Relief Writers Network

It's been awhile since I've posted... summer has been crazy and I haven't been writing [or philosophizing about writing] as much as I would have liked.

Recently [past few months] I got my first non-internet piece of work published in Relevant magazine. Two friends and my wife wrote about their experiences living in China... I assembled the piece, adding some reflective content of my own and some info about the then upcoming Olympics. It turned out well with only a few edits that I wish would have been [not] changed. And we got paid for it... maybe something normal for you veterans, but uber-exciting for rookies.

I learned a lot from the experience, especially working with the editor [Corene was great] and trying to synergize what we had and what the magazine wanted. I literally have an email thread of about 50 back-and-forth conversations, wanting more of this, less of that. And then there was the wait before actual publication over a few months... and then the wait of payment.

The whole process was a patience builder... something that was forced on me which I usually don't take enough time with in my writing. I like to get things done, and, more often than I would like to admit, that produces shabby work... or at least sub-par for what I am currently capable of doing. A good stew needs to sit.

Writing, publication takes time. I don't see how anybody can live off of it, especially when you throw rejection letters in the mix.

I'm starting to make some parallel connections with writing and parenting, even though I do not have children [yet]... I can see how forming and loving a child will take time and a ton of patience... how growing up must be nurtured but not forced... and how you eventually need to let go and say my work is done.

In Ephesians we are called God's workmanship... literally poema in the Greek... and it's cool to think of being a poem crafted by God and realize how much patience He has with us when He wants to write one thing and we want to write another.

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