the Silence

To my reader,

     Some things can be done out of order.  For instance, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Some things cannot, like laundry, baking souffles, and shower routines.  Writing and building a platform are also in that category.

the River

To my reader,

     Creativity is a river.  Writing is my canoe, and the ocean is my book.  Without streams and springs feeding it, the river will dry up, and I will be left scraping my paddle against the flaking dirt.  Without creativity fueling my writing onward, I won't reach my destination: my ocean book.
     This is why I began to panic as my river dwindled to a trickle this past week.

the Appetizer

To my reader,

     I have only one card left.  I don't like playing it because I could grow lazy if it's too often used, but every other card has been pulled from my fingers.  Here's my hand:

     I'm not an Energizer bunny.

i will run

To my reader,

"When I run, I feel His pleasure."

Eric Liddell, Chariots of Fire

As Eric Liddell felt when running, I feel when writing.

People - Pleasing

To my reader,

     Have you ever fell in love with a book less than a page in?  I have.

the Reviewer

To my reader,

     Mind vomit: my state of mind just after I've read a book.  My brain is filled with thoughts about why I did or didn't like the book, and I need to release them.  I either chatter about the story and overload someone else's brain with information un-useful to them, or I write a review.   I've been doing a lot of the latter recently.

Half-way there

To my reader,

     Half of my first manuscript is written.  Only half, I say?  How is this an accomplishment?  Let me explain.

Killing Curiosity

To my reader,

     Do you mind if I tell you a story?  You love stories?  Then let's get to it.

     He stood in the back corner of the cafe, his thumb hovering over the send button.

the Source

To my reader,

     "Experience is the best source of inspiration."  I've read it over and over, but I was having a problem believing it would happen with me.  I couldn't identify times where my own experience has influenced how or what I write.
     Recently, though, I've learned one lesson from personal experience that I don't hope to forget.
     For the past couple of weeks, I've been feeling very far from God.  I would tell myself to open up and let His Spirit fill me, but I couldn't tear down the wall around my heart.  The loneliness, the absence of His peace, made me doubt His very existence.  I tried to remind myself of how when I surrendered everything to Jesus, my life became so much more joyful and full.  I'd felt His presence before, so of course He exists, but doubt would creep back in and crumble the reassurance.

Slow Down, Sister!

To my reader,

     If you are a frequenter of my blog, you have probably noticed my nearly three month long hiatus.  If not, welcome to my comeback!

the Rejection

To my reader,

     Remember that Writer's Digest contest entry I was all relieved over? The one about a coconut, a mask, and a dictionary? (If you don't, I suppose you haven't read it or you have short-term memory loss. Either way, here's the letter where I wrote about it.)
     As the end of April drew near, the week when the finalists for the contest would be announced, I grew anxious again. When I looked at the forum on the 29th where the final five were listed, my heart sank.

the Lazy One

To me reader,

     As oi'm not particularly lively today, oi give ye this 'ere lazy post, in the speech of one of me favorite characters.  Oi canna think anything up t' write about, 'cept that oi read a book on Wednesday and wrote a review for it on Thursday.  If ye'd like to read it, ye can click on this 'ere link.  It'll take ye t' me Goodreads review.

Fair winds be with ye, me hearty,

Janelle

the Shredding

To my reader,

     Never would I have thought I would rip a book to pieces.  Yet, on Wednesday the 17th, I found myself doing just that.

the Submission

To my reader,

     I am relieved.  But I feel like I should be dancing about the room with glee.  Or, at the very least, bouncing in my seat as I write this.  Yet, I can't be anything but composed and worn.
     Why should I be giddy?
     I sent out a story for publication.

Another's Mistake

To my reader,

     One of my favorite authors recently wrote a blog post saying she was disappointed that her fans didn't love this certain character of hers.

Good Friday

01:00 am

To my reader,

     It's one am, and I should be sleeping because I have a morning exam later today.

the Devolpment

To my reader,

     Two weeks ago, I concluded with the resolution that I would learn how to care about characters more than plot.  (You can find that post here: the Reader.)  Since then, I have been in a therapy (of sorts) to learn how to do just that.

The Hike

03/14/13

To my reader,
     Yet again I wander downstairs after tossing miserably in bed.  The light thankfully doesn't hurt too much, but thinking and moving do.  I just want to roll over and call it a day, but the day's not even half over, not even a quarter over.  It's just beginning.

the Reader

To my reader,

   At the finale of my last letter, I left for the search of another plot twist that would satisfy my craving for a rush.
   I have returned from that hunt.

the Fix

To my reader,

     I have yet another confession to make. The reality of this addiction has slowly been growing on me, but only when I watched and re-watched The Bourne Legacy in the same night did I realize how serious it is.

the Valley

To my reader,

     Sometimes I feel so high, I can touch the stars.  Other times I'm groveling in the dirt.  This past weekend I sunk so deep into the abyss, I felt I would never be able to crawl back out again.

Cliff Jumping

     To my reader,

     Life's been a roller coaster and has taken me on many ups and down recently.  For example, I'm going to end up moving, again.  Whether that move happens in two weeks or four months, I don't know yet.  I don't know where I'll be moving to either. The unknownness is making me anxious.
     But this is the perfect opportunity to practice trusting God to take care of me.