And I think a lot of you who read this blog are authors or hopeful authors. To that I say - woohoo! I fit in that category, too (in the "hopeful" part...). ;)
But what I want to know is this: do you write anything else? I'm inclined to think that if we're writers in one capacity, we're probably writers in some other capacity. We write novels, but we also write blog posts, journal entries, poetry, articles, devotionals, etc.
Writing is a way of creatively expressing ourselves and sharing what's on our hearts with others. Yet we are not limited to only one form of writing! We can be informative through articles, uplifting through poetry, or spontaneous through blog posts.
Recently I was inspired to write a poem based on a church service. While I'm home from college we attend a Baptist church where several of the ladies (and sometimes a couple of children) wave and dance with flags during the time of worship/music. Here's what I came up with:
The Butterfly Dance
A guitar string hums in the sanctuary:
The note swirls in the stained glass light.
The first few flutter softly to the corners,
Choosing their wings before taking flight.
Plum purple and wispy white
Gently dip and lift by the window.
Bluegrass green and lemon yellow
Flow joyfully in the sunlit crescendo.
A lone lavender wing is sent high,
Floating on the edge of the scarlet carpet.
A little one flits from side to side,
Then picks royal robe, and blood red to match it.
One set of wings falls to the stairs,
Broken and spread apart on the dimly lit floor:
Waiting and praying for a guiding hand
To remind her how she was made to soar.
A single gold wing joins the dance,
With a unique rhythm and swing in her wave.
The fall and rise of the hopeful songs
Reflect the patterns the jeweled colors make.
Even when the music comes to a close,
And the bright and cheery wings are folded up tight,
They continue to hum across unseen meadows
With the freedom of their butterfly flight.
A guitar string hums in the sanctuary:
The note swirls in the stained glass light.
The first few flutter softly to the corners,
Choosing their wings before taking flight.
Plum purple and wispy white
Gently dip and lift by the window.
Bluegrass green and lemon yellow
Flow joyfully in the sunlit crescendo.
A lone lavender wing is sent high,
Floating on the edge of the scarlet carpet.
A little one flits from side to side,
Then picks royal robe, and blood red to match it.
One set of wings falls to the stairs,
Broken and spread apart on the dimly lit floor:
Waiting and praying for a guiding hand
To remind her how she was made to soar.
A single gold wing joins the dance,
With a unique rhythm and swing in her wave.
The fall and rise of the hopeful songs
Reflect the patterns the jeweled colors make.
Even when the music comes to a close,
And the bright and cheery wings are folded up tight,
They continue to hum across unseen meadows
With the freedom of their butterfly flight.
I love poetry, although I don't claim to be an expert on it by any means! I just think it's a wonderful way to briefly and powerfully express one's observations on life.
Questions: What do you think? Do you enjoy more than one form of writing? What are your thoughts on poetry?
Notice: If you're a poet or an artist in any fashion, I'm running a contest for a $10 Amazon.com gift card over at my personal blog! Click HERE to read the rules.
Questions: What do you think? Do you enjoy more than one form of writing? What are your thoughts on poetry?
Notice: If you're a poet or an artist in any fashion, I'm running a contest for a $10 Amazon.com gift card over at my personal blog! Click HERE to read the rules.
Love the imagery in your poem, Amber. It has an etheral feel to it.
ReplyDeleteI love reading period and that includes poetry. I like to read poetry out loud because it just doesn't dance in my head the same way if I read it silently. :-)
I am a dedicated Christian fiction reader, but within that category I enjoy most genres. I like to think of myself as an eclectic reader. And I like to approach each book with a fresh and open mind, ready to appreciate it for its own strengths.
Re. Blogger: here is a trick that seems to have worked for everyone I know who has tried it, including me. When you sign into blogger do not check mark the little box that asks if you want to stay signed in. Voila, you will be able to post responses on blogs. Honest...it was that simple a fix for me and a bunch of other people.
Kav,
ReplyDeleteThank you! :)
As for reading, same here. :) I love reading poetry out loud, because with poetry hearing it is as meaningful as reading it. It's a combination of sounds and words.
I really admire your passion for all branches of the Christian fiction genre, and you write such wonderful reviews! Thank you so much for stopping by today - I confess to being a bit fearful of seeing "0 comments" today... So thank you!
~Amber
P.S. Good to know! It'd be great to see people leave more comments, so hopefully this tip will help with any posting trouble readers are having!
Kav...you're kidding! Really? THAT'S what fixed the posting comments problem?? WOW! I'll post that bit of info if you don't mind. And THANK YOU!
ReplyDeleteAmber, I write a lot of other things besides novels. Blog posts, devotionals, teaching articles...even skits! I love to write, so anything that stretches my creative muscles is a must! Thanks for the great post.
Lisa,
ReplyDeleteI know, right??? :)
And yes, we've got to stretch those creative muscles! It's fun to write. :) So glad you liked the post!
~Amber
LOL -- I know simplistic, right? Crossing my fingers that it works for other people too. One thing to remember though...if you've already set blogger up to remember you, you'll have to sign out first and then log in again, making sure not to click that little box.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kav! :)
ReplyDelete~Amber
Not a big fan of poetry here, but your piece was lyrical (must have been all those colours! - plum purple... sigh).
ReplyDeleteI just read a tip last night that said to "write what you love." The tipper advised that, unless you love even a small part of it, leave certain types of writing for others and pour your passion into those that touch your heart. What do you think? Brilliance or broad-stroking?
Diana,
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you! :) There were a lot of women and children waving flags that Sunday (the service that inspired this poem), and there were so many beautiful colors represented!
And what a great question! Hmmm... I'm sure Elizabeth and the two Sandras would have more helpful responses to this, since they've already been published. But as a hopeful author myself, I think I agree with "write what you love." I know I've been encouraged to write what readers want, but I can't help but feel that it's just as important to write what you're passionate about.
There are so many books out there covering a broad range of genres, and there are also a ton of readers out there who have a variety of interests. So there's bound to be an audience out there for what you love to write!
I guess it all depends on your motivation for writing. If you're wanting to write a best-seller, then my guess is that it would be more important to focus on the readers' demands. But if you're willing to write from your heart - knowing that perhaps only some might be touched by your story - then go for it! I really believe that if God has given us a passion for something, that we should follow through.
I've heard that even if the book you want to write is similar to someone else's, you shouldn't worry about it, because only you can tell the exact story on your heart. So why try to write someone else's story in a genre or setting (etc.) that you don't really care about? Why write unless you have a passion for the story you want to share with others?
Sorry for the long response! I think sometimes I have to write/talk through things in order to understand what it is I really want to say. ;) Hope some of it made sense!
~Amber