“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.” – Leo Tolstoy, from War and Peace
I haven’t written much about writing on my blog since a spurt of activity in January/February, so perhaps it’s time for an update.
I’m still enjoying the challenge and thrill of article writing for online magazines, the contemplative nature of guided devotionals (deadline: September; completed: June – yay!), and the themed pieces for Writers’ Narrative Magazine.
I recently wrote a blog for the ACW More Than Writers site (16th of every month if you want to hear from me here) about the importance of never deleting anything you write. You never know when even the most mundane writing exercise may prove useful in ways you can’t see currently. An abandoned piece might provide the perfect grist to your creative mill if you just wait a while.
How much time? Well, that’s always the sticking point but, since both of my non-fiction books began their lives as seeds of ideas that were planted 15-20 years before they emerged from the publishers, the answer equates to the age old question, ‘How long is a piece of string.’ Exactly.
Nothing is wasted, and that’s just been proved for me yet again.
I’m delighted to have recently signed a publishing contract with Broadplace Publishing for a middle grade (Key Stage 2 if you’re in the UK) fiction book for girls. We had been chatting about another manuscript which is about to be put to bed in a folder in case another 15-20 years proves to be the perfect marinading time for it. Mention was made of their current focus and I happened to say that I had written something along those lines many years ago which one of my daughters read when she was about 9. She celebrated her 32nd birthday yesterday so you, as they say, do the maths.
Anyway, turns out they loved it. Obviously it needs a few tweaks after 23 years, but all very doable. No idea of the timing for what happens next, but I’ve been working on the text and looking forward to working with a new publisher on an old idea that’s evolved into a fresh project. I’ll keep you in the loop.
It’s a lovely way to embark on a new chapter in every sense.
If you’re also a writer it might be worth revisiting those neglected folders on your laptop and see what treasures lie within. Some of them may be worth exhuming.
[‘thanks’ to rawpixel on Pixabay for title image]
dancingthroughchaos 