It's a Jungle Out There

This Was a Nice Jungle

I've been writing this blog for several years now. I started it so I could find my "voice" in writing and what interested me. I had the blogspot with the title "Christian Book Scout" for a full year before I ever posted. All I knew is that I had published a lot of book reviews and read a lot of manuscripts and books. I did a stint on a parenting column, but I found that I hated revealing too much about my four boys. Over the years I've posted on just about everything that interests me. It's about as jumbled as my brain.

I started the blog When I Was Just a Kid because those interviews needed a separate parking spot. I'm pleased with that blog. I will have a couple new interviews there coming up soon. Even if you don't know the person, you get to know them better and there's a lot of nostalgia there. That will have to satisfy my history interest bent. I thought I would write historical romance--one of my favorite genres to read. But in the past couple weeks as I reevaluate my life and writing interests, I know I won't be doing that. I have found authors who really know how to do that and I'll be supporting them. It hurts me to say that I won't write an historical romance novel.

But something clicked this week after I had yet another disaster at my house. I'm describing my disaster in great detail to my friends and they were laughing at the way I talk about it. This has been my whole life--one disaster after another and me making fun of myself through it all. Me, leaning wholly on God while in the midst of it. God keeping me from a much worse fate. Somehow I always picture myself in the middle of chaos, leaning on God (or hiding under His robes) and Him smiling down at me. It's like Peter in the middle of the storm at sea. I have mentioned more than once how I'm like Peter. (I can really relate to him.)

Because of all this, I think I've found my focus and my sweet spot in writing. I have been in some very serious life and death situations, am married to a man who helps people through their own life and death situations, and I've learned that I just have to trust God and keep smiling through my gritted teeth.

I'm now making up my calendar of posts so I'll be more regular in my blogging. I'm also going to try to be more focused so you don't end up with a chaotic mess of posts. Laura Christianson of the Blogging Bistro has this great post about how to brainstorm for posts, and I'm also going to use that for my fiction writing. That has been my one prayer this year--to find a focus and order in my life. The storms won't stop, but I can be at peace in the apple of His Eye.

What about you? What's on your plate for this year? What are you seeing as your focus for the New Year? Do you see what kind of writing you are going to do?