?  The second was: How can I add it to a casual conversation this week?

So I did what every logophile does when she stumbles across a new word. I looked it up.

According to Merriam-Webster, métier means 1) Vocation, trade. 2) An area of activity in which one excels: forte.

Looking beyond the common definition, I discovered it’s an old French word that is derived from the vulgar Latin “misterium,” an alteration of the Latin “ministerium” which means work or ministry.

All thoughts of sounding sophisticated (and even more odd) at my next public gathering where immediately cast aside. That one word had just reminded me of three things about writing. Three things I used to know, but had somehow lost sight of in the last few months.

Three Definitions of Writing

1) Writing is a vocation, a trade. We hear this all the time, but for so many of us it’s still just a hobby. As a result it is often set aside for something “more important” or is overshadowed by whatever is captivating our attention most at a given time. The people who really excel are the ones who stay focused.

2) Writing is an activity, which by definition requires action. It’s also a strength. Writing is a difficult skill to truly master. It’s something a lot of people wish they could do but, like learning to play the violin is something few ever take the time to really perfect. Those who know how to write and effectively communicate a message are blessed. It’s a shame and a waste to ignore that gift.

3) Writing is a ministry. People read because they’re looking for something to speak to them. Words encourage in moments of doubt, strengthen in times of weakness, and bring passion to seasons of apathy. Words open up new avenues of thought, take us to places we can’t visit ourselves, and allow us to understand the world through the eyes of a stranger.

Does my writing pass the test?

As I sit here I have to ask myself if writing, for me, passes the three tests of métier. How often does it fully captivate my attention these days? Do I feel accomplished when I finish a project, and do I ever feel proud of that work? There’s no doubt that it’s frightening. And I think that right there is what’s hanging me up right now.

So now I have one more question I need to find the answer to. What am I afraid of? Because, for me, it’s time to face that fear.

Changing scenery. Changing perspective.

Change has come again.

Watery gray mist swirls past my windowpane as trees huddle and are slowly striped of their pride and glory. No birds dart from their branches this morning, nor do the deer shelter in the shade.

It’s as if the natural world has let out a sigh after a long day’s work and is slowly, carefully disrobing, relaxing, and preparing for a long, well-deserved rest.

Summer is finished. And so is my time at the lodge. Today I turn in my uniform and pick up my last paycheck. There will be no more rising before dawn to greet the bleary-eyed tourist with fresh perked coffee. No more jokes with the cook. No more laughs with housekeeping.

Unlike the scene outside my window though I’m not winding down. In fact, I’m ramping up.

Fall is my favorite time of year for various reasons. While the calendar says a year is coming to an end, I see it as the beginning. It’s most likely because that’s when school starts and new lessons are learned, but I like to think the Bilbo, Frodo, and Sam played a part is shaping that point of view.

The travel bug is always strongest for me in the fall.

I don’t want to sit still. I want to climb mountains just to see what’s on the other side of the valley. I want to drive long distances just so I can smell the earthy perfumes of new towns. I want to listen to conversations I don’t understand. I want to touch people I have never known.

This fall I get to do just that. And I’m going farther than I’ve ever gone before. Uganda.

It had initially been my intention to blog from there, but after some careful consideration I decided I’m taking my journal, pens, and a camera. I’m leaving the laptop at home.

It’s not because I’m scared of damage or theft, rather it’s because I want to be fully present as I serve alongside the people there and I can’t do that if I spend half my time planning what I’m going to write next.

A wise man once said, “There’s a time and a season for everything… A time to plant and a time to harvest.”

It’s nearing the end of our season of harvest here in the States, but there’s plenty of time to plant a few extra “seeds” of ideas. This time of year, I end up with ideas of plenty. I look forward to sharing whichever ones end up sprouting when I return home in mid-November.

Tenna' ento lye omenta, aa' menealle nauva calen ar' malta.

(Until we next meet, may your ways be green and golden.)

Our choice: Rise to greatness or wallow in mediocrity

“It is in the nature of man to rise to greatness if greatness is expected of him.”  —John Steinbeck

These words greet me twice a week as I prepare to push myself in physical therapy. Though a lot of energy is going into keeping track of reps, making sure each of my muscles are in proper alignment, and focusing on breaking past the mental block of anticipated pain, this quote still finds room to rattle away in my brain; as do all the other inspirational quotes and pictures of world-famous athletes surrounding me.

