Snow, Snow, I Love it So!

                 I am grateful for the kind response to my previous post in comments here and on Facebook. I am glad I decided to share something personal because it helps me feel more of a connection with those who read it. Thank you! This time, I’m going to go with something a little more light-hearted. Let’s talk about snow!

                I’m going to start with a verse, because it fits so well with this story. Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV) says, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” It started with a small prayer I had on my heart when I first moved in to my new home in August 2019. I noticed the beautiful view I had from my bedroom window, and I imagined how beautiful the yard and view beyond would be if it was covered with snow. Those who know me pretty well, know that I love winter, snow, and all the wardrobe, cozy blankets, and hot cocoa that come with it. As that winter of 2019 to 2020 came and went, I prayed that it would snow and was a bit disappointed that all we got was a very light dusting in January. In fact, it had been years since my part of Oklahoma had received more than an inch or two at a time. December 2020 started off fairly mild, and I thought it would be another dry winter. My prediction proved to be quite wrong!

                On December 13, we got a beautiful, thick snow that covered my yard with the blanket of white that I hoped for. When it had all melted away by the 18^th, I figured I wouldn’t be seeing much more until the next winter season. I was grateful for the “one time” winter wonderland and the answer to my little prayer. Yet again, I was mistaken! In mid-February, we experienced what many Oklahomans (and other states) have dubbed “snowmageddon”. After a couple days of light freezing rain and ice, we received multiple days of snowfall and sub-zero temperatures, which is not a common occurrence in this state. I was in a blissful winter heaven! Winter holds such marvelous beauty! Going back to my prayer for snow, God went, as the King James’ Version puts it, “exceedingly abundantly above” what I expected or imagined possible. This isn’t the first time I’ve witnessed that verse in action, but it certainly made a big impression on me this time. God continuously provides for the needs of His children, but He sees their wants as well. Sometimes, He blesses us with those moments that make us smile and remind us of the benefits of having a child-like faith. For those who are not huge fans of winter like myself, I’ll “try” not to pray so much next time :) In the meantime, I hope you enjoy a very small portion of my 2020/2021 winter photos. If you want to see more, check out my Instagram.

Remedy for a Broken Heart

                I have considered writing about this many times, but I usually change my mind. Part of me feels like no one will really care. Part of me feels that no one will really understand. Part of me believes that my pain should be kept to myself because I do not want it to be burden on anyone else. But maybe, there is someone out there who does care, someone who does understand, or someone who needs to hear about my heartache to help them realize they are not alone. So, that is why I have chosen to share this in such a public manner.

                Here’s the short summary of my story: In November 2018, I met a man. He swooped me off my feet with his smile and his kind words. We flirted, we had deep conversations, we hung out and played cards, and most importantly, we did devotionals and prayed together. He helped me get through my parents’ divorce. I treasured his companionship and his insights. He was everything I wanted. There is so much more, but I won’t go into all the details. Then, around February and March of last year, he started cutting me out of his life. He stopped the devotions, he stopped inviting me over for cards, he took away the key he gave me to his house, he stopped responding to most of my texts, and he would often give me the cold shoulder when we saw each other in person. The worst thing about all of this is that we were never officially in a relationship, so I guess he felt he had the right to take everything away with no explanation, no closure, nothing. It’s like he took me on this amazing trip, then abandoned me in the middle of the desert with no map and no water. It breaks my heart all over again just thinking about it.

                I’m not asking for sympathy. I know I’m not the first person to feel this pain. I’ve gone through all the stages of grief multiple times. I can’t really say that I’m angry with him for breaking my heart into a thousand pieces, I did offer it freely to someone who never made a commitment to me. Be careful who you give your heart to, it’s not something you can just take back without scars. That is one lesson I have learned through all this. But, there is a more important lesson.

                A lot happened over the last year: heartbreak, family issues, work issues, and Covid, among other worldwide events. Through it all, there has been one, and only one, constant in my life. That is Jesus Christ, my Savior. When literally all else seemed lost, He was there. When I was crying my eyes out, face down in the floor, He was there. When I felt as though I would never find hope on this earth again, He was there. This has given all new meaning to the word, Emmanuel, which we often hear around Christmas. God with us. God with me. I would not be able to get up and go without God’s presence in my life. Under the circumstances, I could never find peace and hope on my own, but He has truly granted a peace beyond understanding within me. Yes, I have my up and down days, but I will keep pressing on because I know that I am not alone.

