This post is lovingly dedicated to my niece, Ava.

What is it really like being a writer? That’s the question we’re going to answer today.

If you love to write, or have aspirations toward being an author, be it professional or freelance, this post is going to help you understand the demands of this very worthy craft and how it can affect your personal life. We’re going to discuss the good, the bad, and some sundry key points across the spectrum in between. I think you will greatly benefit from this post and I hope it helps you make wise preparations and key decisions with regard to your future as an aspiring writer or author.

Being a Writer

For those of you who may not know me, I’ve been a writer all my life, quite literally since I was able to hold a pen. But I did not become a published author until I was forty years old. I had lived nearly half my life. I remember from the age of three collecting blank paper from the office aisle, and books I could not read from the library. My parents were baffled when I told them I “wanted to make a burk!” By the time I was seven I was constructing my own ‘burks’ and filling the pages with handwritten stories kept by my parents to this day. For hours at a time the words would pour out through my pen until my fingers were sore. Ideas would swarm within me so quickly my hand could not keep up. Throughout my school age and college years I continued to write books. I excelled in English and soon became known for my craft. I was the one everyone turned to when an assigned paper was at breakneck speed toward the deadline. I could turn these out in a couple of days with little effort. Writing came easily for me in all its forms, whether concrete or creative.

By the time I was an adult I was still writing prolifically, but as I said before, I didn’t officially publish until I was forty years old. I had a lot of manuscripts under my belt. Many of my books are still on my hard drive. They are either in the research or editing phase, just waiting to hit the press at the right time. Hence, my publishing label you see here.

If you have ever wondered what it’s really like being a writer, this post is expressly for you. Regardless of your genre, niche, or level of expertise, this post will help you know what to expect and how to prepare for living life within the grips of your own pen and paper. God has called me to live that life, and I’d love to share with those of you who aspire to this craft by unveiling its mysteries. Let’s dispel some myths, reveal some glories, and have a transparent conversation.

What Makes a Work Worthy of Its Craft

I truly believe that a writer’s life and career are overly romanticized. Very soon, you’ll understand why. Somehow those works you see flooding the bookshelves and libraries seem so grandeur, right? We silently wonder, How did this author get this amazing work into the hands of the public? And how did they craft something that made me pick up their work — and read it? And then pass it along to another? Even to to the degree that once I finish, I’m still thinking about it for a week or a month — or perhaps even a year later?

Some works never leave you. They stay with you for life.

How do writers accomplish this? I will tell you: These are the works of truly brilliant creators — those who know how to reach their audience with the most superb linguistic and emotional artistry the soul has ever known. It’s what we long for in our quest for escape. They expertly churn their craft, and are able to procure a committed audience. Hence, their notoriety. In fact, many of the best are long dead. What we don’t see about these amazing works is how they are truly crafted, being many times born out of pain, anguish, and incredible sacrifice.

What I’m about to give you is some “behind the scenes” footage. What does it really take to write a work like that — one that literally changes someone’s life? One that grabs you and transports you into another world that you would otherwise never know or experience? One that takes you places and introduces you to people who are just as real, making you wish the story would never end?

What makes a book multiply with a mass effect that is so exponential? Why are certain authors so prolific?

Writing is indeed a fine art. No doubt about it. So, one should be very well prepared when endeavoring to make it their profession.

Once we’re done with this post — my hope is that you will never see a book the same way again — nor ever a writer or author.

The Truth About Writing

Before we discuss what makes writing so amazing, I need to bring to light what takes place behind the scenes of these amazing works that garner such accolades. Because churning this craft is truly a labor of love. It’s not for the faint of heart.

One of the Most Cerebral Crafts

Writing is one of the most cerebral crafts known to mankind. It demands overly generous amounts of time and it requires a very special mental and emotional skill set. It cannot be rightfully bred. Rather, it’s inborn. It’s a DNA craft that demands sacrifices people may not be prepared to make, despite their confessed love for this refined art. It requires solitude, intense focus, and hours upon hours of laborious work including, research, imagination, and even digging deep into the wells of one’s own soul to the point of tears and painful mental stimulations that would otherwise never be visited or fostered attention. I’ve had to pray to write some very painful scenes and survive them emotionally — for the sake of the story. Not every scene is wholesome, glorious, or kind. Stories demand grit, gore, and glaring treacheries of mankind if they are going to be told in truth. Otherwise they lack substance and are nothing more than superficial fluff.