This week I happened to look at my bookshelf after returning home and realized Steinbeck had it right. Each story I cherish begins with ordinary people who became heroes because they recognized there was something they had to do, and that the fate of their world depended on it.

Bilbo Baggins chose to join a quest so quickly he forgot his hat and handkerchief at home. He went head to head with a dragon and lived to tell of it. His nephew decided to take on the task of destroying the ring Bilbo “won” in a game of riddles. He lost more than his finger, but more than his life was saved.

Pastor Dedrick Bonhoeffer set aside his life in order to stand opposed to the evil he saw coming out of the leadership of the Third Reich. He was executed just before the Allies freed Germany, but his life continues to inspire and the writings he never “perfected” impact countless lives each year.

And little Hellen Keller learned she didn’t have to have sight to see or ears to hear. Instead, with a little help from Anne Sullivan, she found a way to live vibrantly rather than wallow forever in the dungeon of “Life’s not fair.” And our world is a better place because of it.

Whether real or created, each of the individuals represented on my shelves captured my attention and admiration because they chose the path of the impossible, recognizing there was no other way to move forward in their lives.

That’s when it occurred to me: If it’s in the nature of man to rise to greatness when greatness is expected, then the reverse is also true.

It is in our nature to wallow in mediocrity if mediocrity is all that is required of us.

I’m not sure why it is that way, but so many of us, myself included, can be trapped into believing we have nothing of value to offer the world.

We’re not educated enough. Not attractive enough. Not driven enough. Not bold enough. Not strong enough….

And so like John Watson at the beginning of the BBC pilot of “Sherlock,” we sit in a chair and sullenly state, “Nothing ever happens to me.” Little do we understand that is only true so long as we allow it to be.

Is there an opportunity waiting on your doorstep today? Is a little choice knocking that has to potential to become a great adventure? Let’s stop hiding in the pantry chewing on the food of discontentment and mediocrity and throw the door wide open!

Yes, the road to greatness is filled with hurdles, hurts, trials, and disappointments. But there is a payoff at the end.

On the other hand, the cupboard of mediocrity houses only discouragement and regret.

Eureka! Finding fullness in a moment of emptiness

History tells a tale of how the Greek scholar Archimedes was stymied by the problem of determining if a goldsmith had cheated the king with a crown made supposedly with only the gold the monarch had provided. Like many of us, he took his quandary with him into the bath and our understanding of volume and density changed forever that day.

I had a similar moment a couple of weeks ago. Although the situation did involve water, it didn’t take place in the bathtub. And I didn’t run through the streets naked, yelling at the top of my lungs afterwards.

The Tale of the Water Pitcher

©2011 gjphotography via Bigstock Photo

I’ve always liked checklists for the simple reason that I love crossing things off. It allows me to look back and see all I’ve accomplished in a day. At the lodge, I cross off the same items every day. One of those items is filling water goblets and placing them out for the morning guests. I’ve determined that for every ten glasses I fill maybe one is emptied. The rest go untouched. Why drink water when you have coffee, tea, and juice available?

Because of this, I end up dumping out and washing dozens of cups that have only my fingerprints on them.

On this particular day I had over thirty guests coming to breakfast and the pitcher I had been given to use on my first day filled four glasses at most. Having sprained my knee recently I was acutely aware of how much walking I was doing refilling water pitchers every morning.

That’s when I remembered seeing a large stainless steel pitcher hidden on the back of one of the shelves in the kitchen.

Based on its size I guessed I could fill all of my cups with only two trips back to the sink and I marveled at my brilliance. Little did I know I was about to have an object lesson play out before me that has stuck with me ever since.

I loaded my tray with the first ten water goblets, filled them with ice, and then added the water. A glance in my pitcher showed that I could easily fill another five to ten more, so I set out the glasses, came back to my station and started again. After filling the next set, I looked in the pitcher again expecting it would be time to refill it.

There was still a quarter of a pitcher of water left.

I was stunned and as I set out my second load I wondered how many more glasses I was going to get out of that one pitcher.

One. Two. Three…Seven…Eight…Nine….

Each time I poured I looked inside to check the water level and could not believe there was still something inside. And with each filled glass I became more and more excited.

