Holibobs

 

Tomorrow, our annual family holiday will be over, and we will be leaving the stunning Lake District, getting back to the beautiful Cotswolds. Getting away with four children, all with various level of trauma, is an adventure in itself, and when a social worker wished me a lovely holiday just before we left, I laughed, until I realised she actually meant it. I chose to laugh again.

Looking around our transformed caravan, now draped in kids’ clothes, toys and dog hair, I see the connection with being a writer. For example, we went on the Ravenglass-Eskdale Railway on a very hot day. We started the day with a drink and a snack at the Ravenglass station, then had a torturous forty minutes on a tiny train with the most stunning view, which my husband and I were determined to notice and enjoy. After a lovely lunch, we started walking towards the Stanley Ghyll, a stunning waterfall, but only made it to the first bend of the river, about two hundred yards from the station.

 It provided the most stunning swimming spot, and all four kids were transformed into happy angelic creatures, the two younger ones swimming in undies, cheered on by the two teens, and happily joined by the Labrador who finally understood her role as a waterdog. The early afternoon was glorious, and the trainride back to Ravenglass cheerful and full of happy chatter. We didn’t hear too many, ‘I didn’t want to come to the Lake District in the first place’ comments for the rest of that day, which was a win.

Writing can be torturous, despite mountains of chocolate and some stunning scenes, but as you’re writing, you’re wondering whose idea it was to start this book. When a big chunk is chopped out by your editor, maybe you whisper, Well, I didn’t want to be a writer in the first place! Maybe you’re tempted to take up painting or gardening instead, some sensible activity, recommended by well-wishing friends or relatives. Something that doesn’t involve giving parts of yourself away.

On the other hand, there was the dip into Windermere, where all four of my kids were swimming in the pretty cold water, laughing and playing together, with Goldie practising her starfish jumps, smiling at the children whenever they came near her. The water looked cold, and they assured me it was colder than it looked, and they even spotted some fish. (By then, my daughter had already come out, as she wouldn’t have gone in, had the fish been spotted half an hour earlier!).

You see, sometimes, the line between being brave and being mad isn’t very clear. And not knowing beforehand all the obstacles and scary moments you might encounter as a writer helps. Sometimes, you simply have to wade into the depths, and then write with complete abandon, raising you hands in joyful praise and slowly paddle across to the other side, looking back to see how far you’ve come already, bathed in glorious light.

So with the new month about to arrive, be like Goldie on watery holidays: Check the water a little, then fling yourself into it in full surrdender, smiling at loved ones as you spot them looking at you. Don’t let fears and worries hold you back, but write with joy and trust God for where He will take you, whether you think you chose this place or not.

Maressa Mortimer is Dutch but lives in the beautiful Cotswolds, England with her husband and four (adopted) children. Maressa is a homeschool mum as well as a pastor’s wife, so her writing has to be done in the evening when peace and quiet descend on the house once more. She loves writing Christian fiction, as it’s a great way to explore faith in daily life. Because of her interest in writing, Maressa is part of Creativity Matters: Find Your Passion For Writing, an anthology encouraging people to write.

Her debut novel, Sapphire Beach, was published in December 2019, and her first self published novel, Walled City, came out in December 2020, followed by Viking Ferry, a novella. Beyond the Hills is the second book in the Elabi Chronicles, and was released in 2021, followed by stand-alone novel Burrowed, released in 2022. The third book in the Elabi Chronicles, Downstream, has just been released. All of Maressa’s books are available from her website, www.vicarioushome.com, Amazon or local bookshops.