Hi Ho. Hi Ho. Cleaning Up My Resource Library I Go...

Over the Thanksgiving Week Holiday, I decided to take some extended vacation time to work on my home related projects. It was extremely productive and very theraputic. 

One of those many, many projects stacked up on the plate was to dig into my office to sort and reorganize my resource book library...most of which has become a monument to "creative stacking."

To that end, I decided to clear out some space in one area by re-organizing what I had on bookshelves to open space, but more importantly, use the existing space I have more wisely.

My end goal was to refresh my knowledge on the resources I currently own (that may have become lost in the void,) to group like items, and to make my books easier to find by not having so many books stacked in front of each other on the shelf (or even on the top of the bookcase).

It was a win-win-win scenario that I even carried over to my DVD-BR collection (which is another source of inspiration to my creativity flow). 

Do you have a writing resource library or source of inspiration that could do with a refresh? If so, the Holidays could be a wonderful time to tackle that task and have a few side benefits as well.

It's a Christmas treat when you find old reference books that proved to be an inspiration when you first started your writing journey "back in the day." See below:

Your Dream Writing Life

A few weeks will bring us to January, named for the Roman god Janus, who faced both the future and the past. It’s a good time to reflect on the year just ended and dream of the year beginning, so let me challenge you to an exercise that a workshop leader once gave me: Describe a day in your dream writing life. Include plenty of sensory clues, because these will help you enter the dream and prompt your subconscious to make the dream your reality.

Here from my notebook is how I described my dream writing life in 2019:

I am strolling along the sidewalk in Saugatuck, Michigan, admiring the colorful gifts in shop windows. It's a sunny autumn afternoon and a balmy breeze from the harbor scatters leaves before me. I feel a sense of elation as I approach the corner bookstore where a signing of my new book has been scheduled, because I can already see that a couple dozen people are browsing the tables outside the shop and going inside. We'll have a busy afternoon.

 

When I step inside the shop, the manager greets me warmly.  She offers to make me a cup of tea before she seats me behind a table where two large stacks of my novel are waiting to be signed. My tweed jacket feels a bit warm, but I decide to keep it on because I like the professorial air it gives me. Immediately, a vivacious lady introduces herself and says, "I've been looking forward to this, Mr. Allison. I've read all of your books and can hardly wait to read this one tonight!"

 

I inhale the smell of fresh paper and ink that pervades the shop. It reminds me of so many pleasant afternoons I've spent in Borders, Barnes & Noble, and other bookstores, exploring the world of knowledge and imagination. It's satisfying to know that now I am part of that world.

You might say this is not a very realistic picture because the writing life is primarily one of hard discipline and frustration. The days of seeing our work in print and talking with enthusiastic fans are few and far between. Fair enough. But remember, our assignment is to capture the dream, not the many weeks of hard work that lead to the dream. Delightful rewards beckon us into the future, so we need to see them clearly at the turn of the year.

Now a savory cup of Earl Gray tea or the fresh-ink fragrance of Barnes and Noble reawakens my dream within me. It’s still very much alive, luring me into the new year.

How would you describe your dream writing life?

Joe Allison writes both fiction and nonfiction, and has been a member of the Indiana chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers since 2010. He lives in Anderson, IN, with his wife Maribeth and daughter Heather.

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. 

 

 

 

 

From the Archives: Life is like my Bottom Office Drawer

 Because I totally spaced writing a post for Hoosier Ink this week, we're reposting this gem from Mary Allen. And what a timely message for where I'm at in my journey. Thanks, Mary! 

Life is like my Bottom Office Drawer

by Mary Allen 

My bottom office drawer is filled with items which once had purpose. Short, white phone jacks; thick, yellow USB cords; blue cords with funny square ends to them that no one knows what they do; enormous grey plugs that look as if they mean business; and, six surviving cords from deceased laptops and printers roil about in my bottom office drawer. Each one was carefully placed in the drawer by me at some time in the past. Some of them are even labeled.

I didn’t throw them away because I expected them to be used again in the future. Plus, after laying out so much money, it felt wasteful to pitch them when the computer died, the monitor remained black, or I changed service providers and they didn’t want the old modem returned, a definite red flag as to why I shouldn’t have bothered to keep it any longer, either.

Recently, I reached into the bottom office drawer and the cords came out en masse. Also entangled in them was the cup heater, the direct line house phone (in case the power goes out), various program start-up-rescue disks, and several miles of thin, flat, black phone line. All that and I still couldn’t find the cord I needed. I was sure I’d labeled and stored it there.

