Written by Abby Grifno
Working with the Riverside Innovation Hub on this writing project was a task that I stumbled upon. I applied full-heartedly and with a certainty that I鈥檇 be adding a rejection to my slushpile. When I received news of the opposite, I was proud of myself, but then I was overwhelmed. Our writing project had 鈥渧ulnerability鈥� written all over it, something I knew from the very beginning. My topic, 鈥淢arginalization, Inclusion, and Liberation鈥� is one I feel both passionate about and often ill-qualified to speak on. Thankfully, I鈥檒l just be writing.
My co-author, Dr. Jimmy Hoke, has guided our discussions and the process with the utmost care, and it鈥檚 made a huge difference. But the writing process still has its challenges. We are dealing with problems that aren鈥檛 just our own, but also of the generations and the lives that came before us. Novels could and have been written on our topic and there鈥檚 no way my writing will be able to speak on everything I wish it could. All I can do is add my own perspective to the mix and hope it reaches the right people, resonates with someone, and contributes to an on-going discussion of what our beautiful church could be.聽
The hardest part? Deciding what is allowed on the page and what is still only written in my heart. While I鈥檝e always loved writing personal narratives, I鈥檝e remained selective about who views them. A chapter. Out in the world. Scary. Writing my thoughts, even only in draft form, can feel like an admission I鈥檓 not quite ready to make. Even though I know that there is always a backspace and more importantly, a kind conversation available on any differing viewpoints Jimmy and I have. I鈥檓 still working on it though, and my current draft is an obvious reflection of my thoughts working themselves out.聽 Continue reading “Abby鈥檚 Writing Process So Far: A Joyous and Challenging Journey”