Friends Don’t Let Friends Quit!

by Catherine West

If you’re reading this blog, you’re probably a writer. You may be just starting out or have been writing for many years. You may be published or you may still have that dream in sight. But I bet you know one thing.

This is a hard road.

My favorite book is Gone With The Wind. I first discovered it as a homesick thirteen-year old wandering the musty maze of books in the library at my boarding school in the south of England. It was there I was introduced to Austen and Dickens and Tolkien, and eventually stumbled upon what had to be the biggest book my hands had ever held.Gone With The Wind.

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A New Season of Writing

By Michael Ehret

Last month in my Novel Rocket post “You’re Invited!,” I began telling the story of my participation in Allen Arnold’s ACFW Conference class, “The Wildness of Writing with God.” You can click back and read the previous post or this snippet from it will set the stage:

You're invited into The Story!

Last September at the … workshop … Allen Arnold announced that he had prayed for all of us and had asked God to give him the words each of us needed to hear about our creative lives. Then, he said, he had written those words into a notebook that he would present to us.

I felt that familiar tummy turmoil as he walked around the room randomly handing out notebooks. Questions raced through my mind as anticipation and fear warred.

Then Allen set a notebook in front of me. My notebook. And I knew it was not a message from him—he was just the conduit. It was a message—an invitation—from God.

And I feared to open it.

Why did I fear?

Why do we fear anything? The unknown. Failure. Lack of confidence in our abilities. There are a plethora of reasons why we fear hearing from God. For me it was all of those—and more.

For me the fear stemmed from knowing. I knew God had called me to write and I had purposefully been avoiding it since 2007, when an appointment with an agent at a conference took a dark, unexpected (to me), turn.

"You'll never be a writer."

It’s hard for me to talk about my own work, and the experience always leaves me trembling (I know many of you can relate). But I screwed up my courage and got a 15-minute appointment with my dream agent. I gave my horrible pitch and handed the agent my first chapter.

The agent, one of the most respected in the field, read several pages. Enough that I was feeling a little confident. After all, the agent didn’t toss it right away, right?

“This is not publishable,” the agent said, with no softening preamble. “You’ll never be a writer.”

Truthfully, the agent definitely said the first part of that quote. Without a doubt.

I remain unsure about the second part. It certainly seems like it was said. In my head I still hear the agent saying it. But from what I know about agents and editors, particularly in the Christian market, I have doubts that it was verbally said.

But regardless, I heard it. And I believed it. And I let it cripple me.

My notebook inscription

God's messages are all around us.

So when I received the notebook from Allen, I opened it in fear and trembling.

“I’m inviting you into a new season of writing. Aslan is on the move! Have fun!” —God

See what God did there?

The agent was correct. My manuscript was not publishable at that time. But that isn’t what God addressed in His affirmation. He addressed what my heart heard and took inside, “You’ll never be a writer.” He poked my wound—to bring healing. And reminded me that His will for me should bring me joy, not fear.

And He didn't scold me for running from my calling. Before the conference, I asked God for a clear sign. Something that could not be mistaken. "Is this still something You have for me? I need to know."

And now I know. Will I ever be published? Well, first of all, I already am. Have been many times. Will my fiction be published? I don’t know. It’s in my hands, and it’s not. But I know this: I am a writer. I’ve made my living as a writer (and editor) since 1986 and I expect that to continue in this “new season.” God told me so.

Are you willing to ask God for a clear sign? And when (not if) He answers, are you willing to listen to what He says? What is He writing in your notebook? Don’t be afraid to open the cover.

Read the story I wrote for ACFW about Allen Arnold's workshop.

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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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When it Gets Hard

In a recent post on her blog, Karen Hancock, author of The Guardian King Series, The Arena and The Enclave, commented on the struggle she’s having as she works on her next book:

 “ ... and this kind of thing, the ideas, the modification, the sudden realization of inconsistencies, the  major readjustments, the refinement – or the dumping as unworkable and starting over... it’s all part of the hard work of building a world for a novel. So… nothing’s wrong here. It’s part of the process and the process is long, hard, confusing, frustrating, exciting, gratifying, rewarding, never easy. Nor simple. Nor fast. It’s been like this before. Many times. I’d forgotten that. Forgotten that I just have to keep plugging along, and be patient, It will come, in time.”