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV

Given a Second Chance

                I was once reading Isaiah 38 where King Hezekiah was praying and crying out to the Lord for his life. God granted his request. God had the prophet Isaiah tell Hezekiah that he would be given an additional 15 years of life, and God, in an act to show Hezekiah He meant what He said, made the sun go backwards! That story made me think of a similar situation in Les Misérables, where the priest gave Jean Valjean a second chance and Jean was shocked that anyone would help him at a moment when he thought he would be thrown back into prison. Hezekiah and Jean’s words are similar in their songs that follow these second chances. I know in these stories that the men were given a second chance after moral failures, but I think this concept could also apply to personal goals.

                We sometimes use a new year to start over. 2020 was a very difficult year for most of us. Plans canceled, dreams ruined, and goals unachieved made this last year feel rather disheartening. Now, as we enter into February, how many of us have already lost sight of our goals for the new year? Maybe circumstances outside of your control have hindered your plans once again, maybe you decided to ease into this year with caution, or perhaps you have procrastinated or failed to achieve what you hoped to over the last month. Regardless of the circumstances or the failures, you can always try again or set a new goal. Sometimes, you just need to take a different approach. I had spent years trying to sort through and organize my belongings, only to end up buried with stuff over and over again, until I discovered the KonMari method, which worked wonders for me. Also, when it comes to taking a different approach, sometimes something that works for another person will not work for you. That seems to be especially true with diets. We are all different, our bodies are different, and sometimes we may have to try and fail a few times before we find a method that works. The point is that you keep trying! If you are given an opportunity to make a positive change in your life like Hezekiah or Jean, make the most of it. As long as you are alive and breathing, God still has a purpose for your life. You can start over, you can try again, and you can keep working toward your goals. Don’t give up!

                I would like to welcome my returning followers and new readers back to my blog. I have given my blog a second chance and a new name. I had hoped to start posting early in January, but I suppose I should take a dose of my own advice and work on finding an approach that works better for me with my writing.

Making a Comeback

Hello everyone, this is Elizabeth. It has been a while! First of all, I should let you know I have changed my blog name to Strength for the Journey. This blog was formerly known as Liz’s Random Ponderings. I changed the name because I felt it goes along better with where I am in life right now. I will be going back to the original roots of this blog and write about personal life lessons, words of encouragement, and devotional-style posts. I hope through this next phase in my journey that I can bring some encouragement and motivation in the midst of hard times. My first regular post is coming soon! I’m glad to finally be back!

IWSG: Let It Go

Time for another posting with the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, where writers can share their insecurities and encourage one another. IWSG was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh and we share our posts the first Wednesday of the month.

Let me be honest for few minutes here. Aside from messages to friends, the only writings I have done lately have been prayers. They are usually passionate, sincere, and from the heart. I have edited and shared some of my prayers publically, but a lot of them are only between myself and God. That being said, I sometimes feel this guilt about not writing enough shareable content. Yet, the more I think about it, the more I realize that this is not something I should be feeling guilty about. There are different seasons in life, and I am not currently in a season to focus on my writing. I am finally ready to accept the fact that I am not and probably will not become a career writer. Writing will always be a part of my life, but it is not the center of my life.

Going through the KonMari process with my belongings has taught me that sometimes it is best to let something go. I guess my point is that I feel that it is time for me to stop blogging with the IWSG. I will remain in the IWSG Facebook group and I might still participate in some of the Instagram posts. I will also be taking a break from blogging for the summer, unless I come up with a story for the June WEP Challenge. It is hard to say goodbye, but it’s really only a “soft” goodbye. I would like to thank the members of this group (and other bloggers who are not in IWSG) for being supportive and kind to me, even in the times when I did not return your visits. I really enjoyed my experience with the IWSG, with the various types of writing that I tried out, and all the encouragement and advice. I still plan to utilize some of the writing methods I’ve learned through this group.

