May 2023
Flower of the Month: Lily-of-the-valley
May has two birth month flowers: hawthorn and lily-of-the-valley. Hawthorn is a fascinating plant with a rich symbolism and history, so it will get attention in a future, more expansive piece.
Lily-of-the-valley is actually part of the asparagus family, but it shares symbolism with the flora of its name. Like other lilies, this flower’s most common meaning is sweetness and purity. This dainty flower is often associated with motherhood–perfect for upcoming Mother’s Day!–and a return to happiness. In spite of this symbol, lily-of-the-valley is also said to have sprouted from Eve’s tears after leaving Eden and Mary’s tears at the cross. Perhaps this dichotomy is simply representative of motherhood itself–full of sweetness and sorrows throughout its whole path.
Reading
- Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson
- Since I’ve already written an entire blog post about this book, I won’t repeat myself. (Click the link above to read my full thoughts.) The only thing I will say is that if you are an aspiring writer/songwriter/artist/creative spirit or know someone who is, do yourself a favor and read this book. It’s well worth your time.
Research
- All things worldbuilding! Aside from referring back to Presley’s book on the topic (check out the March newsletter for more info on that), I’ve really been enjoying the World Anvil Worldbuilding Podcast on Spotify. Each episode they have special guests from all sorts of disciplines to talk about the art of creating new worlds.
- I’ve been dabbling in graphic design as I create some promotional materials for various upcoming events. Who knew fliers could be so much fun?
Updates
- Thank you to all who’ve donated to Project Jumpstart already! I’m hoping to start the line edits on my manuscript this month because…
- As mentioned previously, I have two new fundraising projects that are almost ready for launch. (Hint: Writer’s Workshops and an Etsy shop.) Last month got away from me a little bit with Easter and such, but stay tuned for the official announcements.
- If you would like to support me, you can donate to Project Jumpstart here: https://redemption-press.com/product/pre-publication-gifts-lilys-passage/
Lore
There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes in my writing life. (Spoiler alert: most of it isn’t writing novels.)
Weekly tasks:
- Blog posts
- Media posts
- Fundraising projects
- Marketing plans
- Communication
- Website upkeep
- Worldbuilding
- Novel planning
Notice how “novel writing” doesn’t even make the list? I point this out because a lot of times when people think of writers, they have this image of a slightly eccentric person with vintage tastes who can’t help but be glued to a notebook day in and day out. While some of that may be true, most of the time the reality is far less interesting. There’s nothing particularly romantic about writing a novel, unless you consider that first wind of excitement when a new idea hits. But after that, it’s just like any other job: hard work.
Because while there’s a time and a place for the mad dash of scribbling that accompanies the first draft of a project, most of the time I’m laying the groundwork so I can be successful in my drafting. After the initial spark of inspiration, I usually let the thought simmer awhile before I even come back to it. This organic approach allows my mind to consider the idea without the pressure of a deadline. Sometimes, that idea sits for years, as was the case with my current project, Lily’s Passage. (Though I must admit, there was a zero draft of the book that will rot in the abyss away from anybody else’s eyes.)
Once I’m ready to start working on the book, I come up with an outline of all the essential plot points. That’s where the “planning” part comes in, and outlining can take a long time. I don’t usually know the most important events at the outset, so I have to do a little digging to uncover them. Plot points could come from character sketches, worldbuilding, research, and even (especially!) outside influences from my reading or everyday life. Sometimes a scene will come to me vividly during the planning process, and I’ll write it down for future use. And inevitably, once I start drafting the novel, the plot points change as I discover new information or as the story goes in a different direction than I thought it would.
At the end of the day, all of it is writing. And whether it’s a page-turning scene or an email to my project manager, every word feeds into my overarching goal as a writer: to be a light in the darkness of this world so others can encounter truth.
As the wind blows,
Sydney Frusti
