5 Ways to Nurture Your Creativity During Christmas

by Susan May Warren

First, I’ll just admit that I’m a bit of a writing addict.  I LOVE to write, even the rough draft stages and when I get an entire day to write it’s like, well, Christmas.  But I also love my family and just hanging out with them, doing puzzles, making cookies, chatting, laughing…so I love that there are mandatory breaks in my life to pry me away from my stories.  When I am in the middle of writing a book, up against a deadline, I’m so full of excitement it’s difficult to look up.  To eat.  To speak clearly.


But, because of Christmas, my brain gets a chance to breathe.

Letting your brain breathe is essential for creativity.  Even when I’m in the middle of a book, taking a day or two off to look up, get out in some fresh air, have a fun, no-stress conversation with friends can stir up a new perspective in my story, a fresh thematic thread, a undiscovered scene.  Letting my brain breathe also breathes new life into my novel.

So, while I won’t be writing, per say, over Christmas, I’ll still be working….and here’s how.

5 effective ways to breathe new life into your creativity while you let your brain cool off.

1. Get outside. Take a walk, run, go play on a playground…just breathe in the fresh air, the sunshine, listen to the wind, smell the snow/leaves/grass.  Somehow being away from the television, the football game (but TiVo it, because, well…it’s football!), the chatter, even the smells of the kitchen will allow you hear your thoughts.  And it’s these thoughts that will allow your creativity to stir to life.

2. Listen.  Here’s the truth:  I get in trouble when I open my mouth.  So, I force myself to listen.  And not just to the happenings in the family, but the stories of the past, and particularly the details of life in the days of our elders. Listen to the rich tales of the past and let it seed ideas for your novels (especially if you are a historical writer).  Take a few notes, ask a few questions and you’ll be surprised and delighted with the things you learn and the seeds of creativity planted.

3. Read a book. Preferably a novel. I suggest reading outside your genre because it will force you to relax and simply let a great novel nurture your creative side.  Turn off your internal editor and simply enjoy the characters, setting, plot points, even theme.  Even though you are not spending time analyzing it, the elements will sit into your brain like fertilizer, and allow those new ideas to grow.  Hey, it’s Christmas – give yourself the gift of reading!

4. Read your Bible, or some other spiritually nourishing book.  I read Oswald Chambers as well as my Bible every day and the daily nourishment of spiritual truth helps me sort out the focus of my daily tasks and even my novels. But when I have a stretch of time like Christmas break, I take extra time to read something that digs deeper – a longer Bible passage, maybe study the Greek of a verse, or perhaps I’ll read a commentary on a passage. (On my lineup for this year:  Jesus is better than you imagined.  I’m already three chapters in and love it.)  It’s like getting a deep tissue massage of my soul, working out the poisons of life and letting the truth flow.  In our busy worlds, if we don’t take time to feed our spirit, we will end up thirsty, and looking to quench it in quick, even unhealthy ways. Feed your soul now, while you have a moment.

5. Go to church. I’ve had the unique opportunity the past few weeks to attend churches different from my home church.  I love the freshness of a new worship situation – even a different denomination.  Over Thanksgiving, I attended a Lutheran church with my parents and soaked in the reverence the liturgy brings to my worship.  A few weeks before, I attended a fresh young church in the inner city with my daughter, and joined the exuberant praise of the college-age students. Their buoyant joy filled my heart with a new enthusiasm for praise.  Both pastors then offered sermons that gave me story ideas and answers for scenes I was struggling with.  I was able to go home, take notes on what I’d heard, and apply them to my story.  All that “breathing time” finally bore fruit.

I don’t know what your Christmas season includes, but give your brain time to breathe, and you’ll find that you’ll return in the new year ready to tackle those NaNoWriMo edits!

Merry Christmas!

Susie May

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5 ways to nurture your creativity during Christmas by Susan May Warren (Click to Tweet)

Letting your brain breathe is essential for creativity~ Susan May Warren (Click to Tweet)

 It’s Christmas – give yourself the gift of reading~ Susan May Warren (Click to Tweet)

Susan May Warren is owner of Novel Rocket and the founder of Novel.Academy. A Christy and RITA award-winning author of over fifty novels with Tyndale,Barbour, Steeple Hill, Summerside Press and Revell publishers, she's an eight-time Christy award finalist, a three-time RITA Finalist, and a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award and the ACFW Carol. A popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation, she's also the author of the popular writing method, The Story Equation. A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at: www.susanmaywarren.com. Contact her at: susan@mybooktherapy.com.

