Susan May Warren's got a lot to say about writing the
story of your heart versus writing something “to get the sale.” Grab a cup of java, sit back, and read some of her sage advice...
I receive a
lot of questions from aspiring writers and this one caught my eye.
Q: Have you
ever had a story that you wanted to write, a spiritual message you wanted to
share, but it won't let you just yet?
A: Yes, I have a couple stories sitting in my heart that I haven’t had the
opportunity or perhaps the divine timing to write yet.
I’m a firm
believer that God will work out the story in the right time, so I continue to collect
ideas, impressions, do research and let those ideas soak, waiting for the right
timing. But sometimes I’m not ready –
emotionally, or even professionally to write it. Maybe I don’t have the skill level yet. And I certainly don’t want to waste my swan’s
song on mediocre writing! So, in the
meantime, I move onto the stories I have the ability to write right now.
This is what
happened with my “Josey” series. The
story of my hilarious happenings in Russia simmered in my heart YEARS before
God opened the door to write it. And
when he did, the timing was perfect. (My
first book in that series, Everything’s
Coming Up Josey was a Christy
finalist). The same thing happened with
Nothing but Trouble. I cooked up my heroine PJ Sugar four years
before I saw it come to publication. And
I’m glad I waited – I was able to write a deeper story than the one I had
originally envisioned.
I’ve always
loved historical fiction, but I had to wait until I had the time to do the
research, as well as the ability to pull them off. I envisioned something more literary, so I
had to grow into those skills, reading widely and doing a thorough scrutiny of
my writing. My first dive into the historical
genre was Sons of Thunder (which won
an ACFW Carol this year) , and I’ve continued my love of Historical with Heiress and Baroness (due out next month!)
I think a lot
of writers believe they have to write the stories on their hearts…but perhaps
they’re also not ready to write that
story yet. I think it’s wise to ask
God if it’s time…or if there is another story that could hone your skills in
the meantime, in preparation for that heart story.
So, don’t give
up on your heart story. Wait on Him, and be open to working on something else
in the meantime to that you’re ready to write the “story of your heart.”
God Bless you
on your writing journey!
Susan May
Warren
