Sharing the Sweetness!

During a rough writing spot, with life busily swirling around me, I really appreciated receiving the Sweet Blog award from Laurel at Laurel's Leaves just last week. Thanks Laurel!

All of my "Awesome People" deserve the Sweet Blog award, but I just wanted to name a few specifically who have buoyed me up lately.

Jody Hedlund at Author, Jody Hedlund
B.J. Anderson at B.J. Anderson
Emily Ann Benedict at
Benedictions
Julie Dao at Silver Lining
Karen Lange at Write Now
Angie at Notes from a Writing Chair
Jill Kemerer at Jill Kemerer
Jessica Nelson at
Booking It
And everyone on my Awesome People List! Thank you for your sweet, wonderful blogs and posts.

And in awesome news, I finally figured out how to receive my paypal payment for a story that was published a few months ago . . . somehow I ended up with two paypal accounts, and ended up feeling extremely tech-less, but I have earned a total of $4.43 for my writing this year! Woohoo! Pennies from heaven! Pennies for a rainy day!

Filling up the Bucket One Drop at a Time

Have you ever filled up a bucket one drop at a time?

I remember doing something like that when I was a kid, except I think I was filling a glass. It was fun for a while. Then it became work, then I got bored.

I have struggled with my writing for almost a month now. However, I keep writing. I keep blogging, and reading blogs that inspire me with hope, confidence, and great ideas.

Each of these is like a drop, or sometimes several that keep filling my bucket of writing with hope. However, some days it feels like work, and some days I get bored.

Then I receive an awesome award! Or get a paypal payment for my writing! Those moments are like gushes of water that give my bucket a extra filler.

And then it's back to one drop at a time, one day at a time.

My faith life works the same way. There are days when I feel an outpouring of God's love in my life, and days when I feel like there is just a trickle, or a drop.

Is a drop enough?

Yes.

Today, my church is going out into our community, serving in 40 different areas, with 300+ volunteers for Go. Do. Likewise., an event meant to celebrate what it means to be a drop of hope in the bucket of suffering around us.

We can't solve all the problems. Only God can do that.

But we can be like the Good Samaritan, and help one person.

We can be a drop in the bucket.

Thankfully, with God working in us and through us, there is a chance that He will fill the bucket to overflowing, so that His love will pour out over many people's hearts today.

So, what does this have to do with my writing?

I keep trying to put it in God's hands. One day at a time. One word at a time.

One drop in the bucket towards publishable writing.

It may not be much, but I know my bucket will fill eventually.

You have all been a drop in my bucket of hope, and I hope I have been one in yours.

Romans 5:5 "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

The Freedom of Silly Super Shorts

Aaah, the freedom of super silly shorts, or is that silly super shorts, or silly super sagas . . . hmm, have to nail that name someday.

Anyway, on a day when writing seems to be painfully hard for one of my daughters, I try everything I can to make it fun, possible, and full of laughter. Today, after reading a story that I wrote in sixth grade, "The Pencil's Adventure," I challenged my daughters to write a silly story of their own. It could include an inanimate object, animals that talked, a silly super power, or a silly super star.

Then, to be the kind of writing teacher I want to be, I did the exercise too.

So, if you are stuck like my daughters were this morning, try writing a super silly short. There's nothing to worry about, no audience to please other than yourself, and the point is to get laughter, or at least a knee slap or a smirk.

Here's mine for today (written in less than 10 minutes):

Cluck Gable’s Secret Identity Revealed!
By Tyrean Martinson

SuperChicken, A.K.A. Cluck Gable, liked to fly with his special powers, soaring above the clouds. Normal chickens, like his alter ego Cluck Gable, were grounded by their fatty feathery bodies and stubby wings.
One day as SuperChicken swooped toward his favorite pecking ground, Sally, a young farm girl, looked up and caught him in the act.
“Flying Chickens,” Sally screeched, and then asked, “Will pigs be next?”
SuperChicken knew his secret identity had been revealed. He had to act fast. Lowering himself to hover at eye level with Sally, he leveled his super-psychic-powered gaze at her. Twin beams of purple hypnotic light flashed between them, and then he quickly landed at her feet, and started pecking at the ground.
Sally shook her head, and looked down at where he clucked plaintively at the grass.
“Oh, there you are, Cluck Gable,” she said, “I’ll get some extra feed for you.”
As she ran for the barn, a pig in the pen nearby snorted, and then spoke.
“You almost blew our cover, featherhead,” he said.
“Calm down, Pork Star,” said SuperChicken, “I saved our cover, and we can save the world again tomorrow. Sally will never know.”