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A Poem for a Writer's Heart

Available on Amazon

I receive poems from the wonderful British poet, Malcolm Guite every week and they always stir my soul. This week the poem he sent also stirred my writer’s heart. They are such good words to ponder as a writer or artist of any kind so I thought I would share them with you today. Be blessed, Marcia Lee Laycock

As If  

by Malcolm Guite

Matthew 5:42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. 

The Giver of all gifts asks me to give!

The Fountain from which every good thing flows,

The Life who spends himself that all might live,

The Root whence every bud and blossom grows,

Calls me, as if I knew no limitation,

As if I focused all his hidden force,

To be creative with his new creation,

To find my flow in him, my living source,

To live as if I had no fear of losing,

To spend as if I had no need to earn,

To turn my cheek as if it felt no bruising,

To lend as if I needed no return,

As if my debts and sins were all forgiven,

As if I too could body forth his Heaven.

***

Of himself, Malcolm says -
I am a poet-priest and Chaplain of Girton College Cambridge, but I often travel round Great Britain, and to North America, to give lectures, concerts and poetry readings. This autumn I will be speaking in London, Salisbury, Winchester, and Needham Market. For more details of these and other engagements go to my Events Page. You can read more about who I am and what I do on the Interviews Page

Visit Malcom's Blog

An exciting recent project with Canadian musician Steve Bell:

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Create. Create. Just Create.

By Michael Ehret

I haven’t learned a lot, comparatively, in my walk with God. Sometimes it seems like I’ve learned more, sometimes less. But there are a few things I’ve learned (and these aren’t all of them) over the years:

How do you create?

1. God loves me the way I am and wants me to allow Him to show me how I can become more like Him. (Sort of like how I loved my infant son when he was born but, man, am I glad I’m not still changing that almost 32-year-old’s diaper.)

2. The more I learn the less I seem to know about God and how He works. (This is OK, because it fuels my hunger for Him. By the time I die, I have high hopes of being a complete idiot about God.)

Then there’s this:

3. God won’t show you a truth in your life until you’re ready to see it. (Because, if you won’t see it, why show you?)

Recently a blog post by Esther de Charon de Saint Germain made its way around Facebook. The post, “Why Art Is Important for Highly Sensitive Persons,” opened a previously shut door into my personality for me.

In it, Esther wrote:

We (highly sensitive people) are the ones who remain seated in the movie theatre. Long after the move has ended. Because we need to compose ourselves before re-entering the world.

We are the ones unable to speak after that gloriously beautiful concert. It’s not because we don’t like you. Give us some time. We’re processing. There are no words yet. … We still are the music. We’re still living in the world of feelings, emotions.

Wait, hang on. I'm still in the moment.

She goes on to talk in detail about how being highly sensitive might look in real life—how it looks for her—how it might look if you are also one. Through it all, I’m nodding, nodding, nodding. Agreeing, experiencing the post.

Then, while reading, I see:

BUT

And that’s when I get that feeling in my gut I’ve come to identify as a nudge from the Holy Spirit: “Hey, if you pay attention here, you might learn something.”

Esther writes:

But ... creating our own art is scary. We sensitive peeps have set some pretty high standards for (ourselves). We fear we are not good enough at it.

How can we get the multitude of ideas in our head on a sheet of paper? All we can see is how flawed it will be…

If you are a highly sensitive person—and not all writers are, by far—can I suggest that you try harder to silence the self-talk Esther writes about that is convincing you, even more than any negative outside voices you might encounter, that you’re just not good enough? Don’t work so hard to convince yourself you’re not good enough, creative enough, talented enough.

Create to live. Live to create.

She writes:

Because if that’s the kind of chatter that goes on in your head, it means you Most Definitely need to make art. Find a course, get those pencils out of the drawer. Use your trait.

If you’re an HSP, like me, sometimes you just need to create. You need to write without your internal editor. You need to garden giving no thought to practicality. You need to color outside the lines of your adult coloring book because that’s your creativity—your art.