It’s in our lowest moments that our biggest blessings are usually found.

I was reminded of the widow who had only a handful of flour and a little oil when Elijah approached her and asked for some bread, and how that handful of food was replenished every day until the end of the famine (1 Kings 17).

I recalled another impoverished widow whose sons were about to be taken from her to cover her debts. Elisha told her to gather as many pots as she could find then fill them with what oil she had in her one little jar. The oil didn’t run out until she had filled every single jar, and so her family was saved (2 Kings 4).

And then I remembered a little boy in a crowd of five thousand who stepped forward to share his two meager fish and five tiny barley loaves, and whose gift resulted in enough leftovers to fill twelve baskets (Matthew 14).

That’s when it hit me—I was the pitcher.

I’d been feeling so drained that I wondered how on earth I could be of any encouragement to others and yet, when I considered the last year, I realized I had never witnessed so many moments of fullness coming out of the supposed emptiness in my life.

And that right there was the catch.

Pitchers don’t fill themselves. They are filled by a main source so that they in turn can fill other vessels.

The same is true of my life. I will never find fulfillment in myself. I have to tap into the Life Source. It’s from that connection abundance flows out of my life and into others (John 4:14).

Like the individuals above, it took a moment of near emptiness to realize just how incredibly blessed my life really is. I don’t have to sit waiting for the right opportunity to come around to make a difference in my world. I can be that difference now.

I’ve come to the conclusion that if what I write or do each day affects only one life, the effort is more than worth it. Just as a pitcher can’t fulfill its purpose by sitting on a shelf, neither can I. And like the pitcher, I don’t have to be overflowing to fill a single glass. 

A little bit goes a long way.

By the time I’d set out all the water goblets I had enough left over to fill three more, and still there were a few drops left at the bottom of that pitcher. I had all I needed for the day, plus some!

So there you have it. My Eureka moment won’t go down in history for changing the world of mathematics, and it may never solve any global problems, but it did improve my perspective.

P.S. To this day, I’ve never been able to fill as many water goblets as I did that morning. But that doesn’t mean I’ve quit trying!

3 Reasons Why You Need a Writing Support Team

Having a writing partner doesn't just keep you on track, it's a lot of fun as well!

Last week I wrote about the importance of having a core group of writers to help combat issues with Writers Isolation. This week I'd like to talk about accountability partners. Whether found in the form of a critique group, a single friend you meet up with regularly for "coffee dates," or through an online forum, I've discovered three vital reasons for having a writing support team:

Having a writing support team keeps you focused

I have a mind that wanders worse than a puppy set loose in a 5-acre fenceless field. I stare at the sky. I stare at the grass. I think lots of thoughts. I have lots of ideas I want to do something with, and sometimes I get so wrapped up in the planning stage it kills my productivity. I've written in the past that I found an accountability partner in my friend Xochi; we share in what's happening in nearly every aspect of our lives, but most importantly we know we can safely confide in each other about our writing ups and downs.

One of the things I love the most about our friendship is that when she reads through my work she's not afraid to lovingly call me out when I meander down a rabbit trail. Without telling me what to do to fix it she'll point out where I got off track, suggest passages to reconsider, and offer up a couple tips that, after I mull them over a bit, get me moving in the right direction again.

Having a writing support team keeps you moving forward

Ultimately, the only person responsible for getting you to sit down and finish what you've started is yourself, but it sure helps to have someone to bounce ideas off of — and when necessary, keep you on task. Xochi and I try to set aside some time every week to bring each other up to speed about what's going on. Her first question to me is always the same: How's the book project coming? How's the blog?

We both understand that life gets pretty hectic at times. This past year I've worked a number of odd jobs doing everything from leading a middle school and high school youth group, caregiving, and more recently working the breakfast shift and helping with housekeeping duties at a local river lodge to make ends meet. Xochi's a wife, the mother of a teenaged boy, and a student working towards her Masters. There are days we forget we're both writers as well, and if we want to continue being writers, we have to write.

