Those are all great jobs of a writer, true, but there is one job that surpasses in its importance.
I attended the Dallas/Fort Worth chapter of ACFW this past weekend and we were asked a couple of questions that really made me think.
Who is your reader? - and - Do you love your reader?
This gave me pause. Do I even know who my reader is? I write historical romance so I assume my reader is middle age to older women. Okay, so then what?
How do you love your reader? If my readers are mid-to-older women, then many of them will be married or have been married. Many will have children or grand-children. They probably value you family. Since they are older, they may long for romance or and the spark of first love that they have experienced in the past.
Do I love these women? Does my heart ache to give them stories that can bring hope and joy in the midst of daily life? Do I want to share the truths of God's kingdom with these women who might need to be encouraged in their faith? Does my heart yearn to give them a story that was co-written by God?
This is something I haven't thought about before...loving the reader.
I've read The Story of With by Allen Arnold and it is a book that encourages the reader to come to a place where you co-write with God. This is a place where you have become so intimate with Him that He speaks into your creativity and emboldens you to write the story He has for you to write. It's the journey with Him that matters, not the final outcome - though if you are co-writing with Him, then it is sure to be a great story!
I understand this idea of partnering with God, but loving the reader and pouring your heart out for them? It's a new concept for me and one that is rather hard for me to grasp. But what a beautiful thing it would be to love God enough to co-write a story with Him, and then love the reader enough to write what they need.
Love God and love others...the greatest job of a writer.
You can see how tapestry woven by threads of love - for God and for your readers - would create a masterpiece of beauty, goodness, and love.
What about you? Have you ever thought about loving the reader being something of importance to your writing?
*Photo credit: StockSnap at Pixabay
I visualize someone in their 30's driving a half hour to work every day. It's cold. Early morning. Just another Tuesday. One day they listen to my book and because of that their commute is a little better. Their morning not as cold. Their Tuesday not as boring. This person is important to me. They chose my book and because of that it is up to me to take care of them for that small part of the day.
ReplyDeleteExcellent article. Thank you.