Meandering along the writing path by Susan Sanderson

A (new) meandering path

At a Bible study group a few years ago, someone said, ‘You have to be doing something if you want God to guide you. He doesn’t move a parked car.’

It’s the same with writing. We have to sit down and write (or type) and hopefully the words will appear.

Perhaps as writers we need to really find out what works for us. Do we have ideas while we are engaged in other activities? Tasks around the home, knitting, drawing or local walks may give us the headspace to develop our ideas.

What do we really feel called to write? Perhaps it is fiction. Perhaps not. And what about genre?

My own writing journey has (so far) taken me on a meandering path. I began with the intention to write children’s stories and took a correspondence course. The problem was that I thought I could write, but I hadn’t really begun to practise the craft, although I had enjoyed researching the genre. After a few rejections I gave up in spite of winning a small prize for one story. (This was in the days before the internet. Every manuscript had to be posted out. Then there was a considerable delay before a publisher replied.)

About 30 years ago I started writing a memoir of my childhood. My experiences of living in the south of England and visiting friends and relatives in other parts of the country gave me insights into the North/South divide, which is now topical with ‘levelling-up’ projects. Impostor syndrome and life brought that to a standstill. My typescript was filed in a cupboard for many years.

Since I began working on it again I have added a lot of material. Last autumn I signed up for NaNoWriMo and wrote thousands of words in a month. For me this has probably been more trouble than it was worth. Trying to edit these isolated incidents into a coherent work is taking more time than if I had carried on more slowly.

Some of my blog posts written in response to writing prompts have relevance to my memoir. They were written with a different slant. More editorial work is needed to fit them in.

I have been encouraged to continue with this by members of one of ACW’s wonderful online groups. The part I read out was described as a detailed resource!

Then there is the question of time management. I enjoy blogging. Writing a few hundred words at a time suits me. Blogging opportunities distract me from my bigger project.

I also write poetry. An idea I have had for a poetry project is going to be time consuming. Some of the 250 poems in my poetry spreadsheet perhaps merit publication. (Two of them have appeared in Christian Writer.) How to have them published is something else I need to think about. Writing more is easier than working out a plan for submitting poems to editors or self-publishing them.

So with all those demands on my time, here I am writing a blog post (because it is relatively easy) to fill a vacant date on More than Writers.

How do you work best? At a particular time of day? In a particular place? And are you easily distracted as I appear to be?


Susan always wanted to be a writer.  In 2012 she revived her interest in writing with a blogging project to collect the kinds of sayings, which were much used in her childhood.

Susan experiments with factual writing, fiction, humour and poetry.  She does not yet have a book to her name. Her interests include words, languages, music, nature study and gardening  She has experience of the world of work, being a stay-at-home mum and an empty-nester.   She is active in her local community and Church. She and her husband live in Cumbria

Follow her on Twitter https://twitter.com/suesconsideredt

Sue's Trifles and Sue's words and pictures


Comments

  1. What an endearing writing journey to read. I loved the comment that 'God doesn't move a parked car'. Adding to this, I say that to drive a car is hard work! - Washing, cleaning, servicing, MOT, etc. So it is with writing. What has helped me like you said is to just start writing and God will put the ides in my head - So God inspired it. I own nothing. This is my biggest driving force. Also God will find readers He hopes to bless by my writing. That encourages me to self publish anything I write. So, bring out your memoir and your poetry . Maybe you can do your poetry in 5 volumes of 50 poems?? Early morning suits me best for writing in my living room when I am alone with classical or christian music playing softly. Of course, I get distracted heavily with my activities on socil media EVERY DAY!! Beautiful post. Thanks and blessings.

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    1. Thank you, Sophia, for your thoughtful comment and your encouragement.

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  2. I love the 'meandering' motif. I've also explored several genres along the way including writing a newspaper column for twelve years. Being published across genres has been exciting (Christian non-fiction and children's stories) and a good reminder that we don't all fit a single box. It might be worth you looking at the Rialto magazine with your poems. They are currently open to submissions and you can find them here: https://www.therialto.co.uk/pages/

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    1. Thank you for your comment and the link, Jenny. I shall have to see if I have any completely unpublished poems.

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  3. I'd be interested to learn more about your memoir experience, Susan. I would quite like to write mine but am a bit worried about naming people as some of it isn't that good. Do you fictionalise those bits or call them by other names?

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    1. At the moment I am keeping names in, but there could be two versions - one for family and one for possible publication. Where I am still in contact with people, I am trying to ask them whether they mind appearing.

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  4. I resonate with a lot of what you say, Susan. So many different avenues that could be pursued that I can't settle to any of them sometimes. I absolutely love that idea that God doesn't move a parked car. That will stick in my mind as something to motivate myself with! As for memoir, and how to shape it into a narrative, I faced this problem with 'Miss, What Does Incomprehensible Mean?' Memoir seems to need a narrative arc as much as fiction does and real life doesn't happen in a handy narrative arc so some structural crafting is inevitable. Keep going!

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    1. Thank you, Fran. I don't think anyone would break a sunbed while reading mine!

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  5. I love hearing about the creative journeys of different writers, meandering is a fantastic description. It reminds me of the storytellers, raconteurs, minstrels and bards of old, weaving their way through life and sharing their observations with others. Through my years of working in business and charity, I have learnt to plan my work and work my plan, so I apply that to my writing (or at least try to). I start the year with a plan, but I have to re-strategise by April. There are always too many distractions, which can even be deciding which book to write first. Prayer always leads me in the right direction and I often write something that wasn't planned as a result. Keep that car moving Susan. Your 250 poems would make a great book.

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    1. Thank you, Brendan. My year seems to follow a seasonal pattern too. I'm at the stage where my to-do lists have been abandoned, but I am still busy.

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  6. Thank you, Susan, for this, and I think your 'parked car' image seems to resonate with many of us! I commend you on participating in NaNoWriMo. I firmly believe that nothing is wasted in God's economy, and often find bits of writing surface for a particular purpose years after I first drafted them. I would be interested to know if you are using or following a particular book on memoir writing. I have just bought a copy of Alison Chisholm's book, 'How to Write about Yourself'.

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    1. I share your belief about nothing being wasted, Caroline. I haven't read any books on memoir writing, but I have read a number of memoirs and autobiographies. ACW member Mel Menzies is one author, who has written in this genre. I have reviewed two other childhood memoirs on my blog, Sue's Trifles recently.

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    2. I enjoy childhood memoirs, Susan, so will take a look.

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  7. Thank you, Susan, for reminding us that when we start writing, God will show us the way. But we often need to use the gift he's given us in order to discern his will. I love hearing about other people's writing journeys too 🙂

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    1. Thank you, Deborah. On reflection I think I misquoted the anonymous person at the beginning. It was perhaps 'steer' rather than 'move'.

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  8. Thank you for sharing! It's hard to stay on track, which is why I love NaNoWriMo as it forces me to write. I love deadlines, but you're right, it's easy to get distracted...

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    1. Thank you for commenting, Maressa. I hope this wasn't too much of a distraction!

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  9. Meandering is just one of those words that conveys a great deal of satisfaction! Think I’m caught between expedition walking and country stroll…can’t sustain being too purposeful for too long. Have to stop, stand, and stare. Enjoyed your post!

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  10. It is so encouraging to read your story. I would love to join one of those online writing groups. Any tips? Thank you for your excellent post.

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    1. I can’t seem to post with my name- I’m not anonymous- Kathleen Smith

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  11. Yes I meander too. Having a deadline from a publisher is good, which I have for my current project. Next I will return to a half finished novel with no prospect of a publisher for which faith will have to be the only fuel.

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