Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Embracing Life's Storms




 


When I was growing up, I could be assured of two things when school started.  One, I would be wearing hand me down clothes since I was the youngest of four in a poor family.  Two, I wouldn't actually GET to start school on time because there was always a hurricane nearby which prevented the school from actually beginning until days after the official start date.  I always wondered why they simply didn't start later in the fall, but who was I to question the wisdom of my elders?

I did, however, get used to dealing with the upheaval Mother Nature liked to throw at me and I'm sure it helped me to deal with life's storms as I got older.  Now I embrace those storms as they come along and know I will always come out on the other side a little bit stronger.

  




I have discovered my writing journey to sometimes be like an incoming storm.  My worlds collide and my characters rage at the injustice of their storybook lives.  Storms are brewing and some of my darlings may survive while others become casualties during violent revisions.





But what better way to see what I am made of than to be tested by the winds and rains of this life that I have chosen?  The sting of rejection letters will not keep me from my goal of becoming a published author.  The turbulent stresses of my day can not prevent me from my appointed writing time.  How I deal with those incoming storms speaks volumes of my character and the heart of the writer within me.

And when life's storms have come and gone, I can breathe a sigh of relief.  I am still standing...a little weather beaten perhaps, but still kicking and ready to embrace the beauty left behind...






12 comments:

  1. Good for you! :) Never let them get you down :)

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    1. Lol, Susanna...I'm trying, lady, I'm trying...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  2. One thing certain, there will always be storms of life!

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    1. Absolutely Karen! Will we duck for cover or will we face them head on? Therein lies the difference between a winner and a quitter...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  3. Okay...seriously...has anyone ever told you that you write like Laurie Halse Anderson? Have you ever thought of writing edgy contemporary like SPEAK or WINTERGIRLS or SOME GIRLS ARE? Just saying. Your blog posts read to me like YA contemporary. They are wonderful. So glad to be following!

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    1. Awww, AA, thanks for your kind words and welcome to my blog! I must make a shameful confession that not only do I not know who Laurie Halse Anderson is but I've also have never heard of the books you have listed. Yes, I've just recently crawled out from under a rock and hope to remedy this situation soon by discovering who the lovely lady is and maybe even making a run to my local library to grab some more books to read...;~)

      I'm just finding my way around the writing community and still learning the different genres so I'm not even sure exactly what YA contemporary genre IS but I thank you for helping me to possibly define my blog's "voice"...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  4. There is a unique and beautiful dignity about a gnarled and weathered object. It is as though mother nature has used her infinite creativity to sculpt something which only time and constant exposure to the elements can produce.

    Life's storms work in the same way. Over the passage of time they smooth the rough edges. There will be casualties, it is sad but unavoidable. However those that endure will be all the stronger.

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    1. Hi JP...I couldn't agree with you more!

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  5. That's the thing about rejections. They come. They sting. And you're still standing. You said it perfectly.

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    1. Hi Genevieve! I guess I'm about to find out just how much stinging rejection is going to go on...I've posted two picture books, one middle grade and one young adult novels as critiques, first 250 words and first five pages on WriteOnCon forums so far...still have one YA to post. We will see if I survive THIS round of storms...lol...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  6. Replies
    1. Thanks, Erik...I try...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete