The Four Seasons of Writing

I’m a four-seasons gal. I relish the renewed promise of spring, the long light of summer, the bright colors of autumn, and the snowy silence of winter. I like the rhythm of changing seasons.

As a writer, I go through different seasons. It’s a changing rhythm, less predictable than the seasons of weather but with similar energy and emotions.

Spring: The Season of Inspiration.

The seed of a new project lands in my head. I nurture it with prayer and Bible study. It starts to take root, and its tiny leaves hold promise.

Summer: The Season of Growth.

The serious work begins. I write. I edit. I yank out the weeds that don’t belong. I rewrite. I make a decision: Is this project worth the effort? Will it bear good fruit? 

If it’s not, I start over. There are other seedlings in the garden in my mind (and in my journal). I choose something else to nurture.

Autumn: The Season of Harvest.

Summer’s work bears fruit. My project goes somewhere — possibly a post on my blog, a proposal to an agent or a publisher, or even a submission to a COMPEL Pro writing challenge. The fruit may not be perfect, but it has value: a bit of wisdom to share, some lighthearted humor, encouragement to offer others, and a lesson learned the hard way. 

Winter: The Season of Letting Go.

The project is out of my hands. Sometimes it goes no further. It is finished, having accomplished its purpose. Sometimes it comes back to me for more springtime nurture and summer labor. 

There are some projects I tuck away in autumn, deciding it isn’t yet the right season. Like roots covered by snow and cold, it rests unseen for a time. Come spring, it may sprout some new leaves — if not this spring, some future season of inspiration.

Nature’s Seasons and Writer’s Seasons

Nature’s seasons flow in consistent order, four seasons of similar length. Not so with the seasons of writing. 

I can be in different seasons of writing at the same time. The length of each season differs from project to project. The four seasons of a simple blog post may pass in days. The seasons of my books are counted in years.

Instead of moving forward, I sometimes lag behind. I keep editing and editing, seemingly without end. A project rests in the drawer or on my computer, nearly forgotten. My journal sprouts potential concepts … many that never make it to summer.

It’s easy to get stuck in a season, endlessly perfecting an old project, failing to nurture a new concept, or collecting scads of seedlings that never see summer’s effort.

Is this your time to move into a new writing season? Do you have words ready for harvest or an old concept that would benefit from a winter of rest? Would a new project bring new energy? Embrace the changing seasons.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, NIV). 

Bless your words,
Shirlee Abbott 

Which season(s) of writing are you living in at the moment? Do you have a springtime concept ready for summer’s labor? An autumn project ready to share with the world? Is it time to step into the next season?