Romancing the Words by Sandi Somers

June is the traditional month for weddings. How appropriate, then, that our prompts focus our thoughts on Romancing the Words.




When did you realize you were romanced by words, language and writing? 

Did you, like Madeleine L’Engle, write your first stories at age five? (Her mother saved those stories for a time, but they’ve thankfully disappeared. She acknowledged, “we don’t write immortal prose at five.”)

Has your writing been a joy?

You may feel like Annie Proulx, who said that writing is “a joyous task. It’s hard, but it’s joyous.”

Or do you sometimes have a love/hate relationship with writing?

Maybe you are like John Muir, the 19th Century naturalist. "This business of writing books is a long, tiresome, endless job," he said while writing his memoirs. Others said he groaned over his work, and he wrote and rewrote, not once, but twenty times trying to polish to perfection.

How does Jesus the Bridegroom romance you with His Words to you?
How is Jesus encouraging you, spurring you on, loving you with His presence as you write?

Romancing Toward My Goals

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams!"

~ Henry David Thoreau

My first publication came when I was about twelve and entered a writing competition for a children’s’ magazine. I wrote the article on a snowy cold day when school was cancelled. I don’t remember much of the content, but I looked out at that frigid sunny day and used sunshine in the story (a technique writers are advised to use).

I won first prize, my first success in becoming a writer.

After that time, my writing became like a seesaw: sometimes I wrote for publication, sometimes I couldn’t write formally, as when I moved into my first home. Some of my articles were published, others were rejected. Some drafts developed into well-written articles, others remained a disorganized miasma.

Meanwhile, I continued journaling significant moments of my life: two years living in Colombia, South America and other travels; work with immigrants and refugees of many cultures; rich spiritual experiences. And I wrote initial drafts of many articles.

Now I’m writing more intentionally, bringing to life my dreams of writing.

How is it going? you may ask. And here’s the challenge.

Being patient when I can’t find the key that unlocks the potential of an idea. Sitting staring at my computer folders full of UFOs--unfinished objects, enough to take me through the next twenty years. Or taking time to discover what relates to my readers.

On the other hand, I recognize that endorphin lift when I encapsulate a good idea or finish a well-developed article. Joy comes when my words speak to others.

Jesus is encouraging me with Maya Angelou’s words—Maya, who passed away this week: "The desire to reach hearts is wise and most possible."

And Jesus encourages me this Paul’s words: “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” (Philippians 3:14 NLT).

Now it’s your turn. What thoughts come to mind as you romance the words?

We Writers by Janet Martin

We are delighted to welcome InScribe member Janet Martin as our Guest Blogger today.

Brenda invited me to share this poem in a guest-post, as an example of what I am working on; a poetry blog.

We Writers...

We writers write and bear alike the suffering of it
To breathe in ink those things we think while others simply sit
Without the quest of un-penned best, besot by phrase or form
Or restless heart where hope imparts a sweet and soundless storm

We writers scan the lowing span of new or ancient crypt  
Craving the rush of thoughts that brush, not in pigment but script
The carefree soul saunters and strolls, his thought easy to bear 
While writers thirst, both blessed and cursed by noon's word-laden air

We writers know the high and low unleashed across a page
How want and will perplex the quill and midnight is a stage
To anywhere a pen may dare to revel in the vaunt
Of oceans stirred within a word; of musing's endless taunt

We writers dream and nothing seems to be what it appears
Who knew the color blue could move a writer's smile to tears?
And who are we that poetry breathed by a blithesome breeze
can smite our hand by its command and draw us to our knees?

We writers share the glorious care of searching Heaven's Face
Where we beseech and humbly reach to touch His hem of grace
then; here and there the writer's prayer though inarticulate
enjoys the thrill of words that spill in torrents through thought's gate

When someone asks me what writing project I am working on or what my goals are, I hardly know what to say. The goal for God-fearing writers is much more than an accumulation of words to tell a story or spin a poem. We ponder, pray and pursue a passion only other writers can relate to; a passion purposed to hopefully, ultimately glorify God.

