Hannah Steuck Writing

Just ten minutes.

The last few weeks have been quite draining creatively for me. All my energy has been pouring into everything photography, but this week presented downtime.

So what did I do? Bet you won’t guess it..

Did you guess work on my novel? Because if so, you would be wrong.

I avoided it like the plague. 🤪

I tried one day, but everything felt forced. Felt difficult. My tank is empty.

So today, when naptime came, I planned on doing the same avoidance, giving my mind a chance to be free of any thoughts. After a bit though, a little voice inside of me said, “Try just ten minutes. Dedicate just ten minutes to see if you can move one step forward.”

So I opened up my novel — read what I had written last, and did nothing.

Ten minutes went by, told myself, “Okay, you tried. Seems I’m still in a rut.”

But that little voice convicted me, “You didn’t try. You delayed and avoided. Actually try this time.”

I opened it again. I didn’t know what I wanted to write with where I left off. I didn’t know my next little step, but I just wrote a line that came to me. Sounded terrible, but oh well. Went with it.

Before I knew it, twenty minutes had passed, and I wrote 400 new words. BUT it wasn’t the word count that made me excited — it was the discovery of this book’s main empire’s history. A piece of historical culture that influences the novel present events.

I didn’t even know this existed for my novel, and I’m not sure I would have, but that little voice inside knew it was there — knew this piece to my novel. Knew it needed a chance to be uncovered. Will this discovery stay? I’m not sure, everything is subject to change. But this discovery is the beginning path that will add depth and layers to the novel. Making the empire feel more realistic and alive, not only for me, but for you readers.

And that’s what excites me.

If you’re in a rut today, or have been for awhile with whatever in life — my little voice inside is speaking to your’s, more so commanding, “Try for ten minutes. Don’t think. Just let whatever flows out be what happens.”

Because there is another step forward waiting to be discovered on your path.
Even if it’s just ten minutes.

I cried today.

It has been so long since I have worked on, or even looked at my novel, I don’t remember the last time I did.. Starting a new business from ground zero in all aspects has taken all my effort, time, and energy as of late — which was expected.

But what I didn’t expect was how much of an absence I would feel from working on the book. March was an incredible month of breakthrough for the novel, and the momentum was strong at the beginning of April, until I needed to set it aside.

Today, I finally sat down and opened my book project to just work on it for 10 minutes. To dip my toes into it again, and those ten minutes made me cry.

Tears of both sadness and joy — sadness for how much I’ve missed it, and joy for the fact I missed it that much that I know it is still something I am to pursue.

Where the last few weeks I have felt overwhelmed (while very excited still) with the breaking ground of the new photography business. Writing makes me feel a more like myself than any other creative outlet. These 10 minutes were the refresher and reflection my heart needed.

Soon there will be a balance, and I’ll be able to focus more on my novel again, but until then — I’ll treasure these little spaces of time in a special corner of my heart.

One I’ll cling to when I feel like I’m losing my way — knowing that I have a place awaiting me to return. 🤍

A season of unknowns, exploration, & healing

Put a pause on writing this past week to learn, by diving head first into the deep end, a new creative medium — photography.

There is much that could be said about this season of life that I am currently living within, but to sum it up shortly — unknowns, exploration, and healing.

There were areas of my heart I didn’t know that needed this healing. A part of myself that I had closed off and never really considered opening again. A part from my younger self that felt she needed to hide or play down because there were more “important” things, priorities to do.

And this part was my creative side.

It kindled to life again when an idea for a story I couldn’t get out of my head pushed me to ask a friend how to write a novel last year. From there, pursuing it with action, finding community, and support to write this novel, sparked a flame to keep exploring.

Then during the beginning of this year, after much prayer and reflection, I felt led by the Lord to enter into an unknown chapter. To step away from my comfortable, sure foot path; and instead learn to lean on Him, listen to His voice, and trust in His provisions.

Photography wasn’t originally in my plans to pursue, but with some persuasion from my husband, I started to look into it.