The End.

Imperfect Pencils, and Rejection Letters

"We all have our shortcomings, but the marvelous thing is that God uses us for His work, even with our weaknesses. God writes through us, and however imperfect pencils we may be, he writes beautifully." - Mother Teresa

Have you ever had one of those days when you feel that your writing is imperfect? Maybe not just imperfect, but not perfect enough?

Lately, I have been a bit manic in my writing. One day is great. The next day is way less than perfect . . . somewhere down in garbage dump type imperfect.

Sometimes those feelings are just something that I have to work out from the inside with confidence and soul building.

Sometimes those feelings come from receiving three rejection letters in two weeks.

The first rejection letter wasn't too bad: "This is a perfectly good story, but it doesn't quite have the feel I want for____. Try it on another market." In fact, I felt kind of honored and hopeful.

The second rejection letter was similar, but I felt disheartened by it: "Thank you for the opportunity to read _________. Unfortunately, your story isn't quite what we're looking for right now."

The third, well, it was even worse: "While the sentiment is nice, it's not working for me," from two of the editors, with "it was sweet" by a third.

I haven't worked on my writing in two days. Bad, bad, bad writer. (shake finger at self)

Not writing anything actually just makes me feel worse about it.

So with some prayer, and some help from a book about Mother Teresa (my oldest daughter is studying world cultures, and missionaries and is currently studying India), I decided that I'm going to write anyway.

I'm an imperfect pencil. I know that through and through, but I feel that God has pointed me towards writing. I don't mean by saying that, that I think have beaucoup talent, but more that I feel directed by God's providence, and a love for stories and words.

So here I am, Lord, write with me. Please.

In the words of Mercy Me in their song, "3:42 A.M. (Writer's Block):
"3:41 AM, make that 3:42
Time just keeps rolling on while I'm here stuck like glue
So many things cross my mind
But nothing stays awhile, so frustrating
I just wanna say something worth while, speak through me

Say, say what You wanna say, and say it loudly
Say, say what You wanna say

6:45 AM, man that just can't be right
3 hours have gone by and this is all I've got
My common sense tells me I should get out the way, so You can speak
O Lord, show up or I'll be here all day, speak through me"

Awards, and the Rewards of Blogging

I have to admit, I love getting awards! Emily Ann Benedict at Benedictions gave me the Soul Mates award yesterday, just because we happened to read the same book and love it. Thank you Emily! I love her blog, and I highly recommend stopping by to check it out. She is always thinking of others, and sharing heartfelt moments about her writing journey.

I would like to pass this award on to:
Karen Lange at Write Now because she always gives encouragement, and because she writes these wonderful posts like the one titled "Are you a Writer?"

Tamika at Write Worship because she was my first fan, and because her posts inspire me to be a better writer.

Julie Dao at Silver Lining because her posts are so awesome, and she is so encouraging that I feel renewed to write every time I read her posts and comments.

Jill Kemerer for her wisdom in creating One Goal Fridays. I need those kinds of goals with accountability attached.

Angie at Notes From The Writing Chair for her awesome look at how real life infuses writing with strength.

and Jody Hedlund because of her posts that show how real life and writing mix to make something amazing.

I am so thankful to be blogging. The rewards are even bigger than the awesome awards I've received. The rewards are: getting to know amazing writers and bloggers who make my day with their posts, keeping my writing habits daily, expanding my writing into other venues like devotionals, personal essays and articles which I never wrote before I started blogging, as well as improving my fiction writing with the techniques and advice I find online each day.