writing – Laurel Luehmann

Journaling, Personal, reading, writing, writing updates

June Memories – 2022 (+ writing update and prayer request)

July 4, 2022July 2, 2022by Laurel Luehmann8 Comments

Hello, friends…and happy Independence Day!

Also…we are half-way through 2022, so…there’s that.

Things worth remembering

The first cutting of hay this season (!!!)
Late night conversations with siblings
Working on a book of children’s poetry for my little sister
Researching cocaine and ramen noodles
Realizing that it’s a good idea to bring bug spray if you want to enjoy a summer hike without being eaten alive
Finding all the weird selfies my sister leaves on my phone…(does she realize I can one day use them as blackmail?)
putting together aesthetic collages for the main characters in my WIP (work in progress)
checking my poetry book out of the library I grew up visiting! Probably the most surreal piece of being a writer thus far.🥺

Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day; for surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off.
Proverbs 23:17-18

What I’ve been reading

God is My Co-Pilot – Robert L. Scott Jr.

I’ve been reading this one for some research I’m doing…it’s the autobiography of a WWII fighter pilot, and goodness, was he ever a naughty little boy!XD It’s been pretty enjoyable, although I get a bit lost in all of the pilot jargon sometimes.

The Scourge – Jennifer A. Nielsen

The total time I had been able to stay out of trouble: one hour.

Almost a record for me.

Weevil and Ani’s friendship and banter…*swoons* I’m so enjoying this book.

Once I Knew – Victoria Lynn

He had seen the pain, the evil, and the sin within him, had lifted his face in gentle hands, caressed it as a father does a child with a nightmare whose tears streak their cheeks, looked him in the eye and said:

“I love you. All of you.”

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This book. I can’t even tell you how much I needed to read this one. Not only is the theme incredible, but the plot is so tight, the pacing incredible, the characters endearing…

And can we talk about the romance?? The romance is beautiful…and you have to understand that this is coming from the girl who cringes through most bits of romance in books and runs for popcorn during sappy parts in movies.XD The true love and restraint shown by the characters…I wanted to cheer and shout for joy. Please can we fight for such reform in the romance genre?

*tumbles off soapbox*

Anyway…I have an official review of the book coming up soon…plus an interview with the author! Stay tuned!

We must determine to be limited and concentrate our affinities.
Oswald Chambers

From the journal…

Oh, Lord, I only conquer in Your strength. Be my mighty defense…let me love what You love and hate what You hate.

I was so cranky today. …finally ate lunch. I hadn’t eaten anything and was so hungry and cranky. (Just keeping it real…)

Let ours be a story that makes people shake their heads and murmur in awe, “Only God could have worked such wonders.”

Whatever the future holds, Father, keep my heart soft and obedient.

The church must set aside what is good so that we may be about the business of what is best. And so must I…soul, defend yourself against distraction from what is highest and holiest.

Because of Christ’s blood shed to atone for my sins, God no longer sees any of my blemishes, and rejoices over me like a man head-over-heels in love with his bride. He delights in me. He wants me. The Master of the universe is enraptured by what He sees in me. Oh, Jesus, it is all because of You!

Oh, Father, make me like Abel, who, though he is dead, still speaks through the story he left behind. Let my life echo Your goodness and grace long after my voice is silenced.

Comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.
David Foster wallace

Writing update + prayer request

Disclaimer: I’m okay. Don’t freak out about the prayer request part.XD

About the writing…

I haven’t worked seriously at drafting a novel since last November, when I attempted NaNoWriMo and got 11k words in before I became an emotional dumpster fire. (A translation for the sane people in the world: NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, and it’s a time in November when maniacs armed with laptops decide to quit life for a month to write a novel, or 50,000 words, in November.)

After that experience, novel writing got shoved to the back burner as I scribbled poetry, published a poetry book, lived normal life, and scribbled more poetry.

Honestly, I was scared of attempting a novel again.

But a story idea kept haunting me. And haunting me. And haunting me.

I started sharing the concept with some friends, and the responses I got poured fuel on the fire of my desire to see this book through to publication.

So here I am again…committing to the goal of writing 20k words on this new heart project this July. And praying. A lot.

