Three Fs of 2020
Have you struggled to find inspiration this year? I daresay we all have at some point. I'm sure we'd like to forget some events in 2020. But if we pray and look around us, we may find the needed encouragement in the oddest places.
Focus on the Good Times
During my daughter's drive-thru graduation ceremony, we stopped to take pictures with a classmate. Eyeing the 12-pack of toilet paper in the backseat, we both agreed the masks and tissue paper summed up the past nine months. We captured the unforgettable memory underneath a canopy. Can you see the smiles behind the masks?
Find Humor in Change
Shopping with strangers is a little uncomfortable until you watch the crowd and realize nothing has changed except the masks. People are still people and make perfect characters. I'll share the latest in my treasure trove.
Roguish Randy is a broken or angry warrior with a purpose. The protagonist breaking all the rules at the beginning of the story. He's a loner and likes nothing better than grabbing what he came for and exiting unnoticed. Never mind the arrows, the waiting lines, or the slitted glares. He is a man on a mission, and he's on fire.
Irritating Imogen points out all the rules and violations of said rules. And then, when she thinks no one is looking, she sneaks down the aisle for the forgotten jar of mayo. Yep. In the opposite direction of the arrow. (The perfect antagonist in need of a sharp character arc, Imogen makes the ideal protagonist for the second book in a series. 😉)
Wandering Willie is a friendly foe shopping for the one product that was moved to another department. On his way to said product, he strikes up conversations with anyone who'll listen. Happy-go-lucky, this man loves to help yet unwittingly prevents you from reaching your goal. Bless his heart.
Fill Your Creative Tank
Another way to find encouragement is through filling our creative tanks. Have you read a delightful book lately? I have. In fact, I've read several new releases this year. Enduring Dreams by Sandra Ardoin released in September, and A Night Divine by Dawn Kinzer will release this month in a boxed set. The words "new releases" encouraged me. Holding those books in my hands proved life goes on even in the middle of a pandemic!
So, dear writer, keep writing and researching those fantastic stories.
Another way to find encouragement is through filling our creative tanks. Have you read a delightful book lately? #seriouslywrite #encouragementforwriters via @GailJohnson87
The words "new releases" encouraged me. Holding those books in my hands proved life goes on even in the middle of a pandemic! #seriouslywrite #encouragementforwriters via @GailJohnson87
Eyeing the 12-pack of toilet paper in the backseat, we both agreed the masks and tissue paper summed up the past nine months. #seriouslywrite #encouragementforwriters via @GailJohnson87