Write your prayers. Sing them. Dance them. Read your daily devotional out loud in your best Donald Duck voice—do what your muse (or your whim) tells you to do. Open your mind to the possibilities. Just create.

Just create.

Question: Other than write in your latest WIP, what do you do to be creative? How do you feed your creativity?

____________________________________

Michael Ehret has accepted God's invitation and is a freelance editor at WritingOnTheFineLine.com. In addition, he's worked as editor-in-chief of the ACFW Journal at American Christian Fiction Writers. He pays the bills as a marketing communications writer and sharpened his writing and editing skills as a reporter for The Indianapolis News and The Indianapolis Star.

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Creative Rituals

post by Michelle Griep

When I hear the word ritual, I think gutted animals tied up in tree limbs, usually involving goats and pentagrams. Don't worry. I'm not going all Ouija board on you today. I simply came across an interesting article about Creative Rituals You Should Steal and . . . well . . . I am stealing them and sharing them with you.

#1. Create an interesting people fund.
Save up some moolah and some time, then spend it to meet and/or hang out with interesting people. By pre-committing, you'll be more likely to do it. You can't make quirky characters if you don't actually spend time with some.

#2. Get out of the building.
Take a nature hike. Go eavesdrop on the beach. Change up your scenery.

#3. Brainstorm at the coffee shop.
Okay, so I love java, but if you don't, then choose a different atmosphere that engages your mind. This is somewhat like #2, but the difference is that here you're refining a specific project or have a certain goal in mind.

#4. Partake of Morphological Synthesis.
I know. Sounds like a disease. Nope, it's just a way of segmenting your thinking process into parts by basically asking questions. It's like playing the What-If game with your plot or characters. To generate ideas, simply ask what happens if fill-in-the-blank. Once you have an answer for that, repeat the process with that answer. Keep it up and you'll have all kinds of new ideas.

#5. Envision what you'll be remembered for.
Think legacy. Refresh your mind of what your mission statement is to keep you on track.

#6. Take a quarterly vacation.
Yeah, it'd be nice to cruise the Mediterranean 4 times a year, but shoot. I haven't even been there once. A vacation doesn't have to cost big bucks, though. Just unplug and get away from your routine for a long weekend. Get off the grid.

#7. Hold a "Retrospective" after a project.
Basically this is a de-briefing with yourself. What things did you do right on whatever your most recent creative project was? What things went wrong?

#8. Write every day.
It'd be nice to pound out 10 pages each morning before noon, but realistically, that's not going to happen. Don't sweat the word count. Just write, even if it's a simple little blog post.

#9. Keep "Tear Sheets" to get inspired.
For me, this is my Pinterest boards. For others, it might be magazines. Movies. Beautiful artwork or even greeting cards or invitations that are particularly interesting.

#10. Take a nap.
Grab your satin-edged blankie and curl up for 10 minutes or so. You don't have to actually sleep. Just close your eyes and relax.

What are some of your creative rituals? Share in the comment section so we can all steal expand our ideas.

Like what you read? There’s more. WRITER OFF THE LEASH: GROWING IN THE WRITING CRAFT is a kick in the pants for anyone who wants to write but is stymied by fear, doubt, or simply doesn’t know how to take their writing to the next level.

Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. Follow her adventures and find out about upcoming new releases at her blog, Writer Off the Leash, or stop by her website. You can also find her at the usual haunts of Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

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What I learned About Writing at Disney World by DiAnn Mills

What I learned About Writing at Disney World
by DiAnn Mills

The imagination has no boundaries at Disney World. From Epcot to Magic Kingdom, you can experience one thrill after another. The imagineers refuse to limit their minds to logic and reason. They dream first, knowing if an idea bursts into the mind, a means to make it happen is there also. Color, sound, fantasy, and animation combine to entertain and establish memories long after the visitor returns to reality.

Dream on!

Some of the visitors never want to return to the real world. They much prefer the one where love and laughter rule the day.

Isn’t that what we want to provide for the readers? Don’t we long for them to close our books but never close their minds to the delight of the adventure?

Our goal is for our readers to root themselves in our story world and never leave.

Disney’s Mission statement as of 2013 shows their commitment to creativity and quality: “The Walt Disney Company's objective is to be one of the world's leading producers and providers of entertainment and information, using its portfolio of brands to differentiate its content, services and consumer products….”

