A Writer's Insecurity

I might be weird.

Maybe I'm the only one who does this.

Totally possible.

But let me give you a tiny peek inside my brain.

I'm going to use this blog post as an example, but take this and change a few details and you'll get the picture of how this plays out in the general "publishing" world for me too.

So I sat down to write this blog.

I'm thinking -- what should I write about, right?

Sometime other writer's might identify with. A good how-to post, maybe?

Eh, maybe not. I mean, who am I, right? I am no expert writer. Who is little ol' me to tell other writer's how to write? I mean, I'm not a HORRIBLE writer.

But there are So. Many. Better. Ones. SOOOOoooo many.

So tips on writing--maybe another day. Maybe after I learn something from someone else and can pass along the message or something.

What about the writing journey? OHhhh, yeah, maybe something about how I--

How I.....

How I what? I mean--I've probably written a hundred posts on juggling motherhood and a day job and writing. How much more could people want to hear from me? There are SO many people who do it better. GEEZ, just look on the Alley at all the other cats. Cara -- multi-published author, homeschooling mom, LAWYER, ACFW board member? Just to name a few? SHE should write about that. And Pepper. Holy cow, she does it so FLAWLESSLY too. Me? I'm sitting here trying to write this STUPID post with heaps of paper piled around me, an empty Dr Pepper bottle, a dirty glass that has probably been there for three days, a plastic baggy full of my daughter's dirty clothes they had to change her out of in school last week (I might just need to throw that away....) kids crayons, books, a hairbrush, the baggie of books I'm supposed to be reading with my youngest but haven't in over a week because I've been busy and honestly I'm just now seeing it peeking out from under the mounds of paper, and my Bible that I REALLY REALLY need to read more.

So yeah. Not talking about juggling unless I want to say how much of a failure I am at--I guess I could post a picture (I'm not...) to make y'all feel better about your own juggling.

Okay, so if not that then -- what?

 I sit here and am all like, Lord, what in the world am I qualified to write about on this blog?!?

I have this picture of him smiling in my head and being all like "Well, you're SUPER good at being insecure about yourself. Might try taking a stab at writing THAT."

Ha. Ha. Ha.

But then I almost started to laugh. Because how right he was.

So I'm going to crack open that Bible that's been underused, sitting on my desk, and share a few verses.

Romans 12 (NLT) - And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice -- the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us."

I LOVE this scripture. Seriously. If y'all haven't read Romans lately, go do it. The whole thing. It is awesome! 

As I was thinking about the topic of insecurity, this verse played in my head. Low and behold, I picked up my Bible and I SERIOUSLY opened to this page. Not lying. I made red the two verses I think really apply.

God wants to CHANGE THE WAY WE THINK. And I think that includes the sometimes incessant  need to put ourselves down and focus on all our flaws. We're humans. We aren't perfect. NONE of us are. But I know for me, I look at my writing and at my life and feel so very unworthy of this calling. I don't feel good enough, and I'm right. I'm NOT good enough. But God is. I think for me that's where my changed thinking comes in. To remember that even though my offerings might seem meager and imperfect to my human eyes, they are pleasant aromas to God, and he can use them in greater ways than I could ever dream. 

And then on the opposite side, I do think it's important to be honest with ourselves. Our insecurity can easily swing the pendulum to arrogance in thinking we are AMAZING and everyone needs to read our stuff because we are SO STINKIN' AWESOME!

So if I'm honest with myself, and try looking at things through God's lens and not my own, I can say --

I am not a perfect writer. But God has gifted me to be a good writer and has called me to use and hone that gift.

I am not a perfect singer. And God hasn't gifted me to be a good singer so I'm gonna sing for fun but you won't find me in front of a church, singing in the choir.

I am not a perfect mom. But God has gifted me with four beautiful daughters and has called me to lead them and guide them and help mold them into women of God.

I am not a perfect house cleaner or organizer. And God hasn't gifted me in that matter either. I'm gonna take an hour this afternoon to try to clean up the mess that is my desk/dining room table--but I know in a week or two it will be crazy again. And I'm okay with that.

