Behind the Words
As a reader and an author, I appreciate insights from other writers. Where do they get their ideas? When are their best times to write? What inspires them? How do they deal with writer's block and rejection? Why do they write?
That last question bears the most weight because it is one I ask myself. In the midst of every day life, why do I write?
Blank pages beckon me. Pencils lean comfortably against my writing callous. My fingers fidget, longing to type. In short, I am compelled to write.
Deadlines demand it. Many of the poems in While Bethlehem Sleeps are the result of assignments for my mother's annual Christmas card or for Advent readings at churches. Therefore, I am commissioned to write.
God grants me time, tenacity, and topics. Because of His grace, I desire to bring Him glory through words. In a way, I am commanded to write.
On those days I wonder where, when, how, and what, knowing the why gives me the confidence to continue my calling to write.