Monday, May 12, 2014

Small Projects - Big Motivators




Both my mom and grandmother crocheted. Some of my earliest memories involved watching them turn thread into doilies, potholders, and other works of art.

I caught the bug when some friends started making scarves out of yarn. The thread and doilies didn't speak to my creative side because it took way too long to make anything. My mother taught me the basic stitches and how to read patterns. From there, I was off and running.

Small projects kept me excited about learning new skills and built up endurance for the larger pieces. When I began writing for publication, it didn't take a genius to figure out the same principles could apply to that area.

Non-fiction was my first love, and devotionals were the perfect way to dip my toe in the publishing waters. I soon ventured into writing for anthologies, as well as short articles for Sunday School take-home papers.

As I honed my craft, I discovered using fiction techniques in non-fiction writing increased my acceptance rate. An experience in Gettysburg, much prayer, and my husband's encouragement set me on the novel-writing journey.

The non-fiction area with its successes fueled me for the long (8 years), and sometimes baffling, world of fiction. Some of the things I learned included:

1.  Basic writing skills.
2.  How to meet deadlines.
3.  How to get through the writer's doubt and press on.

The Lord used so many of my life experiences to prepare and motivate me for a ministry I thought was beyond my ability.

Writers and Readers: Has a hobby or life experience prepared you for your destiny? Please share. 

 Photo Credit: Simac

4 comments:

Diane Estrella said...

I also crochet but haven't done much in years. My daughter seems to have no desire to learn it either. When there were lots of friends with babies I did more.

Karen Lange said...

It's interesting how many things mirror the writing life. I guess one thing that taught me a lot about writing was teaching my children at home. Patience, preparation, prayer, and practice are key elements in both processes.

Rhonda Schrock said...

You know, I think it's my lifelong love of reading. I've devoured books as long as I could read. Surely God gave me that love to prepare me to be a writer.

Happy Tuesday, Mizz Susan. :)

Ruth Schiffmann said...

Like you, Susan, I started out writing short pieces and was very happy doing so for many years. It actually took a lot of encouragement from my writing group friends before I would even entertain the idea of trying my hand at a novel. But I'm working on my third one now. (Maybe someday they will be published ;)