New Year Risings

 

This is one thing I did manage to do successfully after my wife and I finally recovered from the flu bug which struck us both down in the run up to Christmas itself. Bread rising when being baked is in some ways an apt metaphor for our writing too. The flour represents our ideas inspired by our imaginations which we put into a mixing bowl to which we add the water and yeast of plotlines, structure, characters, historical research and other required elements. Once done we then knead and stretch until we can feel confident enough to shape it into our desired output. See above.

Then comes the big test, putting it into the hot oven here represented by agents, editors and reviewers who will determine if our creations are deemed underdone or overcooked before the final test, when the reading public finally get their teeth into it. See below.

 As we begin another writing year we can look back on 2022 as something of a watershed with two monarchs, three Prime Ministers, three Chancellors, five Education Secretaries… the list goes on. 2022 was the year of the platinum jubilee celebrations but also the end of an era with the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second for whom many of was the only monarch we knew. It was also the year when we saw another war of aggression break out in Europe this time in Ukraine creating an influx of refugees which people both in the UK and across the continent responded to magnificently. It was also the year when we finally declared Covid an endemic virus like the common cold and influenza, although it is still out there and must not be taken lightly. Much has been written about these events already and doubtless will provide the “flour” of ideas going forward whatever genre we write in. But how have we done compared to where we were this time last year?

 For me as I wrote last year, I very rarely resolve to make any resolutions for I very rarely achieve any of the milestones I set myself. It remains an exercise in futility for which I am still uniquely, well-qualified. Ask my wife and she will still happily confirm that, “discipline and structure are not words I would usually use to describe my husband”. Yet despite this I did manage to complete the second portfolio of the Methodist Local Preachers Course which required a number of written pieces on various theological themes to be submitted – and happily passed them all. Some of these made their way to my website www.michaelcronogue.com/blog/ along with sermons and other devotional material. One of the themes was the re-telling of a parable and for this I chose Luke’s the parable of the rich fool (Lk 12:13-21), which I wrote as a poem which I shared on last October’s blog to coincide with National Poetry Day and once again I thank those of you who provided such kind comments.

 I am afraid that my  creative blog https://blackcountrylondoner.wordpress.com/latest-posts/ still requires a major overhaul (one resolution I am determined to carry out this coming year) but making it more poetry-centred than before. As a blue light chaplain, I still write up a summary of my visits in the Chaplain’s Log, but these now include summaries of “ride alongs” where I have been out with officers on patrols several times including with a dog unit and the motorway patrol group often responding to emergency calls on full blues and twos – there is nothing like going at 120mph up the M6 in a police car to get the old adrenalin going!! But again, the sensitivity of much of what I see and hear means I cannot divulge it publicly.  

 I found last year’s Christmas pressie from Mrs C; A Prayer for Every Day, desk calendar very useful and have been able to use some of both the Christian and non-Christian prayers and reflections when leading worship thereby enriching my own faith and may yet provide further opportunities for written reflection in the future.

 So my resolutions for writing in 2023 are perhaps best expressed in the bread pictures above: to use the flour of ideas and yeast and water of structure to try and re-instill the discipline which has been present in the past and can still be found occasionally in the present.

 A very Happy New Year to you all and my all your endeavours bring you the success which reflects the talent our wonderful God has seen fit to grant us.

Michael Cronogue originally from London now resides in Walsall in West Midlands region of UK. Writer and blogger discussing matters of faith, theology and worship on his website www.michaelcronogue.com .  He is a volunteer Chaplain with the West Midlands Police Service and blogs creatively at https://blackcountrylondoner.wordpress.com