support – The Journey of a Lioness

I have been writing for almost two years straight now. I have written one book and a good part of a second. I have learned that with all things I have hit the hard place. The place in the book where I start to ask myself is this really going to be something someone is going to read? Is it worthy of being written, is it going to leave a reader with something to think about? Most readers have their favorite authors. The one they are drawn to because they connect with the writer. I have this huge desire to make sure that my books do that. I want the person reading the book to come away with something for them. Something that they carry with them. I have books like that. Favorite authors that write fiction, stories filled with characters that I want to be.

I want that for my readers. I want someone to think I am going to look at things differently, or I’m going to remember that next time I face a situation that is similar. To be able to enrich someone’s life that is to me what makes a good writer. That is what I aspire to do. Connect with readers and let them know they are not alone. I carry books and stories around like they are my best friends. They bring me comfort and peace and I trust that they will always be there. You do that too if you think about it. Do you have a favorite song, movie, TV character? All of those things are written and they are written so well that you carry them around. They affect you, they change you. I want to be the one who has the ability to do that to affect change. To bring someone a sense of comfort.

I have come to a place that I am very well aware of. The wall is what I call it, writers block is what others refer it to. I cannot stand this place, because I spend half of my time telling myself that yes this needs to be shared, that someone is going to read it and the other half telling myself that nope it is just not going to matter. In my first book I really had to push through this part, and I have found that is the same in the second. Yet I now have an editor and a deadline and that tends to help keep me somewhat focused. Because I am more excited at what the book could be instead of having the mindset of it having to be perfect from the start. I put a lot of pressure on myself can you tell! What a silly thing to do. The next book will be good, because I believe it will be. Will more than 40 people read it? Probably not, but what I have learned is it doesn’t matter how many read it, it matters that the ones that do, walk away thinking that was worth my time. So I need to get back to writing and remind myself, I’m just writing a book, not saving the world.

Dee

I am so ready to just get out of town for a while. I am sure that many of you are like that. Just ready to see something. Be able to think and just be out in nature. Well my darlings, I know what you are thinking, who has time for that? I want to but with all the things going on this time of the year, I just don’t know if I will have that kind of time. Yes I changed careers and am working a new position, so I have given up my week of planned vacation. Totally worth it, but it also means that I may not get that big fancy trip that I wanted to. That is okay, because there are places here where I live that we can travel to. Late last summer we purchased a travel camper and a truck. Both are up and running and ready for their maiden voyage. We just have to pick a park and decide where to go. I am thinking local for our first trip. Since we have never used the camper before something that is close to home sounds pretty dang good. I may even have my in-laws help me plug it into their spot and help me see how everything works. Not as exciting but still worth it.

I have this huge list of places that I want to travel to, but I also know that with a new job it may take a while to get to the place where I can. It is odd, I should be use to that, at my old job I was not afforded time off either, if I did it was because of family emergency. No leisure time for me. I am getting to that age when leisure time is suddenly becoming important. It is time to be like everyone else and stop making the 8-5 the most important thing about life. Family, memories, times spent with friends and loved one is what matters. That is where my focus needs to be. It is so odd how I use to think that it was my job that defined me. No it is how I do that job that defines me. It is how I treat people that is what defines me and holds my value.

The places that I wish to go are most likely on your list too. Mount Rushmore, the beach, any beach, the Grand Canyon (yes I have have been there but my kids should see it too), Yellowstone. Oh the list goes on and on. The cool thing is now that we have a truck and a trailer we can maybe see these places without having things like hotels and other stuff. We can climb in and just go. That is what is exciting for me. I look forward to taking my camera and just wondering at sunset and sunrise and seeing God everywhere. To see the beauty that most people forget about. One chance is all we have my darlings to invest in our souls. We need to absorb all the beauty we can from this world so that our soul reflects that. We are a better people when we learn about natural beauty and the beauty of other cultures. We become something most forget, interesting. You know those old people who can sit and tell stories about their life the things they saw, the people they meet. That is what a full rich life is composed of. Not chasing money, that only gets you money, and there is so much more to life than that.

So while I am not sure where we will go, the point is, we are going. I am excited to take you along on the adventure. Better yet I encourage you to go out and just have one of your own! Invest in you, in your soul and you will find it so rewarding. Enjoy the time we have for it runs out way too fast.

Dee

Category: support

The Hard Place

Time to Travel! But Where!!