My passion is poetry and my struggle is finding its practical purpose and place in a fast-paced world. That place for now is a blog as I wait for further Instruction … to quote Peter Marshall,* ‘the Lord only knows and He hasn’t told me yet’.

However, the Lord did impress on my heart as a child, a love for poetry. I began writing poetry when I was eight or nine when, being smitten with inspiration while sitting on the barn steps, I repeated the lines until I got back to the house, then sacredly committed them to paper. Thus began a private passion, save for card-acrostics to my friends for birthdays and such.

Then, after being questioned by my son four years ago as to what my purpose for writing is when all I do is keep it in a drawer, conviction over-rode fear and I began posting on a Christian poetry-site. There a reader encouraged me to start a blog. After four years I can say I have learned there is still much I need to learn, but what a joyful, exciting journey it is.

Inscribe is a perfect example of this joy; writers encouraging writers because we need other writers as much as we need words. I thank the Lord for connections made through blogging long before I became an Inscribe member; voices such as Violet Nesdoly, Brenda Leyland and Glynis Belec.

Thus, for the time being, I am content to climb the ladder of learning to see where it will lead. And most recently it has brought me here where, as I read over and over the heart-blood spilled at Inscribe I see so much more than words from writers. I see love. Love poured from the desire to touch people, not with words but God. God is love. That is my prayer as I write and who knows where God will let the ‘seeds’ drift. It would be enough to know that, although ninety-nine didn’t care, one was helped and encouraged through Love shaped into word.

Also, my hope is that if someone out there is held back by fear, yet driven to write, maybe they will feel the love and be drawn to the possibilities that God alone will reveal as we trust Him.

  

 *From the book: A Man Called Peter written by Catherine Marshall, his wife

About Janet: I am a stay-at-home mom/day-care provider who loves to draw inspiration from family, faith and God's handiwork. I enjoy gardening, photography, cooking and anything else that involves my family. My husband James and I have been married for almost 26 years and we have four children; one married daughter who lives close by, two daughters and a son still at home. My husband is a long-haul transport truck-driver and this leaves a lot of quiet evenings which I fill with reading and writing. I blog at anotherporch.blogspot.com

Getting There - by Susan Barclay

Drinking in the view at at the end of the day. Who could fail to be inspired?

I planned to work on this post while my husband and I enjoyed a cottage rental this week. Pffft. And when we returned home on the 30^th, I thought I could get it done that evening. Pffft again. We arrived to find computer issues that needed attention. So I am writing this June 1^st and back-dating it. 

We were asked to showcase a work-in-progress, so that’s what I’m  doing. In fact, I used part of our vacation to work on my WIP. I spent the mornings writing while my husband read, then we took the afternoon to explore the area, and watched a movie together in the evenings before heading to the beach to catch one of God’s glorious sunsets.

I call myself an eclectic writer. I write children’s picture books, personal essays, short stories for adults, poetry. But my focus this year has been on the novel I started ten years ago. It’s a work of contemporary fiction that deals with family dynamics, and particularly the difficult relationship between a mother and daughter. Themes of understanding and forgiveness are also explored. The idea was sparked when I threw together a short piece for a critique group that was meeting for the first time. One of the participants that night thought the nugget contained the makings of a novel. 

I gulped. It did?

So here I am ten years later, still working on it. Granted, I’ve taken long breaks since beginning, the longest stemming from writer’s block. I’d come to point B and knew where point D was, but I wasn’t quite sure how to get to point C. Thankfully, the block has broken and I am moving forward. I don’t work from a detailed outline and tend to go with the flow, an approach that has both its challenges and its joys.

Over the holiday, I worked on revisions for the first ten chapters. I still have a number of chapters to edit before I pick up the story and work my way through to the end. While I had hoped to complete the novel by the end of June, it looks like I'll have to extend my deadline to the end of the year. The main thing is to keep pressing forward.

Here’s a teaser from early in the novel to whet your appetite for more. In this scene, the mother and daughter are having a tense telephone conversation. The story is told in first person, from the daughter’s point of view. 