I’d love it if you would join me in prayer for this project. To me, this concept is more than just another story. Bits of it have been brewing in my mind since I was eleven or twelve…and so many topics that are near and dear to my heart have found their way into this book. It’s amazing to see how God has helped me to pull so many different elements of my experiences and passions into one story!

Last July I wrote 20k words for a story full of heartache and confusion. This July, I want to pour out 20k words of healing and redemption. Eeek! I only have a few thousand words written so far, but already I can’t wait to share this story with you all. ❤

When I hit 30k words on this project – which I’m currently terming Project Redemption – , I’m going to start sharing more details about it on Instagram…so if you aren’t following along there, click here so you can join the tribe and be among the first to hear updates!

What were the memorable pieces of your June? Writers, what’s been flowing from your pens/keyboards of late? Readers, what books have captured your imagination lately? I’d love to hear in the comments!

❤ Laurel

Personal, Poetry, writing

Of Dreams and Dying (+ a slightly important announcement)

December 27, 2021December 27, 2021by Laurel Luehmann16 Comments

Today I’m sending my first poetry manuscript off for edits.

It’s… pretty surreal. I know that in the grand scheme of things it’s just another piece in my life… but it feels huge! And honestly, it’s a bit frightening. A sizeable chunk of my soul’s monologue is on its way to greet the world. *grins nervously*

A little testimony

Anne Shirley and Jo March were my writing heroines when I was younger. I blame them entirely for my twelve-year-old self’s warped view of how publication works… they just sent off their manuscripts and got a check or a book with their name on the cover in exchange.

Easy peasy.

Then I heard wild success stories about writers who wrote and published books in their teens. Popular books.

I decided that I was going to get published in my teens… or live the rest of my life in regret.

For some reason, having the prestige of being a published teen author was really, really important to me. I felt like I needed to prove myself to the world by being yet another one of those homeschool graduates who knocks the intellectual socks off of the general population.😂

As I plugged away at my novel and got a strong, shockingly bitter taste of what being a writer actually looks like, my “get published by the age of twenty” goal shoved me up against a wall and stared me in the eyes, forcing me to come up with one good reason why getting published while I was still in my teens was such a good idea.

The only one I could think of was bragging rights…

And even that wasn’t a good idea.

Somewhere along the way, my goal to glorify God with my writing had surrendered to the goal to glorify myself.

That fact saddened me… so I gave up my dream.

I let go of the vision of being published by twenty to focus instead on letting my writing goals be driven by quality and depth, not deadlines. I hoped that someday I’d be able to come up with something that was worthy of being published because it was actually good and able to impact lives, not because I needed it to boost my ego.

That decision was so freeing. I wasn’t a slave to my writing ego anymore.

Months went by, my poems piled up, and I realized that maybe it was time to start prepping a poetry manuscript. I started compiling my favorite poems, writing more, working on a timeline for publishing…

And realized that – providing all goes as planned – I’ll be published by my twentieth birthday.

I’m blown away by the way God asks us to hand over our dreams. Bury them, burn them, shred them, scrub them from our hearts…

Only to tap us on the shoulder at the most unexpected moment, hand the dreams back with a knowing smile and whisper, “Didn’t I know best all along?”

Yes, Father. Yes, You did.

❤ Laurel

P.S. Look out for a title reveal soon… and expect my first book-baby in the spring of 2022.😉

Poetry, writing

I’m getting published!!!

September 8, 2021September 8, 2021by Laurel Luehmann16 Comments

Guys… one of my poems is going to be published in this gorgeous book!!!

Am I bouncing off the walls? Maybe.

What Darkness Fears is releasing on October 13th… but preorders are now live! Preorder your copy here… and get some bonus preorder goodies!

Here’s the blurb:

Light Dawns in Darkness

Even in the darkest night, there is hope. This collection of stories and poems portray light in the darkness. Multiple authors in various genres take you on a journey from dark to light, from despair to hope.

Within these pages, you’ll discover teens locked in a hotel with a mind of its own, a young man on an adventure choosing the worst sort of companion, an author facing her own deadly characters, an arguing couple picking up a hitchhiker in the middle of the desert, a woman fighting an ominous monster on the high seas, a Headless Henwoman carrying souls to their afterlife, the god of mischief visiting the underworld, and other spooky stories.

I’m excited to read it when it comes out next month… and to see my own poem in print!😊

Personal, writing

Writing/Life Update

April 22, 2021April 22, 2021by Laurel Luehmann8 Comments

Hello, peoples!

