Write What Makes You Happy
by
Mary Manners
Happy spring, everyone! After a close call with a late-season snow storm, my favorite season is finally off to a beautiful sprint. Listening to chirping blue jays and watching cardinals soar through sunny skies makes my heart happy. I don't know about you, but the signs of spring renew my desire to both curl up with a good book and to write, write, write.
I love the mountains of East Tennessee and all that nature surrounding them brings. Some of you may know that, following my retirement from a fulfilling day-career of teaching, my husband and I spent eighteen months in Jacksonville, Florida, enjoying ocean views and year-round warmth. It was a lovely experience, but the Smoky Mountains kept calling to me. So, last October we returned to Tennessee. We found a piece of property that is perfect for us--a small slice of heaven--and have made it our sanctuary. Two cats, fourteen fish, one dog, and thirteen baby chicks later, and our new post-retirement family is complete--for now, at least.
So, what does this have to do with my writing journey...or yours? It comes down to thinking about the little things that make us happy...and how those little things are reflected in the details of our stories. What you love will be richly and incomparably detailed as you write. The experiences, landscapes, sights and sounds of nature, etc. will become inspirational as they relate to the stories you long to tell.
As springtime settles in, I challenge you to pause and reflect. Give yourself a writing tune-up. Take inventory of those experiences, landscapes, and little things that make you happy. Think about how they might also impart happiness to others, and use that as a springboard to a wonderful and productive writing season.
Happy spring and happy writing!
~~~~~
One shattered wish can lead to a beautiful dream come true…
Vanessa
Pearce has returned home to Honeysuckle Cove from the runways of New York,
where she enjoyed a charmed life as a plus-sized model until an accident
brought that career to a crashing halt. The opening of Sweet Tea and Summer
Dreams, a children’s tea party boutique, provides an escape from the heartache
of shattered wishes.
The recent adoption of his niece Lanie has taught Colton James to appreciate the simple things in life. Everyone in Honeysuckle Cove seems to have forgotten Colton’s rowdy past—everyone except Vanessa. But when a visit to Sweet Tea and Summer Dreams causes their paths to cross once again, it’s Colton’s opportunity to prove to her that one shattered wish can lead to a beautiful dream come true.
The recent adoption of his niece Lanie has taught Colton James to appreciate the simple things in life. Everyone in Honeysuckle Cove seems to have forgotten Colton’s rowdy past—everyone except Vanessa. But when a visit to Sweet Tea and Summer Dreams causes their paths to cross once again, it’s Colton’s opportunity to prove to her that one shattered wish can lead to a beautiful dream come true.
~~~~~
Mary
Manners is a country girl at heart who has spent a lifetime sharing
her joy of writing. She has two sons, a daughter, and three beautiful
grandchildren. She lives in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains of East
Tennessee with her husband Tim and their rescue dog Axel, two rescue cats,
Colby and Jax, 13 chickens and 14 fish.
Mary writes stories full of faith
and hope. Her books have earned multiple accolades including two Inspirational
Reader’s Choice Awards, the Gail Wilson Award of Excellence, the Aspen Gold,
the Heart of Excellence, and the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award.
Mary
loves long sunrise runs, Smoky Mountain sunsets, and flavored coffee. She
enjoys connecting with reader friends through her website: www.MaryMannersRomance.com.
