Composting
Composting can teach writers a lot.
Trust the process
I am an avid composter and have trained my three sons to compost as well. In addition to being good for the environment, I have recently discovered how useful composting is for writers.
I’ve often sat and thought about the magical process that transforms fairly gross old food scraps into rich, black soil that goes into the garden to create more delicious food that leaves us with more unappealing leftover scraps.
This mysterious cycle made a great topic for a fiction story for a kids’ science magazine, Odyssey. I’m submitting my story this month, so wish me luck. If they decide to publish you can be sure I’ll let you know!
I realized composting can be more than just a topic of a story, though. It can also be a metaphor for the writing process. So I asked on my Facebook page, “What can writers learn from composting?” I got some great answers! (These will make some excellent tweets for writers, too.)
Composting For Writers
Good for the earth, Good for your writing.
Here are the four replies to my post:
Ron said, “They can learn that a portion can be beneficial, but most is just a load of crap.”
Allison said “Something that’s leftover or tossed aside can transform into something you never envisioned.”
Rebecca said “Sometimes good things take awhile to develop.”
Giggi repled, “There’s value in letting things ‘stew.'”
Which is your favorite?