I'm Not Behind!

I have been feeling some guilt about not writing more, but "Day 62" in my last post really caught my eye. I have been a novelist for 62 days. That's only two months! Of course, my page-written count is much lower than I would like, but I've been doing other things that novelists do, like

• journaling about my writing process and my feelings about writing
• reading other authors' blogs about their writing process
• reading a variety of genres to get a feel for what kinds of things I'd like to write
• writing book reviews to clarify what does and doesn't work in storytelling, characterization, etc.
• discussing writing with a friend who also writes
• researching the manuscript submission process, editorial guidelines, etc.
• starting up a writers group

Like most writers, I also have personal commitments, such as:

• working 40 hrs/wk at my "day job"
• attending church and teaching Sunday School
• attending a weekly Bible study for adults
• teaching a weekly Bible study for children
• spending quality time with my husband and other important people in my life
• working through some major personal issues with the help of a counselor

(I'm also in the process of applying for a more challenging job AND hoping to start graduate school in the fall.)

YES, my time is limited. YES, I need to spend more time writing. NO, I'll never publish a novel if I don't sit down and write the pages.

Still, I need to remember--and to remind myself--that this is all part of the process of becoming who I am meant to be, and that means finding balance, not judging the worth of my life by the number of pages I've written.

Advertising for a Writing Group

I haven't been writing the past few weeks because I'm preparing for the GRE. However, a friend and I are starting a writing group soon. Here's the advertisement we put in our church newsletter:

Calling All Writers:

Interested in writing? (My friend and I) invite you to the new Writers Small Group for everyone from beginning writers to published authors. This will be a challenging yet supportive place to help you write your best!

Activities will include brainstorming, freewriting, read-alouds, and (gentle) critique from other writers in the group. We’ll also discuss pen-and-paper vs. computer writing, procrastination, overcoming writer’s block, and finding the time to write.

Our first meeting will be (time and place). Bring a bag lunch, a generous spirit, and a few pages of your latest project. (If you don’t have a project but are feeling the call to write, please come and see what all the excitement’s about!)

Email (us) with any questions. No RSVP required. We'll see you there!


I haven't read my writing to anyone since I was in college, so I think this will be a good experience for me. I have a few weeks before our first meeting; as soon as I take the GRE, my time will be free to write, write, write. Woo hoo!

Writing as Healing

I think I've already mentioned my struggles with writing. Not the writing itself, but the fear of the emotions inside me. I'm currently struggling with some deep personal issues and am going through a period of deep grieving.

My fear has always been that those painful feelings would explode like a volcano. Instead, as I'm writing about Kate's grief, I've found that the pain instead just slowly steeps away. Kate and I are grieving very different losses, but our pain is the same.

I'm not sure if this Oprah-type thing is what I want to write forever, but I need to write this story, to grieve and receive healing along with Kate, before I can write anything else. I'm just gonna leave those future stories with God and work on the story He has given me for today.

Personal victory: Today was my first day of real writing since before Christmas. :)


WRITTEN TODAY: 1.25 PAGES (double-spaced)