2019 ACFW Carol Award WinnerThere are so many things I would’ve missed out on had Kayla and I not started writing together. (And I’m not just talking about book contracts…)
It’s funny how you don’t realize these things until you are in the midst of them. Kayla may be only 12, and will be the youngest published full-length novelist, and she has opportunities placed in front of her that a lot of us would have dreamed of having at her age – but she’s also been through more–persisting through the tough times–than most of us have had to deal with our entire lives.
Writing together has brought us even closer together. Our creative brains just feed off each other – brainstorming and plotting take on new meaning. And the laughter is doubled – (and we laughed a lot before, so this is significant!)
It’s also been fun to understand a little more about her. She’s so precious, and we’ve always been close (I’m really close to both of my kids) – but this novel-writing journey has opened up more ways for me to understand Kayla. And because of her nerve disorder, it’s sometimes eye-opening to see her describe how she “feels” things. She’s learning, and I’m learning. It’s an incredible experience.
Other things I’ve learned? Well…
-she’s faster at writing than I am (and I’m pretty fast)
-she’s faster at finishing her edits than I am (sigh)
-she’s got a crazy sense of humor, and more depth than most adults I know
-she knows who she is, and rests in God’s direction each day (I wish more of us could do that)
Now Josh loves to write as well… but the thought of writing with him scares me to death. Why – you may ask? Because frankly, his creativity is so off the charts, I’d never be able to keep up — and I think I would constantly ache from all the laughter. (You should hear him and Kayla when they are working on a story together – just wait – that duo could definitely be something to watch.)
So for now, I’m content to learn from and with my kids, and enjoy this precious writing journey.
Comments 3
ok so i'm posting here about the "plot and brainstorming" picture to the right because there's no where else to post. hehe. I laughed so hard when I saw that picture. It reminds me of how much I love you and how much I love that we're so much alike! Can you guess why? Yep!…..the color coded post-it notes in the background. There are some days that i'm convinced i'm the only organized person in the world- that is, as organized and anal-retentive as me! But nope, now I have new hope. I can just come and look at that picture of you and smile, sigh, and pick up my different color pen to write on my different color post-it note, to make yet another list. You made my day. heheh
Hey, precious Kim! Loved reading your blog, and I'm with Jennifer — all those different color post-its. You would die if you saw the way I construct a story. It's like–I sit down, think, and suddenly an idea comes to me, and I start writing–usually not knowing how the scene is going to play out until, well, it's completed. It's usually a surprise even to me! Scary, huh. Oh, I wish I could be more plot-driven, but I am totally a seat-of-the-pantser!!!!
And, on another note, I was so excited to see you posted Maggie Rose as one of your recommended reads. I love you for that! I wish we lived closer. I think we would laugh a lot. I just have that feeling.
Hugs and love to both you and your sweetheart, Kayla. Would love to meet her sometime, and your whole fam for that matter!
Oh, and Kayla–this is for you–I see YOU read and recommend Maggie Rose as well. I love the pics of you and your mom. How fun it would be to write as a mother/daughter team. I even suggest that to my own girls and they say, "Nope, Mom-it's not in me." Maybe someday. They both love to read–and they've read all my books–but neither seems to have the "gift" for writing. Oh well–God has given them so many other wonderful gifts!
Hugs and Love, sweetie.