When Writing is a Calling by Steph Beth Nickel

Could you not write?

I've heard that question more than once and I've given it quite a bit of thought.

Could I not write another blog post? I suppose.

Could I not write another poem? Most likely.

Could I not write those novels that are bee-bopping around in my head? Without a doubt.

But could I set aside writing all together? Now that's another story.

I didn't set out to co-author a memoir and yet that's how God led. It was my honour to help Deb Willows tell her story. And much to our surprise, it was shortlisted for this year's The Word Awards. That announcement struck me as surreal actually. (You can purchase Living Beyond My Circumstances from Castle Quay Books and other online and physical bookstores.)

 

A number of month ago Ron Hughes contacted me to know if I knew of anyone who might be interested in contributing to HopeStreamRadio. As is typical, I jumped in with both feet. This daily podcast seemed the perfect place to share a series of devotionals based on the gospel of John, which I titled "If You Love Me . . ." 

When I completed this series, I asked Ron what he thought I should write about next. I am currently working on "Family Life Lessons," using both Old and New Testament passages for inspiration.

I also upload two book reviews each month.

Did I have previous experience in devotional writing? Only a little.

Did I have previous broadcasting experience? None.

Is this a door God opened for me? I have no doubt. In fact, it is one of those things I just know He wants me to do.

Both of these opportunities plus the opportunity to co-teach the Creative Nonfiction Intensive at Write Canada this month made me feel like this . . . 

Not very spiritual, huh? (grin)

Do I believe, from past and present experiences, that God has called me to write? Absolutely.

Therefore, could I not write? As long as I feel it is what God would have me do, the answer must be a resounding NO!

How about you? Could you not write? Why or why not?

Fresh as the New Driven Snow by Steph Beth Nickel

Oh, no . . . wait! That was yesterday. Thankfully, the temperature was high enough to get rid of the snow that fell, an early April Fool’s joke. The trees did look beautiful with the clean white stuff clinging to their branches, but like most people, I am glad to see the signs of spring.

Autumn has been my favourite season as long as I can remember. I love the sights, the sounds, and the smells. It wasn’t until my hubby started keeping me posted on the development of the buds on the trees that I even really noticed spring. And now the crocuses, the tulips, the robins, and yes, the buds touch my heart with their promise of new life.

And with spring comes Camp NaNoWriMo. Many of you may be familiar with the original version of NaNoWriMo that runs in the fall. Thousands of writers sign up with the aim of writing the first draft of a novel, at least the first 50,000 words, in a single month.

While I have never signed up in the fall, I have “attended” camp a couple of times and am doing so again this month. The nice thing is that we can set our own word count goal and our own projects plural. (In fact, this post is counting toward my goal. Hooray!) My personal goal is to write at least 30,000 words this month. That shouldn’t be a problem with my eclectic interests and endeavours.

And that’s how I keep my writing fresh: I write several short pieces on a wide variety of topics.

Let me take a moment to say kudos to all of you who invest the time and energy to draft, write, and rewrite (numerous times) full-length books. I am somewhat in awe of you. While I did coauthor Deb Willows’ memoir, Living Beyond My Circumstances, it was more about getting to know her and her family and relaying stories from her life that she wanted to share with readers. I’m all about relationships, so this didn’t seem quite the same as holing up for months on end to write—and rewrite—a single book.

I have what I call the Butterfly Syndrome. I love to flit from one thing to the next to the next. This is why I overcommit at times. So many different things catch my attention. Some of you may be able to relate to sayings like “Oo . . . pretty” and “Squirrel!”

Unless ideas are bouncing around in my head like a pinball, I feel lethargic. I have to focus my endeavours—or nothing gets finished—but I can’t rein in my thoughts completely or it’s like someone has turned off the tap and left my lazy, listless self sitting in my chair—or on the couch in front of the TV—for hours on end.

So when I was asked to guest post on my fellow writers’ blogs and when Ron Hughes of HopeStreamRadio approached me about being a contributor, I was over the moon. Coming up with new content regularly means my ideas and my writing must stay fresh.

When writing devotionals for HSR, I dig into God’s Word. I’ve found, once again, how amazing it is to find new insights in passages I’ve read dozens—maybe hundreds—of times before. It truly is the Living Word.

And when I’m writing blog posts, I often follow the advice of a visiting missionary who spoke at our church years ago. When asked to speak, he considered what the Lord had been teaching him at the time. He most often used that as the springboard for his message. When I approach a new post, I look to what has been going on in my life. I often find the inspiration I need to get started from my day-to-day life and go from there.

Keep a lookout. Fresh ideas and inspiration are all around, just like the signs of spring.