What Color Are Your Writing Leaves?

Every Autumn my sister and I eagerly await the changing of the leaves. The summer is hard on both of us and the cooler temperatures does much to improve our temperament. We will drive around, doing our errands, and search for Mother Nature's artistic hand in the surrounding trees. My sister and I, however, argue on which color is the prettiest. She likes the bright yellow leaves of the black maple tree while I favor the deeper oranges and reds of its cousin the sugar maple. But no matter which color we choose, they all serve a purpose in bringing beauty to the landscape on a crisp fall day.

It's kinda like the different writing styles a writer can choose on their journey to publication. 

Yellow...

A bright, cheery type of writing but sometimes without the staying power of the other colors. Yellow is the color of the sun but like a dreary November morning, it lacks the warmth to entice a reader to stay and discover more.

Orange...

A nice, sweet type of writing but generally needing a little bit of something added to spice things up. Orange is the color of pumpkins harvested from the fields, just waiting for someone to turn it into something special and tasty.

Red...

A deep, rich type of writing but occasionally overshadowing all those around it. Red is the color of a woodland campfire, shining brightly but sometimes burning with its intensity the fingers of anyone coming too close.

Evergreen...

A vibrant, alive type of writing well suited to the world in general. Evergreen is the color of life, the color Mother Nature choses when providing shelter during a frosty Autumn wind and warmth during a cold winter's night.



Driving through the beautiful Tennessee hills I can look at the lovely Autumn foliage this time of year and ask myself what color are MY writing leaves? Will my leaves simply tease and frustrate readers while lacking the boldness to touch their spirits? Or will my leaves paint a picture in their hearts forever and become an evergreen, casting its warmth for years to come?

What color is YOUR writing?

The Changing Seasons

Here it is...my favorite time of the year. Autumn. Being allergic to the sun and higher temperatures does not make me a huge fan of Summer but I know I have to get through those months before I can sail into cooler weather and welcome the fall with open arms.

Some people look at the dazzling reds, oranges, and yellow on the trees with dread. In their minds Autumn signals the slow death of a summer time dream, leading to the harsh reality of a colder winter. I'm not one of those people and hopefully there are more like me.  I embrace the chilly temperatures these days for they sharpen my senses to the ebb and flow of life going on around me.

Even my writing seems to be changing with the falling leaves these days. My stories are bursting with color and a hint of what lies ahead on these brisk fall mornings. Revisions become like the trees losing their foliage as dying words fall from my tales...leaving only the strong roots and foundation of the story itself as a reminder of what it once was. 

I know when the last leaf has left Autumn behind and I am cozy by a fire, toasting Old Man Winter, I will dream a winter's dream of the coming Spring. I will wait for Mother Nature to breathe life into the trees...just as I will breathe life into those stories lying dormant in my mind as I count down the days until it's Summer once again...

Teaser Tuesday

Leaf Trouble

Author: Jonathan Emmett

Illustrator: Caroline Jayne Church

Publisher: The Chicken House

Ages: 3-8

ISBN: 9780545160704

You would think that the changing of the leaves wouldn't be such a big deal for a pair of squirrels.  But when the leaves start to turn red, yellow, and brown...well, they all fall down.  One squirrel and his sister try all kinds of ways to put them back on the trees until someone explains just how the seasons work.