I am not a perfect wife. But God has gifted me with a husband who loves me and cares about me and I will aim every day to be a better wife than I was the day before, and am so thankful by the grace of God and through the hard work of my hubby and me, we have a strong marriage.


So that's me.

Not perfect.

A little insecure--but trying to be realistic about it.

What about you? Do you have insecurities in your writing/life that you could use a honest, fresh look at?

Writing Is My Song

It's funny, a year after I wrote the post below, I can say it's my heart's state now-- BUT NOW, I am in a much bigger trial than no publishing contract (although I am still there!!!) This season, I find myself in a personal trial that has pretty much turned my heart upside down.

Yet, it is in that state of brokenness that I find God calling me to that very thing He told me a year ago: ABIDE. That is the only way my heart begins to tip the right way up again.

Enjoy this re-post of a pretty real-time revelation.
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On my last morning of vacation, I forced myself to wake up and do something I wanted to do that entire week. Watch the sunrise over the ocean. It had been an amazing time to relax, rejuvenate, and just release all the stress from life and parenthood. Funny though, I began the week there against a vow I had made to myself.

To leave my passion of writing behind.

I wanted complete solitude from everything I focused on up North. :) But, something happened, and I allowed the writing to remain a focus, even as the waves lapped to the shore, and the sand swallowed my feet.

And suddenly, out of nowhere, a giant tidal wave of doubt and frustration threatened to knock me down. Funny thing is, I had just accomplished two big feats in my writing pursuit. It all makes sense now. But at the time, it threw me into a swirling downward mess.

My view from the balony

The pinks and golds of a rising sun took me from the balcony of my hotel room, and sat me right down at the water's edge. I tried to listen, tried to hear God's call for me. What should I DO, Lord? Am I DOING what you want? I am so frustrated with this process. So defeated in the DOING.

Some people might claim to hear the voice of God, clear as the sun's glitter on the waves. I am not one of those people. God doesn't speak to me in an audible way. That day, I begged to hear His voice. I wanted answers.

The Spirit knows better though. I wasn't moved to listen. I was moved to worship. And everything came into focus. Well, not everything, just One thing. It's like I was searching the horizon with a strained zoom lens, and once I zoomed out, clarity sharpened the Image my heart needed most. The answer my heart craved, even against what I thought to be the answer I wanted.

Through a prostrate heart, as prostrate as the sea foam submits to the shore after a crashing wave, I realized the answer to all my questions...all my concerns: God wants me to abide in Him.

That's it.

Nothing more.

He's the One that's in the business of DOING. NOT me. I am worthless if I think that if I just DO something, life will be better, God will be happy, Love will flow freely.

Eh, eh.

No. In a world where DOING is often the answer...where success is built upon a foundation of effort and stress, where power is built upon pushing and trampling those in the way....I have discovered that nothing is worth anything if the DOING is my focus. Because it is when I ABIDE, when I allow the LORD to be in control, just as He's in control of the ocean waves--they never stop, they continue to approach and retreat, to swell and to dissipate--God is the ONLY one in control of the DOING.

Only when I ABIDE in Him, and give Him the power to DO through me, will I be moved.

Only in HIM.

What happens when we ABIDE? We worship and fall prostrate. And it's there where we have focus, because it's through the heartbeats of the Almighty that gives us Life. Through the tug of the Almighty's hands that we are led to do. Not because a person, or pursuit, or preacher tells us to DO. It's because when we ABIDE in Him, our heart beats in rhythm with His own. And from the overflow of HIS Love, we DO.

I felt like I cried an ocean after my time on the shore. And I hadn't. But my body felt like it. Such release. Such PEACE. Such abiding.

