Do You Want to Write? Join Us in the Lenten Writing Project! All Are Welcome.

Are you ready to write? 

Take some time out of your busy life to contemplate your spiritual self, your relationship with God, how you feel about spirituality, church traditions, peace, and the story around Holy Week. You will emerge from this experience with a renewed sense of spirit.  When writers talk about a muse, we as Christians, can also see the Holy Spirit in this gift of inspiration.  In this space of creativity that is nurtured by the Spirit, we share our words and encourage others on their spiritual writing journey.  You may choose to write along, read along, pray along, or drop in and write when you can.  

Here is some advice on writing for 40 days.  If you have tips to add on a helpful ritual that you use, how to stick with writing, beat writer’s block, or anything else you feel is helpful, leave it in a comment below.

Have a Ritual

Buy or use a candle that you light each time you write and let it represent the light of God, inspiring your words.  It helps to have your ritual involve the senses – use an essential oil that helps you focus, special music, or a focusing prayer before you start.  Even a deep breath can help!

Know When to Ditch Your Ritual

Sometimes our rituals become so elaborate that they keep us from writing.  If a ritual is getting too complicated, just sit down and write

Use Music To Inspire You

Pandora, Songza, and other online radio stations can play music based on a group or genre.  Another music resource comes from the Church of the Beloved in Edmonds.  They’ve offered a wonderful album free for anyone to listen to at http://belovedschurch.org/hope/ .The music is contemporary, contemplative, and quite beautiful.  (Don't begrudge them the "Alleluia" in their first song, or just skip over it ; )

Save the Document, Cut & Paste to the Blog
Sometimes glitches happen, so make sure you have your piece saved somewhere and cut and paste it to the blog.  Otherwise, you may lose it and have to start over! 

Try a Free-Write

Just start typing what comes to mind, using the prompt as a focus.  Don’t stop or edit your words for a full 10 minutes and see what comes out, even if your topic wanders somewhere else.  Writing guru Natalie Goldberg says writing like this taps into your “Wild Mind” - the part of your subconscious where some really awesome, untapped creativity lies.  When you are done, take your free-write and revise the part of it that you like into something you want to post.

Off-Topic is Fine

Sometimes you end up writing a piece that is off-topic from the prompt that was posted that day.  Post it anyway!  The spirit speaks to us in its own way and all inspiration is welcome

Keep it Holy, but Don’t be Shy

To be Holy, something is set aside for Godly purposes.  All of us are setting aside our time, our work, or our loved ones to turn aside and witness and share God’s love through words.  However, sometimes you may be inspired to write about pain, about sadness, about scary things.  Post what you are inspired to write about, even if it is in a minor key and let us support each other with love as well.

Don’t Forget to Comment and Support Others!

Part of the fun of this project is the support that the writers give each other as well!  You can comment with support for others’ work as well as receive comments.  Keep it positive because everyone is putting their hearts on the line when they write.

Follow Us on Facebook

Find tips, articles, and updates on our Facebook page: Spirit to Spirit: A Writing Community.  The prompts will be posted in this group, as well as writing articles and encouragement.

Blessings on your journey this year, through the wilderness of Lent!  Your writing friends are here to support you and help you with this holy work.

Post Your Reflections on Our Blog Project!

Post any reflections you have here as we end our blog project for the year.  If you would like to keep in touch, please feel free to submit your email address in the comment form on the right-hand navigation bar.  We publish a book based on some of the writings in this project (with permission from each author of course) and we would love to include each and every one of you!

As the moderator of this project, I have to say that I was just moved and wow-ed by everyone's pieces this year.  I enjoyed posting prompts for you and reading what it inspired you to create.

So submit your email!  Some of you posted as anonymous, but if you submit your email, I can keep you in the loop on writing group meetings, our next book Spirit to Spirit (which you are all welcome to be included in), and anything else that comes up.  Join our community of writers, who encourage and support each other with a nurturing spirit.  We all need that encouragement to keep writing and listening to that still small voice that has whispered to each and every one of us, "write!"

He is Risen!

Easter Vigil

What does your Easter Vigil look like in your daily life, not just on this, the uncertainest of days before the resurrection.  Write about limbo - illustrate this apex of transition with another transformation experience.  Write about the minute before you take that deep breath before you jump or, the minute when you think all is lost and give up before things get better.  Write about the minute before change.

Good Friday Reflections

Use this link to a chant of Kyrie Eleison to reflect on Good Friday with your writing

One. Intense. Meal.

Lenten Writing Prompt #38
Write about an element of the Last Supper and find the further meaning in it for you: The foot washing, calling out Judas as a betrayer, the breaking of the bread and drinking of the wine, the statement about Peter denying that he knows Jesus, and the confusion and intensity of that night.

Psalms

Pick a Psalm from the Bible – either at random, or pick one that is meaningful to you and analyze it or write your thoughts.