In 2014, I decided to be intentional with my writing after pursuing it as a hobby for years. I wrote and wrote. I joined writing groups. Then, in 2020—I gave it my all. I took a plethora of classes; I made goals in multiple genres; I joined several critique groups. Yet I still had kids, a home, and agricultural duties on the ranch where we live—and a seasonal job. I couldn’t reach all my goals; and I lost sleep trying.

It worked for a while, but lately I’ve felt drained.

Last week, one of my critique partners commented, “I wish I could take July off and not write or learn a single thing.”  Then, this morning, I heard a podcaster say, “Sometimes we aren’t producing because we are in a fallow season. And sometimes we need to take a fallow season when we’ve been producing a lot.”

A Fallow Season

As I pondered this, I began to wonder, Do I qualify for a fallow season? My crop isn’t very big. I’ve wanted to produce more, not less. How can I possibly take a fallow season now?

But maybe the Lord is asking, “How can you not?”

In the Bible, every seventh year, the fields rested. (Leviticus 25: 1-7) The purpose was to honor the Lord, trusting that He would provide for that year and the following years. We also know that this time replenished the nutrients in the soil for future crops. If the fields continued to get worked without a rest period, then the crops actually dwindled.

Nowadays, we have machinery and even sprays to work fertilizer into fields. We have schedules that demand constant attention, and we have dreams and goals we want to reach. And if we slow down, we might miss the boat.

Am I the only one who has a fear of missing out?

But the Lord never asked us to do everything. He never said to super-size our faith until we didn’t have to rest. He himself rested as a model for us. And he encourages us to take seasons of rest.

Tips for Writers

As writers, how can we take a fallow season? Here are some practical tips I’m implementing, please add your ideas in the comments!

1. First and foremost, let’s pray: “Father, we give our writing and our words to You. You are the world’s greatest author, and we ask for Your words, Your light, and Your love to fill us and guide us. We need to be filled. To make room to be filled up, show us if we need to let go of something and/or put something on the back burner.”

2. From this prayer, I feel like my answer is: I’m going to quit working on 3 genres all at the same time. I’m going to focus on one genre at a time. I’m going to simplify my routine.

3. Rest. It sounds simple, but it’s so easy to say, “just one more thing. One more class. One more page…”  But the Lord says His yoke is easy and His burden is light. (Matthew 11:22)

4. Trust God’s timing. God made the seasons. Trees do not produce in winter seasons. Do you know what they do in the winter? They make cellular changes to adapt to the cold weather. We can make changes as well during busy seasons of life. 

5. Since we are kidlit writers, let’s play. Take time to color, splash, laugh, and do things that delight us. After all, we are God’s kids!

Granted, we are feeling the heat of summer right now and the richness of growth in the outdoors. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine being fallow when the outside world is bursting. Yet, our seasons are God orchestrated. If you are feeling overwhelmed by your writing and everything that needs to be done, perhaps it’s time for a rest, a reset, or pause. If possible, take a day off. Perhaps a weekly Sabbath—maybe that means we take Sundays off from work and/or social media. Let’s take time as needed and seek the Lord.

Fallow seasons aren’t about what doesn’t happen. They are about healing and being ready for what is to come. They have a purpose. Have you seen the benefits of taking a fallow season?

Marci Whitehurst is a former educator, theater and speech coach, children’s author, rancher’s wife, and mother of three who lives on a cattle ranch in Montana. Her passion is sharing His Light and Life with a wounded world through stories, poems, and blog posts. She blogs about connecting with the kid inside all of us at www.marciwhitehurst.subtack.com. She can also be reached through her website at www.marciwhitehurst.com. Find her on X(Twitter) at @marciwhitehurst and on Instagram @marci_whitehurst.