Garbage Band Rhythm - Who would ever think?

Here is what I learned about story after visiting Disney World.

1. Characters come to life with smiles, gestures, and personality.
2. Characters are timeless. We remember each one and how they touched our hearts.
3. A story world is painted on a canvas with a setting that enhances every   moment of the story.
4. Content is king. Every word must be bathed in gold then polished and put on display for the world to admire.
5. Experience is the takeaway. Writers succeed when the reader closes the door to the outside world—repeatedly.
6. Disney holds the keys to the kingdom of marketing and promotion. Lovers of the magic are free to maintain the enjoyment with reminders they can hold, sing, view, wear, dance to, and even eat! Writers too must develop ways for readers to find full satisfaction in story.
7. Writers always have room to grow and expand story techniques. Each new set of characters and plot are stronger and more defined. Stronger dialogue and deeper emotion draws the reader into critical situations. Setting enhances a richer theme.

Walt Disney’s philosophy is an inspiration for all of us. “All our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them." 

Think about your current story. Can you incorporate the Disney philosophy into your adventure? Do you have the courage to pursue the world of story?

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an

adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels.

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. Library Journal presented her with a Best Books 2014: Genre Fiction award in the Christian Fiction category for Firewall.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers; the 2015 president of the Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope, & Love chapter; a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and International Thriller Writers. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com.

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In the Mood! by DiAnn Mills

In the Mood!
DiAnn Mills



A writer friend and I were catching up over a lengthy phone conversation. After we covered a multitude of topics, personal and business, I asked about the progress of her next book.

“Oh, I’m not writing,” she said. “Haven’t been in the mood.”

This writer was one of my heroes in the industry. “What happened? You’ve always been excited to delve into the next project.”

“Creativity hasn’t moved me to begin a new novel.”

“Do you need to brainstorm?” I said.

The writing muse hasn't hit me.

“No. I’m good.” She sighed. “Dry spells come and go.” 
    
Her obscure tone bothered me, but I didn’t pursue the topic further. Later on in the day I was at the dentist’s office. I’d lost a filling, and the tooth throbbed. As I waited in the patient’s chair, I thought back over the conversation with my writer friend. A twinge of pain shot up from my tooth. How would I feel if the dentist wasn’t in the mood? Ouch!

I left the dentist’s office under the effects of Novocain and stopped to fill up my empty gas tank. When I reached for the pump and selected the type of fuel needed, the same thought struck me again. What if the driver who delivered gasoline to the station wasn’t in the mood? I’d be walking.

Before heading home to finish my word count for the day, I stopped at the grocery to buy salad fixings. While I stood in line to pay for my food, it occurred to me one more time. What if the grocer’s employees weren’t in the mood to work today? My husband wouldn’t have a grilled chicken salad for dinner.

The difference between my friend’s approach to writing and mine boiled down to work ethics. I write whether the words are framed in my mind, or I have to dig them up like precious stones. Everyday. No matter what my mood.
 
If I procrastinated to when I felt like creating, not only would the contracts stop but I believe the quality of the manuscript would slip. Other tasks fall under writing: responding to emails, social media, reading the how-to books, keeping up to date on the publishing industry, marketing and promotion, and arranging to attend quality conferences. Some areas are more enjoyable than others, but my work ethic says to complete the task to the best of my ability.

I received my work ethic model from my dad. I don’t remember his ever missing a day of work. He welded in a factory, rain or shine, in sickness and in health, whether he felt like it or not. 

What about you?
 


That’s my advice to every writer. Put your rear in gear and get the job done. Write, edit, submit, promote, and begin again. The satisfaction of a well-crafted piece is worth the disillusion of waiting to create when in the mood. In the midst of discovering the perfect idea or word is a wealth of satisfaction of a job well done.
    
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels.
Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. Library Journal presented her with a Best Books 2014: Genre Fiction award in the Christian Fiction category for Firewall.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers; the 2015 president of the Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope, & Love chapter; a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and International Thriller Writers. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com.
  
   

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7 Days to Less Productivity and More Creativity

by Allen Arnold

Seven Days to

Less Productivity

and More Creativity

I’ll be honest. I’ve never been a fan of man-made rules.

Especially when they come from authority figures that promise life but deliver heaviness.