So, after this long schpeel...you might wonder what this looks like for my writing. Honestly, I was about to throw in the towel on this pursuit to publication before that morning. There are a few things I have discovered after worshiping at the water's edge:

1. I can remember the exact moment God bestowed this craving to worship through stories. It was at a time of my life I had prayed for something more...for something to satisfy amidst the colicky babes, the clinging toddlers, the monotonous days of motherhood (and I LOVE my kids...don't judge...my heart needed something else). As much as the Christian writing community talks about writing as a Gift from God...that morning I grasped that it REALLY WAS a gift from God...an answered prayer of giving me something more...something all my own. He gave me the outlet at just the moment I needed it most... a mother of three small children, in a season of chaos!

2. With the help of some amazing women (you know them as the Alleycats), I can finally understand that, because this writing thing is truly a gift, truly an avenue to joy in my life, truly Spirit led to bring me to abiding in Him, publishing really is just a worldly perk. Yes, it's still my desire to see my name in print some day, but it's not the culmination of this gift. Far from it. I think there will be a much grander finale to my story writing, and I will dream that it involves a more Heavenly audience.

3. The DOING is not up to me. Abiding is. And like I said, the writing thing is one way God allows for me to ABIDE with Him. AMEN! Wow, He gifted me in a wonderfully joyous personal way to ABIDE in Him. I feel BLESSED!

My husband and I talked a lot about creation that trip. It's hard not to when you have the vast ocean before

The sunset on our last night

you, the rising sun, and the sea of stars at night. And when I sit and allow myself to absorb the creation around me, I burst with an urge to cry and write all at once. If writing wasn't God-given, then could I be so moved to write by merely observing His Handiwork?

Writing is my song. It is my worship. Writing is the pursuit God has given me to ABIDE.

I can't DO. Just WRITE.

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Angie Dicken first began writing fiction as a creative outlet during the monotonous, mothering days of diapers and temper tantrums. She is passionate to impress God's love on women regardless of their background or belief. This desire serves as a catalyst for Angie's fiction, which weaves salvation and grace themes across historical cultures and social boundaries. Angie is an ACFW member and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

Whispers of Hope and A Giveaway!

             I write
                               and write 
                                                     and write.

Words spill forth, inspired by my God. Words pour out from the depths of my soul. But somewhere along the way, I squeeze words out from human expectation--from a desire to create without regard for the One who created me. Sometimes, I smudge that line between 'inspired by His word' and 'inspiring words that sound good'. I stumble and crash into a barricade of selfish desire to create words that manipulate hearts the way I want to.
When we're in the business of inspiring and creating as writers, sometimes, we should step back and make sure our hearts are in line with the Only One who can truly inspire. It is during my own season of stepping back to remember Truth in God alone, that I received Beth Moore's devotional, Whispers of Hope, 10 Weeks of Devotional Prayer.

Whispers of Hope has three major areas that offer hope to any woman of God, and definitely any writer longing for intimacy with the most Perfect Author of our stories:

1.  Scripture Focus:

For thirteen years, I have delighted in Beth Moore's studies because of the mere fact that I walk away from each amazed by the intricacy of exploring original meaning and divine connections among Scripture from Old to New Testaments. In typical Beth Moore fashion, her newest devotional does not disappoint with Scripture-laden application that doesn't skim the surface, but digs deep and often explores the original language to give greater understanding. 

2.  Deep Prayer Formula:
Since the book's main focus is on prayer, it has space for guided prayer journaling. This excites me. Before I ever sat down at a computer to write my first story, I wrote by hand...and I journaled. Using Beth's acronym has probably been the most eye-opening aspect of this devotional book. I have found that in using this acronym, my prayers organically flow and guide me in a thorough outpouring of my heart to the Lord, especially because Beth suggests thanksgiving should flow throughout each of the sections. This is where my selfishness flees and humility is given room to grow!

Beth uses P.R.A.I.S.E, to form the prayer.

First, P is for Praise. The best way to take the focus off of my stuff, is to reflect on Him and Who He is.

Next, R is for Repent. This is something I so easily forget to do, but it's vital to stepping forward in intimacy with Him. When I can ask for forgiveness, I feel like I can be used by God in more extraordinary ways since I don't have sin weighing me down.