I have a theory how this happens. It’s an enchanted drawer. Once the drawer closes the cords come alive and entwine like baby rattlers in a snake pit. The big nasty snake-cords eat the more benign snake-cords and have hybrid baby snake-cords that don’t belong to anything, which is why the drawer remains messy and full of useless cords that spring out at me when I open it.

A writer’s life is a lot like that drawer. We each have items we keep that were once useful. It could be articles we’ve written when we started out or blogs and activities we do that no longer serve a constructive purpose. When we try to keep all these once-useful things life gets messy, tangled, and bogged down.

A writer’s life, like that bottom office drawer, needs spring cleaning. What no longer has a direct use, makes a connection, or serves an immediate purpose must go. It’s not as simple as hacking away what was once a joy, but now is a chore. Sometimes “chores” feel that way because we’ve crowded them with other activities that cause us to lose focus. This means we have to lift each activity to God and ask what He wants to do with it. Only He has the foresight and insight.

How about you? What in your life needs to go? What needs straightening? What needs to be rescued from the bottom office drawer and moved to a place of importance on your desk top?

May God whom I serve, bless you, guide you, inspire you, and speak through your writing this year.

Divine Appointments: AKA Interruptions

 

Piggybacking on Beth’s post from last week, let’s explore the ramifications of those times when your best intentions get splattered across your day like a dropped jar of spaghetti sauce. What a mess.

First, you had planned to organize your emails, then write a new chapter, then make sure you posted something on social media—just to keep your name out there, you know—and finally, delve into historical research related to your main character’s search for copper ore in Nevada.

BUT.

Your elderly next door neighbor calls. In tears. She just received news that her older sister died.

So, you walk away from your email, sit on the sofa, and let her vent and cry. You tell her how sorry you are. You agree that this Christian lady is far better off now than she was yesterday. You pray together. Once you hang up the phone, you ask yourself, “How will I handle it if I outlive my sister?” 

The divine appointment light bulb blinks on. Journal your feelings regarding that scenario.

Back to work. You clear out all extraneous materials from your inbox. On to that next chapter. You’re excited. You know exactly how you want it to go.

BUT.

Your mother’s long-term care insurance company calls to inform you they’re missing a necessary piece of paperwork. Would you track it down, please, so claim reimbursements can continue unheeded? You might as well do that while it’s fresh in your mind. Otherwise, it probably won’t get done. One hour later, you’ve found what is needed, filled out the necessary info, and emailed it to the correct recipient.  Great! That divine appointment has taught you something new. Jot it down in a new file:  "How to Handle the Health Care Maze.” Now you can write that chapter.

BUT.

An hour later while you’re really into it and your protagonist’s heart is breaking, the phone rings again. Caller ID says it’s a writer friend.

Answer it. 

“Would you be able to meet with me today or tomorrow?” she asks. “I am completely stuck on this manuscript. I need to talk about it with someone else.”

Tomorrow is already over-scheduled, and none of it with writing tasks. But your friend has been through a lot during these two years of covid. “Sure,” you say. “Coffee shop in twenty minutes?”

By the time you get home, it’s close to the dinner hour. What more can you do on your writing timeline?

Acknowledge the divine appointment.

Take some notes.  While you brainstormed with your friend, what did you discuss that might pertain to your own writing? File those ideas in the proper place.

Like Beth said last week, we need to be intentional about our writing plan, but she knows life happens. So when it does, live your moment, love your neighbor, and allow that interruption to become a divine appointment.

Linda Sammaritan writes realistic fiction, mostly for kids ages ten to fourteen. She is currently working on a middle grade trilogy, World Without Sound, based on her own experiences growing up with a deaf sister.

Linda had always figured she’d teach middle-graders until school authorities presented her with a retirement wheelchair at the overripe age of eighty-five. However, God changed those plans when He gave her a growing passion for writing fiction. In May of 2016, she blew goodbye kisses to her students and dedicated her work hours to learning the craft.

A wife, mother of three, and grandmother to eight, Linda regales the youngest grandchildren with “Nona Stories,” tales of her childhood. Maybe one day those stories will be in picture books!

 

 

Where Linda can be found on the web:

www.lindasammaritan.com

www.facebook.com/lindasammaritan

www.twitter.com/LindaSammaritan