Warning Labels for Writers – Publishing a Book Series

I joke that I ought to come with two warning labels worn as
buttons on my clothing so everyone around me is prepared for what may come.

“Anything you do or
say may and can be used in my next book.”

Much of my poetry is inspired by what I experience in life whether
it’s watching a man dancing with wild abandon or the words said by a friend as
she hugs me. I take those moments that stay with me, haunting my deeper
awareness, and turn them around in my head by writing them down. If the poems
are good enough, I then share them in a book or magazine. Though most readers
will never recognize where the words come from, some who know my heart well
will recognize themselves and the words I’ve shared with them in the lines. The
experiences of my life are what I draw on to share larger truths and I often
include those I love in my words as it’s another way to treasure their presence
in my life.

“I reserve the right
to see in you the face of God.”

Sometimes when I’m looking at people, I see God in their
faces. It’s such a beautiful sight and once in a while, what I see inspires
what I write. One night I watched a woman at a concert clapping and dancing in
her seat. I imagined it was God singing along and taking joy in the ones
onstage. Another night I watched my art teacher work her way around the room
encouraging and praising every student for their work. I take these moments of
visibly seeing the qualities of God and include them in whatever I’m writing
whether it’s an article or poem to illustrate my point or to give readers an
image of God they not have thought of yet. It’s a joy to be always looking
deeper into those around me to find God.

As I work on writing these last sixteen or so poems for the
book, you can bet I’m keeping my eyes and ears open for experiences I can use
whether or not the people around me know about the invisible warnings. You
never know what I’m going to come up with next.

What other invisible warnings do you think writers should come
with?

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