When I return, I plan to take this blog back to its roots. I started off with devotional posts and life lessons, and that is what I hope to start again. For the summer, if there are any updates on my writing, you can find them on my Facebook page. And if you want to keep up with some of my other life adventures, I check and post to my Instagram fairly regularly.

Thanks for all your support!

IWSG: Slow and Steady

Time for another posting with the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, where writers can share their insecurities and encourage one another. IWSG was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh and we share our posts the first Wednesday of the month.

The question this month is: If you could use a wish to help you write just one scene/chapter of your book, which one would it be? It’s not in a book (maybe it could become one someday), but there is a scene in my fantasy short story I occasionally dabble with. I have the scene building up to the climax, but I cannot seem to find a way I like to move from the climax to the conclusion. Ironically, it’s rather anticlimactic. I cannot tell if the excitement of the event died down too quickly, or if I drag out explanations too long before the end. If that bit would suddenly work itself out, that would be great!

In other news, I am still working through organizing my room. It has been a slow process because there were a lot of things going on during my days off last month. Hopefully, I will make some headway this month since I’m taking some extra time off. I did finish the first category in the KonMari Method, which is clothing. Around that time, I felt my creativity flowing, so I finally sat myself down at the computer to work on some writing, including a story I started for this month’s WEP. I cannot make any promises about getting it finished in time, but I do have that extra time off, so we’ll see.

Good luck to all the A to Z Challenge participants! I wish I could have participated this year, especially since it is the 10^th anniversary, but I still need to work on getting my life more in order. Maybe next year!

IWSG: Slowly Making Progress

Time for another posting with the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, where writers can share their insecurities and encourage one another. IWSG was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh and we share our posts the first Wednesday of the month.

 Sorry about last month. I really thought I would find time to write a post during the week before I left, but I got caught up with over-packing and doing chores that needed to be done before I left. Then I copied down the monthly question and told myself I’d write a post during downtime, but, as is the case with most of my trips, downtime was used for resting.

Aside from experiencing a lot of cold and allergy symptoms since my return from New Mexico, February was a good month. I have been working through the KonMari Method with tidying up my stuff. It has been a slow-going process, but I’ve been seeing a little bit of progress as I make my surroundings more joyful and less cluttered. This process has really put a lot in perspective, and I find myself more thankful for what God has blessed me with. You may ask: What has this got to do with my writing? Quite a lot actually. All the clutter surrounding me has been one of the hindrances to my writing. As a person who likes to be organized, I felt so distracted and unable to concentrate when I tried to write. This is still a work in progress, but I have been thinking more about where I’m going with my writing. At this point, writing a novel is not my goal. I’ve enjoyed doing short stories and devotional writings, and I have a long list of ideas to utilize once my surroundings are more peaceful. It feels good to still be working toward the goal I made in January, which is to make more room for writing, and I’ve taken that quite literally!

Taos, New Mexico

Since I like this month’s optional question, I thought I’d give a quick answer. Whose perspective do you like to write from best, the hero (protagonist) or the villain (antagonist)? And why? I enjoy writing from the hero’s perspective, because I like showing how good can overcome evil within a conflict. I think I also feel more comfortable writing from a perspective that I can relate to. I’ve never tried this, but I have considered writing as the villain in a story of redemption, like The Grinch or my personal favorite: Megamind (if you have not watched that animated movie, I highly recommend!).

No IWSG Post Today

          I won’t be writing the regularly scheduled IWSG post due to vacation.  I thought I might get a chance to write something before today, but the chance never came. I hope you all have a great month of writing! 

Image credit: https://pin.it/hpovnvoffrq2rh

IWSG: You Have a Blog?

Time for another posting with the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, where writers can share their insecurities and encourage one another. IWSG was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh and we share our posts the first Wednesday of the month.

The question for January is: What are your favorite and least favorite questions people ask you about your writing?

I do not get asked a lot of questions about writing, mostly because I do not write enough publically. Most people I know in person do not even know that I like to write, and are surprised to learn I have a blog. In their defense, I am an introvert, so those people do not know much about me at all. What I like is when someone asks me if they can read something I’ve written; it shows that they are actually interested. It is even better when they start asking questions about my characters and plots, though few people have ventured that far.