Which now, I see it as another opened door the Lord has blessed me with, and am discovering just how much enjoyment I am finding in another creative outlet.

So in this season of unknown, I’ve been given the gift of exploration and healing. To finally have the opportunity to enrich this part of myself that I had long closed off, and how much of this side actually feels like the real me.

The one He created and designed me to be.

Be encouraged my friends, that if you are in a season of unknowns and uncertainties — that you feel lost and confused — it just might be the very place you find who you were always meant to be. 🤍

Today’s work session began like the majority of them have lately — drafting out scene cards. However, a little while later, a line came out of nowhere to me from one of my characters.

I didn’t want to forget it, so I paused the scene plotting to jot the line down.

And then another line, and another line, and another line..

Soon jotting down turned into a desire to expand on it more — 500+ words later some of a scene is now written out. 🙌🏽

My work time goals right now aren’t even to write in the actual novel, but to plot and plan this second act THEN write.

But the character came out of nowhere with this line and basically forced me to write it — how dare he.. 😉

Although, I must say, this unplanned writing really brought me joy. Because I’ve been putting in so much work on the structure of my story and exploring the backstory, world history, crafting other kingdoms.. The world is becoming more real and alive in my imagination. The story is becoming richer and cohesive in the planning.

Which makes me beyond excited that the characters and interactions are just springing themselves onto me out of nowhere. Because when the time comes to actually develop these characters in more detail and learn more about them, I’ll just naturally know who they are at the foundation, their core of a being.

What a wonderful, unexpected gift this was today to learn. 🤍

To define the month of March : Breakthrough

At the beginning of the month, it was by learning to just let go of expectations and editing when attempting to write this first draft. To allow myself to be messy because messy writing is at least moving forward in the novel.

Entering the middle of the month with finishing my first act of the novel and finding that missing thread that will weave all the ideas into a coherent story. This allowed me to get started planning out scenes for act two and three.

BUT from doing this, made me realize I definitely am more of a plotter and planner than I am a pantser.. because constant questions arose as road blocks about how the Venerari Triune (gods of the story) and “Magic System” of my story really worked. This has been a major challenge I’ve struggled to solve since the beginning. I always had an idea, but never a solid concept to how it could all work.

Spent the next couple weeks allowing my creativity to be jumbled messes — researching how different magic systems can work, drawing concepts from different perspectives, surrendering and coming to God, and the gracious help of friends by being listening ears with feedback.

To finally, FINALLY, having the major breakthrough I’ve been roadblocked on for so long that now has given me a solid foundation and focal points to work towards, and not just this book, but for hopefully what will become a series. 🙌🏽

So now, I am March-ing into April with the same zest of excitement 😉 While everything is still at subject to change as I continue to discover more about my characters and world; I am feeling great about how to attack the next two acts in this book.

And none of this would have happened if I allowed myself to be hung up on needing perfection. So may this serve as an encouragement to keep showing up. Through the mess. Through the seemingly slow creative drag days. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Because breakthrough could be just be the next step away. 🤍

The beauty of pictures are they capture a moment that you can take with you into the future. A way to remember, to remind, to revisit what once was.

It has been almost a year now since I first reached out to my friend, .writes.fiction, about getting into writing. I had no idea how to start, where to start, or really anything about the whole process, but I had a desire to write a novel.

While I have much more room for growth and learning, and always will, in this field (good thing I’ve always loved being a student 😏); when I think back to where I began and where I am now — I feel amazed at the difference already seen.

However, I failed to capture the very beginning of my journey, and have been nervous to start sharing reflections of it even now, but I want to remember these days. To remind myself of how I started this process, excited but unsure and a little insecure. To revisit the journey and use it as inspiration for the hard days to keep showing up, and for the good days to stay humbled and dedicated.

Although, they most likely won’t be Pinterest worthy, aesthetically pleasing pictures, I am going to try to capture more of this process and journey in a “permanent” type of way on my feed for me.

But who knows.. maybe it’ll inspire you to begin your own, like a friend’s documentation of her journey did for mine. 🤍

Just like seasons come and go in nature, they come and go in our lives as well.

