Blog Tour – About My Writing

 

Jamie, over at Brown Paper and Strings, asked me if I’d like to be included in a blog tour in which I’d answer questions about my writing. I agreed, so here we are.

Jamie grew up in the small town I moved to when I was a senior in high school. While we went to the same church, we didn’t get to know one another very well. She was quiet and reserved, and I was the new kid in a pond of tightly-knit kids. It wasn’t until we reconnected on Facebook and both started blogging nearly fifteen years later that we discovered shared interests. We travel similar paths on our spiritual journeys, and each take detours that lead us to new discoveries. I enjoy reading Jamie’s heart and passion for the church, which is unique and different from my own. Be sure to click over to her page to read all about her work and writing process.

As part of the tour, I’m to answer four questions about my writing. So without further ado:

1. What am I writing or working on?

I rarely schedule posts or plan ahead, so there’s no one particular project I can tell you about. However, I’m focusing a good bit of time on lyric writing and learning how to be a better songwriter.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I struggle with putting my work in a particular genre. I’ve spent the past few months trying to discover exactly what my niche is.

My life centers around finding beauty amidst the messiness of grace, so I write about that quite often. More often than not, people have referred to my little space here as an “online journal.” I guess I’ll go with that. I write a little more personally than many of my fellow writers, often diving into areas that leave me with what Grace Sandra calls a “vulnerability hangover.”

In addition, I sometimes post lyrics to a song I’ve written or am working on. I often write about my struggles with music and church and God and whatever happens to be heaviest on my heart.

It’s difficult to find the balance between blogging and music. Most often, bloggers have topics they write about in almost every post, whether it’s faith or fashion or fishing. On the flip side, musicians often blog about their music as a means of promotion. I think I’m stuck somewhere in the middle of those.

3. Why do I write what I do?

I guess I could rephrase that question and ask, “How can I not write what I do?” I write about the subjects that burn in me. If I’m not passionate about it, I usually won’t write about it.

We’re all on a spiritual journey. Some of us recognize it, and some of us don’t. I’ve recognized it, and while I often begrudge it, I think it’s important to share my struggles so others going through similar life circumstances won’t feel alone. Before I started A New Song To Sing, I was in a lonely world of hurt. I found bloggers who were open and vulnerable and who made me feel a little less alone. When I started writing, I knew I had to give back the gift I’d been given.

I’ve been criticized quite a bit for writing about the church and my church experiences. But let’s face it: the church is not perfect. And many, many times it’s the source of hurt and anguish for people. To pretend that’s not the case is to invalidate their experiences. I think it’s important to use my voice to try to find the balance between church hurt and grace. It’s always a delicate subject, and try as I might to treat it as such, sometimes I run it off in the gutter. But God never fails to redeem my words.

4. How does my writing process work?

I think it’s less of a process, and more of sitting down to the keyboard and bleeding.

I read, I listen, I watch. Often, the Muse will sneak up and pour words into me that must come out. I’ll jot down words and ideas into my notes app on my phone or in my journal for later writing ideas. This is how I most often come up with lyric hooks.

Sometimes, though, it’s a matter of discipline. I sit down at my laptop with my coffee, and wait. And wait. And wait. Every once in a while, I’ll grab a pen and do some free writing which usually leads to a post idea.

Most often, I only write and publish a blog post if I have an idea in mind. I don’t want to blog for the sake of publishing something. When I have done that, I’ve found my work to be inadequate and unfulfilling.

* * * * *

Allow me to introduce you to a couple of my favorite bloggers. If you read the Spirit of Christmas series last year, you’ll probably be familiar with them:

Joy Lenton – Words of Joy and Poetry Joy

Joy is a poet and blogger who writes from a Christian perspective  with a heart for the hurting. As an M.E. and chronic illness sufferer who is also overcoming a painful past by the grace of God, she aims to encourage and support others going through challenging circumstances. Joy lives in Norfolk, UK with her husband and is a proud, newish grandmother. You can connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

Joy’s words have been a balm to my wounds more times than I can count. She’s an encourager who always speaks with wisdom. I can’t say for sure how Joy and I connected . . . probably Twitter. I’m thankful for her gifts and her willingness to share them.

Chris Morris – Chris Morris Writes

Chris writes about resilience, and how to thrive despite any circumstances. As an epileptic and the father of an autistic epileptic daughter, he know the ups and downs life can bring. He also believes God is good, every day, all the time, even when He seems absent. The best place to connect with Chris is at www.chrismorriswrites.com, but you can also find him on Facebook and Twitter, or maybe in his backyard swimming with his kids.

Chris is a compassionate soul whose spirit is evident in his words. Having traveled similar rocky roads as I, he’s been an encourager. His comments and messages to me have been, no doubt, God-sent. His work is always filled with grace and kindness. I first connected with Chris through a Facebook writing group, and always appreciate his knowledge of blogging.