When the Season Ends

I’ve been away from fiction creation for almost three years now.

Burnout, exhaustion, lack of motivation, moving three times in two years and a general feeling of incompetence when it came to creating the written word in any form of storytelling, led me to set this love aside and even going so far as to think I might not ever pick it up again.

Much to the chagrin of my mentors and parents who have always stood behind the fact that they believe I will write again. And should write again.

I’ve maintained my presence in the writer’s community; authors being too near and dear to my heart to ever walk away from the friends and relationships I’ve made. So I worked on my virtual assistance business, have served as the ACFW Carol Coordinator and attended all of the ACFW conferences thus far.

But still the well has been dry. The desire to put my fingers to the keys not really motivated or filled with any kind of story plots to dream up and worlds to create. Even blogs haven’t been filled with the quick enthusiasm that was previously there when I would sit down to write them.

I still wrote them. Praying for motivation. Praying for the right words. And God continued to give them.

But the story just weren’t there.

Then a very well known author brainstormed out a story for me. A story that should have interested me, a story that should have filled with me enthusiasm and excitement. And it did…to read it. Not to write it. And I never thought about that story again.

Still, I prayed, God, make this clear what I’m supposed to do. Give me a story to write or make it clear that I can move on to the next thing.

The fall of 2015 I sat in a class taught by Allen Arnold at ACFW. As I had so clearly prayed this prayer, in an oh-so-selfish tone just a few weeks before hand and I opened my notebook Allen randomly passed out to all of the students, I opened the first cover to see the note inscribed on the front page: you will create new adventures and stories with Me.

I had my answer. For better or for worse, the answer was clear. Clearer than perhaps I really wanted, because all of a sudden, this wasn’t just a back shelf idea. This was the God-breathed answer that I had been praying for.

A scary and new world blew wide open in front of me and God was beckoning me to walk with Him, hard or easy as this road may be. And I think it will be plenty of the former.

With my answer staring me right in the face, plain as the black ink on the white page, I prayed that if God had a fulfillment of this answer that He would give me a story.

And He did, my friends. He did.

For the first time in three years I have a story that is anxious to be told. And I’m anxious to tell it.

I don’t tell you this to fill 500 words and my blog post for the week (smile). I tell you this so if you are in a season of waiting, of dryness. I tell you so you might know that a season of green, lush and wild, is coming.

It might be long. It might be short, this season of dryness and waiting. And it might look completely different than what you’re expecting. I know it does for me. But God knows the next step. And the next step He’s calling you to—no matter the season—is faith.

Are you in a season of dryness? Burnout? Exhaustion? Stuck on your story? Can I pray for you? 

Comment below or shoot me an email at: caseym(.)writer(@)gmail(.)com. I’d like to link arms with you on this season. 

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Casey Herringshaw is a homeschool graduate and has been writing since high school. She lives in colorful Colorado where she gets to live her dream stalking--er--visiting with her favorite CO authors. 

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