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| Melinda Viergever Inman |
When my house was full of young children, I attempted to
draft my first novel. After only one chapter, I realized I couldn’t write
fiction and homeschool a houseful of children simultaneously. Keep a journal,
yes, but concentrate on fiction, no.
Maybe you can, or are attempting it. But I couldn’t.
For fiction, I must live in a different world, lose myself in
the story, inhabit the characters’ thoughts, and focus inwardly on their
setting and experiences. There I live in a writer’s fog. But, for homeschooling
(my career), I needed to focus on my children. They were my priority.
After setting fiction aside, occasionally my mind wandered
away, but I’d adjust my expectations and refocus on the schooling. I reminded
myself that life came in phases, and there would be time later.
In these days of fringe hours, women seem to balance career
and family flawlessly, so it might seem silly that I didn’t press on. But I had
watched my mother do that. Learning from her experience, I knew something had
to give. Fiction could wait. The children needed me now.
Two decades later, when only one child remained, I started
writing fiction again. Even then, I admit, it was difficult to find balance. A
few months in we held a powwow to tinker with our schedule. I learned to write
fiction and to focus simultaneously
on classical education, ancient history, and science papers.
Looking back at those four years of balancing the high
school education of my daughter with the drafting of five novels, I remember
the haze induced by pounding out a scene on my laptop, cross-legged on the
floor in a loud ballet studio. Pausing, I’d watch each piece she danced solo or
with the group, help with pointe shoe dilemmas, and regularly feel astonished
by her gracefulness. I can still feel the urgency of working fast and sloppy to
get it drafted before we jumped up and rushed to the next thing.
I dragged that laptop to play practices, hid in a quiet room
at a friend’s lake house while the entire cast worked on a large dance number
on the lawn, huddled in halls and libraries during my daughter’s science
tutorage, and carried snippets of dialogue in my head as I raced her across
town from one event to another.
But I cherish the memories of quiet mornings, each of us
working at home, and the pauses with her in the coffee shop while we awaited
the French tutor. Often the two of us enjoyed the pleasure of simply sitting
and conversing.
In my memory, the stories I drafted are bound together with
the events of those days. But I did it. Could I have multiplied the same lifestyle
by five while her older siblings were all at home? Absolutely not! My brain
isn’t wired that way.
For our family, my
decision to wait was right.
But what about you?
Only you can make this determination. It requires prayer,
careful consideration, and schedule tinkering, no matter what you decide. You
must find what works for you, your family, and your life situation. Don’t
measure yourself by anyone else.
If you’re attempting too much, chaos, conflict, and
confusion may become the norm. If so, pause to reconsider. What must give? Can
you live your life in phases? Can you write fiction later? For now, can you
simply journal or blog?
Conversely, if you find yourself with big blocks of time
that leave you frustrated and longing to write fiction, can you include fiction
writing? Can you limit your “fiction brain” to those assigned hours? Can you
maintain balance?
Put this before the Lord. He always knows best.
Then boldly follow wherever God directs. He will guide you.
Nudged
toward evil by Satan, Cain 's hard-hearted hubris results in Abel's murder and
Lilith's broken heart when he is banished, splitting the family and propelling
mankind toward ever-increasing violence as their siblings seek revenge. Crushed
by what he's done, Cain runs, certain he's destroyed Lilith, his parents, and
the entire family. With Satan hounding his every move and no idea of the forces
arrayed against him, can Cain ever find God after he's committed a sin of such
magnitude? Can he ever be forgiven?
Melinda Viergever Inman was
raised in the tornado capital of the U.S.—Wakita, Oklahoma, of
"Twister" fame. There her parents met. There her roots were sunk in a
storytelling family. During years of relocation, tragedy struck. Wounded and
heartbroken, Melinda forsook her roots and ran from herself and from God. A
journey of trial and heartache brought her home again. A prodigal now returned
to her secure foundation, she writes with passion, illustrating God's love for
wounded people as he makes beauty from ashes. Refuge is her first novel. Melinda shepherds women in church and
in prison ministry and writes inspirational material on her biweekly blog at http://melindainman.com/blog/. With
her family she is involved with Mission India, rescuing orphans and providing
theological and job training for impoverished students— http://rimi.org/.
You can learn more and connect with Melinda here:
