Called to Write & Welcome New Bloggers! (Laurie)

Happy New Year!! Opening a new calendar always seems to signal a time for change, and you may notice we have a few of those here at Lands Uncharted for 2021! Sadly, we said "Goodbye for now" to three of our bloggers - Katie, Vanessa, and Heather, we've so enjoyed our time with you and you'll be missed! (Follow the link on each of their names to find their last post and leave a comment to wish them well!)

The good news is that we also have some new friends to welcome to our little corner of the internet! We are absolutely thrilled to have Rachel Rossano and Desiree Williams joining as regular contributors!! Make sure to check out the bio pages of these talented ladies (on the left-hand side and linked to their names above), stop by Rachel's review of K.M. Shea's Court of Midnight and Deception series, and look for Desiree's first post coming up on Friday, January 22nd! Also, we're still finalizing our last open contributor spot, so be on the lookout for another announcement soon to find out the last member of our 2021 team!

As for me...I wish I could say things have really turned around in my writing life since my post in September, in which I shared I've been writing a lot more e-mails than stories lately. But between homeschooling and holiday preparations and general pandemic anxiety, my writing productivity has continued to be at an all-time low. At least it's good to know I'm not alone! I've definitely noticed a trend here recently that many of us have been talking about rest and the need for a break, and I'm so thankful for a writing community that understands!

I confess that at busy times like this, I sometimes wonder whether I should return to writing at all when there are so many other authors clamoring for readers' attention and so many other aspects of my life that could benefit from my time and effort (yes, messy house - I'm looking at you!). But last month, I had a rare few hours of inspiration where I wrote multiple scenes and kept coming up with more ideas about my current work-in-progress. I felt excited and fulfilled in a way I hadn't in a long time, and it was AMAZING.

Then my husband came home from work, and I explained I'd let myself have a writing day, suddenly feeling guilty as I looked around at all the other things I should've been doing instead. But I couldn't help smiling as I tried to describe how it felt to be creating again. As I trailed off into something like, "I'm sorry, I know I should've done the dishes instead or helped the boys clean their room. I know I invest more into this writing thing than I earn, and it probably doesn't make sense to keep going with it. But when I have days like this and I finally get to write, I just..."

He gave me this sweet, knowing smile and finished for me with a decisive nod, "You have to."

It still brings tears to my eyes, reliving that moment where I felt so seen and understood in this crazy calling to be a writer. I have to. It doesn't make sense from an outside perspective as a place to put my time, energy, and resources when my books will likely remain in relative obscurity and all my earnings will get eaten up by a few writing conferences, but I can't seem to shake my desire to write, even when life is chaotic and busy. So I guess I should just keep at it, trying to push aside the numbers and logistics. Instead, maybe I need to focus on that indescribable feeling of creating my little imaginary worlds alongside the ultimate Creator. That sense of inspiration and fulfillment that, for me, only comes from obeying the call to write.

How about you? Have you found it easier or harder to write lately? What keeps you going when it's hard to find the time or energy to write or do whatever you're passionate about?