Pay attention to what you want to grow by Lucy Rycroft

My husband and I are currently in the middle of an Enhanced Adoptive Parenting course, and one of the lines which has stuck out to me has been 'Pay attention to what you want to grow'.

Just like we pay attention to a plant we are trying to nurture - by way of giving it water, sunlight and food - so it is important, in our parenting, to encourage the values we wish to see in our children by praising them and drawing attention to these values when they are displayed.

It's obvious, really, isn't it? If you want to see the good stuff, communicate how much you value it to your kids, so they know to produce more of it. But Al and I have found it all too easy, in the busyness of family life, to get bogged down by all the irritating little habits that we don't want to grow. We nag, we shout, our fuses get shorter and shorter. And we forget that there is positive stuff we should be focusing on more.

I've been pondering this sentiment with regards to writing, too. It is easy to get bogged down in what we're struggling with, what we can't do, what we haven't got time for - whilst simultaneously missing what is going well, or even what we'd like to go well.

And, if I'm honest, I don't even know what I want to grow, half the time. I stumble through life in a sleep-deprived haze, getting done what needs to be done - in writing, work, family, church - without a second thought as to what needs work.

But if I want my writing to improve, it is imperative that I take a few moments to consider exactly what it is I want to grow, then intentionally work to pay attention to that.

What do you want to grow in your writing? Perhaps it is something to do with your style: you want to get better at character painting, argument formation, the breadth of your vocabulary, plot-lines, point-making, or - as in my case, inspired by Fran Hill - the use of humour.

Or maybe what you want to grow is not an aspect of your writing style, but your overall reach as a writer. Perhaps you want to develop your Facebook presence, learn how to use Instagram, grow your mailing list, or devote more time to your blog.

Or maybe you want to grow a transferable skill which you know will help you in your writing: time management, discipline, concentration, typing skills, research skills...

'Pay attention to what you want to grow'. Whatever it is we want to grow in our writing, how can we actively pay attention to it? Here are some ideas:

* take every opportunity to work on it - if you're working on humour, actively try and incorporate it into everything you write

* ask for help from those who've gone before you - there's a wealth of knowledge within ACW alone, let alone other online writing communities you may be part of: tap into it!

* set aside a weekly time slot to focus on what you want to grow - however short, it's better than nothing

* ask for feedback - a little scary, maybe, but find some people you trust to tell you the truth and ask them what they think of your writing/Facebook page/emails

* study the writing of those who are doing what you want to do really well - this could be established authors, fellow members of ACW, favourite bloggers or newspaper journalists. What is it about their style that draws people in?

Plants cannot be forced, and neither can our writing. But, little by little, with the right attention, the hidden seed becomes a shoot, the shoot becomes a small plant, and the small plant becomes a flowering plant. If we are willing to pay attention to our craft day by day, week by week, we will start to see the growth.

Lucy blogs about parenting and adoption at Desertmum, teaches preschool music classes, and spends much of her time organising her family of six who feel like twelve. She is the author of Redeeming Advent, and of the forthcoming Deborah and Jael. Lucy is married to Al and they live with their kids in York.