Superficial fluff does not transport the reader, and it certainly does not harness the imagination. Nor does it change people’s lives or garner the accolades of man. And it certainly is not worthy of the investment a reader makes in the time or money spent in buying the book or fawning over it.

Writing is a cerebral craft — regardless of the genre. For the writer, distraction is entirely unwelcome, and is absolutely non-negotiable. Once that wheel is spinning, there is no stopping it. The cogs and wheels can move incredibly fast — at lightning speed. For those who understand this, they are probably nodding in the affirmative. The imaginative juices can flow much faster than my fingers are able to type at times, and I’m breathless, desperate to keep up.

Distraction kills the creative process. It’s a death sentence for those who are in that cerebral space that is so fluid and transporting. The frustration that comes with regaining that mental agility once it’s lost can be absolutely heart-breaking, astonishing, and even devastating — to the degree that it leaves us in tears. Because we may not ever get it back. Once a writer is in the thick of it, the rest of the world stops orbiting. We are utterly consumed and transported.

Just leave us alone. Please.

We will be back later.

I caution you in disturbing a writer who is expertly churning their work. I just dare you. One of two things will likely happen: you will either be completely ignored because they are oblivious to their external world and you simply no longer exist, or you are going to yank their chain. If that happens they are going to throw a book at you (hardcover), slam the door, curse you, and lock you out of the room. Anything within this spectrum is entirely possible.

Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.

This is why many writers go on lengthy retreats to secluded places where the tranquility and serenity they need is readily afforded. For those who can monetarily afford it, trust me, they do. If they are hard at work, you may not find them at home for weeks or months at a time.

People who are naturally imaginative, those who are verbose, or those who carry an inherently strong message, are usually individuals driven to generate this craft, and they do so with brilliant ease. They both seek and desire it as an outlet for their thoughts, ideas, opinions, stories, life experiences, and imaginations — even if they have never written before. Outside of writing their soul can feel trapped. There is something very compelling about writing which allows them to breathe. They will often express the “need” to write. It can be like drinking a tall glass of water in a parched desert. Writing can be an incredibly liberating experience, even if they never publish their finished work.

The Expense of Labor and Personal Sacrifice

Save your hard-earned money. Let me explain why…

Not every genre is the same, and imagination is not always enough. I don’t care what you’re writing — the time will come when research is demanded — and it better be worth your salt if it’s going into publication.

When people think of writing, fiction and story are often the first that come to mind. But in reality writing is much more than just telling a story. There is a vast spectrum within any single niche. Regardless of how a story is told, they can require enormous amounts of research — whether fiction or not — and for reasons that are obvious. They take us to eras of time past, present, and future. These characters come from cultures we may know nothing about, and the circumstances surrounding them demand accurate details that are rarely common knowledge. Therefore, for many, research is a requirement, and can be quite expensive. Libraries are a great place to begin, but they are rarely sufficient. Authors often require travel to conduct rare and lengthy interviews; tour landscapes, countries, and monuments; seek out professors, obtain government records, meet dignitaries, and even interview lay people who may be related to those who have long passed. Depending on what the content requires for the story, the research may be the most expensive part of the project. Once that research is gathered, it must be organized for ease of reference when the writing begins. That is not an easy task, hence the many books requiring collaborators, sometimes with as many as three or four authors. The expense in the labor of writing is accounted for in the generous amounts of time required to complete any given work, and the money accompanying the research to write it. Not to mention publication, marketing, and so on. So be ready to empty your pockets and burn the midnight oil. It is a labor indeed. All this and more will affect the price point of any given work. So when you see that price tag, next time you will appreciate it much more, and with a greater depth of understanding.

And you will work. Hard. But for those called, it is a labor very loved and worthy of the investment and sacrifice required to produce such brilliant artistry.

Right now I’m working on a trilogy set in the United States Civil War and Ireland. I’ve been writing and researching on and off since 2008. Ken Follet wrote Pillars of the Earth which spans 30 years in the space of 400,000 words. It took him three years and three months to complete (source). Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell took 10 years to write. Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien took up to seventeen (source).

