A Season of Love - Hate

 This morning, in those foggy, first few moments after waking up, I grasped the edges of a dream still wafting about my brain. Words and sentences formed in my still-sleepy mind. Nearly a paragraph fell into place on a topic that I could use in this very blog post today. A contented sigh preceded several more minutes of half-asleep peace.

I love when that happens, when real life injects itself into a writing assignment or captures the everyday-ness of life and gathers it into a meaningful collection of words that can comfort, educate, inspire, or entertain.  

Unfortunately, those precious, slumbery second-hand trips around the clock erased the meat of the dream-inspired theme I’d celebrated just minutes before, leaving a blank slate in its place. No amount of reaching into my now fully awake mind rescued more than a few random words. I hate when that happens. When will I stop relying on an aging memory to keep safe those impromptu lines that string together in random moments?

Now, today. From this moment forward, I vow to record in a talk-to-text message to myself any and all writing-related ideas, bits of dialogue, catchy phrases, vivid descriptions, snatches of inspiration. As witnessed this day by you, my writing comrades.

The season of transition for my writing life, that I wrote about last month--that I was so excited about--hit several sad, frustrating, emotional snags, before this longed-for season drew its first breath. The best of intentions and well-laid plans dashed. And along with them, my inspiration and motivation evaporated. I hate when that happens.

Now, five weeks later, it’s time for take #2. Because that’s what we writers do, right? We pick ourselves up, dust off the clingy debris of life’s interruptions, and get back on track. I’m counting on my favorite calendar season to inject inspiration and motivation into this second go at a new writing season. The bold splashes of red and orange, golds and browns and yellows seen out my window. The aroma wafting from my kitchen of autumn’s bounty baked into sweet treats. I love when fall happens. And I vow to give this glorious season permission to soothe and warm my weary heart.

Sometimes I hate the solitary nature of writing. That’s why I’ve claimed an “office spot” at a local fast-food restaurant, mostly for the people encounters it offers. And the refillable fountain Diet Coke. But mostly the opportunities to chat a bit and indulge the “people person” part of my personality. I love connecting. So, you can imagine that I’m already hating that my fave writing den will be closed for six to seven weeks for remodeling as soon as the end of October. Grrrr . . . Which means I’ll have to fill my connecting-with-people needs (and my Diet Coke addiction) by other means. Doable but frustrating. I’ll give you a full report next month on how that’s going.

I like all kinds of people connections, but nothing beats connecting with other writers. And next month’s Indiana Chapter meeting will offer a fab opportunity to do just that. Several of our own will share the opportunities and resources they’ve discovered and utilized to grow their craft, set and reach toward writing goals, and ignite and maintain inspiration. So, set aside Saturday, November 5, to join your fellow Hoosier writers via Zoom for a friendly session of iron sharpening iron. All the details coming soon!  

 Beth’s combined experiences teaching the high school Sunday School class, substitute teaching in the public school, and connecting with the teenage staff at the fast-food joint where she claimed a “back booth office” helped inspire her young adult “Choices Matter” fiction series. She's a "cheerleader" for saving sex for marriage and for "renewed waiting" because it's never too late to make wiser choices. Her “Waiting Matters … Because YOU Matter” blog helps people of all ages navigate the choppy waters of saving sex for marriage while her “Slices of Real Life” posts find GOD in the day-to-day moments of real life.

  As a genetic genealogy enthusiast and "search angel," she writes and speaks about her experiences as a "foundling" who located her birth parents. Her journey to find and connect with her biological family is chronicled in the blog series “A Doorstep Baby’s Search for Answers.” She also serves on the executive board of the National Association of Adoptees and Parents. All of her writing endeavors can be found on her website, https://bethsteury.com. 

 

 

 

 

Seasons of Writing: Which Season Are You In?

Another summer is almost in the books. Local schools ring the opening bell for the 2022-23 school year tomorrow at 7:55 a.m. And as if to remind us that the fun-in-the-sun season is drawing to a close, the air here has had a decided fall feel this week, with temperatures noticeably cooler.

We're so thankful to have reveled in the kind of normal summer we used to take for granted, complete with an exciting, successful Minor League Baseball season, many days at the pool, and nurturing the love of libraries and reading with our grandson. 

Upper right: Reading "Mr. Popper's Penguins" on Gram's Kindle
 while swaying in the summer breeze.

Hours spent planting and tending to flowers and feasting on garden produce - strawberries, rhubarb, raspberries, green peppers, tomatoes. Tending and feasting that will stretch well into fall, weather permitting.  

Our last big adventure of the summer begins two weeks from today when we land on the sunny shores of Kailua Kona, Hawaii, for a long-awaited, twice-postponed exotic vacation. When we return, the calendar will have flipped to September, and I will welcome the transition to my favorite season.

It seems fitting that my writing life will be experiencing its own season of transition this fall. As some doors open and others close, I look forward to expanding a new-to-me opportunity to bring awareness to a life-impacting ministry and also to have more time to devote to the personal projects that have languished for far too long, trumped by other deadlines. 

I've learned to appreciate the value of every opportunity to write, to view each as a chance to improve my craft. Whether it be writing an email appeal, sharing the story of a life transformed, penning the next novel chapter, crafting an engaging invitation to the annual family reunion, or creating a blog post furthering the business concerns of a client, putting words to paper or screen, in any form, sharpens my skills. 

Maybe you're not in the writing season that you'd like to be in. Maybe writing has been pushed so far back that you must admit it's not even on the "back burner." Maybe you're not content with the time you have to invest in writing pursuits. Maybe the effort via time and energy spent are spot on but the "fruit" is slow to come. I encourage you to hang in there and to embrace every writing opportunity no matter how small or insignificant or boring it might be. 

While I have high hopes for the new season I see looming on the near horizon, I know that life and stuff and distractions will continue to present challenges because that's what they do. So, I'm trying to maintain realistic expectations and choosing to welcome all forms of writing. Hey, even a grocery/errands list can be full of lyrical descriptions and strong verbs. Right? 

Happy end-of-summer and cheers to each and every writing encounter. May you never miss a chance to make the words sing! 

Beth’s combined experiences teaching the high school Sunday School class, substitute teaching in the public school, and connecting with the teenage staff at the fast-food joint where she claimed a “back booth office” helped inspire her young adult “Choices Matter” fiction series. She's a "cheerleader" for saving sex for marriage and for "renewed waiting" because it's never too late to make wiser choices. Her “Waiting Matters … Because YOU Matter” blog helps people of all ages navigate the choppy waters of saving sex for marriage while her “Slices of Real Life” posts find GOD in the day-to-day moments of real life.

  As a genetic genealogy enthusiast and "search angel," she writes and speaks about her experiences as a "foundling" who located her birth parents. Her journey to find and connect with her biological family is chronicled in the blog series “A Doorstep Baby’s Search for Answers.” She also serves on the executive board of the National Association of Adoptees and Parents. All of her writing endeavors can be found on her website, https://bethsteury.com.