Having a writing support team challenges you as an individual

I tend to hover on the more introverted side of the personality spectrum, which unfortunately means I hold back in my writing as well. Xochi is the opposite. Since I've started working with her I've found a new boldness that has gone beyond writing and bled into other aspects of my life as well. It was because of her encouragement that I started looking into the Mount Hermon Christian Writer's Conference last winter (and thanks to my sister, I was able to attend this past spring). With a little tough love from Xochi (and many others) I stepped out of my comfort zone and pitched my book to both an editor and an agent while I was there. 

Later, when I didn't think I had it in me to sit at my desk every day to finish the aforementioned book re-write and proposal for the editor and agent, Xochi was there with little care packages, lots of encouraging words, and when needed, some brutally honest ones as well. I'm still waiting to hear back on my proposals, but Xochi has been keeping me motivated to continue working on new projects (and hold onto my sanity) in the meantime.

What does your writing support group look like? And if you haven't found one yet, what prevents you from reaching out to someone? 

Breaking free of the solitary mentality

It's easy to forget as writers that we do not undertake this journey on our own.

The first blog piece I ever wrote was the result of a lengthy correspondence with a writer friend about a malady I dubbed Writer's Isolation. It's a malaise that targets even the most productive writer and its symptoms include: frustration, despair, and a sense of overwhelming loneliness even in the midst of our greatest times of creativity. Two years later I find this continues to be one of the most common plagues affecting the writers I am in contact with, including me.

The writer's life is not a sentence to solitary confinement...

Anyone who has been writing for any length of time can attest that ours is largely a solitary pursuit. We tuck ourselves away in our “offices,” turn on our favorite playlist, and ultimately cut ourselves off from this world in order to cross over to another. Even though we start out with the noblest of intensions, these journeys never come without a price. Writing requires focus, dedication, passion, and a dream that cannot fully be understood by those who aren’t writers. While family and friends may offer a tremendous amount of support, they have a hard time relating to the stress that results from spending long hours alone at the keyboard.

This is why it is vital for writers to connect with other writers. Whether it's through online support, a local critique group, or becoming a member of a larger writing organization, we need to be in frequent communication with other writers about more than how many words we've written or cups of coffee we've poured in one writing session. We need individuals with whom we can be honest, and with whom we feel safe discussing our highest and lowest moments in life.

...Each of us has a role to play within a larger community!

I met many of my writing companions during my time as a member of the Christian Writers Guild and I have many more who are a part of Inspire Christian Writers and other writing organizations. Add in the friends I've made at various conferences around the country, and the community of writers I've joined through Twitter and Facebook, and I have absolutely no excuse not to reach out when I'm struggling. Chances are we rarely, if ever, meet in person, but just knowing we’re on similar journeys goes a long way in forming a bond akin to those of firefighters, soldiers, and police officers. We need to remember we're in the trenches together. We're a part of a unique community who can specifically encourage each other, brainstorm, congratulate accomplishments, swap stories about our real lives, and, as a result, be reminded of why we chose this path in the first place: To inspire others and ourselves.

This also means that we need to be careful in our interactions with each other. It doesn't matter if we're offering a bit of advice, giving a critique, or just chatting for the sake of chatting, our goal should always be to build up and encourage, never to cut down or discourage. Published or not, we're all part of the same team.

No matter what our vocation or location, we were never meant to undertake life’s journey on our own. I think Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says it best, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls alone and has no one to help him up.”

When in doubt, remember: You are never alone.

If you find yourself struggling with Writer’s Isolation, don’t drop your pen in despair. Seek out a fellow traveler who can help you through whatever sludge is dragging your feet down. But most importantly, remember the greatest promise of all: “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

Admire the Problem

"The Dragon"

One of the most used Aps on my iPhone is “Shanghai” (not to be confused with the multi-player card game), a game in which the player matches tiles in order to clear themed boards such as a “Dragon,” a “Beatle,” a “Coffee Cup,” and the like. As far back as I can remember this style of game has been my favorite distraction when mulling over a problem or when needing to kill some time in a waiting room.

The thing I enjoy the most about “Shanghai” is that when I finish a board I’m treated to three “Fortunes.” True to form, some of the sayings are vague (ie. Your emotional nature is strong and emotional), some are rather comical (ie. Never, ever fry bacon in the nude), and some just really make you think.