I have no idea if anyone’s noticed, but I’ve been consistently posting on the blog here every Monday and Thursday since last August. Until this past Monday.

Most of the years I’ve spent writing have been driven more by random bursts of inspiration rather than me sitting myself down and forcing myself to write… so having the “2 posts a week” rule for myself for several months here has been incredibly good for me.

Yes, your sense of the impending “however” is correct…

I’ve been doing a lot of self-evaluation lately… evaluation of my writing life included. One piece of wisdom I’ve kept in mind while doing so is this:

“We must determine to be limited and concentrate our affinities.” – Oswald Chambers

This is a challenge for me.

I’m realizing that I’m moving out of the phase where posting twice a week is beneficial and even healthy for me, because I’ve come to grips with the fact that it isn’t exactly my goal to be a successful blogger. My goal is to write quality books, and to use this blog as a place to connect with you, update you on my writing journey, and share encouraging, amusing, and thought-provoking bits I find glinting light on life’s road. In scaling back here I hope to be able to better pursue both of these goals.

So… if you happen to look forward to reading my posts, then you’ll (hopefully) look forward to a weekly post all the more! And if notifications for my new posts make you cringe or groan… well… I’m cutting your suffering in half. You’re welcome.

Also…

I just want to thank you guys for sticking with me as I try to get this writing show on the road. Your encouragement and support blesses me so much!

If there’s anything you’d like to see me share more often on the blog, please let me know. I’m here for you guys, and your feedback is much appreciated.:)

Let’s go live this lovely day to the hilt!

– Laurel

Personal, writing

(Very!!!) Exciting News + Another Poll

March 25, 2021March 25, 2021by Laurel Luehmann16 Comments

Yo!

Yesterday, for the very first time in the history of ever, I finished the first draft of a novel!!!

I may be slightly excited.:)

I started working seriously on this project in August of 2020. I had no idea of what lay ahead! The process was much more challenging than I had anticipated it would be. It took longer to write than I thought it would take. It pushed me so much more than I thought it would…

But I’ve learned so much.

I’ve been able to see firsthand what I can accomplish if I set a (reasonable) goal for myself and hold myself to it, which means…

I want to continue to push myself to the limit and see how far I can go, how much I can accomplish. Not just in writing, but in all areas of life. I’m a bit scared… but terribly excited.

Right here I want to be very cliché and say that I never could have done this on my own. Ever. I’m amazed at how God filled my life with just the right people at just the right times to inspire and build me up, to critique and offer advice, to brainstorm and help to develop my characters/world/plot, to motivate and cheer me on, and even to just say, “Hey! I loved that part!”

If you’re one of those people… thank you. You bless me so much. You helped me get to the place where I can say, “Yes! I wrote a book!”

Yes, it’s a small book. Yes, I cringe at the clunky, awkward parts. Yes, it needs major editing. Yes, there are pieces of the plot that are hanging loose.

But it’s a book. And I wrote it.

In my soul, I am bouncing off the walls. XD

But anyway…

I said something about a poll!

I was wondering if you would be willing to give me some feedback on a few ideas. I’d like to keep writing novels, but am not planning to start publishing them in the very near future. What I would like to do in the near future is publish something that is not a novel. I’ve got a few ideas… and if you would vote for your favorite one, I would be super thankful!:)

writing

Psalm 138 In My Own Words

December 10, 2020by Laurel Luehmann2 Comments

With all that I am, God, I will praise You. In the face of all that seeks to turn my eyes from You, I will sing Your praises loud.

I worship You, Lord – because of Your tender affection. Because of Your truth. Because You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

When I cried out, You answered me; You filled my soul with strength and made me fearless.

When the rulers of the world hear Your words, my God, they will cry out in praise of You.

Yes… they will sing of Your ways, for great is Your glory, my King!

Though You are exalted above all, my Lord, You still take interest in the lowly. With the proud, however, You do not have intimate fellowship.

Even though I’m walking in hardship right now, You will revive me – with Your hand You will ward of the wrath of my enemies – You will save me with Your right hand.

Lord, You will bring to perfect completion all that weighs on my mind. Your mercy endures forever, my God – do not forsake those You have created.

reading, writing

The Problem with Christian Fiction

December 7, 2020by Laurel Luehmann10 Comments

Shocked you again, didn’t I?