 The questions I dislike the most are the ones I ask myself. Why am I still trying to write? What’s the point? Isn’t it about time I just quit? I may have been taking a long extended break from writing, but it is not entirely by choice. My current life circumstances have created a roadblock that has proven itself quite difficult to bypass. No matter what, though, as long as I have stories within me that are left unwritten, I could never quit writing entirely. I cannot let the negative thoughts in my head cause me to give up completely. I’ve been reading Chrys Fey’s series of posts on writer’s burnout, and I think I’m experiencing something similar to that. It’s about time I take steps to rekindle the flame. I normally do not make New Year’s resolutions, but this year one of my goals is to move writing up on my priority list. It has been pushed aside for far too long.

I wish each of you a prosperous year in writing and other creative outlets you pursue! Happy 2019!

IWSG: My Writing Space

Time for another posting with the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, where writers can share their insecurities and encourage one another. IWSG was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh and we share our posts the first Wednesday of the month.

The question for December is: What are five objects we'd find in your writing space?

Well, let me look around. Usually, I have my computer where I do the majority of my work. Then, there will be at least one notebook to read through or take down notes on my various writing projects. Since I sometimes write out my first drafts by hand, I might also have a composition notebook nearby. Then, my phone will be there with more notes or summaries of my ideas, and I also use it as my dictionary and thesaurus (and occasional distraction). The majority of the time (including right now), I will have a cat in my lap as I’m typing. Finally, there will be some kind of drink, most likely coffee if it is any time before sunset, and in the evenings I’ll have water, juice, or tea. It’s a simple set up and I like it that way.

Congratulations to all of you that won NaNoWriMo! I had a lot going on in November and was unable to participate. Honestly, my writing is still sitting in the backseat while I try to figure out other things in my life. I think about it often: all those ideas just waiting to make themselves known in written form. I am trying to find a way to fit it into the disorganization and stress of my life. But, I think what I really need to do is get some of that mess out of the way first, and I did work on some of that last month. Maybe by the New Year I can find a tiny window for writing.

In case I don’t make it back here before then, I hope all of you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

IWSG: Memories of Writing

Time for another posting with the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, where writers can share their insecurities and encourage one another. IWSG was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh and we share our posts on the first Wednesday of the month.

The IWSG question for November is: How has your creativity in life evolved since you began writing?

That is a good question! It is fun to take a walk down memory lane through my writing history. This is one of those moments when I wish I still had my first stories I wrote in 6^th grade. I cannot remember what they were like, but I know that my imagination ran wild when I was a child. I had a lot of ideas in my head before I started writing, and I still remember some of the worlds I would pretend to be in when I played. I have some of my high school diary entries, which do not include a lot of creative writing, unless you count the number of ways I fantasized about “accidentally” bumping into my crushes. I have a couple cute stories I wrote for my 11^th grade English class. They lack details, but I included some interesting ideas.

 In college, most of my writing was for assignments and tests. A couple of my professors applauded my writing skills, but I’m assuming they were referring to my grammar, because most of my chapter reviews or summaries were complete BS. After rereading some of my homework, I never realized I was so talented at making it sound like I actually read the textbook. Beyond required writing, I wrote a lot of emails during those years, since I was away from my friends.

The most consistent writing I have done over time has been keeping a diary or journal. It seems I have matured in how I approach my journaling. I use it to work through my emotions, to write out prayers, or just to get all of my thoughts out of my head. Sometimes journaling inspires me to work on my fiction stories or poetry. It also inspired some of my past blog posts. I started this blog in 2010, and I actually enjoy reading many of my old posts. I used to think that I’ve lost some of my creative ability, but I think my real problem is that I have been more distracted in recent months than I was eight years ago. My focus has been off of writing. I still add ideas to my list, but I have not actually sat down to work on those ideas. My most creative writing pursuits of the last two years have been my WEP entries and a fantasy story I occasionally work on.

I have found other creative pursuits. From time to time I work on craft and sewing projects. My biggest pursuit lately has been photography. I have always enjoyed pictures, and after getting myself addicted to Instagram about a year ago, my picture taking has increased exponentially. I feel that photography is in a similar plane to writing, because it’s another way of expressing oneself. Also, my pictures make me want to write more – to write about the feelings and experiences behind the photos. 

