When Writing Feels Like Going Home

SPOILER ALERT: I’m writing again!

And typing those words gives me so much joy.

Eight years ago, I published my first book, Glendale. Less than a year later, it was up to #2 on Amazon’s best seller’s list in Christian fiction! I quickly put out books two, three, four, five, six and seven in the next three years. And then…crickets.

I was expecting our second child and my iron dropped dangerously low. A little known fact about anemia (to me) is that it causes difficulty concentrating and can impair mental function. It was suddenly like trudging through mud to form a proper sentence, much less write a book. So, writing got put on hold.

That October we welcomed a beautiful, healthy little girl to our family! We were overjoyed! But physically, the birth was super rough on me, and I was still very anemic. Somehow, in the span of time between when I had our second daughter and my anemia was corrected (about five months), I was going stir crazy and needed a creative outlet. It was during those months that I started our children’s clothing company and began designing clothing. That began a whirlwind journey that I truly loved, but was very time consuming.

Through clothing, we were able to take our passion for promoting modesty and instilling confidence to a national level. It was wonderful. It was fun. It was creative. But it was taking every moment of my time.

Last spring, I knew the LORD was asking me to lay it down in order to pursue this one thing – writing.

I wrestled with the thought for months as our clothing business was going great! We were growing by 30% every year! However, I knew the Lord was closing that season. Finally, once I had peace about exiting clothing, I thought about selling the company. I did a lot of soul searching during that time to discover what success truly meant to me. And I realized that to me, it was more successful to take a thriving, growing, popular company and close it with its values and morals and personality in tact, than to profit financially but take the risk of having it lose the very nature that made it what it was, and made our following so loyal. So, at the end of 2018, we simply closed the business.

For several weeks leading up to the closing, I found myself wondering – for what? What were we closing our business for? Was writing really worth the sacrifice of our successful clothing line? Was this a wise decision? Was it the best decision? Was it the right decision? Not to mention, could I even write anymore? (That’s yet to be seen, and still a very real fear!)

But then, I started writing. Not a lot, just a little. Easing my way back into it. And it felt like…home. I don’t even know how else to describe it. When you’re doing what you know God created you to do, it just feels right. Even if it’s hard (which it was!), even if you feel rusty (which I did!), deep in your soul, it feels right.

Shortly after starting to write again, just days after closing our clothing company, while still waiting to see what all was going to happen in this new season, I got an invitation to write and lead a Bible study. It wasn’t on my radar. I was planning on writing fiction. But I knew in my heart this invitation was from the LORD. So, I said yes.

I have to admit, I am slightly terrified of writing and teaching a Bible study. …OK, maybe more than slightly. I think of the likes of Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, and Kay Arthur, and know I am not anywhere close to that caliber of teacher/speaker/writer/woman. But then I remember that God made us each to shine our own unique light. So, I said yes, and we’ll just take it day by day. Oftentimes, you’ll never know who God created you to be until you find the courage to say yes to what He’s asking you to do next.

So, nearly 5 long (yet short!) years since writing my last chapter, I’m writing again. Fiction and non-fiction both. I’m going back to the 1800’s to tell the stories of Raya Applewood’s two sisters-in-law, and then going back even further to write about the Greatest Story that’s ever been told.

I hope to create work – both fiction and non-fiction – that dares the reader to ponder, what if God is kinder than we think He is, and loves us more than we imagine? He is righteous. He is holy. Yes, absolutely. And He is also kind. He islove.

In short, I hope you’ll forgive my delay, and come along with me on this journey! Thank you for reading. Thank you for being here. Thank you for trusting me with these minutes of your life. To follow along & hear about any and all new releases, please follow me on Facebook: @AuthorAnnGoering, on IG: @ann.goering, and sign up for my monthly newsletter! There will be more coming soon!