It's All in the Questions

My first ever freelance writing job began in June 2008. I was heavily pregnant, with two lively little boys to look after, recently moved to Suffolk and feeling rather out of my depth. I had wanted this job (part-time, mainly from home) more than anything and now I had it, I was doubting myself. What did I know about writing magazine articles? My one meeting at the charity office, the only woman in the room, had added to my fears. 

I got my first commission, interviewing the splendidly named Sid Latty about his Café Church project. A fan of wordplay even then, I wanted to call it, “The Frothed Report”, but I was overruled and it went out as, “More Coffee, Vicar?” My first interview was a strange affair. My boss sat in on it and prompted me. I had spent hours crafting a set of questions and had no confidence in my ability to write a good story. 

Fast forward nearly fifteen years and I’m now an old hand at interviewing. As I’ve mentioned before, sometimes it’s like getting blood out of a stone, sometimes like trying to stem a foaming cascade. Every piece needs to hook the reader in. I’m an anecdotal writer, so I am always looking for the story within the words. Sometimes it’s obvious, sometimes not so much. 

If you’re a freelance writer, you’re never not at work. My brain is always bubbling away with low level facts and knowledge ready to spring into life when required. I spent a lot of my time researching the locale for property pieces and can now knock off a lyrical paragraph on any part of Suffolk before I start rhapsodising about charming period features or thoughtfully planted gardens. I recently had a run of Norfolk properties and had to acquaint myself with a new county. Fortunately, I soon found lots of things to get excited about (AONB anyone?) and was able to craft a couple of decent pieces that got the houses sold. 

Being interviewed myself is a rare treat. Allison Symes very kindly wrote a two-parter for Chandler’s Ford Today and I found myself having to think of answers. She is an excellent questioner and brought out quite a lot of things that had never occurred to me before. “What do you love about writing novels? What do you dislike most?” she asked me and that opened up a whole new train of thought for me. She also asked about my methods of writing. Did I use a spreadsheet to keep track of my characters? I don’t but I will be in the future. 

And that made me think about Jesus and some of the questions he asked. Asking for a drink of water on a hot day doesn’t sound like much, but when it’s a Jew speaking to a Samaritan woman, it’s countercultural and life changing. Hard on the heels of that encounter, it was the disciples’ turn to ask him a question.

“Rabbi, eat. Aren’t you going to eat?

He told them, “I have food to eat you know nothing about.”

The disciples were puzzled. “Who could have brought him food?”

Jesus said, “The food that keeps me going is that I do the will of the One who sent me, finishing the work he started. As you look around right now, wouldn’t you say that in about four months it will be time to harvest? Well, I’m telling you to open your eyes and take a good look at what’s right in front of you. These Samaritan fields are ripe. It’s harvest time!” (John 4).

Recently, I’ve had surprising conversations, unexpected questions asked of me about my faith. Years ago, before I became a writer, when I first came to Suffolk, God showed me the fields around my house and told me there was work to be done. And so there is, with His help. We’re all given a set of talents and expected to use them. As writers, we have a unique opportunity to reach out to others. Sometimes, I look at what others are doing and think that my own work is very inconsequential and fluffy. 

But it’s all in the questions.

What is writing for? Does our work glorify God? Does it point others to Jesus? 

What questions do you ask?

Ruth is married with three children, one husband, assorted poultry and a cat. She is the author of “The Diary of Isabella M Smugge”, “The Trials of Isabella M Smugge” and “The Continued Times of Isabella M Smugge”. Ruth writes for a number of small businesses and charities and blogs and book reviews at ruthleighwrites.co.uk. She has abnormally narrow sinuses and a morbid fear of raw tomatoes, but has decided not to let this get in the way of a meaningful life. You can find her on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok at @ruthleighwrites and at her website, www.ruthleighwrites.co.uk.