Have you ever felt
compelled to do something? Like… it was just part of what you were
here on earth to do? Like… if you didn't do it, there would be
some humungous part of your experience lacking and you would fall
short of heavenly expectations if you didn't do your best to do…
whatever it was you felt compelled to do?
That's why I write.
I could end there,
but I have so many more words to share on this… probably won't say
anything more illuminating than the above. It wouldn't be like me to
be so very short!
Growing up, I heard
often about journal writing. I think my first journal hales back to
when I was five or six years old. What a treasure to have… only to
me, but still!
My Mom was early and
often impressed with my writing prowess. She has and likely ever
will be my number one fan… though, when my two oldest girls found
out I considered her so, they decided they were in some sort of race,
vying to be my number one fans. They are pretty funny.
Unfortunately for them, my Mom has… like… 30 years on them! So,
it'll take some pretty fantastic feats for them to overtake her.
As my number one
fan, my Mom has been sure that I would and should be published for a
great many years now. She has been sure FAR longer than I have! In
fact, she has known and believe it longer than I even really thought
much of my writing. See, how can anyone beat that? I mean…
sheesh! Anyone else is jumping on the wagon that I've decided I
should actually drive! Can you imagine… I mean, she's held on
during all the time I wasn't driving… and now, when I'm still
learning to drive and she's still stoically encouraging… I think,
probably, sometimes wondering if I'll ever get this thing managed. I
sure wonder, myself.
My genre isn't hers,
yet she encourages me and roots for me and applauds my expressed
plans and hopes. She loves historical fictions. I'm pretty sure she
probably likes mystery as well. I know she reads plenty of
'self-help' type self-education books. She has only started to get
into fantasy because my girls adore it and she wants to understand
what they are reading and interested in. So, maybe by the time I
have anything actually good written, she'll love part of my genre.
Since I'm pretty solidly writing in the genre “speculative
fiction,” the fact that she's beginning to enjoy fantasy is
definitely a good thing.
I guess the above
only illustrates that I wasn't really directed or led to my genre by
my Mom's reading choices and interests. I started reading fantasy
(and romance) because it was the easiest way to escape the doldrums I
considered my life. Imagining other worlds… and aliens… and what
it would take to make it there… and what ifs… that was exciting
to me!
Now, I still feel a
good bit of excitement about those things. Yet, I feel more desire
to share what I see (in my imagination and otherwise) by way of a
story that maybe could be… sometimes. Other times, I just want to
share truths by way of a fantastical story that as far as I know
really couldn't happen. Maybe those truths will be easier to
understand in the context of the fantastic. Maybe not. Maybe in my
stories, they will simply be one of the eight times our silly human
brains need to actually GET something!
Either way, I'm
doing something I truly believe Heavenly Father has directed. And
what greater joy can there be but to live out His plan for our lives?
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