But seriously, though… today I want to share with you about the problem I have with many works of Christian fiction.

They force a message/moral on the reader.

I don’t know how many times I’ve been turned off of a Christian fiction book because of preachiness. A stiff sermon in the form of fiction really frustrates me. If you really want to write an essay on Christianity, please just go do it. ‘Cause that’s what your exposition should be. Please don’t mask it with fiction.

I firmly believe that fiction should not be a platform for preaching. Tell your story and let it do its thing.

Disclaimer: please understand that I’m not knocking sermons or essays… I love them. I’m just saying that they have their own distinct place… they don’t need to masquerade in fictitious literature.🙂

Believe it or not, it’s possible to glorify God through fiction without preaching at your readers.

The people who influence us most are not those who buttonhole us and talk to us, but those who live their lives like the stars in heaven and the lilies in the field, perfectly simply and unaffectedly. Those are the lives that mould [sic] us. – Oswald Chambers

I believe this applies to fiction, as well. I can’t tell you how many works of fiction have made me stop in my tracks and evaluate my relationship with God and how I live it out… without being preachy. The writer just let the story play out… and let me, the reader, learn from the natural flow of the story.

In my opinion, writing a story to teach your readers a lesson is stepping into dangerous territory.

A couple of years ago, God was teaching me something amazing. My natural reaction was to share my new-found knowledge with others. And so I thought…

Why not write my (beloved) Civil War story so the main character learns the lesson I just learned?

So I started doing it. I planned to put my main character through a series of disastrous and depressing events (which is something my writer’s heart morbidly enjoys doing), and have her come through this scarring experience with the realization that Jesus was enough for her, no matter what.

Thankfully I set that project aside for a time. When I came back to it, having learned more about the writing craft and just life in general, I realized I had messed up.

I was trying to force my story into a preconceived mold. A preachy mold.

I know people laugh when writers complain about their characters getting out of control and doing things the writer never meant for them to do… but it’s a real struggle. A well-developed character should surprise its creator and do things that it was never “supposed” to do. Annoying as this is, letting the characters live their lives authentically is one of the best things a writer can do.

Trust that your readers can learn from your characters’ experiences without preachy interference.

I’m certainly not implying that stories shouldn’t have themes and morals… they should. True stories have these! In short, I’m saying that the stories you write can (and should!) be meaningful and convicting without being awkward and preachy.

Let your story be just that – a story. Trust the incredible power of fiction… let your story play out and let your readers glean from it what they will… just like they observe real life and glean from it without exposition.

This is my opinion… what’s yours? Do you agree with me? Disagree? A little bit of both? Please share… I always love feedback and discussion.:)

reading, writing

Gift Ideas for Your Reading and/or Writing Friends

November 23, 2020by Laurel LuehmannLeave a Comment

Happy happy Monday, all!

Gift idea posts are flooding the blogosphere right now, but for once I’m not gonna go against the flow. Because I love gift idea posts. And giving gifts. There’s just something about thoughtfully choosing the perfect gifts for people you love. It’s amazing.

I’ve developed this particular list with readers and writers in mind. If you’re having trouble coming up with gift ideas for an avid reader or writer, hopefully this post can give you some inspiration.:)

Shout-out to the amazing members of my writing community who flooded me with gift ideas for this post. You’re awesome… thank you.

For the readers

Shadow of the Almighty

Gifting books can be difficult sometimes as people have vastly different tastes… but you can’t go wrong giving this biography as a gift. It’s my absolute favorite books besides the Bible… click/tap here if you want to hear me rave about it even more.:)

Book Nerd – Women’s Shirt

This one looks so cute and cozy!

I Don’t Have a Bedtime Keychain

So true some nights… sadly.

Jane Austen Tote Bag

This would work well for lugging library books home.:)

Cozy Blankets

There’s nothing like snuggling up for a good read in a cozy blanket and

Fuzzy Socks

with a steaming mug of

Tea

Coffee.

And

Chocolate.:)

For the writers

G2 Gel Pens

These pens are the best I’ve used so far… and I’m a pen snob.

Novel Journal

This idea is so cool: a journal where the lines on which you write are actually the words of a classic. I just ordered this Great Expectations journal for a Dickens-loving journaling friend, but they have many other classics available in this form, as well.

