Nadine Feldman, Author

celebrating strong female characters and whatever else strikes my fancy

T is for Trellis #AtoZChallenge

by

Welcome again to the next step in the AtoZ Challenge! The month is going quickly…hard to believe we’re on letter T! To all my fellow participants, good luck! We’re in the home stretch.

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Floppy raspberries needing a trellis!
Floppy raspberries needing a trellis!

I wanted to take a photo of perfectly trellised raspberries, but I can’t. I didn’t get it done, not yet. Right now my raspberries are flopped over, waiting patiently for my attention. It will happen, hopefully today, but by the weekend at the latest.

I wanted to take a photo of perfectly trellised raspberries because I don’t like to admit my moments of sloppiness and inattention. I am not a perfect gardener. I am human.

Perhaps, more than that, these raspberries, untrellised, tell you something about me…about my difficulty receiving support.

We writers can be fragile folk. We don’t have the sturdiness of a leek or the prickliness of a rose. We’re more like vines, wanting to grow tall, seeking the sunlight, but not always able to support ourselves.

We need trellises.

A trellis, for a writer, could be a trusted friend, a spouse, or even a writing book. I like to read about the challenges other authors have overcome, or the insecurities they have. This information brings me comfort when I go through my own challenges.

I give the peas a trellis when I plant them, and soon the little plants will reach out to the trellis for a hand up.
I give the peas a trellis when I plant them, and soon the little plants will reach out to the trellis for a hand up.

Writing conferences or workshops can be trellises. We find each other. We talk shop. We find recognition for who we are and what we love as well as what upsets or consumes us.

Another trellis is the community of online writers, many of whom I’ve never met, who share their experiences. Last fall I met one of them in Wales, of all places. When we met in person, it was as if we had known each other face to face for years.

Then there are our editors. When we find one we’re happy with, our work blossoms. We see aspects of our stories we couldn’t before. We fill in the holes, add compost, replant, water, rearrange…and our craft improves in the process.

With support, we can climb higher than we ever imagined. The more we can trellis, the better our work will be. We humans often reject the idea of support, thinking we should be able to go it alone.

Yet the raspberries never reject their trellis. They just reach out, take hold, and climb.

Maybe we could do the same.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Why was it instilled in us that ‘we should be able to do it on our own’? I really enjoyed this post, Nadine. It gave me a lot to think about!

    • That’s a good question. I wish I knew the answer to it, because I’ve had a tough time overcoming this belief. Thanks again for stopping by and commenting.

  2. Ohhh, I can SO relate to your raspberries!! I love your post. So far I have found my on-line friends to be very supportive. What is sad is that they, mostly, live on the other side of the states or in far-away lands.

    Unlike you, I’m a beginner and only write short stories. I like to write about personal life, but the stories published were about my cat. Ok, that was part of my life. Hmm, maybe all of my back issues are about learning to stand up for myself… but like the raspberries, I could use some support along the way.

    I do so love your post!

    • Gwynn, you have been a “trellis” for me throughout this challenge, and I’m very grateful. You’re a fine writer, and I’ve so enjoyed your blog. We all need support, but some of us are better at giving it than receiving. It’s an ongoing issue for me, but I keep working on it.

  5. I really liked this post, and I too have loved the challenge. It’s ben good discipline as I haven’t made much use of my blog before, and also I’ve ‘met’ some very interesting and supportive people. One thing I struggle with is the idea that I am ‘allowed’ to call myself a writer if I choose to, and the community feel of the blogging challenge has helped with that.

    • Having seen your blog, I would definitely call you a writer. I think that’s a normal feeling for writers who have underutilized their blogs or aren’t writing books fast enough to suit themselves (my issue). I’ve enjoyed your work and am glad you’ve found the challenge helpful. I have, too!

  6. I love this post, and I agree. Support is so important for writers…for everyone, really, but writers especially.

    On another note, you trellis your raspberries? We have ours along a fence, but should I trellis them as well? Never considered it before.

    • It’s possible your fenceline creates enough support. If your raspberries start to flop over, then a trellis is a good idea, but you may not need it with your setup.

    • We absolutely do. I focused on writing because that’s where I need more trellis work, but it definitely applies to all of life.

  9. I like the writing-gardening analogy.

    I had to smile when you mentioned “…moments of sloppiness and inattention. I am not a perfect gardener.” At least you do have green fingers and CAN cultivate plants.
    I’m totally useless. I even killed a cactus once.
    How difficult is that?
    Very difficult.
    Exactly.
    So I won’t bore you with the gruesome details. 😀

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