A is for Acknowledge. Acknowledge his Authority in our lives. Beth says, "We can praise God all day long with our lips yet never deliberately surrender to His lordship with our hearts." This is something that made me take that step back in the first place. I was trying to claim authority over my life and my writing when it really is not mine at all.

I is for Intercede. To pray for those the Lord brings to mind. Another great way to get the focus off of me!

S is for Supplication, which is in perfect order in this acronym. My family always says, "I am third"--God, Others, then Myself. Once we've focused on God and others, praying for our needs and desires brings us to a deeper dependency and intimacy with God.

Beth Moore, Living Proof Ministries

And finally, E is for Equipping. Asking God to equip us the rest of the day is a great way to close in prayer, and for us writers, look forward to God answering this specific part of our prayer!

3.  Christ-Centered Life Application: 

I picked up Whispers of Hope during a season of spiritual wrestling. My heart was heavy with lies uncovered, and truths yet to be found out. I was in a place where I had focused on myself, assuming my will could measure up to God's--especially when it came to my dream to seek publication. And when I discovered my self-centered way of thinking, I found refuge in sloughing away my fluffy self-talk and focusing back on the One who deserves all attention. Just a glimpse of how the devotional met me first off, see what Beth says after exploring the story of the tower of Babel on page 11 of her book:

"God's response? "If they're this foolish and self-centered, they'll try anything.' Brick after brick, we humans sought to determine our own fate. Despite all the efforts, we never imposed our will on God, but God imposed His on us." In every daily devotion, you can be sure to find poignant life application that will meet you where you are at. It is through Beth's examples and deciphering of Scripture, that the Word becomes alive and applicable to your own life in a unique way.

My season of stepping back from all that influence me, and the fleshy desires of my heart, is certainly not one of a backward journey from God. With this God-focused, Scripture-centered devotional from Beth Moore, my heart is filled with whispers of Hope from the One and Only Author of my story. And with a heart in line with His,
           I write
                               and write 
                                                     and write.

***Want the chance to win a copy of this amazing devotional?? Please let me know in the comment section!***

Please share of a time when you needed to just step back and return your focus on God, whether in writing or just in life!

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Angie Dicken first began writing fiction as a creative outlet during the monotonous, mothering days of diapers and temper tantrums. She is passionate to impress God's love on women regardless of their background or belief. This desire serves as a catalyst for Angie's fiction, which weaves salvation and grace themes across historical cultures and social boundaries. Angie is an ACFW member and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

Relentless Love

Many of you have read the unforgettable novel, Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers. It is the retelling of Hosea and Gomer from the Bible. It is the story of a sacrificial love...a relentless love.

In the story of Hosea and Gomer, God tells Hosea to marry a prostitute and Gomer is the lucky one. They marry, have children, and Gomer is unfaithful. She runs off and carries on with other men. She leaves the security and love of Hosea and returns to her old life of sin. But God tells Hosea to go after her; to taker her back and love her. This love is the love God has for us.

Even though Gomer married Hosea and had his children, she wasn't really "present" in the marriage. She did not commit to Hosea. She did not work on the relationship. She just went through the motions. Sometimes we are guilty of the same thing. We go to church and sing the songs and say the prayers, but really our heart is far away. We just go through the motions, week after week, doing our duty without investing ourselves, heart soul, mind, and body. What we need is the kind of love God shows us through Hosea.

We need a sacrificial love. Real love is not always easy. Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes we are disappointed. But real sacrificial love is the kind of love we are called to. This kind of love is worth the effort, because the fruit it brings is abundant and there is great power in it.

We need a relentless love. God loves His creation and draws it to Himself. He is not after condemnation. He is all about restoration and renewal. No one has run too far from the Lord to be restored to Him. This is the kind of love God wants us to have for Him. He wants us to hunger and thirst for Him. To long for Him. To desire Him above all else. He wants our love...a relentless love.

It's this kind of love that truly makes the world go around. We may write romance and happy endings, but we must always remember the wooing of God's great love. He is the lover of our souls and the One who writes the best love story of all.