For the writer, establishing boundaries for a work-life balance is imperative. It’s critically important, because the nature of this craft is extraordinarily consumptive. For a writer, nothing can compromise the work. It must be done with excellence, or the completion is counterproductive to authoring it. Time is a resource this craft will justly demand — and one which no one can tell. Deadlines, therefore, are speculative at best, even for the most seasoned authors.

Loneliness & Isolation

Depending on the genre, writing can be acutely lonely, especially for those writing concrete subject matter which lacks emotional engagement. Conversely, for those writing fiction, writing may be rich with relationships created by the author within the story. Emotional engagement can go very deep. Readers laugh and cry for a reason. I assure you, the authors do so as well.

Authors are known to become very attached to their characters — perhaps even more so than their readers. Most writers confess that the constant company of their characters and the exhilaration of the unfolding storyline is incredibly satisfying, despite their many hours spent alone. Nevertheless, writing can indeed breed a consequential loneliness in real life. Some authors find that ending a story can actually bring a grief in parting with the characters they developed. Hence, the volumes which may extend far beyond the initial work. Successive books may not always be motivated by the story. The story may have ended. Instead, they may actually be borne of a need to keep the characters alive. Authors do become emotionally engaged with their characters and their stories, to a degree only an author may truly understand. We experience their joy, pain, anger, grief, and sadness. We created them. We see them. We know them. They are just as alive as you and I so long as we keep them alive.

Despite the depth and emotional engagement writing may afford, it is actually one of the loneliest crafts — not because it is lonely per se, but because it is so very isolating. Due to the intense focus required, hours upon hours are often spent alone and undisturbed. This is not a profession that commonly brings a social circle within the work itself. That social outlet must be created or diligently sought within the boundaries of the industry at large. The social life of the writer exists on the perimeter of the work; not within the core of churning their craft. The actual craft demands isolation which affords the cerebral focus authors require. Days, weeks, and years at the computer or notebook; and the extended hours of research and reading can bring a loneliness and isolation that is very unwelcome and unwanted and perhaps even unexpected. So be prepared. If you are seeking to become a writer, be readily aware of the social sacrifices you will make toward family and friends. Also be aware this is a craft and profession that does not readily afford friendships. Unlike other professions which demand teamwork, your social circle will be very different from most, and those relationships will need to be developed intentionally through networking, collaboration, research, and other personal ventures outside your writing profession. Unlike most professions which are wholly reliant upon other people to make the cog wheels turn, this one is conversely very autonomous.

If you are a social person who is called to write, or who aspires to become an author, as you invest yourself toward this craft you may find it quite disagreeable with your lifestyle or at odds with other emotional needs, aspirations, and endeavors. There can be rife conflict. Therefore, you must diligently prepare to create a balance that works specifically for you with respect to your craft if you are going to be successful and fulfilled in this art form. Its demands are often more than what we wager, and are willing or readily able to invest.

So be ready.

The Risk of Being Too Sedentary

Not only can writing be extraordinarily isolating, but it’s also inherently sedentary. Today living an overly sedentary lifestyle is considered one of the greatest health risks in the medical industry. It ranks neck to neck with smoking, and can be cause for disease due to numerous physiological factors. Writers need to develop a thriving social life and create healthy exercise and activity habits deliberately. The time they spend sitting and writing can be ultra-transportive, so boundaries and time frames need to be clearly set. This can be hard for genres that require the especially soul-inspiring, whimsical, and ever-active imagination such as fiction.

Many authors set a schedule for their writing, creating boundaries for their work. This allows them to live an otherwise socially stimulating and full life. However, others do not find this so easily done. For many the nature of inspiration is not easily governed. By definition alone, it does not bend to the prescriptions of man.

Many authors find the inspiration upon which they so rely something they fail to control despite their most earnest attempts. On the contrary it harnesses them at will, and does so without pity. Therefore, being flexible and finding ways to flow with your talent is essential to staying on top of the game.

Writers who have foregone the sedentary path of typing have begun to verbally dictate their books with software such as Dragon. Book dictation is the newest rage in the writing industry affording authors the flexibility they need away from the desk (source).

