Rest and Change

A quick note during sabbatical

Dear Friends,

While I am still officially on a Substack sabbatical, I wanted to send out a quick note. This month’s break has been beneficial on many levels, and while I have been working on completing the first draft of my novel, I have also been able to quiet myself before the Lord and prayerfully consider my next steps as a writer. Admittedly, much of the path ahead still remains a mystery; I suppose that is always the case as we sojourn with the Lord.

However, while taking the time to focus on my manuscript and consider the future, I also had a bit of an epiphany regarding this newsletter—an epiphany leading to another change.

When I relaunched my Substack page four months ago, I did so prayerfully. I wanted it to be a place that would serve the audience I was hoping to build—primarily literature lovers who also shared my worldview.

My aim was to put good books into their hands and perhaps introduce them to new authors and titles. As a Christian who often writes stories with faith-related themes, I also wanted to tie faith into the conversation and share about my own writing journey. Thus, the idea for Faith & Fiction was born.

Rereading those words, even now, I don’t believe the content I aim to share has changed much. The seed of the endeavor was right, but perhaps my heart was not. At least not completely. From the first post on, there was an underlying unease. I didn’t recognize it until later, but in hindsight, I see it more clearly.

This month, I’ve tried to unpack why. While I’m sure there are layers, I believe the bottom line is that aspects of my plan, including the name and certain ambitions, deviated from who I am as a writer and where I am as a writer.

And so, this month, I’ve gone back to the drawing board, and asked God to show me a path forward that is authentic and wholesome and sustainable—something I feel at rest with, and take joy in, for the long haul. I believe he has answered that prayer.

And so, dear readers, from here on out expect emails and posts from Letters and Literature: A reflective conversation on literature, faith, and the writing life.

I will still be sharing book recommendations, talking about faith and literature, and giving glimpses into the writing life. I may also still share interviews here and there as opportunity allows.

However, one primary shift is moving to a more consistent letter format. In recent months, I unconsciously morphed in that direction, and upon reflection, I realized I like the informal and personal approach.  

Letters are also more organic by nature—a means in which we share our hearts and thoughts as life unfolds, as opposed to forced content. My nature leans away from the formulaic, and thus the idea of writing bi-monthly letters resonates with me. It seems like such a trivial difference, but as writers know, the smallest nuance in word choice matters. For me, it has settled my restlessness.

That about sums it up, friends. I felt it was important to explain the change and the impetus behind it before you see a new name in your inbox! I have other tidbits to share in regard to manuscript updates, but I will save those for another time.

Thank you for staying with me as I flounder through it all—I truly appreciate your grace and patience.

Warmly,

Tiffany