I first discovered the joy of well-written stories from men like Gene Hill, Pat McManus, and Gordon MacQuarrie. These men, among the great outdoor writers of the 20th century, drew me in with my love of hunting and fishing, but then hooked me with the beauty of their tales. They ranged from laugh out loud hilarious to hand me a tissue sad. They painted the rivers and woodlands in colors and textures that most mortals would never recognize on their own.

So I think it’s safe to say that I found my love of writing through my love of field and stream. I have even attempted to mimic my heroes through my own column length tales of the outdoors. Alas, it seems that style of writing is no longer in fashion. Apparently, the hunters and fisherpersons of the 21st century are far more serious about their sport than I. As is obvious by the contents of my creel or the lack of large animals hanging in the garage each fall. Ask me about the tales of the Old Duck Hunters Association, inc. or a dog named Strange, however, and I can hang with the best of them.

However, as I pursued my writing, I drifted from my first love. Sound familiar? Last year was the first time in many that I did not step one foot into forest or stream, so intensely did I focus on my writing. Do I need to tell you that it has impacted my stories? Though I still love it, the writing turned into a task in need of fulfilling.

My friends, we are writers because we are the chosen few who can see those colors and hues of every day living that The Normals cannot. But we must live first, write second. Otherwise, we are no longer painting a tapestry. We are merely drawing black lines on a white background.

I am happy to report that I have failed miserably at both a turkey hunt and fly-fishing outing this year. Plans are in place to entertain fish and fowl further into 2016. And yes, I feel the juices flowing through my heart and onto the page once again.

How about you? What is it that you love, but have neglected for the sake of your writing? Can you return to it and make it part of your tapestry?

~*~

Ron Estrada is the author of the Cherry Hill series, a regular columnist for Women2Women Michigan, and contributor to The Novel Rocket. You can find out what he’s up to at RonEstradaBooks.com.