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!