The Writer Who Fears the Lord
A Thematic Paraphrase of Proverbs 31:10-31
[Note: Proverbs 31 speaks traditionally to women, so I have retained the female emphasis. If you're a guy, don't feel neglected--I think you'll find inspiration in this paraphrase as well.]
An excellent writer who can find?
She is far more valuable than a mere hack.
The heart of her readers trusts in her,
And will profit from spending time in her books.
She does readers good, and not harm
With everything she pens.
She seeks knowledge, tools and methods,
And writes with willing hands.
She scours the web and other sources like a researcher
of old,
And gathers her facts and data.
She works at all hours if need be,
To provide for the needs of her readers,
As well as for her agent or editor.
She considers a story idea and writes it,
And plants the seeds of her thoughts into rich fields
of fiction.
She dresses herself for success,
And keeps herself healthy so she can work--and network.
She sees that her work brings profit,
And stays alert to new ideas, even at night.
She seats herself before a keyboard or paper,
And purposely puts her hand to writing.
She shares her tricks of the trade with students,
And makes herself available for unpublished writers.
She worries not about the trashy books in the market,
She knows that her own work will satisfy a soul.
She carves out space in which to write,
She designs a comfortable and lovely "office" for
her own use.
Her readers are discerning and wise,
They occupy the highest offices and respectable posts.
She crafts fine stories or articles and sells them,
She delivers manuscripts to magazines, agents
and publishers.
Capability and dependability are her clothing,
And she laughs at the thought of failure.
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And teaching, with kindness, is on her tongue.
She looks well to the state of her manuscripts
and projects,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her readers rise up and call her blessed;
Her publisher also, and he praises her:
"Many writers have done excellently,
but you surpass them all."
Writing to please the market, and banking on worldly
success is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord and writes what
He inspires, is to be praised.
Let her be the first to enjoy her works,
And let her reputation and book sales skyrocket in
the market.
copyright 2015 Linore Rose Burkard
A downloadable PDF of the above can be accessed from Linore's website HERE. (Click the word "here." Enjoy--no strings attached. :)
Which verse most speaks to your writer's heart today? Which one are you working on? Leave a comment and let us know!
UPCOMING: New contemporary romance from Linore.
UPCOMING: New contemporary romance from Linore.
FALLING IN
A perfect summer read
A perfect summer read
A simple visit home turns into anything but that when Sharona Davidson finds herself getting involved with the locals. First, it's the Ladies' Summer Club, whose members are only slightly less crazy than she is. Then, it's Jason Colden, muscle man and swim coach extraordinaire--though she does everything she can to keep him at arm's length. Before the summer ends, whether it's friendship, faith, or something deeper--Sharona is undeniably falling in!
Available: June 2015
Linore Rose Burkard is best known for historical regency romance with Harvest House Publishers, including Before the Season Ends, the award-winning The House in Grosvenor Square, and, The Country House Courtship. As a writer noted for meticulous research as well as bringing people to life on the page, Linore’s books delight fans of historical romance with humor in the vein of Georgette Heyer and Austen-like manners. Linore teaches workshops for writers with Greater Harvest Workshops in Ohio, is a homeschooling mother of five, and has recently finished a YA novel. Keep up with Linore by subscribing to her free newsletter at LinoreBurkard.com
Linore, that's great! I love it! It's inspirational and a wonderful paraphrase for writers! Thank you. I'm going to print that out and frame it. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ane. It's neat, huh? God is good! This one definitely came from him. :) The verse I'm working on is designing my own office--right now, it's part of the house where I feel like I'm in Grand Central Station. (My office has moved within this house three times, the worst of which happened when a daughter returned from college and I lost my best spot!) (Sigh.)
ReplyDeleteYes, I've written in grand central station, too, and it isn't conducive to getting the job done. Then I had a corner of the bedroom for years. Finally last year, we revamped a front "sitting" room for my office.
ReplyDeleteNow the next project is getting a door on the room. Curtains don't stop the wooly mammoths or the Hubs. :o}
I love this! Unfortunately I couldn't access the PDF through your link. It said "Page Not Found".
ReplyDeleteLinore,
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post and much appreciated.
Which verse speaks most to me?
All of them are apt reminders, but those that speak of the value of the written word and, more specifically, of the words written by me are the most notable. I've long under valued my own work. No matter what it is--article, novel, blog post--it never measures up.
So these verses hit particularly close to home.
Thanks for the reminder.
And thanks for the unique focus of this post.
Best wishes,
Carrie
Oh, Joylene, I'm so sorry to hear this. I checked that PDF and that it was loaded up to the website, but perhaps I didn't check the link? I don't know, but I'll get right on it. Try again, if you would. And thanks for letting me know! So sorry for the inconvenience!
ReplyDeleteCarrie Lynn,
ReplyDeleteIf your comment is any indication of your writing, I'm sure you do undervalue your words. I pray God blesses abundantly all that you put your hands to, and particularly your writing endeavors. And may he grant you JOY in acknowledging the gift he's given you!