Sprouting Words

Have you considered how writing is similar to gardening?

Consider this—the writer sparks an idea for a story or article similar to how the gardener designs a patch of land. Both the writer and the gardener plot, organize, and tweak to create the best possible outcome—a best seller or an abundant crop.

Then the writer retrieves the needed tools—computer, thesaurus, and writing manuals—like the gardener pulls out the hoe, shovel, and gloves.

Writers choose specific words to describe the story as the gardener plants selected seeds to grow into the desired crop.

The writer struggles with elements like finding sufficient time to write and meeting deadlines like the gardener struggles with nature to provide enough sun and rain.

Writers cultivate the story by showing versus telling, with metaphors, analogies, and descriptive action. Gardeners cultivate the crop by adding compost to the soil, supplying cages or trellises, and fertilizing for optimal growth.

The writer battles weasel words, punctuation, and grammar like the gardener battles pests—aphids, caterpillars, and June Bugs.

Writers constantly edit. Gardeners constantly weed.

Both are artists.  

They both creatively nurture an idea into a well-orchestrated, organic entity, and hope to either harvest an amazing story or a prolific garden plot.

I'm blessed to love both. Writing and Gardening.

I believe we can share our life blemishes and unearth blooming victories. I appreciate how nature inspires hope, renewal and vitality in every season if we have our eyes open to the Master Gardener's plan. I adore the everyday epiphanies gleaned from nature whether from my garden, my puppy or chickens, or a simple walk in the woods.

When you visit this blog, I pray the Master Gardener will enlighten your life journey with fresh insight and everblooming hope.   

What do you enjoy doing? Have you planted any new words lately? Any new harvests in your life lately? Let's share our journey and gather wisdom and encouragement from each other.

Tweetables-- Writers edit, gardeners weed. #amwriting #amgardening (Click to Tweet)

Living the Garden Life, Tammy Van Gils plants words and sprouts insightful stories blooming with hope. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Word Weavers International, and The Christian Writers Hub. Enjoy a visit to her Authors Facebook Page, Pinterest and Twitter @Tammyvangils. Subscribe to her blog, Writing Hope for the Everblooming Life and enter a monthly drawing for a free book. She's honored to be a Contributor to When Nature Sings Devotion Book, Worthy Publishing Group Dec 2016 and to be a  guest blogger for Guideposts- A Military Mom Struggles With God's Will, Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference - Are you a Warrior Writer? And How to Grow into an Outstanding Word Showing Writer.