Vintage Typewriter Pencil Holder

This is soooo cute (okay, handsome if you wanna get it for a guy) and useful! Every writer needs a place for pens, pencils, ~~and chocolate wrappers~~ to stay. Besides, anything vintage typewriter is always a good idea.

Writer Keychain

Yes, we writers do have the privilege and heavy responsibility of creating universes.:)

Blank Books

This would be an amazing gift for a little writer-in-the-making. When I was younger, writing a story in an actual book was so much more exciting than writing in a notebook.

Notebooks

That being said, notebooks are pretty awesome, too.:)

Just a Girl Who Loves Writing – Shirt

This is My Writing Shirt

This one would be great for both guys and girls!

What did I leave out? What are some of your favorite gifts to give to reading and writing fanatics?

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something through one of the links I share in this post, I receive a small commission… at no extra cost to you.:)

Photo by Monika Stawowy on Unsplash

writing

You May be a Writer If… (2nd Edition)

October 26, 2020by Laurel Luehmann8 Comments

The last post I did on this topic was so much fun… I wanted to do it again! Hopefully you don’t mind.:)

You may be a writer if…

…you’re an avid people watcher, and are shocked out of your skin when someone tells you they don’t even know what people watching is. “Wait, what??? You poor guy…”

…you have to check your face for ink stains before leaving the house.

…something mentioned in a sermon gives you an idea for further development in your novel, and you have to covertly scribble it in your bulletin before you forget about it.

…grammatical errors drive you crazy.

…you whisper one phrase to yourself over and over again because those words together in that order just. sound. so. good.

…you fervently hope that so-and-so won’t figure out that you’ve put them in your book. In disguise, of course.

…you jump up to go look for a pen and later discover that you already had one behind each ear.

…you have to check each piece of scrap paper you throw out to make sure it doesn’t contain any valuable information… because you probably took notes on it.

…you read books like you’ve been hired to edit them. “This description needs to be condensed.” “The dialogue here is amazing.” “I wonder if this is foreshadowing something…”

…three-fourths of the time you spend “cleaning your room” is actually spent reading old books/journals/notes you just unearthed.

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

writing

5 Ways to Keep Your Focus On Tough Writing Days

October 15, 2020by Laurel Luehmann3 Comments

Can we all agree that distraction is one of a writer’s most common and deadly foes? Here are some habits that help me stay focused on difficult writing days.

1.) Make a list.

It doesn’t have to be elaborate! Even if you have only one or two things on your writing agenda, write them down. It’s so helpful to have that visual reminder of what you have to do in case your mind wanders. And it’s just so satisfying to cross things off your list.:)

Here’s my writing list for today:

Work on Thursday’s blog post
Write the bridge for Chapter 4
Write more of Chapter 4… finish???
Listen to “Creating Stellar Characters”

2.) Have water or a yummy drink on hand.

Stay hydrated… it’s good for your brain! Make sure you’re getting the water you need so you can think and write your best.

Also, having a special coffee drink is just plain fun. Maybe it doesn’t improve focus in a huge way… but it can be a little extra something that makes your writing time more enjoyable.:)

3.) Take breaks and set a timer.

Giving your brain a break from focusing on one scene or task or topic can be so helpful. Taking even just a tiny break and doing something else for a minute or two adds a helpful variation from staring at your computer screen for hours.

As far as the timer goes… if you know that you have a limited amount of time to do something, it somehow makes a task more bearable and encourages you to work harder at it!

4.) Don’t let yourself get distracted.

I know, I know… the second you sit down to write that not-super-exciting scene or the mentally-taxing blog post, you remember half a dozen other things that have suddenly become pressing matters.

Just exercise your self-control and tell yourself, no not until _____. Then you’re going to be so proud of yourself when you reach that goal, and even more motivated to meet your next goal! Each time you work your self-control, you’re making it easier for yourself to be self-controlled next time. You can do it!!!

5.) Remember that it won’t always be a struggle to focus.

One of the things I had to realize as I started to take my writing more seriously is that there will be days where I’m super excited and pumped about writing, and other days where I’m really wanting to drag my feet… and that’s normal and okay.

Just keep on slogging through the tough days, knowing that you’re gonna slay it SOON!!!

What are some things you do to help yourself stay focused?