Creating a Diamond

Right now I'm in the last stages of working on the new edition of my novel. Joyfully After All is coming along, but the pressure to basically write a book in a summer is tremendously amazing in its stress level. I love to write, and I have this story to tell, but I also have other things going on, so I can't always devote the time that I need to, to the book. Not to mention that I'm not guaranteed inspiration on any given day.

Writing is not a 9-5 type job. I can't just sit at my laptop and say "Today I'm going to write 25 pages in my novel." It doesn't work like that. I have to have something to add to the story. In essence the characters have to speak to me and tell me where they want to go, and what they say. More often than not, they are silent and I'm dragging things out of them. This makes for a less than stellar story and many instances of major deleting and starting over.

Someday I hope to be able to support my family with my writing career, but that requires getting this novel finished and convincing the publisher that it is good enough and people will want to read it. Of course, along with my writing career I want to travel and talk to women and girls about overcoming the black times of life, about protecting themselves, about seeing a way to cling to God, even when you can't feel or see Him.

This is my passion, but in order to do it. This darn diamond needs to form. If pressure is any indication, the diamond is going to be gorgeous, but the creation process is not easy, or always fun.

People have asked about my other passion, working with military families. That is still a passion of mine in a HUGE way (for MANY reasons). I'm just not sure how to go about it. My current thinking is to write a book (or even a short series) about life on base/post. I think a good way to serve military spouses is tell the story, let civilians know what it is like and what they can do (without preaching), and what better to do that, than with some fun stories that everyone can enjoy?

All of this requires one thing: Joyfully After All needs to get finished and published SOON. Keep up the prayers, thanks for all the ones you've already sent to the throne.

-JLK-