The Four Seasons of the Writer’s Life by Melanie Fischer

There are generally four seasons in the writer’s life.

Fall

This is a time when the writer falls into a slump. It is when the ideas are dryer than a pile of leaves on the front lawn in late September.

Spring

This is when you pull out the dusting cloth. It is when you do some spring cleaning on your works which have sat for a season, then you spring back into action!

Win-ter

This is when the pen and the ink lines up. When the mind and fingers flow. When the words and the messages meld. When the writing slides along with greater ease than a greased sleigh on a toboggan hill. This is the season when you are on a winning streak. This is Win-ter! Unfortunately, win-ter in the writer’s life doesn’t usually last near as long as our Canadian winters. If we get too comfortable in this season, our win-ter tends to melt away like a snowman under a heat lamp.

Some-er time

This brings us into the fourth season of the writer’s life: Some-er time. We like to shorten it to “Some-time.” This is when it is very easy to say “I will write some-time.” During this season we may be distracted by an enticing lawn chair in the back yard, giggling children in the front yard, and all of the other things that happen anywhere but at our desk. And that “some-time” usually isn’t any time soon. Now of course there are legitimate times when we are to put down our pen and pick up our fishing pole. But not always. You could be in a season of distraction. You may need more than sunglasses to keep the glare of distraction out of your eyes. You need “Son-glasses.” Yes, the son of God. Look through Him, and only Him in times of being tempted away from the works which you have been called to. 

This is the season when I experience God as the gardener. This is when He tends to the seeds which produces the fruit of the spirit “self-control.” This is the season when the Lord exercises my discipline and teaches me the rewards of showing up, even when I would rather be elsewhere. This is where the toughest yet the most rewarding writing often comes from.

When we understand and believe that “self-control” doesn’t come from self, but from the Holy Spirit within us, then even the sunniest days will not call us away for the works which the Lord has entrusted us with.

This is the season when we have the greatest opportunity to grow; the season when we can learn how to turn “Some-time” into “Some-thing.”

Melanie Blog's at www.HungryForPurpose.com/blog

All photo's from Flickr photo sharing