As for sedentary, I was once transported in my writing for a solid 26 hours, having had no idea what time had elapsed. I was literally rapt, living in this magnificent world I was creating. It was one of the most gorgeous experiences I’ve ever had in my life — ever. Albeit, I had not eaten, drank, or toileted for more than 24 hours. Nor had I slept. I was still in my jammies when I finally snapped out of it. My hips were aching so badly I became worried for a clot because I could hardly stand or walk. I knew I could not allow that to ever happen again. Now, I employ what I call “the butt alarm”. Every couple of hours my timer goes off and I get up to move around a bit. It may be interruptive, but I stay much more grounded (no pun intended).

Point and case: for the true creative, writing can very literally overtake and consume you. As glorious as this experience is, it can also be a real health risk when left unchecked.

Whimsy and Inspiration

I could live my life out of my head if I really wanted. I have that ability. Many creatives do. I’m well aware that I’m not alone in that statement. In fact, it can be one of our favorite places to dwell. The escape afforded is just too magnificent, and it’s perfectly grandeur. It’s whatever we want it to be. Gifted imaginations like this give way to some of the greatest stories ever told. Hence C.S. Lewis with The Chronicles of Narnia and J.R. Tolkien with Lord of the Rings.

Those who are not naturally given to the craft may find this whimsical aspect difficult to understand or comprehend. The whimsical side of writing that is so gorgeous and freeing, and the inspiration that hits like a bolt of lightning is the romantic part of which so many dreamers dream. Unless you’ve experienced it, there’s no way to possibly understand it. It cannot be explained.

You never know what is going to smack you, or when, or how, or even where. In the middle of the night? While you’re driving? In the shower? While you’re at work? In the midst of that really important conversation? Yes, absolutely that. Precisely. It happens. That funny look on our faces — I’ll tell you, we’re getting smacked. You’ve lost us. But be kind. We just can’t help it. We just have to roll with it — scratch pads and pens everywhere, cluttering the house. Phone recordings… anything to get it down or we’ll lose it — and we can’t lose it! We just can’t, or we’ll never get it back. The blinking lights on the side of the highway… that’s us! We’re taking notes!

Writing is a merciless craft. Whimsy and inspiration are not merely romantic. They are a pain the proverbial arse.

Their entreaty is not always respectful of our personal lives. This whimsical and inspirational aspect of writing demands extraordinary sacrifice — to the degree that it can be unreasonable, inconvenient, rude, and even painful — both for us and those we love.

Elusive Errors, Suffrage, and Sacrifice

There are many drafts and incredulous amounts of editing before a polished work is fit for publication. This can be quite trying, and even complex for some genres, especially if the work requires attributions and a bibliography that has been glutted with research. Laborious. Exhausting. Expensive. There is nothing worse than publishing a long-awaited work only to find errors once it’s released. It happens to the best of us despite the kings and queens of professional editing. I see it today in books on a regular basis, and my heart just sinks for the author and editor, because I know they meant to catch it.

[No, don’t say anything.]

Errors can be nasty little things. They are quite elusive beings, hiding out in the dark corners of our masterfully crafted pages. You can publish something brilliant, and yet — there will be a hidden error. There is no conundrum so worthy of an adult tantrum such as these.

But the sacrifices made to finish a work and see it completed are worth the suffrage for every true writer. That includes the perpetual cold cup of coffee on the desk, and the many missed meals. And, of course, the kleenexes all over the floor. We commonly forget to eat, drink, pee, and sleep. We’re dirty. We wear jammies. We eat finger foods. We’re ill. Because you see — we simply cannot be interrupted. That is the one thing we cannot afford. And finally, we are known to become so absorbed in this craft that relationships do suffer if we’re not careful. We may be wondrous creatures on the inside. But on the outside… oh dear. We can be rather inglorious.

That’s just the plain hard truth. One of my favorite movie scenes that depict this so very well and to which I can absolutely relate is the opening of Romancing the Stone where the author Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner) finishes her novel in tears with her apartment in utter disarray, being void of every possible paper product. She’s out of tissues and roams the house with a runny noes and tearful eyes. There are reminder lists posted everywhere. She finally grabs one, only to blow her nose into a piece of paper reminding her to buy kleenexes.

I get it. It’s one of the best scenes in the movie for me.

The Glorious Wonders of Writing

Now, for what makes writing so blissfully amazing… This is where it gets good. Really good.

Writing is a very real love relationship. Absolutely, it is. What most may not realize is that writing requires a heavy amount of reading as well. They go hand-in-hand. Sometimes the best company is one found in a book — whether it’s the one I’m writing, or the one I’m reading. Doesn’t matter.