IWSG: October 2018

Time for another posting with the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, where writers can share their insecurities and encourage one another. IWSG was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh and we share our posts on the first Wednesday of the month.

I feel as though my months have been going up and down with writing. One day, I feel motivated and actually write things, and the next day, my creativity seems to be lost. I really do not know what happened to September. It came in quickly and was gone before I even looked up. I guess I had a lot going on my days off. I sincerely apologize to those who I did not visit back last month. I try to do most of my blog visits on my days off, because I’ve been burnt out with my job and do not have the mental/social energy on work days. I had the first Thursday of September off, but I had to take my mom to the doctor and we ended up shopping all day afterwards. By the following week, I felt guilty and it seemed like it was “too late” for IWSG visits. I'll be honest that one of my biggest insecurities is my lack of correspondence skills. Combine that with years of procrastination experience, and I certainly am a well of insecurity, although sometimes I won’t realize it until tomorrow. ;)

The question for October is How do major life events affect your writing? Has writing ever helped you through something?

It depends on the event. If it is something really happy and exciting, my writing will be in short and sweet bursts. I’ll write sentence-long descriptions to remind myself of the moment later. I do not write a lot as those types of events occur, but I do sometimes (not as often as I would like) reflect back on what happened and write afterwards. Exciting events, such as my vacations to London and Florida, inspire most of my creative visuals of worlds and characters. When sad things happen, I tend to write during the events. This relates to the second part of this month’s question, because I write to help work through all the depressed and confused emotions I may be feeling. Most of my nonfictional writing (devotions, prayers, and journaling) and some poetry is written during sad or disappointing times. I have a lot of those nonfictional writings I wish I could utilize, but they require quite of bit of revisions in order to make them presentable. Maybe instead of starting a new journal entry, I should rewrite something during my next disappointing moment.

IWSG: A Better Month

Time for another posting with the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, where writers can share their insecurities and encourage one another. IWSG was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh and we share our posts the first Wednesday of the month.

Thank you all for the encouragement last month! I was really down and discouraged when I wrote that post, plus I had procrastinated and wrote it late the night before post day. I was tired and frustrated, and the blogging community swooped in and made me feel better. Thank you! August was a better month overall. I participated in the WEP, which helped get me back in a better writing flow. I started working on an idea for the IWSG Anthology Contest, although I’m not yet sure if I can pull it together into a decent story. It is nice to feel inspired to write again, but I’m still working on balancing my energy to make time for it.

This month, the optional question is: What publishing path are you considering/did you take, and why? That is a question I ask myself quite often. I realize that I do not have anything ready to be published, but that it still something to consider now, so I can be ready once I get to that part of the writing journey. I have heard pros and cons of both self-publishing and using a publisher. I think that starting off, I would be better off with a publisher to help get my name out there. I would still consider self-publishing. It depends on what I end up writing first, it could be a novel, a collection of poems or short stories, or a book of devotionals. I do hope to get at least one of those unfinished ideas published someday. 

Happy September, everyone!

WEP: Change of Heart

            For the August challenge, the WEP (Write...Edit...Publish) is collaborating with the Insecure Writer's Support Group. I decided to take a different approach and wrote a monologue. I should give credit to my brother for suggesting this idea, because I probably would not have participated otherwise. My monologue is short, but I like how it fits with the Change of Heart theme. It was another interesting writing experience, and I hope you enjoy.

The Dilemma

In or out?

Why must I always be faced with such a decision?

This opportunity does not present itself very often,

And I feel so pressured to make a choice.

I could enjoy the pleasures of staying in,

But then I’ll constantly wonder what’s going on out there.

In here, I feel safe and warm,

I know exactly the best area to make myself comfortable,

And I have all the accommodations I could hope for.

On the other hand, out there I can find excitement and adventure;

There’s so much to explore, and so much to do and see.

If only my demands could be met immediately,

And I can get out when I need to.

But I am forced to decide my fate based on the whims and fancies of others.

Who do they think they are, anyway?

They go out whenever they please,

Sometimes without even asking me what I want to do.

I tell you I am sick and tired of it all!

Oh no! The door is about to close!

This opportunity is about to pass me by.

I must go out! Now!

Hello, world outside the door!

The door…

The door has been closed behind me.

No, wait! I wasn’t ready!

