When I began writing/blogging during a snow-bound week in 2012, I didn’t know what I didn’t know.
Thank goodness!
I found a writing community (thank you, Facebook) and jumped in with both feet by sending emails to three people I had never met: Laura Boggess at Tweetspeak Poetry LL Barkat (well, many places) and Glynn Young (Faith, Fiction and Friends).
I was very forward with them and a bit zealous (anxious?) about my new venture. I gave a bit of my writing background, asking should I start? How to start? What would they suggest?
Surprisingly, each one wrote me back with encouraging and helpful words. I did NOT expect that.
Glynn especially took the time to very kindly enumerate for me his own journey and make several good suggestions.
So I began to write. (Oh my, I feel for the people who had to wade through all that print!)
I packed an overwhelming amount of information into the first few posts. Everyone needed to know just how very smart and talented I was. It’s embarrassing to think about (you can read my very first post here if you’d like).
Upon visiting L.L.’s website, I found her book ‘Rumors of Water—Thoughts on Creativity and Writing’. It had been well-received and reviewed so I thought I’d best see what this was all about and ordered a copy; writing is what I was up to, rumored or not.
In the last two chapters of Rumors of Water, ‘Glitches’ and ‘Time’, Barkat states (p. 148),
“Sometimes as writers,
we want to gather everything into a single place.
I have wanted to tell all my stories in one book,
as if a single book could really hold all my stories.
I have wanted to make all my points in one article,
as if my thoughts on a subject could really be contained in one article.”
Oh. That was me. Ouch. Well, I was warmed to know it wasn’t the only one with a penchant for verbosity.
The subheading for this chapter ‘Experience takes time’—states the obvious: Anything well-crafted or beautiful takes time.
I cannot be the best writer in four months. I can be a better writer in a year, maybe.
And I don’t need to say everything I know about a particular subject (or many all at the same time as I’ve done more than once) to what? Impress you?
I’m afraid that’s been my motive on a few occasions.
There are days when I’ve written something and unsure of the content, hit the ‘Publish’ button trusting God with the results.
On those ‘I wonder if I should have written that’ days, I can ask myself, as LL points out–(‘Publishing’ p. 126:)
“Have we developed a smaller community
who really cares about us as people,
about our creativity and our essential selves?
A community that is not going to judge us too harshly,
or be too jealous of our successes…?”
To my great astonishment I can say the answer is a resounding ‘Yes!’
My naive writing efforts have been received by supportive, like-minded people who have been nothing but encouraging and kind.
I have been welcomed and validated in ways I never imagined. And along the way I’m inspired to be a better writer.
My naive writing efforts have been received by supportive, like-minded people who have been nothing but encouraging and kind.
I have been welcomed and validated in ways I never imagined. And along the way I’m inspired to be a better writer.
I’m attempting to hone my words so I don’t bury the page with more language than a person can consume.
I’m learning (I hope!) to be more concise, less preachy. More gentle….many things.
And God is confirming to me the verse He gave me almost 20 years ago from Psalm 45:1,
“My heart is stirred by a noble theme
as I recite my verses for the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.”
as I recite my verses for the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.”
Becoming a skillful writer………..that will take some time.
I'm so glad you've discovered Rumors of Water! I like what you pulled out…it's a reminder to take your time, I suppose, and let one post have one idea.
Work hard, take your time, and enjoy the journey.
I've enjoyed reading your musings. You communicate verbally much like you do in writing. Keep it up!
There's always more to learn. But we get stronger in the climb. Yes?
I love your backstory here. 🙂
Isn't God good to be speaking the same thing to those of us who are listening and looking? I am SO glad we get to learn over time and that there people along the path to cheer us. People like you.
Thank you for stopping by.
Hi JOdy, becoming the person God made us to be takes time too. Your writing , my art. God gave all of us these seeds, and it will take time to nurture and grow! What an adventure, I wouldn't have it any other way! Blessings! Patsy from
HeARTworks
Lyla, so true………….'learning to cut to the core is hard.' well put.
Writing well is a constant process of me trying to say something powerful with only the words I need.
Yes, a process.
So glad to be in the process with people like you.
Thank you, Jody, for your kind words.
Oh, Jody– that scripture– I just came across it this week! I love it when this happens, the same verse shows up at more places than one in a short time. Such a lovely verse, and it reminds me: who do I write for? who gives me anything to write at all? It is all for the King. And having a “pen of a skillful writer”? It takes time, and the verse resonates well with the quote you mention from the book: “Anything well-crafted or beautiful takes time.”
I enjoyed this post on writing and blogging!
Jody, you'd be amazed (or maybe you wouldn't) how much of that post over at Tweetspeak today is laying on the floor of my office. Learning to cut to the core is hard. Good, but hard. I wrestle every time I write with not needing to empty my whole head every time. (Actually, one would think that wouldn't take up so much space after all!)
I like this, a lot: “I cannot be the best writer in 4 months. I can be a better writer in a year, maybe.”
And maybe the year after that, too. 🙂
Thanks for linking up!
Josh, thank you for coming by. I visited your place 'Quieted Waters'–very nice! Best of luck to you in life, law (passing the bar) and in your writing.
God bless you.
Great reflections on what it means to write and blog. This is my first stop by your blog, and it was the same Glynn you mentioned who tipped me off to your post. I, too, have been very thankful for him and all The High Calling team. It's a great community.
Bravo! What an inspiring post! It does take time, but anything worth while does. I've been blogging a little over a year and I'm still embarrassed at my early posts, but I'm excited by the progress God has been able to make in me by my consistency.