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Writing is mostly a solitary activity, which is what I loved the most when I first started writing. Homeschooling four children and being around people all day meant sitting down to write in the quiet evenings was such a gift. No multitasking, no demands, no children suddenly overcome with emergencies that only I could save them from, like missing shoes or broken pencils.

Then they grew up a little and so did the demands and difficulties, and finding solitary time was getting harder, and the peace and quiet was filled with the need to recover. No spare headspace for dreaming stories and I even struggled to write full sentences.

As they’re all in various educational institutions this year, I find myself enjoying more quietness and peace. I am often reluctant to join groups, but find they’re such a blessing when I get there. We have our local writing group, Cotswold Scribblers, and this small group has been such a wonderful place to connect and be inspired. Every month we have a theme, and we all write something that we fancy, so maybe a new poem format we haven’t tried before, or an article when normally we write fantasy. Some months I haven’t managed to write something, but now I can think in sentences again, I’m looking forward to those challenges!

I didn’t make it to the Cambridge conference this year, but I enjoyed seeing the pictures. I missed being there, as the fellowship is so worthwhile, as well as the talks from various people. But I did book the ACW get together in October, and I’m looking forward to it. It’s in London, or at least on the edges of it, and I’m a little nervous about driving there by myself, but I’m so looking forward to meeting old and new friends, and to be inspired by the speakers.

Some days I don’t feel like meeting others, but once I’m out of the house, I realise the blessing others bring me. And of course, there are people walking along, or buildings I pass that spark a story as well. So although I might be more tired than I hoped for, there is also that small flame that wants to grow into a story and it encourages me to write. Add to that a bunch of teenagers plus trauma, and I’m not quite sure what kind of story will come out next…

So this month, if you’re thinking about joining writers’ groups, can I encourage you? They can be energising and encouraging, helping you to explore other ways of writing, or maybe you can be the encourager, the one to energise others instead! Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you and bring you in touch with the right people for you to bless today!

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. Maressa is part of a special Dystopian book group online, which you can find here: https://reamstories.com/faith-based-ya-dystopian/.

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.