Why do I write - part II

Why I write -and what can I do about it - part II

Yesterday I wrote about “Why I write” - and it shook me up a little.  My answer was basically “Because I like to write”.

Every day, I am thinking about my blog.  Some nights I wake up with ideas of what to write about, or new ideas to explore.  Sometimes, I even think “What if I stop writing?”  Hmmm - I’m alone, I’m isolated, I don’t have television, it is hot out, so I can’t walk outside (except in the early morning), I have a computer - and after reading whatever news and playing my daily Set Game and crossword puzzle - what am I to do?  Yes, I do read some scripture, I do pray.  I do play one game of chess a day (and I generally lose).  So, what else might a 72-year-old lady do in a day?  Crochet?  I try - but I’m thinking I need a couple of lessons.  I’m not playing the tuba, I’m not playing bridge, I’m not playing Granny Basketball - not much going on in my life.  The last two weeks have actually been wonderful as I had a JOB as an Election Clerk.  I’ve thought of having a part-time job - what could I do?  I thought I might be a barista (aka “coffee maker”).  I’d like to do some Retirement Life Coaching - but I’ll need some clients (and I am a little reluctant to step across that threshold).  I could get a certification in Retirement Life Coaching - but, personally, I don’t think those “certificates” mean much.  I think I could write a “retirement life coaching” curriculum and deliver some course work and offer a certificate program too!!!

Last week, I watched a video by Ted Dekker, a fiction novelist.  He had two ideas about writing fiction: “A story is a series of events of worthy characters who change because of the events”.  And “ write to transform MY life.” 

I have two Amazon e-books “Bring it On: Coaching and Mentoring for College Students” and “Rebooting:  Creating the Change and Career you Seek”.  (By-the-way, I think I get about 25 cents a month on those books!!!)  I wrote one novel - never published and probably (like Ted Dekker’s first few novels) not publishable.  I’ve done the NaNoWriMo program (National November Writing Month).  Boiling it down, I probably write because of two things:  (1) I am ‘driven’ to write, and (2) I am bored!!!  And, until things open up again, I’ll probably be bored.  

So, thinking back to my writing.  “Worthy Characters - who change because of the events”.  Last week I wrote a series of Retirement Life Coaching blog posts - the couple that had money, but couldn’t agree, the couple who were really just living under the same roof, the widow trying to decide what to do with the rest of her life - move out of her house?  Move-in with children? Stay in her community? And the very compatible couple thinking about moving to an assisted living facility.  I think I had some worthy characters, but not fully developed - who needed to make changes.  Maybe I needed an epilogue - saying what change happened after the life coaching - maybe next time.

The second thought that Ted Dekker gave was “to write to transform my life”.  Now that is an issue.  

I don’t want to bore you by talking about myself all the time.  Yadda, yadda, yadda!!!  But, my life AND your life are always in transformation.  I was worried that my comfort zone was shrinking - and with the isolation, I really sensed that.  Yes, I’m being transformed daily. (Romans 12:2 “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind”) 

So, today - how can I transform my life - AND - your life?  How can I make my blogs interesting so that you will want to read them every morning?  Are there blogs you read every day?  Are there podcasts that you listen to every day?  How can my words - either fiction or nonfiction be of value - to you and to me?

I have a few days to think about this.  Let’s see where I go!!!  (I do have ideas!!!)

Hugs!!!

Karen