Spring in the Rockies

The saying may be "April showers bring May flowers," but in the Rocky Mountain foothills, it is April snow that makes the season bloom. We are grateful to have received two gentle snows this month. 

Spring is a time for new beginnings, as seeds wake to the warming sun. As a gardener, I also see previous plantings bearing fruit. My neglected asparagus patch is sending up shoots. I did no bed prep, and basically stuck the crowns in an old patch of garden. This year, I am starting a new asparagus bed. 

From research and experience I know that preparing the bed by tilling the soil and amending it with compost and organic fertilizer will create a rich environment for the new asparagus crowns. This is my gardening year to work on building up the soil. 

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I believe the philosophy of building a rich foundation applies to writing fiction, too. I am working on book three in my Rock Shop Mystery series, taking my time, rooting out the weeds of passive voice and grammar errors, and doing research. Every book has required research, but in my rush to get a novel finished, I am tempted to take shortcuts to get to the finish line. 

Watching the old asparagus bed, I am reminded that preparing the bed is the most important step. Everything else rises from that soil, whether it is poor or thick with nutrients. 

Sometimes that first planting doesn't bear fruit. Asparagus takes three years to really get going. Authors might spend years writing a novel. Even short stories can be slow to bear fruit. Several months ago, my writing friend Steve and I both submitted stories to an anthology. After waiting for an agonizing long time, we learned that the anthology had been cancelled, due to time issues for the publisher. 

That soil didn't bear fruit, but we both plan to submit our stories elsewhere. That experience reminded me that I have two other stories that need a home. After I finish novel three in my series and give it to my Beta readers, I plan to dust off neglected short stories and seek out new soil for them.

I hope your spring is filled with new beginnings, sprouting from rich soil. 

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