Anyone who has worked hard and long on writing a novel can relate to those words. They are true for all of us and I appreciated the reminder that struggle doesn’t mean something is wrong or broken or out of sync with the writer or the work. It’s just the reality that the process isn’t easy.

And such is life, even a life lived in and through and with Christ. It’s just not easy because we live in a world ruled by forces that are continually at work to cause chaos and disease and pain. We’re in the midst of it, trying to cope with our own particular segment of it, trying to bring sense to it, both for our own peace of mind and that of others. That’s the challenge for writers of faith. Madeleine L’Engle has said, “The discipline of creation, be it to paint, compose, write, is an effort toward wholeness.” Notice the word effort – that implies struggle, the need for perseverance.

There are days when it can seem too hard, when the fatigue and frustration make us just want to lie down and give up. That’s the selfish streak in us, the streak that wants all the struggle to go away and life to be always sweet and full of sunshine. But Christ calls us to a different attitude. One that urges us to keep going, to do the work He has laid out for us. We are assured that there is purpose in all of this process, purpose that affects not only us, but those around us and those who will read our words. And, because of Christ, there is even joy in it all.

So when it gets hard, know that it’s normal. Know you’re not alone. We’re all with you. And so is the One who has given you this work to do. Be encouraged by David’s words to Solomon – “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, My God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until the all the work .... is finished” (1Chronicles 28:20).
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Marcia Lee Laycock writes from central Alberta Canada where she is a pastor's wife and mother of three adult daughters. She was the winner of The Best New Canadian Christian Author Award for her novel, One Smooth Stone and also has two devotional books in print. Her work has been endorsed by Sigmund Brouwer, Janette Oke, Phil Callaway and Mark Buchanan. Marcia's second novel, A Tumbled Stone was recently short listed in the contemporary fiction category of The Word Awards. 

Abundant Rain, an ebook devotional for writers can be downloaded here. Visit Marcia's website

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Endorsements

Marcia Lee Laycock lives and writes from central Alberta, Canada. She is the winner of the Best New Canadian Christian Author Award for her novel, One Smooth Stone. Her devotionals have been widely published. A second edition of The Spur of The Moment is about to go to print. See her website - http://www.vinemarc.com/

I stared at the financial statement I’d just taken out of an envelope. I’ve never been good with numbers so I went on to the second sheet, a letter from my publisher. He started off by saying that my novel, One Smooth Stone “experienced light sales,” but said considering the state of the economy in the last year, he is hopeful the next one will be better.

Yeah. Me too.

In the next paragraph he notes that “Your annual statement includes earned royalties of $6.08 that have been applied to your advance.” Seven hundred and fifty odd dollars to go. Wow. I could have been depressed. Okay, I admit, I was, for a moment or two. But then I had another thought. This statement is dismal, yet my publisher wants me to write a sequel to that book. I’m working on it now. I was suddenly greatly encouraged by his support and faith in me as a writer. The bottom line isn’t looking good yet he is telling me to keep going. Wow. What an endorsement!

There have been times in my life when God has done the same thing, times that looked bleak yet God said, “keep going.” I’m reminded of Joshua’s story in the book of Deuteronomy. In chapter 31 Moses is handing over the leadership. Joshua is the chosen one. Both of these men have been through some hard times, times when they were discouraged and wanted to give up. Joshua is about to lead a hard-hearted rebellious people into a land that is occupied by mighty armies. So Moses tells him, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land… The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (Deut. 31:7-8).

I’m encouraged by a couple of things in this passage – number one, Joshua had no option. Note the word, “must.” It was his calling, his destiny, the thing God had created him to do. Number two, it wasn’t all up to him. Note the words, “with this people.” Moses did not say Joshua was to lead them. That was God’s place. God himself would go before them and remain with them forever. What an endorsement!

As writers I believe we are in the same position as Joshua. We are pitted against a mighty army (just read Ephesians 6:12 if you don’t believe me). We will face huge obstacles and at times things will look hopeless. But God is going before us. He’s given us a job to do, one uniquely suited to each of us, and He will stand beside us to see it accomplished.

So I’m not going to let myself be discouraged by that six dollars and eight cents. The God of the universe has put his endorsement on the cover of my life. He’s standing beside be and He has a whopping big check waiting for me in heaven – in fact, it’s a crown of gold inlaid with precious jewels and one day I’ll get to lay it at His feet.

Nothing could be better than that.

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