Brenda Kipp, writer
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Writing is easy…sort of

2/28/2015

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It’s snowing today and I’m in the mood to write. What is it about snow that inspires me to write? I suppose it’s the quietness created by the world being covered by a blanket of snow. Have you ever noticed how quiet it is when there’s a blanket of newly fallen snow on the ground? It’s that quietness that inspires me to write. I’m not sure why I need that quietness, but I’m thankful for it. I need to write more, but it’s rare I have the perfect setting for such a task.

I didn’t think it would take me another year before I wrote a blog and I certainly don’t want to wait until it snows before I write again. Writing is something that is a part of who I am, so why do I find it so difficult to do it? Stephen King said, “The scariest moment is just before you start.” Perhaps that’s why I don’t start – it’s scary!!

People wonder why I don’t just sit down and write a novel. Even though writing comes easy to me, it can be one of the hardest things to do. I can relate to American journalist Gene Fowler when he said, “Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.” And German novelist Thomas Mann said, “A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.”

A friend of mine is an artist and she totally understands that an artist or a writer can spend hours conceptualizing before even starting a project. Maybe that’s why I have a tendency to put my writing on the back burner – because it takes more time than I actually have. I’ve realized for a long time that saying that is a real cop-out. I need to write. I need to make writing my top priority. That’s all there is to it.

Every writer tells would-be writers to write every day. I have to admit, I don’t write every day. Sometimes I can go for months without writing and yet I call myself a writer. William Faulkner said, “Don’t be ‘a writer’. Be writing.”  I feel like I have failed miserably as a writer. Even Ray Bradbury said, “You fail only if you stop writing.”

Even though writing is hard, not writing is even harder. Not writing makes me feel like I’m drying up, like my brain is dying, like I’m so far away from who I want to be. Maya Angelou said it best when she said, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” It is agony for me to not engage in my God-given craft.

A friend gave me a small journal to write a thought in every day. I kept it up for awhile, but I’ve fallen short of writing in it every day. When I do write in it, it causes the creative juices to flow and I don’t want to stop. Just the practice of writing is good exercise. I’m a firm believer in free writing. That’s when I sit down with a pen and paper or at my computer and write whatever comes to my mind. It exercises the creative muscles. I need to do it more often.

For some time now I have felt the Lord leading me back to my writing. I’ve long believed this is my purpose in life. I don’t want to stand at the end of my life and regret not writing the words and ideas that are buried deep within my heart, soul and mind just screaming to get out. I believe to do so would be tragic and in some ways a sacrilege.

Good habits begin with a commitment to develop that habit on a daily basis. I’ve made commitments to my writing many times and life always seems to get in the way. I’m tired of using that as an excuse. It’s time to take a stand. My renewed commitment begins today.

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Starting over

1/12/2014

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    Every once in awhile life throws you a curve and you wind up taking a detour in life you never thought you'd have to take.
    In the spring of 2012, I lost my job. The next 6 months turned into a financial nightmare. I wound up living on what was left of my savings and my retirement. When that ran out, I got a part-time job. It helped, but it wasn't enough. Bills began to pile up, creditors were calling me and I was getting cancellation notices in the mail. I tried applying for assistance, but I wasn't eligible. I didn't know what I was going to do. My faith was severely tested. My writing suffered as well, but I tried to write some as a way to feel calm in a stressful situation.
    I made my situation known to my family, friends and church. Money began to pour in from every direction. I was amazed at how generously people gave. Some of the most generous gifts were from people I hardly knew. As I began to trust in the Lord's provision more and more, I knew He would see to my needs...and He did. Sometimes it was at the eleventh hour, but the funds I needed always seemed to be there just when I needed it. 
    At the end of 2012, I landed a full-time position. The job wasn't ideal, but it was a regular paycheck for which I was very thankful. It gave me a chance to start over and rebuild my life piece by piece.
    It's been a little over a year since I took that job and I still have a ways to go to recover from the debt I found myself in, but I'm headed in the right direction.
    I still don't understand why I had to go through such a difficult time, but I'm thankful for the lesson it taught me. My trust muscles were stretched like they had never been stretched before and the end result is a deeper faith and trust in the Lord's provision and faithfulness (Ps. 145:13-16).
    It has also helped me to recommit once again to my writing and other creative projects. The Creator gave me a creative spirit and it is my resposibility as His creation to fulfill what He designed me to be. 
    Getting a fresh start can open up a host of new opportunities and present a realm of possibilities. Happy New Year!
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Is the printed word becoming obsolete?

7/4/2012

1 Comment

 
I recently read some startling statistics about decline of the publishing industry as we once knew it. As a writer, I find that disturbing and heartbreaking.

Printed books, magazines and newspapers seem to be a thing of the past. I don’t, nor do I ever intend to, own a Nook or a Kindle. I actually like holding a book in my hand, physically turning the pages and highlighting text with a marker, if I so choose.

Ever since I was little, I have loved going to the library. I wonder with everything that’s online and electronic versions of this book or that magazine, will libraries eventually become obsolete?  It makes me wonder about the survival of the printed word.

I grew up in an era before the Internet, e-mail and text messaging. I remember how I used to look forward to the mailman coming and how excited I was when there was a letter or card from a friend inside the mailbox.  That’s a feeling that many younger people will never experience.

E-mails and text messages are fine, but they’re not as personal as a hand-written letter. I’ve kept a few hand-written letters and many of the cards sent to me by family and friends. They are physical reminders of my relationships with those people and I will treasure them for the rest of my life. It warms my heart to read hand-written messages from loved ones. It makes me feel close to the ones who are so far away and sense the presence of those who have passed on.

Hand-written cards and letters remind me of a simpler time when people took the time to get to know their neighbors, spent more time with family and friends and weren’t in so much of a hurry. Penmanship was a part of a student’s required learning. Now they don’t even teach cursive in the school’s anymore!

I may be old school when it comes to the printed word, but I think something precious is being lost and once it’s gone, I’m afraid it won’t come back. I realize change is inevitable. We must change and adapt if we are to survive. However, just like historical buildings, old movies and recordings, and products from bygone eras, we must preserve the printed word. It’s part of what makes us who we are.  

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Time to recommit

9/6/2011

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The passage of time never ceases to amaze me. When I was a child, time seemed to drag on forever. As an adult, time seems to slip by faster and faster the older I get. Why is that? Do I have more to do or do I just have less energy to do those things? Perhaps I've come to realize that life is so precious and I want to hang onto every moment.

In the last year, I've gone through a lot of changes and my life seems to be busier than ever. Unfortunately, my writing has taken a backseat to a lot of those things that have kept me so busy. But with some of those things starting to settle into place, I feel the need to get back to my writing. It's what I believe I was put on this earth to do. It's time I honored that call.

You are my witnesses to this commitment. I expect you to hold me to it.   
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Snow Day

1/19/2011

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It's snowing today. We've already gotten about 4 inches and we're expecting another 4 or 5 inches. I love snow. I love to watch it fall. I love the quietness it creates, muffling the sound of every day noise. It also gives me time to reflect and work on "snow day" projects like writing this blog. Sometimes I think the good Lord created snow just to make us slow down and reflect on Him. I'm reminded of Psalm 46:9 that says, "Be still and know that I am God." 

In a few days the snow will melt and I will start busying myself with other things, but today I can relax, reflect and not be in such a hurry.
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    Author

    Born and raised in the great state of Kansas, I love the wide open spaces of the plains, but I also love the beauty of the mountains. I embrace the simplicity of life and my deep faith in Jesus Christ. My interests include writing, reading, music, movies, genealogy photography and traveling.   

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