{"id":56073,"date":"2023-08-03T12:39:40","date_gmt":"2023-08-03T12:39:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/?p=56073"},"modified":"2023-08-03T12:39:40","modified_gmt":"2023-08-03T12:39:40","slug":"abbys-writing-process-so-far-a-joyous-and-challenging-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/ccv\/2023\/08\/03\/abbys-writing-process-so-far-a-joyous-and-challenging-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"Abby\u2019s Writing Process So Far: A Joyous and Challenging Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by Abby Grifno<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Abby<\/a>Working with the Riverside Innovation Hub on this writing project was a task that I stumbled upon. I applied full-heartedly and with a certainty that I\u2019d be adding a rejection to my slushpile. When I received news of the opposite, I was proud of myself, but then I was overwhelmed. Our writing project had \u201cvulnerability\u201d written all over it, something I knew from the very beginning. My topic, \u201cMarginalization, Inclusion, and Liberation\u201d is one I feel both passionate about and often ill-qualified to speak on. Thankfully, I\u2019ll just be writing.<\/span><\/p>\n

My co-author, Dr. Jimmy Hoke, has guided our discussions and the process with the utmost care, and it\u2019s made a huge difference. But the writing process still has its challenges. We are dealing with problems that aren\u2019t just our own, but also of the generations and the lives that came before us. Novels could and have been written on our topic and there\u2019s no way my writing will be able to speak on everything I wish it could. All I can do is add my own perspective to the mix and hope it reaches the right people, resonates with someone, and contributes to an on-going discussion of what our beautiful church could be.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The hardest part? Deciding what is allowed on the page and what is still only written in my heart. While I\u2019ve always loved writing personal narratives, I\u2019ve remained selective about who views them. A chapter. Out in the world. Scary. Writing my thoughts, even only in draft form, can feel like an admission I\u2019m not quite ready to make. Even though I know that there is always a backspace and more importantly, a kind conversation available on any differing viewpoints Jimmy and I have. I\u2019m still working on it though, and my current draft is an obvious reflection of my thoughts working themselves out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Other aspects of our project are joyous and easy. My favorite part has been connecting with other writers, knowing that even though some of us are states away, we are all dealing with the same vulnerabilities, the same roadblocks. When I\u2019m struggling, I picture my colleagues on their laptops too, typing away and doing their best and working it out, just as I am. We will all get there together.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I absolutely love seeing the places where Jimmy\u2019s voice and mine come together. One exercise we are partaking in is dreaming of a better church; imagining a world of liberation and what that would feel like. I hope when others read, they\u2019ll imagine their own vision of the church, igniting a fire of hope and determination. Whenever I get stuck writing, I go back to that mental vision.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been writing for a long time. From the days when I had my dad type up my hand-written stories to sharing personal pieces with college classmates, bated breath. It\u2019s never easy. Still, I\u2019m always looking forward to the moment when it comes together and I feel proud of what I\u2019ve written despite the imperfections. I\u2019m still waiting for that moment. Until then, I\u2019ll be chugging along and chatting with Jimmy. We\u2019ll get the right words down, written for the right people, focusing on the right things, at the right time. It\u2019s all part of the process.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Stay tuned for more stories about the writing process from the young adult book project!<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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