So tell me, what do you do to remember His relentless love? How do you work on your love for Him? Or, who in your life shows you God's love best?


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Relentless love...the best kind of love to give and receive! The Writer's Alley
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This post is brought to you by

 Sherrinda Ketchersid

Sherrinda is a minister's wife and mother to three giant sons and one gorgeous daughter. A born and bred Texan, she writes historical romance filled with fun, faith, and forever love.

A Writer's Self-Talk

As much as we hear about character arc and internal dialogue, how are we doing as the character with the keyboard at our fingertips?

On Flickr by Striatic

I've heard negative comments from writers at all stages: unpublished, contest finalists, and published authors. They compare themselves to others, throw their talent under the bus to boost up another writer, admit that they don't know what they're doing and they wonder when everyone else is going to catch them in their ignorance.

 Do any of these thoughts sound familiar?

 “You don't have what it takes. Perhaps you should give up?”

 “Perhaps if you follow others, you'll be as good as them...some day.” 

“This is a pipe dream.”

“You make so many mistakes. They're going to catch on that you aren't good enough.”

What we tell ourselves in our thought-life eventually comes out in our actions and words. If we're telling ourselves we don't have what it takes, we're not good enough, and berate our every mistake, then we will begin to distrust ourselves and ultimately disLIKE ourselves, and step away from doing bold and beautiful things for God. If we beat ourselves up in our minds, then we'll only have a battered, self-absorbed coward to offer those around us.

On Flickr by Miranda.Granche

Harsh? 

Let me tell you, I've been there. I am coming out of it, though. I am realizing that God created me exactly this way, and if I criticize my gifts by whispering demeaning things to myself, then I am really criticizing God. And when I live in bondage to criticism, my mission gets muddied and my abilities are weighed down with disgust.

 Let our writing be an outpour of our hearts, without the ugly conversation in our head, blinding the true gift you've been given with self-doubt.

Why do writers engage in negative self-talk, anyway?

1.  Pride-- or avoidance of it. We are Christian writers trying to glorify God. If we admit our talent and success, then aren't we being proud? So if we hide it away and tell ourselves “you're still not good enough”, then we won't risk pride taking over our hearts. But isn't it ok to praise God for what He has done? Praise and Pride are two different things. Try praising God for the blessings He's given you. I bet you won't feel proud, but you will delight in the fact that He chose YOU to bestow the blessings upon! 
2. Comparison game-- UGH! UGH, UGH, UGH!!!! I just needed to get that out! I HATE this game! Then why am I the first to raise my hand to play it inside my head? When I compare myself to other writers around me, I ignore the fact that I am created in God's image, I am wonderfully made, and as Ephesians 2:10 says that I am “...His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” When I compare myself to others, I try to be a different creation, or measure myself up to a person God never intended for me to be. Is it really worth the heartache and effort? 
3. What you've always been told—This might hit a nerve with some of you, but it's a fact of human flesh. We are shaped by those who've raised us, the families we were born into, the world view we were first exposed to as young children. If you have been criticized and held to unattainable expectations as a child, as a teen, as a young adult, then perhaps, your self-talk is rooted in a generational habit of negativity. Search yourself deeply so you can cast off the old and fill your heart with Truth: 

“You are talented and unique.” 

“You have everything it takes to use your God-given gifts to their full potential.” 

“If your dream is in God's will, it is worth it.”

“It's okay to make mistakes, that's how you learn.”



On Flickr by Adriannolt

Sure, you've considered the internal dialogue of your fictional characters, but have you considered the internal dialogue of yourself? 

What's the most difficult negative thought to get rid of as a writer on this journey? Mine is, "This is a pipedream." But God has shown me time and again, that this dream is in His Will. I need to keep telling myself that!




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Angie Dicken first began writing fiction as a creative outlet during the monotonous, mothering days of diapers and temper tantrums. She is passionate to impress God's love on women regardless of their background or belief. This desire serves as a catalyst for Angie's fiction, which weaves salvation and grace themes across historical cultures and social boundaries. Angie is an ACFW member and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

 

Inside or Outside the Box?