As it is winter outside now, I feel likes it’s winter in my life, and has been for awhile. It feels barren, unending, and dormant.

I just don’t feel like I know myself anymore, or the things I really enjoy. The only certain thing I do know I love doing is motherhood, being a mom, and creating a life with my husband. While it definitely is hard at times, this is the one place I feel certain with a purpose. The outside of that, I’ve felt lost and uncertain of things for awhile.

So slowly, I’ve been trying to explore in this season. To see that being stripped into barrenness allows a fresh start, chance of growth into something entirely new.

All of this to say, I’m trying to relearn myself again. What are the things that truly fill my life with love, excitement, push me forward for the future I want to create, and uplift the lives around me.

One thing that I have discovered I enjoy in this current exploration is my love for reading, especially epic fantasies (with some romance).

The other thing I want to start re-branching out on is being a form of encouragement and sharing that. So while it might be more of a self proclaiming journal here, I pray it encourages you in some way as well. That maybe a small part you can take away for your own day and life, and to maybe know that you aren’t alone if you feel certain things too.

If you’ve stuck around this far, thanks for reading my first journal entry. And if you too, also feel like you’re in a winter season, barrenness isn’t something we need to be afraid of, but rather something to see as a chance for growth to be created on a blank canvas however we choose. 💛

Just because you’re struggling doesn’t mean you’re failing.

The one thing that we must realize is whatever setback happened, it has happened. Whatever struggle we are facing, it’s happening. There is nothing we can do about that. We must now move into action.

The more you allow your setback to play with your mind, the more precious seconds you are losing towards your comeback.

There are so many moments where our character is tested and built - most of us just aren't trained to look at them that way

When faced with setbacks, it's important to accept the challenge. Don't allow your setback to be your great demise. Put some hate on that sucker and allow it to be the very thing that propels you forward!

Swipe to see a year ago… notice the difference?

Lately, I’ve been feeling unmotivated, uninspired, and uncontrolled in my postpartum journey. Here I thought I would “SnapBack” after pregnancy and giving birth, but truthfully it’s been much harder than I expected.

The cravings, the hormone changes, the body changes, or lack of changes, and the lack of mental discipline side have been defeating.

As my girls and I prepare for this new workout program, I look at where I was a year ago and remind myself of how far I’ve come, and how much further I am capable of going. Using myself as an inspiration story to make this go around again.

It’s time to stop quitting. Stop making excuses. Stop giving myself the easy way out.

It’s time to show up for myself because the pain of staying where I am is greater than the pain of doing the work. Do I want to still lose weight? Sure. If external progress is made — great. But more so, INTERNALLY I want to feel healthier and better.

We are so much more than our excuses. We are so much more than our lack of motivation and microwave mentality.

It’s time to flip the script. To love my body for what it created AND to feel confident in the solution I’m becoming.

Using these at home workouts with my son. Simple nutrition that works when I choose to be mindful. Taking the guess work out of the equation and making it sustainable.

Ready to be your own inspiration story? Let’s do it together! Simple. Sustainable. Lifestyle changes and not diet fads.

DM if you want to be my accountability buddy & I yours! 💙

What does a house, the woods, and an ice house all have in common?

They are perfect gym locations!

Week 2 out of 3 came to a finish on Sunday and although I was up in limited service, no equipment land that didn’t stop me from showing up.

No matter where I go, my workouts go with me. It’s just a part of my lifestyle now and honestly, I am so much better for it. I know people who make fun of me for posting workouts, those who don’t understand the hype around workouts, or tell me I shouldn’t do as much as I do…

But once you make daily movement, and I’m not talking just about specific workouts following a program, but intentional movement — a part of your daily habits, you begin to see why people don’t just “leave it at home” when they are away.

It is a mood booster, stress reliever, time away, chance to clear your head, produce endorphins, feel empowered about your body, and more.

So get that daily movement in & watch how the lifestyle grows on you.

If you ever need help on where to begin, I’m here for you 💛