With that said, the one I’m writing is almost always the better company of the two. Here’s why…

Transcendent Escape

It’s all about the mental traveler. Let me explain…

One of my most loved movies is Out of Africa. My favorite scene is when Meryl Streep tells her story to Robert Redford, and afterward defends herself in being a mental traveler who so kindly affords them such luxuries as her crystal and china in the African wilderness — albeit they are not needed for such excursions. Robert Redford kindly concedes to this after being rapt by her oration. The gentlemen are indeed grateful, by the way. So grateful, in fact, that Redford offers her an ornate pen as a gift, asking her to write her stories down. It is perhaps the most enchanting and powerful scene of the entire movie.

They were transported by her story… and they were afforded a glorious escape that only a story such as hers could bestow.

A brilliant writer will afford their audience an escape found in none other than their work. That’s what every reader wants. A brilliant author is going to deliver it. This is the luxury readers truly seek. The entertainment found in an author’s work that is so transporting is hardly a book unfinished. Not only do we experience this escape, but our readers experience it as well. If we are not transported in writing the story — surely our readers will never be.

Escape is something of luxury. It’s afforded by the guided meanderings of the soul. It comes no other way. When you can escape, you are experiencing precisely what the author wanted you to have. They created this just for you. This is their gift. But know this, as authors we experienced it first. It is the same gift writing gives to us as well.

As writers we escape in our work. Over, and over, and over again… until it’s completed.

Writers (story-tellers) are mental travelers. Some call us ‘day-dreamers’. As Streep said so eloquently, “A mental traveler hasn’t a need to eat or sleep… or entertain,” (source). How very well said. And yes, her guests were quite happy she brought her crystal and china, as well as her stories. They perform befitting service to each other quite well.

A Successive & Eternal Work

I’m not merely speaking in biblical terms, although the eternal value of an authored work can be enormous. What I’m referencing is the longevity of a work that succeeds the life of its creator. This is why so many authors are willing to invest years to create a quality work, knowing it will survive them for generations to come.

Once something is published, it’s immortalized. Written works therefore exhibit an eternal quality. Success, for an author, is not merely in reaching their audience. It’s in publishing the work itself.

One of my life quotes is bannered on my website,

Writing is a missionary work. Books can multiply and go where I cannot, traveling the expanse of the globe. They disappear from bookshelves and pass between hands. My written works will live on once I’m gone in a legacy that will never be finished. I’m a missionary through my pen, and this is why I write.

Knowing that a work is published, being circulated among the masses, is a very satisfying and fulfilling accomplishment, irrespective of its notoriety. It can also be quite frightening when one realizes their words cannot be retrieved. There is a finality to publishing a work, and with that comes an acceptance for better or worse. There is no room whatsoever for insecurities. The author must lay all aside, taking full responsibility for all words spoken, and for those left unsaid.

Success as an author can’t be found in sales. Hardly. Success as an author is found in reaching your audience and evoking or soliciting the intended response. If that’s not realized, there is inevitable disappointment, frustration, and even a sense of failure. But when the response of your audience is on target, you’ve hit the bull’s eye.

There is no greater success, my friends — irrespective of numbers.

Quest & Discovery

Writing can challenge and expand you in ways that are quite daring and unexpected. They can be as painful as they are glorious. Writing can launch you into areas you’ve never traveled before, which can be thoroughly exciting and very adventuresome. In the same way, it can bring you face to face with the darkest side of humanity and the cruelest side of life.

I remember a scene I had to write for my historical novel (which has not yet been published). This scene was one of the most unpleasant and daring I’ve ever written, especially as a Christian author. It required me to break out of my comfort zone in ways that challenged me as a creative, precisely because I found it difficult to imagine. It was an extraordinarily painful scene, and it was one that was wholly necessary for the story. Without it the story simply could not be told. Therefore, it carried significant weight. The malice in this scene was incredibly difficult to write and painful to imagine. I had to pray it through, asking God to protect my mind and emotions. In doing so, I also had to be mindful of my audience and what they would see, feel, and experience as a reader. Creating the appropriate verbiage and imagery required skill, yes — but it also required me to extend my boundaries. It had to be real. There was no watering this down. I had to feel things I didn’t want to feel. I had to see things and create things that were entirely contrary to who I was as a person or what I personally believed. Through this creative process and experience I learned the stewardship of soul that God had entrusted to me with my readers. I also learned this type of content can be entirely necessary and worthwhile if the story is to have any legitimacy or measure of believability.

