May 23, 2022

Writing that Makes My Heart Sing by Lorrie Orr


 

Slice of life: a story about a small segment of one's day, a poem that tells about a small moment in time, a collection of words and photos that describes a scenario

Slice of life perfectly describes the writing that makes my heart sing. I've loved writing my blog Fabric Paper Thread since 2007. Along the way since then I've written and published articles, begun a book or two, created hundreds of lesson plans, and struggled with writing essays in English and French for my B.A. I've learned so much and have truly enjoyed writing of all sorts. 

But...writing the little stories of my life is what charms me most. These might be short interactions with strangers, mental notes taken while out and about, or sweet anecdotes about my grandchildren. My current large writing project is the story of our family's years in Ecuador (21 of them!) and of God's faithfulness to us. 

I love writing about nature, and combining words with images captured on my camera. I write in a most unscientific way about my observations on the wonders of creation - what goes on in my garden, or in the geographies I visit. 

I love to write the kinds of things I love to read - mysteries (they are hard to write), poetry, vignettes about food and home-keeping, stories of the past and the present. 

As I string words together, I am always cognizant of the presence of Christ guiding my writing, and yet much of my writing is not overtly Christian. C. S. Lewis writes "We needn't all write patently moral or theological work. Indeed, work whose Christianity is latent may do quite as much good and may reach some whom the more obvious religious work would scare away. The first business of a good story is to be a good story." Blog readers occasionally write me private emails to ask for prayer, or to comment on my faith and how they hope for more faith in their own lives. 

In my collected quotations, this one, by L. M. Montgomery in Anne's House of Dreams, where Anne is conversing with Gilbert, perhaps describes my favourite writing projects best,

"I'd like to add some beauty to life, said Anne dreamily.
I don't exactly want to make people know more...
I'd love to have them have a more pleasanter time
because of me...to have some little joy
or happy thought that would never have existed
if I hadn't been born."



Lorrie Orr writes from Vancouver Island where she enjoys boating and hiking with her husband. Gardening, reading, sewing, and spending time with her five grandchildren fill her days when she isn't teaching Spanish at a local high school. She also writes a "slice of life" blog at www.fabricpaperthread.blogspot.com


 



11 comments:

  1. Lorrie, I love your 'slice of life' writing and especially enjoyed this post about what makes your heart sing. You quote my two favourite authors and two of my favourite sayings from them. As if I didn't know it before, I have no doubt that we share a kindred heart on so many levels. Thank you for adding beauty and joy from your corner of the world, including here on InScribe. xo

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    1. Thank you, Brenda. We do share so many of life's delights!

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  2. Dear Lorrie, thank you for this delightful slice of your writing life. The quote by L. M. Montgomery finishes off your post perfectly.
    Blessings ~ Wendy Mac

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    1. Thank you, Wendy. L.M. Montgomery said many things so well.

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  3. Hey, Lorrie. I enjoyed your post this morning. Writing a ‘slice of life’ is a wonderful undertaking and reminds me of what I read recently (again) in ‘Bird by Bird’ by Anne Lamott about writing in small sections. Twenty one years - that’s a lot of slices - may God bless this wonderful adventure in writing and remembrance. Would love to read it when complete.

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    1. Thank you, Sharon. I'm reminded of the way to eat an elephant - one bite at a time. It's the same with writing, isn't it?

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  4. I'd love to read your book too, Lorrie. Memoirs fascinate me, especially ones about great events. Even sad ones about residential schools have some humour in them. Even vignettes fascinate me.

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    1. Thank you, Anonymous. Life is a mixed bag of joys and sorrows.

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  5. Your love of "slice of life" reminds me of a workshop at last year's fall conference where we were encouraged to save memories - not things - by writing about them!

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    1. Thank you, Tracy. I've been doing more recording of the little moments lately because so many of them can be lost in one's mind.

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  6. Your "slice of life" comments were so valuable to me, Lorrie, as sometimes the significant moments are so worth remembering and recording. I also related well to your sentence, "I love to write the kinds of things I love to read," and these readings often prompt us to write in a similar manner.

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