At my son’s 4^th grade basketball game last week, this poster greeted those entering the gym:

4 Questions

1)            What are you doing?

2)            What are you supposed to be doing?

3)            Are you doing that?

4)            What are you going to do? When are you going to start?

What??? Far more damaging than the sign’s bad math (there are actually five questions – not four) is the assumption that “doing” is the main thing. In a world of “doing”, we have lost the art of “being”.

Notice what effect the sign’s words have on your heart. Do the questions stir feelings of joy and life (it is, after all, posted outside a place to play games)...or evoke a sense of shame or blame because you aren’t doing enough.

When it comes to your writing, man-made rules can have the same effect. Authors regularly tell me they enter writer’s conferences or read books on writing full of hope – but by the end, they are simply overwhelmed.

This can happen because man-made rules and systems tend to overcomplicate, over control and over systematize things – especially when the subject at hand is God’s gift of story, imagination and ideas. We have to be careful of anything that pulls our eyes from the Giver of the gift to the gift itself as our primary focus and identity.

Sometimes an analogy helps:

Imagine you are on a field. God has given a ball to each person there. Most leave the ball on the field and walk away. Others polish the ball and display it in a glass case. Some see how far they can throw the ball. They develop rules and exercises and disciplines to be the best and master the game.

But all of them missed why God invited his children on the field. He stands on the field waiting. He is looking for those rare ones who want to play catch with him. Who enjoy his presence even more than the game.

He is waiting on you as well. 

He’s invited you onto the creative playground. Don’t run off with your story. Or get busy trying to write for God or minister to others with it. He most wants you to write with him.

So here is my invitation.

A week of writing different. For seven days, I invite you to experience creative disruption. Forget word count goals. Unplug from social media. Quit reading industry stats and trends.

Instead, spend seven writing days free from all the man-made rules and industry assumption you’ve held sacred. While you’re at it, abstain from all the unique habits (quirks?) you’ve depended on to maximize your creativity. For one week, lay all those things aside and walk into this new frontier with no expectations, demands, or sacred cows.

As you start, the only goal is this – greater intimacy with God in your creativity.

I know, I know. This can be a feel a bit unnerving. Unproductive. Impractical.

Perhaps overly simplistic. What if God doesn’t show up? Or what if he does ... then what?

The enemy will try anything to prevent you from discovering how your calling is an invitation into greater creative intimacy with God.

This is not a time of stained glass, head bowed prayer. It is not a time of silence or solitude. Silence and solitude are what you get when you write alone.

This is dynamic, eyes-open, unpredictable interaction with the God who created beaches, lightning storms, ice cream, the human form and starry skies. He invented worlds and words.

Story? That was his idea too.

Rather than spend another week writing by yourself, you get to ask the Creator questions, listen, talk, laugh, play and dream together.

This is not a side benefit or add-on to how you write. It is not an “I’ll give this ten minutes but then if nothing happens, it’s back to what works”. No, this is the go-for-broke approach of Moses in the desert.  “God, if you don’t show up, let’s call this whole trip off.”

What will happen in those seven days?

You may get a new story idea.

You may get several chapters written.

You may get massive breakthrough for your career.

Or you may get a blank screen because God invites you to walk with him, dance with him, or lean on him. Maybe he wants to play a game of catch together ... this time with ideas instead of a ball.

Regardless of anything else, you always get God when you pursue him.

And His presence trumps all productivity. Just as your story with him trumps any story you could write alone.

Seven days. That’s the invitation. Then compare the week with him to the prior week of  creating alone. See which approach offers more freedom and life for you as a storyteller. See which rhythm leads to greater creativity.

This isn’t some new rule or man-made system. You’ve likely tried enough of those already. This is about letting go and following God into the creative wild.

I have no idea what he has planned for your seven days together. Nor do you.

But don’t you want to find out?

Allen Arnold loves the epic adventure God has set before him. From the mountains of Colorado, he leads Content & Resources for Ransomed Heart Ministries (led by John Eldredge). Before that, he spent 20 years in Christian Publishing - overseeing  the development of more than 500 novels as founder and Publisher of Thomas Nelson Fiction. He was awarded the ACFW Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. But that doesn't really describe the man. Allen savors time with his family, craves the beach, drinks salsa by the glass, is hooked on the TV series "Once Upon a Time" and is passionate about helping storytellers tell better stories from an awakened heart. 

