Thursday, July 31, 2008

Decompression

I'm one of those people who needs margins in my life, plenty of time and space to separate activities. I'm making a margin right now.

I'm coming down off 4 days of learning, talking, encouragement, and reconnecting at the OCW Summer Coaching Conference for Christian writers. I sat at the feet of Melody Carlson for hours on end, gleaning from her wisdom and experience. I sat at the dinner table with editors from publishing houses like Kregel, Bethany, Focus on the Family, and Harvest House. I talked with agents and writers and teachers, Christians all.

These conferences are always so charged with emotion. It takes courage to take a story out of your head, put it on paper and hand it over to be either enjoyed or rejected. Vulnerability doesn't always feel good.

But these words are treated gently at OCW. Gently and with grace.

Tomorrow I will start back to work, polishing, creating, writing again. But for this afternoon, I'm just going to breathe.

1 comment:

Jenna Bunner said...

hey Patty -- thank you for the note the other day, and the desire to reconnect after Frank's trip. I will try to call soon!
about margins...I find myself really appreciating them lately and trying to teach the kids how to have them, too. Life is so much better for me when I can think and process what I have just done, then turn to what I'm about to do.
I look forward to your writing!