It was far easier to think of works by other authors that make my heart sing, some of which I share below, than it was to think of my own writing that qualifies. Still, I wanted to share a few aspects of the writing process that I enjoy.
SURPRISE! When I sit down at my computer with
the seed of a new idea and start to write and things come together more quickly
and more surprisingly than I thought they would, I'm reminded of the adventure
that writing can be.
And at the other end of the process...When God uses
something I've written to encourage, instruct, or entertain a reader, I am
absolutely, positively over the moon. Is there a better feeling than that?
Sidenote: Revising my work to make it better is necessary
and can be very rewarding—when the work is done—but the song that comes to mind
during this process is “The Song That Never Ends” by puppeteer Sherry Lewis.
<grin>
And now a few notes about works by other authors...
Memoir that draws me in can make my heart sing,
although, at times, the tune and lyrics are sombre and heart wrenching. Punching
the Air, a memoir by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam, is written in
verse and goes straight to the heart. Warning: language.
And speaking of poetry...
Whether it's thought-provoking, such as Punching the
Air, or a lighthearted children's book by an author such as P.D.
Eastman or Dr. Seuss, verse can make my heart sing and, sometimes, a smile
spread across my face. Even at 61, I love a well-written picture book.
After reading No Wonder They Call Him the
Savior, I dubbed Max Lucado a poet who writes in
prose. Lucado has a way of taking the simple yet profound truths of God's Word
and painting a mental picture that allows these truths to sink deep into my
spirit.
Devotionals that the Lord uses to give me fresh
perspective on familiar passages and remind me of the awesomeness of Truth are
the most life-changing nonfiction works I have the privilege of reading. Bonus:
I know many of the authors, and that gives me an even greater sense of
connectedness.
I enjoy a wide variety of fiction genres: suspense,
cozy mysteries, sweet romances, clean romcoms, fantasies…
Fiction that grabs me by the throat and won't
let go is my favourite. Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness is
the first book I can remember taking with me wherever I went—although, I pretty
much always had a Nancy Drew Mystery close at hand for much of my youth. I even
tried to wash the dishes while reading Peretti’s book. (I'm definitely thankful
for the advent of audiobooks, which makes consuming content so much easier
while doing other tasks.)
And, as I mentioned earlier...
When a portion of scripture seems to jump
off the page, whether to convict or encourage me, my heart sings, knowing the
God of the Universe speaks to His children through words penned hundreds, some
thousands, of years ago.