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Your Beautiful, Rowdy Story

Your Beautiful, Rowdy Story

by Allen Arnold

If your attempts to write are met with distraction, disappointment or disheartenment, it’s worth asking why.

The natural reasons may seem obvious – no free time to write, struggles with craft, or roadblocks from the ever-changing publishing industry. Perhaps it’s the time drain of staying active in social media.

But you don’t live in a natural world.

You live in a supernatural world.

And if you know that God has given you the gift of story and you are actively pursuing that calling with Him, then your writing will face spiritual opposition.

As followers of the Way, we have an enemy. Satan opposes both the story we are living and the stories we are writing. I’m convinced he has a unique hatred for those who create worlds with words because they remind him of the Creator. God is the Author of Life. The closest Satan can get to this title is the Author of Lies. I think he burns with envy when we join creative forces with God and are taught – as sons and daughters of the King – how to breathe characters into existence and give birth to worlds.

Hafiz, the 13^th century Persian poet, offers this gem: “The small man builds cages for everyone he knows – while the Sage, who has to duck his head when the moon is low, keeps dropping keys all night long for the beautiful, rowdy prisoners.”

That’s worth reading again. Our enemy is the small man who tries to keep us prisoners. God is the Sage continually dropping keys of freedom into our scarred hands. The enemy does his best to keep us caged so we never awaken to God’s invitation of life and creativity. Yet God is our heroic rescuer who will not be deterred. His invitation is not merely freedom – but a life of intimacy with Him. Don’t miss this. God doesn’t just want you free. He longs for your presence.

If you are not actively creating with God, then the story you are giving birth to has no power. Sure, it may be well crafting, entertaining, and even evoke an emotional response. But it will have no eternal spark. Only co-creation with God adds that.

So the enemy tries to keep us imprisoned, numb to our true identity. That’s why

he rages as God relentlessly drops keys to the beautiful, rowdy prisoners. Because once we are awakened and set free, we can’t help but tell beautiful, rowdy stories of life, freedom, rescue, and love.

Redemptive art flows naturally from a redeemed artist – whether the themes and stories are explicit or implicit. Some of the stories will be categorized as Christian Fiction while others will be General Fiction. I don’t think God loses sleep about how we categorize stories. The Kingdom is full of all kinds of redemption stories – many neither safe nor G-rated. Over the ages, these stories have stirred reader’s hearts towards what is true, noble, and authentic. That is why God commands us to fill our minds with these thoughts and stories in Philippians 4:8-9. It is a foundational passage for artist because what we consume influences what we create. Consider the movies, television shows, songs, and novels you are drawn to – and whether each injects life or poison into your creativity.

I hope you sense how your calling is seen from the spiritual realm. You gift of words carries immense power. You become far more than a storyteller when you enter into Creative Fellowship with God. That’s why your novels may be opposed in ways you’ve never considered. Knowing your creativity has an enemy isn’t a reason to be fearful or hesitant. But it is reason to actively walk with God in every part of the creative process.

God longs to create with you. That’s the foundational reason he gave you the gift of words and stories – so the two of you can do this together. And from that intimacy, the stories that are born can help awaken the hearts of readers. But only in that order. Intimacy with God always comes before impact for God.

See your time of writing as being on a playground with God. Run where he runs. Pause where he pauses. Laugh as you taste the rush of imagination and ideas with the Creator. Savor his smile. Cry with him.

You will also want to consecrate your creativity each day. Here is a consecration prayer specifically for Christian artists you might find helpful.

You were a beautiful, rowdy prisoner. Now you are free. Don’t stop being beautifully rowdy as you write. The world desperately needs more stories that are dangerous for good. In fact, God has already dropped you the keys to do just that.

Allen Arnold loves the epic adventure God has set before him. From the mountains of Colorado, he leads Content & Resources for Ransomed Heart Ministries (led by John Eldredge). Before that, he spent 20 years in Christian Publishing - overseeing  the development of more than 500 novels as founder and Publisher of Thomas Nelson Fiction. He was awarded the ACFW Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. But that doesn't really describe the man. Allen savors time with his family, craves the beach, drinks salsa by the glass, is hooked on the TV series "Once Upon a Time" and is passionate about helping storytellers tell better stories from an awakened heart.

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