 I felt sick to my stomach, but somehow I couldn’t stop myself. I wasn’t like this with anyone but Mom. “Nothing’s eating me,” I said. I tapped my fingers on the arm of my chair. “I’m tired, that’s all. Tired of pandering to your emotional insecurities.” Mom drew in a sharp breath, but I pressed on. “Ben and Jackie wouldn’t have asked you to go if they didn’t want you. So, go. Enjoy your grandchildren and have a good time. Is that so hard? Does it have to be such a big deal?”

“Somebody got up on the wrong side of bed,” she answered. “Maybe I should talk to you later when you’re feeling more reasonable.”

“I think this is as good as it gets today, Mother.”

I heard the phone click. “Mother?” I held the phone away from my ear and looked at it in surprise, then brought it close again. "Mother?” The dial tone sounded an accusation. “She hung up on me!”

____________________

For more of my writing, please visit www.susan-barclay.ca

Life Lessons: My current work in progress - Ruth L. Snyder

One of the projects I'm tackling this year is a collaborative effort with five other authors. Helping Hands Press is publishing the San Francisco Wedding Planner series, a light romance. Our publisher presented us with the context for the story and the main characters. It's up to our team to fashion a fun, interesting story. To launch the project, each of the six authors wrote one chapter of the opening story. The Initial Consultation was published in February. I will also be writing the complete story for volume 6, but I have to wait until volume 5 is written (the beginning of June) so that I can tie the loose strands together to end this first series. Volume 6 (my story) is scheduled for release on July 3rd.

For the second series of the San Francisco Wedding Planner, each of the authors is writing a prequel about one character from the first series. My character is Heather Donovan, wedding planner extraordinaire. I'm just putting the finishing touches on Life Lessons, which will be published in mid-July. Heather is in her first year of nursing practice, experiences her first love, and comes up against some challenges which cause her to examine her choices.

I am finding this project challenging in several ways. First, there is only one plot which is shared by all six authors. You never know what interesting twists the writer before you will throw into the mix. Another challenge is the quick turn-around time for writing. Each writer has between two to three weeks to write 10,000 words once she receives the story previous to hers. I'm also finding it a challenge to write for the general market - keeping the story light, funny, and interesting, but also offering the reader something to think about.

Here's a teaser for you:

"Ms. Simons is in labor and will deliver soon. You'll assist, of course. She has requested a late-term abortion."

"How far along is she?"

"Twenty-two weeks."

"That far? What if the baby is viable?"

"The fetus will not survive. Do you understand?"

Heather searched Jonathan's eyes. "What are you saying?"

"You will not provide any extra support that could determine viability. Ms. Simons is near the edge mentally and I've agreed to perform a late-term abortion for health reasons."

"But Jonathan. How can you even say those words? Do you realize what that means? Baby Shannon was born at twenty-two weeks and she's viable. How can you not provide the same level of care for this baby?"

"Because my patient, Ms. Simons, has the right to choose. It's our job to meet the needs of our patients."

"But technically, once the fetus is delivered, he or she becomes your patient too. Do we just stand by and let him or her die? Doesn't that make us complicit in murder?"

"Heather, you studied abortion. Didn't you know you'd be asked to provide medical assistance with these types of procedures?"

"Of course, but I never expected to be presented with two babies at the same gestation, with totally opposite requests for care. Did you encourage Ms. Simons to consider adoption?"

"Heather, you know that's not my place. Yes, I presented her with options, but she had to make her decision. I couldn't sway her."

"But what about the Hippocratic Oath, specifically that phrase about never doing any harm?"

"I'm glad you brought that up, because providing treatment to the fetus may prove harmful to Ms. Simons. I have my instructions from her and I intend to carry them out. What I need to know is whether you're prepared to back me up or not. I'm hoping I know the answer to that question, but I need to be sure before we assist Ms. Simons."

"How can you even ask me to do this?" Heather glared at Jonathan.

"Because it's your job." He glared back. "This may be the first time you've been asked to help with this procedure, but it won't be the last." He grasped her firmly by the shoulders."I know it's tough, but as a medical professional you must do it."

"And if I refuse?"

"You don't want to go there."

For more about Ruth and her writing go to ruthlsnyder.com and "like" her Facebook Author Page