Reconnecting with My Writing Life by Wendy Chaulk

We had a tall, beautiful, lush pine tree in our backyard. Birds played in its branches. Last summer, I noticed it was turning red. Not all of it, just some of the lower needles. I trimmed some branches hoping to bring it back to life. Over the winter, it became obvious that the tree was a goner. All of the needles turned red and then brown. Branches snapped off easily. The tree was dead. Recently, my husband chopped it down. Seeing it lying there made me sad, but I know that it served its purpose as a tree and now will become mulch or firewood.

    

This tree’s circle of life reminded me of my writing life. Over the summer, my writing life exploded! I wrote every day and I enjoyed playing with words and format. I kept my notebook with me at all times to jot ideas. I wrote with my students and shared openly with them. I was growing as a writer!

As time passed, things changed. I had responsibilities that pulled me from my writing. I was too tired at the end of the day to do anything. I wasn’t feeding my writing life and it was slowly dying; my needles were turning red.

In February, I trimmed some activities and began writing more frequently because a writing hero encouraged me. I wrote daily in March for #SliceofLife. I write several times a week. I am sharing my writing with others again in person, on my own blog, and as a guest blogger. I am growing again. Those red needles are turning green!

This summer, I will keep the circle of my writing life rolling forward. Daily writing. Reconnecting with my writing family. My writing life will grow and thrive, not die and turn into mulch or firewood.



Wendy Chaulk teaches fifth and sixth grades in a looping classroom in Gillette, Wyoming. She is a teacher consultant for the National Writing Project. She has taught professional development writing classes for teachers in her district. If she isn’t reading or writing, you can find her trying to figure out her camera or camping in the mountains. Find Wendy on Twitter @wluvs2teach and follow her blog, Chaulk it Up.