Enlightenment comes while ducking the “unsolvable” riddle

The other day while avoiding my keyboard I noticed something interesting — when I consider the entire board I am able to find multiple matches at once, when I look for a specific match I tend to get stuck. Then I get frustrated and have to put it down for a bit. It’s very similar to what happens when I’m writing. When I focus too much on one particular aspect of the story without considering the entire plot I get blocked, I get frustrated, and I pick up my phone.

I think the game read my mind while I was thinking those thoughts because when I finished my puzzle it gave me the following fortune:

If you don’t have a solution, you should admire the problem.

Now I know what admire means, but I decided to turn to my dictionary and read the definition again. The origin of the word, according to Merriam-Webster, is “from the Middle French admirer, to marvel at, from Latin admirari, from ad- + mirari to wonder…” Synonyms include: appreciate, consider, esteem, regard, respect, and set store by.

Going by that definition I returned to mulling over my “fortune.”

When we take the time to admire a problem we’re able to distance ourselves from it, to consider it from all angles before coming to a conclusion —one that may actually be something we wouldn’t at all have considered had we just been staring at one aspect of problem itself. (This is exactly the sort of thing Sherlock Holmes has been preaching to me since I was in middle school, but like Dr. Watson, too often I see without observing.)

This brought me to my next epiphany...

Writers are by nature problem solvers.

We enjoy creating hopeless scenarios and then working to find THE solution. Like Captain Kirk, we don’t believe in a no-win situation. If we can’t find the answer we’ll rewrite the story to suit our purposes.

And therein lies one of the writer’s biggest challenges.

When a solution does not readily make itself apparent we get frustrated. We curse our inability to write well. We mope about in our pajamas. We avoid our manuscripts saying we’re too busy or too bored with the concept. We obsess. We pout. We threaten to quit. Then, wouldn’t you know it, the moment we step back and throw up our hands…LIGHT BULB!

When we take the time as writers to “admire” the problems we come up against in our writing, to consider them from all angles, a full picture emerges in which the possibilities become readily apparent. Rather than coming at a problem like a hurdle that must be overcome at all costs, perhaps we should approach it as like a piece of artwork that takes a little time, a little patience, and a dash of respect to discover its many mysteries.

Who knows what we’ll uncover when we do.

Your turn! How do you look at problems that arise when you’re writing? What helps you work through them?

Tulle, Lace, and Ribbons...for the bride!

On Saturday, my little sister will begin her new life with an incredible young man. And we are all incredibly excited for her!

Needless to say, we currently find ourselves surrounded by enough tulle, lace, and ribbon to swaddle the mountains that hem in our beautiful valley. Now, if only those same mountains will drive away the clouds are supposedly going to sweep in come this weekend. (The wedding is outside!)

Rain or shine, it is going to be a beautiful ceremony and the chaos of the past few weeks of preparation has given me plenty of food for thought, and feast of ideas for future use in my own writing. This is what a writer's life should be like!

If you're finding yourself drained this week, take some time off to enjoy the beautiful summer weather. Do something creative. Then get back to your desk and write about what you discovered!

Looking for the extraordinary in the ordinary

A cottonwood seed hidden in the grass. 2012 J.E. Lindsay

The Cottonwood is drifting through my yard like so many downy ideas just waiting for the right moment to settle and take root. It’ll cling to anything: hair, clothing, spiderwebs. It piles together in crunchy clumps and rolls across the road like bits of snowy tumbleweed.

The amount of seed being released is truly uncountable. The number that will find a fertile place to rest and grow to full-sized trees will only be few.

The ancestor of every action is a thought. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

As I sit at my desk watching these micro-sized assailants to my eyes, throat, and nose parade through the neighborhood I’m reminded of all the stories that have flitted through the field of my consciousness. Some have had great potential but failed to take hold. Most have floated on by without me ever being aware they’d ever existed.

Then there are those few little wisps of the imagination that landed among the right mix of creativity, passion, and gumption. Some of them grew quickly and have gone on to encourage and inspire others. Some are taking their time in maturing, and I love them all the more for it.

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. ~ Marcel Proust

One of the most incredible aspects about writing is we never really know which little seeds will go on to produce the most fruit. This is why it’s so important to train ourselves to discover the extraordinary in every single day. We have to continue fertilizing and watering our creative selves if we want to do anything of value.

And the possibilities for inspiration are as endless as the fluff in the air around me!

