If books could think

Writers give their books a voice. Anyone who gazes upon the cover blurb or opens to a page hears the ‘voice.’ The way it speaks through the person’s eyes to their mind and heart will have various impacts. We all hope the voice will motivate the individual to buy it.

Our house has many books, and I have no doubt so does yours. Old favourites have pride of place on bookshelves. As I looked at our shelves I wondered if those books were looking at me, and thinking thoughts only books could think. The following poem arose from such wondering.

 

A Good Old Book Reflects

 

I see them

As they pass by,

All types, ages.

 Some linger,

Look

While others

See me not at all.

 

Those who pause to touch,

Gaze upon my faded cover,

Rekindle

Fond memories

Of days

When I was well read.

 

I hear them

Wanting to know

‘What can I show?’

To help them

Time

To spend

As with a true friend.

 

Those who unlock my story

Are taken upon a journey,

Unbounded

Across genres

To realms

That create dreams.

 

I miss them

When they’ve finished

Claiming

My mysteries.

For

A new book

Seduces their eyes.

 

Those who spend time with me,

And my worthy paper friends,

Discover

Stored treasures

And pleasures,

Our gift to readers.

©Ray Hawkins April 19 2015.

 

Ray Hawkins has written 6 Devotional meditations of specific Biblical themes: Children, God’s Special Interest. From Eden with Love (The Majesty and Mystery of Marriage. Bethlehem’s Warrior Babe. Captured by Calvary. Dynamic Ageing. Signposts to Happiness.

He also has one book of poems: We Love Because…

See them and read about him on http://rayhawkinsauthor.blogspot.com.au

Searching for Treasure

Photo courtesy of Stoonn/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

One of the joys and frustrations I find in writing fiction is when I start out to write I’m frequently unsure of what will come out on the page. That’s not entirely true all of the time as I try to finish each day leaving some crumbs for the next. An author whose name I now forget but I think quite a famous one wrote that was part of his daily writing routine: “leave some crumbs for tomorrow.”

Perhaps that’s because I’m a pantser, you plotters may have a far different experience but I expect there will still be days when a character completely surprises you with what they do, say or think.

But I know that for most of us turning up each day (or whatever your routine is) is often the key battle of the day. If the crumbs I left behind the night before are meager it makes that struggle of putting the first words down on the page even harder.

However, the more I write, the more I find joy in the process. Heck, if there’s no joy in it, then why do it? Right? And much of that joy comes from both the anticipation of and then excitement of discovering something special as the words flow (or bleed out as it can often be) on the page. Like we’ve stumbled across hidden treasure.

Only today one of my villains revealed to me something that caught me off guard. It was a delicious moment as all of a sudden it unlocked a mystery that had stumped me for a while. Very quickly I was able to visualize Book 3 that had me jumping with joy.

Aren’t those days extra special when a gold nugget miraculously appears out of the many (or sometimes few) words you’ve written that day?

The mystery of Jesus

“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”(Colossians 1:27 NIV)

I read that verse the other day and the aspect of Jesus mystery struck me. The more we dig, the more He reveals of Himself. The treasure that He is and that we are united in Him.

And in revealing more of Himself, Jesus reveals more of us.

Just like our stories unfold as we sit down each day with our manuscripts, Jesus unfolds more of Himself each day.

I reckon that’s pretty good reason to turn up each day to my quiet space with Jesus and to my manuscript.

Ian Acheson is an author and strategy consultant based in Northern Sydney. Ian's first novel of speculative fiction, Angelguard, is now available in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. You can find more about Angelguard at Ian's website, on his author Facebook page and Twitter