Once it was finished, it became one of the most powerful scenes in the novel. The story can’t be told successfully without it. The weight and impact it carries, propels the story forward. Without it, the story falls flat, becoming powerless, empty, and unbelievable. It’s simply not credible without it.

With that said, being an author is truly a life of quest and discovery, both in the positive and negative. It can take you to the highest highs and lowest lows. You must be willing to go there for the sake of the reader. How you render the story is going to determine what your audience experiences. You’re responsible for that delivery. Every author needs to fully understand their responsibility. It is indeed a priceless treasure in its own right. It is what I call a “stewardship of soul”. Knowing your readers are going to see, feel, and experience this in the manner you deliver it is quite astonishing, and its a burden every author rightly bears.

If you’re an author who is called to write for God, get ready to be launched into areas you may not otherwise be prepared to handle. You have to be able to accept both sides of this coin when it lands in your hand.

Fulfilling God’s Assignment

Most everything I’ve written thus far, with the exception of a few works, have been mandated by God. They were assignments that came directly from His throne. I call them “divine downloads”.

As a writer who is called of Him, the ability to transform His words into experiences for people is a profound responsibility. Speaking truth in ways that teach people within a specific niche or context requires that I be extraordinarily flexible in my craft. I write in many niches and genres, so my diversity of voice is something to which I credit His gifting. It comes no other way.

God often gives assignments in ways that reveal a core message. He will first give me the central idea He wants to bestow or impart. Then He gives me the construct or outline, or perhaps a title. Upon these He expands the vision for the story or text. I’m often amazed at what He entrusts to me. There are things He calls me to write that I feel very unworthy of crafting. I don’t always know everything He wants to impart. Details are filled out as I go. Sometimes it doesn’t come until I intersect with that portion of the script. It’s on a “need to know” basis and occurs in tandem.

The manuscript is never done until He releases it. I have written many manuscripts over the years, all being at various stages, just waiting for Him to give the next word, revelation, or storyline. It doesn’t always come by research, although that is key. So much of what I write comes only by intense prayer and patient waiting. The content is wholly reliant upon His revelation. This sometimes requires years of waiting — and when I say years, it can mean decades.

Fulfilling God’s assignment is a stewardship I dare not transgress. Unless God tells me to publish, it remains under lock and key. There have been many times I’ve felt satisfied with a work in my own right, only to find Him changing it, altering it, cutting it, editing it, or adding new details. This can be incredibly exciting, but it can also be very wearying. Trying to pinpoint a release is speculative at best.

The goal of any publication is to fulfill God’s purpose. Therefore, knowing what that purpose is for the specific work is key. If it does not fulfill His objective the work is not worthy of publishing. As a Christian author I have no control of when or what I publish. He’s the one who releases the information, the artistry, the ideas, the messages, the truth of what He’s desperately trying to say. Months can go by and I don’t get anything. I’m drawing blanks. Then suddenly I’ll have a burst of assignments that keep me reeling endlessly.

As the true Author, God knows who needs to hear, and in what terms or creative context. Therefore, writing is never about the author — it’s about the reader. I have to trust Him in all aspects of the creative process from start to finish if the objective is going to be met.

Conclusion

Do you aspire as a writer? Perhaps even to become an author?

I hope this post has helped you understand and appreciate some “behind the scenes” forging and refinery of the creative process, its responsibilities, merciless demands, and transcendent glories. The details of a writer’s life can be very difficult to understand for those who do not aspire to such a cerebral craft. For those who do, I trust you will be able to relate.

Please know, this pastime or profession is one that requires incredible depth, patience, flexibility, and autonomy. The industry is growing and there are boundless opportunities. Even so, the greatest responsibility of the author is to their reader, and ultimately to God if you’re one who is called to create for Him.

As an artist, may God bless you in all your writing endeavors, and may you find yourself in good company. Be wholly prepared to embrace the call as well as the craft and its various demands. Growing in your writing will stretch you beyond measure. But it’s a lovely stretch, and an exciting one as well. That being said, I assure you, it’s not for the faint of heart.

Cheers & Shalom,

Image Credit: voltamax | Pixabay

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