It can come from an art walk. A car show. A goofy video posted by a couple of bored children on holiday. Even something as seemingly mundane as watching bits of pollen in the wind could ultimately provide the perfect soil for something incredible to grow.

If you overlook the ordinary, you’ll never see the extraordinary.

A 158-year-old cottonwood tree grows in the middle of an intersection
 in rural Audubon County, Iowa. (Via BigStock.)

There are few things that irritate my seasonal allergies as much as cottonwood pollen, but anyone who has ever seen a full-grown cottonwood tree would tell you it’s beautiful. Like so many things in nature, you would never guess how large the trees get (up to 80 feet) based on looking at the minuscule seeds.

And as with the fury bits floating on sunbeams as I type this, you’ll never spot a life-changing thought if you aren’t actively looking for it. 

The Quandary of the Writer

It’s probably safe to say at some point every writer has thrown hands to air and moaned, “Why would anyone ever want to hear what I have to say?”

Whether it’s after a particularly difficult day of writing in which the internal editor vetoes every sentence or it’s the result of receiving another “pass” on a project, there will just be those days when we wonder why we even bother.

A dear friend of mine faced one such moment during a difficult critique session. Afterwards one of the members of the group stated that she would never purchase a book dealing with the written subject. What made it even harder to hear was that the critiqued piece dealt with something the writer had difficulty facing herself in the first place.

Questioning our purpose isn’t limited to just writers. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah is dubbed the weeping prophet for a reason. There was little that happened during his lifetime to rejoice over. He spoke the words he was called to speak and was ignored, rebuked, and rejected by his people. In a fit of despair he even accused the Lord of trapping him in an impossible position.

He lamented, “…if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in, indeed, I cannot. (Jer. 20:9 NIV)

As writers we all face moments in which we have to answer for ourselves if our calling is worth the heartache and pain.

It’s one thing to write for entertainment; however, the words that ultimately hold the most lasting value are those which hold up a mirror and cause us to look at uncomfortable things about ourselves and the world in which we live.

Words that reveal a truth we may not wish to see.

As a result, there will always be someone who, intentionally or not, will cut you down. There will always be moments we look at our work in progress and say “I cannot write about this. It’s too hard.” 

This is especially true when writing about something that’s controversial or sensitive in nature.

In speaking with my friend we both learned that sometimes the question we ought to be asking is not “Who would want to hear what I have to say?” but rather, “Am I willing to listen to what is being spoken to me?”

Sometimes the very thing we write is meant for our personal growth and healing. When that process ends up helping someone else it’s just an added bonus.

In the end it may not matter if what we write goes on to be published to raving acclaim. Sometimes all that matters is that we finish what we start. And finish it well.

Learning to recognize the changing seasons (and tasks) in our lives

The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded for his own labor. (1 Cor 1:8)

In my current role as a youth leader I’ve spent a great deal more time studying Scriptures than I have in the past, most of which has been in order to teach my students. This morning, however, I took the time to read more for myself and I opened to the first chapter of 1 Corinthians. It ended up being a reminder I vitally needed right now.

The beginning of Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church is dealing with a problem that had arisen in an among the believers there about which teacher was the best: Paul or Apollos. It’s the type of debate we still get up in arms about today from everything from who is the worst heroine ever to stumble across the printed page to who is the best leader for our country. In this case Paul’s answer was surprisingly simple: Neither and both.

The thing we all need to remember, according to Paul, is no matter what our role we are only part of a whole. A team designed to work together. Without a planter there is no seed placed in the ground. Without someone to water, the seed can never germinate and grow. Without someone to weed, those little seedlings are going to get choked out. And without someone coming up behind to help bring in the harvest, all the time that the planter, waterer, and weeder put into nurturing those plants will have been for nothing.

This short little passage also reminded me that each of us finds ourselves given certain tasks during specific seasons of our lives. These tasks aren’t just for the benefit for others, they’re for our benefit as well. It’s during these times our personal character is stretched. And as writers of both fiction and non-fiction, we have to go through these painful processes if the words we share as a result are going to have any lasting value to our readers.

And then there are the seasons that come with the planting analogy he uses. Solomon wrote, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot…”

If I’ve learned anything it the past year, it’s how true those words are. Seasons change. Tasks are assigned and completed. The question I had to ask myself is, when the time comes will I be paying attention so I know my job is finished? And am I willing to move on so I can start the next?