Photo by jscreationzs
freedigitalphotos.net

We have all heard the phrase: think outside of the box. To jump start creativity, or to achieve our goals, we should think big. Dream big. Imagine big. And that is true, but then again, it is not quite the whole truth.

I'm reading Greater, by Steven Furtick, and it is fabulous! In one of his chapters, Furtick talks about the whole thinking outside the box idea. It's what got me thinking about writing and dreaming big outside the box.

The thing about thinking outside the box is that when you have dreamed big and brainstormed great solutions, you are still in the box with the same problems you had before. You remain frustrated that you can't really attain those outside-the-box-solutions.

• If only you had a critique partner, you could really shape up your writing.
• If only you could go to a writing conference, you could learn all you need to know about writing.
• If only you could get an agent, you could get your book sold to your favorite publishing house.

If only...

Friends, you can still dream. You can still think outside the box, but you must realize that God can't bless you with his greater blessing outside the box until you trust him while you are inside the box with the tools that you already have. How are you being faithful with what you have in front of you?

• For $45 a year (that's less than 2 pennies a day), you could join ACFW and have access to dozens of critiquers.
• Go to the library and check out books on writing. Peruse writing blogs for articles on writing. There is a wealth of material out there to teach you what you need to know!
• Start submitting to agents after you have done what you can to make your story the best it can be.

When you are faithful with little, you will be granted more. (Matthew 25:23) God will provide you a critique partner when you are ready for one. He will supply the money for a conference when you are ready to go. And He will give you an agent when the time is right. 

How are you needing to trust God in your writing life? In your personal life? 

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This post is brought to you by

 Sherrinda Ketchersid

Sherrinda is wife to "Pastor John" and mother to three giant sons and one gorgeous daughter. A born and bred Texan, she writes historical romance filled with fun, faith, and forever love.

Assumptions in the Writing Life

We bring our own baggage to the table with everything we approach in life.

This week, I told my literature students that we all walk around with assumptions, many times without even realizing it, and these things influence the way we look at stories. These assumptions come from many places: past experiences, beliefs, values, and preferences, to name a few. I told them to visualize a dog when I said the word, "dog," and then we compared the kinds of dogs they thought of. As you may have guessed, there was quite a difference, depending on their own experiences.

Maybe your "baggage" isn't heavy--maybe it's sparkly pink or has a Hawaiian print. On the other hand, maybe your baggage looks like it should've been retired fifty years ago and is threadbare, barely able to keep everything in.

But wherever you're going, you bring these things with you to the next stop. That's why it's so important we examine the assumptions we are making about our writing lives. These assumptions, in a way, are our baggage. If they're possible assumptions, we may be well-prepared with what we'll need to face the challenges of our writing lives. But if they're the wrong kind of assumptions . . . well, that can do a lot of harm.

Jim Rubart and Allen Arnold led a workshop at the ACFW called "Live Free, Write Free," on a similar topic. Personally I wasn't able to attend this session, but from what I've read about it online, their main point was that the heart of an author is going to affect the heart of her story. You can't help it. Engaging stories--even fiction--have to be honest. That's why, they say, examining your own heart can help you find a way past writer's block. If you want to read the full Afictionado article about this session, it comes highly recommended by me. You can find it at http://www.acfw.com/ezine/article/workshop_10_live_free_write_free/

Today I want to break down three main areas wherein our assumptions affect our lives: assumptions about God, assumptions about ourselves, and assumptions about writing.

