Lately my reading has taken a different direction.
Instead of picking up a modern novel or memoir, I’ve been spending time with The Book of Enoch while editing the second book in my Tidewalkers series, When the Sea Remembers.
It’s been fascinating, challenging, and honestly… a little disorienting in the best way.
But I’ll also admit something:
I’ve been feeling a bit stuck creatively.
When Creativity Slows Down
Editing a story can sometimes feel harder than writing the first draft.
When I was originally writing When the Sea Remembers, the ideas flowed naturally. The characters felt alive, and the world of the tidewalkers seemed to unfold on its own.
But editing requires something different. It asks you to slow down, question your choices, tighten the story, and sometimes step back when the creative energy isn’t there.
Lately, I’ve been wondering if the winter weather is part of it. The days are shorter, the skies are gray, and the creative spark feels quieter than usual.
I’m learning that sometimes creativity doesn’t disappear — it simply pauses.
Reading Ancient Texts While Building a Fantasy World
Reading The Book of Enoch while editing my story has been surprisingly inspiring.
Ancient texts like this remind me how long humans have been telling stories about the unseen world, spiritual mysteries, and forces that shape human life.
Even though my Tidewalkers series is fictional, those themes — mystery, the unknown, and the connection between different worlds — echo through many ancient traditions.
It reminds me that storytelling has always been a way for people to explore what they cannot fully explain.
The Importance of Creative Patience
One thing I’m learning as a writer is that creativity has seasons.
Some seasons are fast and exciting, where ideas pour out effortlessly.
Other seasons are quieter. They ask for reflection, reading, research, and patience.
Right now, I think I’m in one of those quieter seasons.
And maybe that’s not a bad thing.
Sometimes stepping back, reading deeply, and letting ideas simmer is exactly what a story needs before it can move forward.
Trusting the Process
The Tidewalkers world is still very much alive in my mind. Ezra, Neri, and the world beneath the sea are waiting for their story to continue.
For now, I’m reading, reflecting, and slowly working through the edits.
Stories have their own rhythm. And I’m learning to respect that rhythm instead of forcing it.
If you’re a writer or creative person, you probably know this feeling well.
Sometimes the best thing we can do is keep showing up — even when the words come slowly.
A Season of Spiritual Curiosity
Reading The Book of Enoch has also stirred something deeper in me — a quiet curiosity about spirituality, ancient traditions, and how people throughout history have tried to understand the unseen world.
When I immigrated to the United States as a young girl, much of my understanding of faith and religion came through very specific teachings and structured interpretations. As I’ve grown older, I’ve become more interested in exploring spiritual texts with fresh eyes and asking my own questions.
Not necessarily to find definitive answers, but to understand the bigger picture of how humans across cultures and generations have tried to make sense of existence, morality, mystery, and purpose.
That curiosity often finds its way into my writing.
The Tidewalkers world, while fictional, explores similar ideas — the existence of parallel worlds, unseen forces, and the delicate balance between human life and the natural world. Stories have always been a way for people to wrestle with questions that don’t have simple explanations.
Reading ancient texts like The Book of Enoch reminds me that storytelling and spiritual exploration have always been closely connected.
Both invite us to imagine beyond what we can immediately see.
And maybe that’s part of why this season of slower creativity doesn’t feel entirely frustrating. It feels more like a period of reflection — a time to read deeply, think carefully, and allow new ideas to take shape beneath the surface.
Just like seeds waiting underground before they begin to grow.
A Quiet Glimpse of What’s Coming
As I continue editing When the Sea Remembers, the second book in the Tidewalkers series, I’m slowly rediscovering the depth of the world I began building in the first book. Ezra and Neri’s story is far from finished, and the tides that connect their two worlds are becoming more complicated than either of them expected. There are choices ahead that will test loyalty, courage, and the fragile balance between land and sea. For now, the story is still taking shape beneath the surface — but I can already feel that the next chapter of their journey will carry them into deeper waters.
Haven Harvest Living 