"Silence is something more than just a pause. It is that enchanted place where space is cleared and time is stayed and the horizon itself expands."
-- Pico Iyer
Writers revel in silence – to think, to create, to decide what to bring to life – but I really believe we all need moments of silence in which to lose ourselves from time to time. There’s a comfort in silence when you allow it to connect, even if it happens while I'm folding laundry, washing dishes, or gardening.
I’m not saying you’ll find mind-blowing or life-changing ideas while digging in the dryer for that last sock that’s stuck to the top with static. But there’s something powerful in basic tasks that shakes out the dust. It’s the pause and focus on the simple.
For me, I’ve mostly found answers to my dilemmas while gardening. I’m not a master in any sense of the word. I’m actually very lazy. I like to plant, water, weed – okay, occasionally – and forget. I can’t handle anything high maintenance though I have no issue with dead-heading flowers like petunias. I like that they grow wild and can withstand a neglectful hostess. My favorite are tulips (plant and forget) though the deer like them, too. Last year, I enjoyed them for one day before all sixty of them vanished.
This year, I expanded my garden by installing decorative Victorian fencing across the front of my property. I had grandiose ideas of something romantic and it turned out pretty well for a first attempt. I am normally impatient when it comes to results and resist the allowance for growth and expansion. It’s the only area in my life where that happens. These new plantings were an attempt to change that. To play with ideas and wait for results. I’m doing this with my writing as well and hope that the silence while digging in the dirt clears out the confusion and cobwebs of where I should focus next.
Dirt and water. Simple things that have healing powers to distract and relax and push life’s nonsense to the backseat for a few minutes. To ground us – sorry, no pun intended – reminding us to breathe.
To expand the horizon.
Nadine
Thanks so much for sharing a few precious minutes with me. As an active member of the Romance Writers of America, the New Jersey Romance Writers Chapter and the Kiss of Death Chapter, I write contemporary stories of suspense with a touch of romance where hope and heart prove stronger than any weapon and where happily ever after occurs, even if it takes a bloody route to get there.
Strong men and even stronger women are the stars of tales themed around hope and courage after being betrayed by those tasked with keeping the rules. These brave men and women love and laugh and fight to the death like a mother fights for her child, all while trying to balance the professional with the personal. My stories are born on that balance and I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I have had giving voice to them. All of this sets the stage in my debut novel, Contingencies. Let me know what you think and don’t forget to post a review. Stay up-to-date with new releases via my website with its free newsletter and prologue to Contingencies (along with other giveaways) or follow me on Facebook and Twitter.