Write It Girl – Sabrina J-R

I See New Growth

No, this is not a reference to hair. There is lots of growth happening around these parts. My babies are all growing up–much too quickly for me. (Note to self: add a picture update soon!)

There is grass growing in my back yard. We seeded late last fall. By late, I mean there were some very faint snowflakes falling while the landscapers were seeding. And then it snowed the following day. The professional people assured us that that was the best time to seed, as the ground benefits from the winter moisture. All the snow has melted rather quickly, compared to our usual Prairie spring thaws. We pray for rain every night and God has not failed us. It’s a back yard, with a big story and an even bigger testimony!

My writing has grown. I’ve been doing Allume’s 31 Days to #BetterWriter series. What a blessing! It’s causing me to be more deliberate not only with my writing, but in my thought processes. I’m also learning to focus more on the quality of the content rather than what I presume a reader might or might not think. My intentions when writing are to use my God-given talents to honour Him. I never want to hurt or maim anyone with what I write, so I do my best to ensure that my tone reflects that.

I’m also growing in the fictional side of my writing. Lately, my writing has been used for specific things. Church bulletin announcements, bridal or baby shower invitations, editing resumes & cover letters for friends, editing emails and blog posts. In this #BetterWriter challenge, I’ve had the chance to let my mind roam free and just write things, sometimes from a non-realistic, non-non-fictional angle. The creative juices have been flowing. Best of all, these last 16 days?

I’ve been having fun!

This whole journey has been enjoyable. I don’t just shrug off assignments, even when they baffle my mind. I haven’t skipped any, nor have I tried to avoid them. This is a good way into disciplined writing. It’s not too late for you to join the fun. Click below to join in. I’m also linking this up to Write It, Girl!

It’s A Poem

I’ll fully admit that I’m taking the easier way out with my Write It, Girl post today. The freedom to write anything and link up has encouraged me to share this. I’ve also been participating in Allume’s 31 Days to #BetterWriter series. I just completed my day 8 assignment. (Yes, they’re on day 11. Shhhh!)

The assignment was poetry, a genre I haven’t done in a good 15 years or so, since high school. Write a poem about any topic of your choice, unbogged from all grammatical worries.
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Trapped
In my mind, locked away
Buried in heart, hidden in soul
Words, thoughts, ideas

Tangents from here
Lessons from there
Sheer brilliance! at least to me
What’s the point of thinking if thoughts stay bottled up inside?
Imaginary label: “do not disturb”
“Contents under pressure”
Yet one nudge, one poke
The vessel may shatter
Why wait for special occasion?
Take advantage of full flavour, aroma, effect
Best used before expiration date
In its prime

Ideas, thoughts, words
Clawed from heart, found in soul
Given life with pen to paper, fingers to keys
Free

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I actually liked this poem. I had prayed for inspiration before I began, since I was clueless about where to begin. This is what flowed only moments later. God’s cool like that. My writing matters to Him, even with self-imposed “deadlines”.

31 Days to #BetterWriter

So far, the challenge is going well. It’s been a struggle some days, to get into the right frame of mind for each assignment. Once it *clicks* and I find my voice for that moment, then the words just seem to pour out of me. I’ve also given myself a personal challenge alongside the Allume challenge.

I’ve noticed that many people tend to write from a deep place. Oftentimes, it’s a dark, scary, painful place. Their fuel is a bad experience, bad memories, low self-esteem, bad anything. These are the dark places that most of us work to keep hidden and deeply buried. We would never invite anyone there. We barely want God in there. When you do invite people into that little dark corner, it’s those carefully chosen, hand-picked few who have crossed the relationship threshold into an exclusive intimacy.

It’s been fantastic to read all these various posts with the vast array of voices behind them. Hurt is a great motivator at times. I tend to draw on the darker areas of my life when I write. The more important the piece, the lower down I go, sometimes needing to unearth a few memories to help deliver the message I feel in my heart.

Yet, this month, I didn’t want to do the same thing with these challenges. Instead, I’m aiming to write from more pleasant, warmer deep places. Their may be the odd assignment where this just won’t work. In that case, I’ll still aim to put a positive spin in the piece itself. Should be an interesting month ahead.

~~You can read my assignments over on my other blog: As The Words Flow~~
**UPDATE** I’ve now imported all my assignments into this blog. (Too tasking to maintain two blogs publicly right now)

Temptation Looks Good From Far…

…but is far from good.

Last week, I asked if I looked like a chicken. I’m slowly becoming aware of how important it is to keep writing, especially the harder things. The posts that sometimes cause me the most grief are often times the exact ones that some reader needs right at the precise moment.

Another lesson in keeping with the chickenness theme:

There is no shame in honest posting.

I need to quit second (and sometimes third, fourth & fifth) guessing myself all the time. I should never write something where I feel the need to prepare defense rebuttals, or have my mouse hover over the delete icon. More energy needs go into the actual writing and not dreaming up some imaginary defense plan that should never be needed.

Besides, if what I write is true, is honest and is what God has impressed upon my heart, then there definitely is no shame in writing it and sharing it.

I’ve been struggling a bit for the last couple months, as to what sort of spin I want on this blog and if it was an accurate representation of who I am and what I’m about. There were all sorts of temptations lurking here and there too. Opportunities to blog here, guest there. Opportunities to work as a product reviewer, with perks of increased blog traffic, free product and perhaps even compensation. Yet, I knew that the public at large would probably think me crazy for including some spiritual discussion and using God’s name in ways more positive than in vain. It all came down to asking myself whether it was more important to please myself or to please God.

I choose to set aside my material desires and focus more on what God would have me to write and share.

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I’m linking up with Write It, Girl this month. Click below to check it out too.