Assumptions about God

I accepted Christ when I was five years old. And yet, it never ceases to amaze me how easily and quickly my focus wanders away from the character of God. I don't care if you've been a Christian since you were a child, or if you just accepted faith five minutes ago. We all struggle with having, and maintaining, a proper view of God. But a proper view of God is this:

• God loves you. (John 3:16)
• God has put these dreams on your heart. (Eph. 3:20)
• God has gifted you with a gift that is unique to YOU and a calling only you can fill. (Rom. 12:6-8)
• God desires for you to use those gifts for His kingdom. (Rom. 12)
• God is not waiting to condemn you, but wants for you to live in freedom. (John 3:17)
• God desires for your life to be full and abundant. (John 10:10)
• God waits for you and never gives up. (Isaiah 30:18)
• God desires for you to be confident in His purpose for your life and in His love. (Hebrews 10:35-36)

Thoughts of failure, insufficiency, confusion, and fear, are simply not God-given (2 Timothy 1:7). We have to take back our minds from the control these things have over us. Am I afraid of being rejected by my dream publishing houses? Well, yeah. We all are. But that fear can't keep us from going after our dreams. We need to hold our fear back, rather than the other way around. That takes a lot of will power, and requires us to be conscious of our assumptions in the first place. If you believe somewhere deep down that God doesn't really love you, nor does He care about your story or your dreams, lie can hold you back from your potential and purpose as an author.

Ask God to show you His thoughts toward you and your writing. If you're anything like me, you have a head-knowledge of that, but having it translated to your heart makes for one of those "wow" moments. At the conference this year, I caught a glimmer of what God wants to do in my life and realized it is so, so much more than anything I could plan or dream up. Don't limit God. 

Assumptions about Ourselves

Part of you assumes you can make it as a writer. Otherwise, you wouldn't be reading this blog. But how strong is that part of you? How strong is the inner voice pushing you on?

When you're around writing circles long enough and put yourself out there enough times, you have a choice what you're going to believe. Some feedback will make you think you're about to rocket to the NYT list, and other feedback will make you want to go crawl inside a hole.

Now, I'm not suggesting you only take the positive feedback and ignore anything negative. Definitely not a good idea. What I am suggesting is that you make a very critical break between yourself as a write-r and your story as writ-ing. I had do to this very early on in my English program, or I never would've made it out of there. The fact is, to be a writer, you must be very brave.

People are going to shoot you down. At the end of the day, you have to be able to realize that negative feedback has no bearing on your calling. Of course it's okay to get bummed out and eat one too many brownies afterwards. But don't quit over it. Don't let it go from your heat to that critical place... your heart.

We have to believe we can do it. We have to believe we have a call upon our lives, and that ministry is important. Not to sound overly spiritual, but I really believe the enemy wants us to think we don't have what it takes and we might as well give up trying. That nothing we do will ever make a difference in anyone else's lives, so we shouldn't waste time developing plots and character arcs. But don't we most often find success when we least expect it? You never know what might be just behind that hill you're facing. Don't turn back now.

Assumptions about Our Writing

What do you really believe about your ability to write? About your story?

Dream with me for a second. Can you see yourself on a bestseller's list someday? Signing books at a bookstore? Writing a story that someone will read on an airplane and find a greater since of purpose from?

Why do we sell ourselves short of these things? I'm not just talking about commercial success. I'm talking about effective writing. Somewhere along the line, after getting a certain number of rejections and/or harsh criticism, we learn to be cautious. But the writing life is so not a safe career. Don't let these kinds of commends leak over into your perspective about your ability to write. Protect your writing voice.

If you knew that one year from now, your book would be a bestseller, what would you be doing differently today to prepare for that? Start doing it. Whether it's reading more books on the craft, learning the mechanics of grammar, networking with industry professionals, or spending more time in prayer--take your writing seriously. Serious goals take serious output on our part to achieve, but they can be done.


How might assumptions affect the way we write? What sorts of assumptions do you have about your own writing life?

*Photos from http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1397457,

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Ashley Clark writes romance with southern grace. She's dreamed of being a writer ever since the thumbprint-cookie-days of library story hour. Ashley has an M.A. in English and enjoys teaching literature courses at her local university. She's an active member of ACFW and runs their newcomer's loop. When she's not writing, Ashley's usually busy rescuing stray animals and finding charming new towns. You can find Ashley on her personal blog, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. She is represented by Karen Solem.