Monday, March 2, 2015

THE WINTER OF MY DISCONTENTMENT...







After two weeks of being buried under snow and ice...and having to deal with school closings spilling over into wall to wall kids at MY school, I'm happy to report the kiddies are back in class. That means I can catch my breath and enjoy the peaceful quiet of working in silence once again. But please don't think me content.

Because I'm not.

Maybe you think I should be thankful my debut picture book, THE STORY CATCHER, has finally been released. Or maybe I should be grateful I have eleven completed picture books and chapter books just waiting to find a new home. Or I should be happy over the fact I'm beginning to line up some author visits and interviews for the upcoming months.

Because I'm not.

You see, this is the winter of my discontentment. The winter I won't settle for simply resting on my laurels and waiting for the accolades to roll in. While I'm thankful Anaiah Press has given life to one of my stories, I hunger to give birth to the next one within the pages of another book with my name on the outside. I am not content to have almost a dozen completed, polished manuscripts under my belt, but wish to continue until I have no less than one hundred such treasures waiting to be read. And I will not rest until every child who could benefit from reading my book has a chance to do just that.

Mother Nature is a tricky one. She beguiles us with pretty snowflakes and sparkling ice, turning our thoughts to dreams of hibernating our days away until the Springtime. Winter is too frosty a time to be working so hard on our goals of becoming published authors. Colder temperatures chill our brains into thinking of nothing but cuddling under blankets and sipping hot cocoa until the birdies start singing again about the new flowers in our gardens.

But I won't be fooled. I won't be tricked into believing I have nothing else sneaking around in this imaginative mind of mine. I won't be hoodwinked into thinking the best of my writing isn't yet to come. I plan on turning my back on this winter of my discontentment and break through the icy cage in which I find myself. To burst through the barriers holding me back from creating a little magic in the dead of winter.

And when I'm done...when all the stories welling up within me spills out onto every piece of paper I own and I lay my pen down to catch my breath, I will take a moment to give thanks. To give thanks for the winter of my discontentment challenging me to do more. To strive for more. To BE more.

And like the beautiful rose, to never give in to the winter...



4 comments:

  1. Embrace winter. I do. But then I'm lazy. Come on! Where are those books? Let's see them. Now. Come on...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. All in good time, dear sister...all in good time! ;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete
  2. nothing like snow and more snow and negative temps and windchill to keep one at a desk scribbling stories. Discontent, yes - but also productive.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lol...how right you are Sue! ;-)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

      Delete