A couple of months ago was a difficult time for me as a creativity coach. I had a ton of baffling of questions about God, surrender, and creating one's own life. If you'd like to read more about that, you can find it here.
Today, I'm happy to say I'm returning as a writer of fiction.
Although some important things have changed in my life over these last two months, much has remained the same: Will and I are still trying to sell our house in Corsica and move to Vermont, and that means we're still teetering on the edge of packing up everything we own at any moment and sailing off to the New World. My personal creative process has not stopped and is just as twisty and turny as it always has been. I'm still weaving (again) and I'm still trying to paint (sigh). And I'm still smiling.
What has changed is that I've surrendered my path--in fact, my entire life--to the Lord, utterly and completely, for the first time in my life. I now wake up every morning in the arms of God. I have purpose and direction, even if I haven't got a clue as to what He's got in store for me that day. I have joy in my heart and know that I am loved with an everlasting and unfathomable Love.
I've decided not to coach anymore, and I'm abandoning the paths that coaching was taking me along. Instead, I've been led to relax into my day job of translation and called to write Christian fiction. Durga's writing a novel (and no one is more surprised than she)!
Hence, this little blog. There are tons of good resources out there on the topic of Christian fiction and I'm not going to muddy the waters with my imperfect understanding of either the craft or the status of the industry. But I will pass along the links I find that shed light on writing in general and Christian writing in particular and simply good books to read.
Writing novels is unexplored terrritory for me and I do remind myself of a deer in the headlights. Although I've been visited by lots of ideas for stories over the years, now for the first time I'm creating substantial characters, plotting action, doing fiction research. It's a process of making visual images with words (even while I weave up yarn in the shed!); of watching flat character outlines develop into rounded individuals with pasts, presents, and futures, right before my eyes; of finding the story that's waiting to be told. It's creative process and I'm bedazzled by it. I want this blog to reflect the process I'm experiencing, but it's now a process led by God--not by me and not even by the medium.
Much more important than all this, though, is the real reason for this blog. There is nothing more essential than living for God. I'm offering these words, like the song of a bird, to praise Him.
Dear Durga,
I rejoice with you in the new life God is directing you to. It is not an easy road but one that gives the greatest true peace. I am so happy to hear you are going to write Christian fiction, I'm sure you have much to share and your writing on the blogs and your non-fiction is clear and easy to read. Again I rejoice in the image of the song of the bird rising too! How glorious that our Lord opened you heart and eyes to see this wonderful passage in the mist of disparing words and images.
I pray for your continued growth in Him and your hearts desire to sell your home so you will be able to move to the New World.
Care in Jesus,
Victoria on Okinawa<><>
So glad to see you are back!
Posted by: Victoria on Okinawa | August 29, 2006 at 04:29 AM