I had a change of heart,

I don’t want to be out here anymore.

Please let me back in,

This was a mistake!

Come back, my human!

---

Word count: 232, FCA

IWSG: Maximum Insecurity

Time for another posting with the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, where writers can share their insecurities and encourage one another. IWSG was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh and we share our posts the first Wednesday of the month.

The main insecurity that I dealt with in July applies to my current job situation, and though other factors come into play, this definitely affects my writing, or lack thereof. I feel as though my job is this enormous obstacle that stands in the way of most of the things I want to do. I’m especially reminded of this during the summer months when there are so many activities going on with my church and among my friends, and I only get to participate in a fraction because of work. I have hinted before that I would like to quit my job and write full time, but that idea somewhat frightens me. It seems a bit irresponsible, especially in the eyes of some people in my life. Though, my hesitancy mainly is caused by a fear of failure. What if my writing isn’t accepted anywhere? What if I’m overcome by writer’s block all the time? What if I can’t find a new job if this doesn’t work out? So many what ifs and I am not the greatest decision maker. I constantly pick stability over leaping into the unknown, and I wonder how much longer my creativity can withstand being pushed aside.

I wish I could say that I have something figured out, because this issue has been plaguing me for quite some time. At least I can say that I have done some writing the past few months, mostly journaling and prayers. I try to remind myself to squeeze it in during less stressful and less distracting moments. To end on a more positive note, I found a few encouraging quotes:

IWSG: Clearing Clutter, Changing Goals, and D&D

Time for another posting with the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, where writers can share their insecurities and encourage one another. IWSG was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. We usually share our posts the first Wednesday of the month, but since the U.S. Fourth of July holiday is on Wednesday this year, we are posting on Tuesday. July’s optional question is: What are your ultimate writing goals, and how have they changed over time (if at all)?

June went a little better than May for me, but I still have a lot of catching up to do in nearly every area of my life. It seems as though I will not be able to fully concentrate on my writing until I start clearing away the clutter around me. Not just concrete things like clothes and desk supplies (although those are on the list), but also digital clutter with emails and organizing files, and clearing my head of distractions and negativity. It has been a long, difficult process, and I feel as though circumstances keep trying to pull me backwards, but I must keep moving forward.

As for my goals, they have adjusted themselves over time. I still would like to write my non-fiction “quiet book” someday, but organizing those thoughts and ideas into meaningful words has proved harder than I thought it would be. I feel like I would have to change to a better, less stressful day job in order to give that project the attention it requires. I have recently grown fond of writing short stories and even a little flash fiction. I hope to get a short story published within the next few years. I have been tweaking and adding to my fantasy story entry from the 2016 IWSG anthology contest. My friend and her husband inadvertently helped me with it a couple weeks ago. ~ Warning: The next sentence will reveal just how much of a nerd I truly am. ~ They started a sort of Dungeons and Dragons role-playing story and invited me to join, so I decided to use one of my fantasy story characters. We are not following the typical D&D rules, but I think this will be an entertaining verbal storytelling experience. I highly recommend it for fantasy writers!

I guess I distracted myself from the initial question. My ultimate goal, under my current circumstances, is to publish at least one book. If I ever manage to obtain my dream job of being a stay-at-home wife and mother, I may be able to publish more (maybe). Under better day job circumstances, another goal of mine would be to write weekly devotional blog posts similar to the ones I used to write when I started this blog. So, to better my writing, I need to broaden my search to find a better job, or get married (lol 😄).

To my United States followers: Happy Independence Day!

IWSG: Place Generic Title Here

Time for another posting with the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, where writers can share their insecurities and encourage one another. IWSG was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh and we share our posts the first Wednesday of the month.

May was a rough month for me. My dad had surgery to remove cancer from his prostate on May 4, and then ended up in the hospital for an extra week due to various issues. So, for eight out of the ten days he was there, I was driving back and forth with my mom, who can’t drive herself, to the hospital (70 miles away from home). By the grace of God and the prayers of many friends from church, we survived that ordeal. It was a relief to finally get settled back at home, but half the month was gone and I was exhausted. Going back to work after all that was very difficult for me, especially since there have been some changes with staff and scheduling the last few weeks. Needless to say, writing was not on the agenda last month. Although, I did write a rather lengthy letter to a friend, but I have not sent it yet because I felt like it needed some editing. So, it’s good to know my writer's brain is still working.☺

Sorry that I don’t have much to say related to writing; I’ve been too tired to be insecure. I do have some thoughts on the optional question this month, which is: What's harder for you to come up with, book titles or character names?

