Tis the Season!

Like me, do you often berate yourself for not writing enough? And when you do write, do you end up feeling guilty for falling short of your day to day responsibilities like collecting children from school, cooking their meals and walking the poor, forgotten hound?

I put so much pressure on myself. Did you know, we moved to Lincolnshire from Surrey a little over a year ago? Yep, moved the family lock, stock, and barrel from one end of England to another. New schools (including special school); new church; new house; new paediatrician, new dog food supplier; new hairdresser; new tag rugby club; new SEN after-school club; the list goes on. My husband is finally working in a job he loves, I have found work as a part-time teacher, the kids are happily installed with new friends following lots of tea-dates etc. And I wonder why I haven’t finished the novel?

Guilt is such a waste of time and I seem to do a lot of it so here it is: my new year’s resolution, no, scrap that, it can’t wait - my December the 8th resolution. From now on, I resolve to forget the guilt and recognise the season I am in!

Are you aware King Solomon (yes, the one who penned the Ecclesiastes among other works of wisdom) wrote about there being a season for everything? There’s a time to be born and a time to die, a time to weep and laugh, a time to build, a time to speak, a time to be silent, a time, in fact, for everything. Time is a gift from God as is our writing ability. If God gives us these things, then I need to trust Him that he will give me the time to use my gift.

I’m not saying that there is ever a season in a writer’s life where there is absolutely no writing. I mean, is it even possible for a writer not to write at least something? It’s in our blood! But every day as I wonder at the possibility of picking up the novel again, sometimes I have to be happy with a blog post, a poem or even a short diary entry. And that, fellow writers, is often an enormous achievement in itself!