Lately, I've been very enthusiastic with learning about growing grapes and the process. My intent is not to start a winery, however that's a nice thought. I want to experience the satisfaction of growing something delicious and healthy. To do this, I will have to self-educate myself on the whole growing season, learn how to fertilize just the right amount at the right time, prune and trellis the vines, etc. There's a lot more to grapes than one would think.
And of course the obvious question is what does growing a grapevine have to do with writing? Surprisingly, after thinking about it, growing anything is lot like writing. The whole process requires careful attention to detail and self-education, honing the craft is like pruning the vines, trellising the vines is like expanding your platform. Learning the perfect time to harvest your bounty is like timing a book release and scheduling book signings. And what will you do with all that jam and jelly or fresh grape juice? Depending on the abundance of your crop, will help you determine if you will have enough to sell at a farmers market or give away to family and friends. These are the same skills one will need to determine a target audience to market your book.
Learning how to grow a garden or anything offers benefits all the way around for body, soul, and spirit. I am reminded of the Bible verse in John 15:5 " ... I am the vine and you are the branches ... " Staying with the process will produce much fruit. If you abandon the garden or your writing, it will be left to ruin with weeds, get overtaken by pests, and die for lack of water. What a shame to see all that hard work go to waste and be of no benefit to anyone.
Here's the thing, patience is a must. The grapevines I purchased are already two years old, but even at that, I am told it will take another two years before I can expect to see any fruit. This is going to require me to pay close attention to the vines year round, making sure they are properly fertilized at the right time, protected appropriately, watered, trellised, and not overexposed to too much sun, which is a vital concern here in the south. Even though the vines require full sun, they only really need five to six hours a day. Here in the south, the days can easily stretch ten to twelve hours with heat indexes in the triple digits. That's enough to fry eggs and bacon on the pavement. That's also like getting burned out as a writer who's been slaving over a manuscript for years, editing, revising, and sending it out only to receive one rejection after another. Sometimes, you just need to put a shade over it - stuff it in a drawer - and allow it sit there for a few days. Eventually, a new day will come and when it does your manuscript will start to bud forth with new fruit and fresh perspective.
And of course the obvious question is what does growing a grapevine have to do with writing? Surprisingly, after thinking about it, growing anything is lot like writing. The whole process requires careful attention to detail and self-education, honing the craft is like pruning the vines, trellising the vines is like expanding your platform. Learning the perfect time to harvest your bounty is like timing a book release and scheduling book signings. And what will you do with all that jam and jelly or fresh grape juice? Depending on the abundance of your crop, will help you determine if you will have enough to sell at a farmers market or give away to family and friends. These are the same skills one will need to determine a target audience to market your book.
Learning how to grow a garden or anything offers benefits all the way around for body, soul, and spirit. I am reminded of the Bible verse in John 15:5 " ... I am the vine and you are the branches ... " Staying with the process will produce much fruit. If you abandon the garden or your writing, it will be left to ruin with weeds, get overtaken by pests, and die for lack of water. What a shame to see all that hard work go to waste and be of no benefit to anyone.
Here's the thing, patience is a must. The grapevines I purchased are already two years old, but even at that, I am told it will take another two years before I can expect to see any fruit. This is going to require me to pay close attention to the vines year round, making sure they are properly fertilized at the right time, protected appropriately, watered, trellised, and not overexposed to too much sun, which is a vital concern here in the south. Even though the vines require full sun, they only really need five to six hours a day. Here in the south, the days can easily stretch ten to twelve hours with heat indexes in the triple digits. That's enough to fry eggs and bacon on the pavement. That's also like getting burned out as a writer who's been slaving over a manuscript for years, editing, revising, and sending it out only to receive one rejection after another. Sometimes, you just need to put a shade over it - stuff it in a drawer - and allow it sit there for a few days. Eventually, a new day will come and when it does your manuscript will start to bud forth with new fruit and fresh perspective.
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