Without a doubt, titles are my weakness. I usually struggle with finding titles for my blog posts and short stories. I don’t even like the title of this blog, but after all these years, I can’t seem to come up with anything to change it to! That’s why I just use my name for my Facebook page and Twitter. I probably overthink it. I feel like the title needs to be something all-encompassing, witty, and meaningful, all in a handful of words. Most of the time, when I spend too long thinking about it, I end up giving up and picking something that feels generic. There are only a few titles I’ve used that I thought were clever, and the rest were rather lame. Character names are a bit easier. I sometimes have trouble initially, but I usually find a name that works. I feel like most of my characters embody their names very well. 

May IWSG

Time for another posting with the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, where writers can share their insecurities and encourage one another. IWSG was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh and we share our posts the first Wednesday of the month.

The question for May 2 is: It's spring! Does this season inspire you to write more than others, or not?

            My answer is no, not really. I have a harder time concentrating in the warmer months during spring and summer. There seem to be more distractions and I cannot sit still for more than ten minutes at a time. In the winter, or other cold days, it is easier for me to stay still and focus on one thing for a while. I enjoy a warm blanket and a cat on my lap (which, in my opinion, is one of the most comfortable writing positions) as I write, and that does not work very well once it starts getting warmer. I do tend to gather more ideas during spring and summer. I usually try to keep a notebook, or at least my iPhone notes, on hand to take down any interesting interactions I observe as people and animals take part in various outdoor activities.

            Spring also tends to put me in a spring cleaning mode, which adds to my lack of concentration because I’m constantly going over my to-do list in my head. Really, it seems that spring and summer are busier because there are more activities going on as people find their way back outside. Personally, I enjoy the outdoors better in the winter when there are fewer bugs and a chance of snow. I guess I’m getting a bit off-topic discussing my weather preferences. Back to my writing, I cannot believe April is already over! I don’t know where it went. I think I spent most of the month (when I wasn’t stuck at work) reading, listening to audiobooks, or working on online courses. So, that counts as writing research, right? 😉

IWSG: Ups and Downs in Writing

Time for another posting with the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, where writers can share their insecurities and encourage one another. IWSG was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh and we share our posts the first Wednesday of the month.

The question for April is: When your writing life is a bit cloudy or filled with rain, what do you do to dig down and keep on writing?

            I went through a lot of cloudy days with my writing (also in other areas of my life) in 2017. I had a few better months from December to February, but the momentum has been fading again. What has worked for me before is signing up for something fun or challenging (or both) with a deadline or specific post date. I’ve done blog hops, the A to Z Challenge, the IWSG Anthology Contest, and most recently, the W.E.P. Challenge. I have enjoyed every single one of those writing experiences, and I hope to continue participating in more contests, blog hops, and challenges. As you can see, I’m skipping the A to Z again this year. As fun as it is, it is very difficult to keep up with my fellow bloggers throughout the challenge. I do hope to utilize some of my A to Z ideas at some point in the future, but this was not the year for me.

Anyway, looking back at my answer to the IWSG question, deadlines usually help me actually do things. As funny as that sounds, it has been true for me most of my adult life. I am not very good at sticking to my goals unless there is an outside force that holds me accountable. I have started a number of email and video courses (i.e. Reedsy or The Great Courses) and I have not finished one of them, but when I took college classes, I finished my work because I was held accountable by my professors and grades. For better or worse, I also tend to thrive as a procrastinator. I have probably written more words the week before something was due than I have at any other time in my life.

A problem I have with this method of writing motivation is getting myself to sign up in the first place. I am still working on balancing out my schedule and energy levels, and sometimes I have to take shelter from the rain and storms for a while. Sometimes, I do have force some writing out of myself, whether I feel like it or not. That is part of the reason I participate in the monthly IWSG posts. It is a great way to hold myself accountable, reflect on my writing, and check on how the balancing act is going each month.