Growth in a Washed-Out Winter

April. Typically a transition month for me. By now my winter garden of green beans, chard and bok choy would have produced what they will. New seedlings to refresh my herb garden have left the hot box and found their way along the leading edge of my twenty foot by five foot raised planter box. Soon, cucumber, squash and early tomato seedlings would begin their maturation process.

But not this year. Months of atmospheric river rain, snow and cold in Southern California have destroyed any semblance of a normal winter. Given our drought conditions, It’s a change I’ll gladly deal with, as reservoirs fill and snow graces our mountains.

Despite receiving twice the normal annual rainfall, is not be a drought killer. High elevation glaciers that are key to long term stability are few. Underground aquifers need much, much more to replenishment. For one glorious winter, though, things are looking up.

One element of growth that has occurred is my writing. Between more pockets of inspiration and some really good editors and feedback from readers, I’m making progress in my rudimentary skills. It’s evident in the interest I’m getting, and also in the types of challenges I’m comfortable in taking on. I’m nowhere near the talent I read from many other authors regularly, but I am gaining ground, and that’s pretty satisfying. So there has been growth in a washed-out winter after all.

This April will be my third anniversary of trying creative writing, and more specifically, fictional erotic short stories. It’s been a wondrous journey, but also a real struggle. Some of that is genetics, and can result in periods of days, even weeks, where I cannot create content. I’ve coped with this by using the time to read other people’s works and listen to podcasts that revive my imagination. But I’ve learned that, under no circumstances, can I STOP writing daily. Often it’s real gibberish, but the momentum is critical for me. It like inconsistency in a workout regiment. The steady pain is worth the gain.

I’ve also set aside time every six months to back away from it all. Much of April will be one of those times. I’ll be using that period to diminish my social media activity and create content for the other, more vanilla places I write. When I come out of these sabbaticals, I like to start by rewriting an old story that I realize now was pretty poor. The rewrites tend to be shorter, tighter, and carry much more emotional expression than before.

I still struggle with getting to the point at the start of a story, and not getting sterile when things heat up. It’s why all of my early works were written in third person. It felt safer, but I wasn’t honoring what readers often look for: elements of human connection. Of passion, and of play.

So here’s to April. Thanks to everyone for their feedback, good and bad. My even temperament looks forward to more of both as springtime inspirations flourish.