Keep. Store. Toss.

I just finished consolidating my two-bedroom apartment into two bedrooms. This meant as I packed up the last couple of years I had some tough decisions to make: what am I absolutely going to need over the next (I hope) few months, what can I put into storage for the time being, and what should I just get rid of all together?

As I considered which box to put everything into I couldn’t help comparing it all to writing. When we first start a project we have a lot of room to spread out. We get to pick setting, mood, themes, and design. We choose how to furnish our world. We play with moving one line to another spot. And we’re free to let our imaginations run wild.

Inevitably that means we also collect a lot of clutter. We craft scenes that expand a character. We create backstory that reveals everything about our world. We add thoughts that tie into the overall theme of an article, and then take us on a related tangent. Then, just when we hit the final period in that last sentence and step back to admire and enjoy our finished project, we discover it’s time to pull out the recycle bin.

I find it fitting that my move came at the same time as I was embarking on a serious rewrite in preparation of sending a book proposal to an editor. As with my packing, I’ve had to consider my entire story and evaluate what is immediately needed to carry the plot, what information could be stored away for later use, and what dialog, subplots, and flat characters needed to be tossed all together.

As adept as I’ve become with it, I abhor moving. I’m one of those writers who loves the creative part that initially comes when writing a story. I cringe when it’s time to rewrite. It’s difficult, yes, but I can now see exactly how it has served to strengthen my writing overall and give my book a more defined purpose and meaning.

At the same time, I get to see how true this is of my overall life as well.

The hardest part about being a writer...

“The hardest part of being a writer is not getting your commas in the right place but getting your head in the right place. Where help is really needed is in the area of countering anxiety, frustration, and despair.”

— Ralph Keyes, The Writer’s Book of Hope

Ok! I'm officially lost!

I’ve been messaging back and forth with a couple of my writer friends this past week and if there is one statement that describes us, it’s Ralph Keyes’ above quote.

Each of us are in different places in life: friend one is married and trying to get her freelance writing business off the ground while pursuing her passion of creative writing.

Friend two just finished her Masters program and beyond looking towards what’s next in her life, is trying to start writing again but doesn’t quite know where to begin.

And me, I’ve come to the realization that writing a story I’m passionate about becomes something much more challenging when I know there’s an editor waiting for it. The clock is ticking and I find myself more distracted than ever with everything life has decided to throw at me at once.

Though currently boxed up, I have book after book that helps with the edit process, gives tips on making your writing POP, and offers more prompts to get your creative thoughts moving at 3AM than I know what to do with. Each is an invaluable resource, but there are days when all that advice can just make you feel more overwhelmed, more frustrated, and more desperate.

In speaking with my friends this week, I’ve been reminded that as amazing as they are, How-To books don’t always hold all the answers. When it comes to the area of countering anxiety, frustration, and despair it takes a real person who is walking that same road right alongside you to lift you up and get you moving in the right direction again.

Who’s your companion? And what’s the best advice you’ve ever received (or given) when you’ve needed to get your head in the right place?

Inspiration Comes to Those Who Look

Yesterday I took a walk purposefully looking for inspiration. I was with several others who were talking about a TV show I don’t watch, which meant I needed to focus a little harder than I would have had I gone walking alone.

It took a while, and required I take a few steps back, but I finally found what I was looking for. And it came in the most unlikely form: a Highlights magazine-worthy, can you spot the hidden treasure? 

As I found them, I took a quick snap shot. I only had my phone with me, and with nature it’s hard to get up close without startling your subject, so you may have to look a little harder to find what I saw, but I made sure each is visible.

What did I come away with?

Sometimes we get so lost in all the details of the big picture we overlook what’s right in front of us. There are days you may write three pages worth of content and come back later realizing you only have one really good thought.

Treat that little thought like the gem it is. As you cut and polish it you’ll eventually see something of immense value come to light.

I went for a walk looking for inspiration among the water and trees. I came home and found a sentence that changed my perspective and opened a new world of possibilities for my story without requiring any major changes to my overall outline. It was a hidden treasure so to speak. A clue left for me and eventually for my readers.

Which gives me a new quote for my pegboard: Inspiration comes to those who look.

Where have you found inspiration this week? Share in the comment section below!