Write for a Reason

Hello again, Christian writer friends, and welcome once again to another creative writing tip. I hope you are enjoying the hot, hot summer (unless you are reading this in the southern hemisphere, in which case, I hope you are enjoying the winter)! 🙂

This week’s writing tip is a bit more philosophical than most – don’t know where that came from!

Anyway, here’s the thought: If we don’t stop to decide what’s important to us, we just drift on, doing what comes to hand, and possibly not really making the most of the gifts we have been given. Does that resonate with you?

If it does, why not stop, take a few minutes on your own with a notebook and pen, and decide where you’d really like your writing to be going?

Write down the answers to the following questions:

1. By the time you come to the end of your life, what would you like to look back on and see you had accomplished (I’m talking about your writing here, but feel free to repeat the process with other areas of your life)?
2. What would you like to write first (now), and for whom?
3. How long do you want the story to be?
4. Will it be a one-off, or a series?
5. When would be a reasonable date to finish the first story by?
6. How are you going to fit in the time to achieve this aim?

You know what they say about planning: failing to plan is planning to fail – and there’s a lot of truth in that. If you don’t plan time to write, your story will almost certainly be pushed aside by all those other tasks that crowd in. How do I know? Personal experience! 🙂

Hope that helps – love to hear of your writing plans!

Every blessing,

Janet

P.S. The next online Write for a Reason course starts soon. If you want to take your writing to the next level, honestly, you will learn so much. And it’s a lot of fun! You can read more about it here, including testimonies of people who have done it: Writing Course.

To feel understood by those close to you is a great blessing. If you don’t feel understood by family and friends, you feel a kind of isolation. And you know what Mother Teresa said: “Loneliness is the most terrible poverty.”

Do you remember a time in your life when you didn’t feel understood? When no one knew how you were really feeling? If you do, here’s an idea: freewrite for ten minutes about this very issue. Write about how you felt (or feel, if still in the present tense), how it all came about, how you have coped since, anything that would have helped, how it has affected your relationships with other people… and anything else that comes to mind as your write.

If you wrote a story on this theme, it might not just help you to get it out of your heart and mind, but it could also help the young people who read your story! What if a child could read it and say ‘that’s me: someone understands!’?

Ernest Hemingway said, “There is no friend more loyal than a book.” As writers we can have the privilege of entering people’s lives at times of deepest need, and leaving our mark. Let’s make it a good one! Let’s write to inspire, to bring hope, to help our young people know there is someone who understands.

Blessings to you all,

Janet

Have you ever thought, when you’re writing – I wonder if this is just a waste of time?

I know I have!

Don’t worry, you have to sift through a lot of muddy water when panning for gold!

So if you believe there is gold there, keep going. No writing is ever a waste of time; it’s just like the panning process – hard work! There’s no way round it – everything worth while in this life takes effort and perseverance.

Maybe that story you are writing will be gold, or something in it will spark a thought which will lead you to some. 🙂 And if it leads one or two to start thinking about real treasure, wouldn’t that be the best result ever?

Lots love to you all (and don’t forget, nobody can write your story but you :-)),

Janet

Do you ever ask yourself this question – Is my story good enough?

I certainly do! In fact, I’m writing a story at the moment, and have reached that point where I’m asking myself exactly that question. Is it too long-winded? Is there enough action? Are the characters believable and engaging enough? Does the world they live in make sense? Is it good enough?

Can you relate to that?

At times like these, here’s some advice, that I intend as much for myself as for you. 🙂

1. The question is not: Am I good enough? See the difference? Even if this story is rubbish, it doesn’t mean you are a rubbish person! Far from it! In fact, if you have got as far as even starting your novel, you are way ahead of many who only think about it, but never do it. So congratulations for not burying your talent, but getting it out and making it work.

2. Stop worrying if it’s good enough! Good enough for what? So it may never become a bestseller, but suppose you ask a nephew or niece to read it, and they love it. Isn’t that success enough? What if the message in your story touches just one or two young people… wouldn’t that be amazing?

3. You can improve! So this particular novel might not be the best ever written, but you can get better with practice, by joining a class, getting some help. You will never become a better writer if you give up! So keep writing and do the very best you can. One story at a time.

4. Pray, and remember your purpose. Don’t let anything stop you. You have good news to share.

Hope this inspires you to keep going! If it does, please come over to our facebook page, leave a comment, share the post, tell your friends. It will help get the word out, and maybe inspire more people to write more stories…

Until next time,

Janet

Last week we took a look at making life hard for your protagonist. Did that resonate with you? Here’s a further thought on the same theme: your readers will have to go through tough times. Trials and temptations are part of this fallen world. Sad, but true.

Perhaps they are bullied at school, come from a broken home, are constantly hungry, have low self-esteem, or suffer from depression or anxiety. Perhaps they are watching a beloved pet or grandparent die, or have lost a friend. Maybe they have an addiction, are threatened with eviction, have a dad who drinks, have got in with the wrong crowd, are abused, or know someone who is. Perhaps they have a wonderful childhood, yet still feel lonely, or have an illness or disability… This is real life. Not all the time, of course, but at times difficulties can seem overwhelming.

Do you remember when you were the age of your readers? What were some of the trials you went through?

As Christians writing stories from a biblical perspective, we can help. If we can weave troubles into our stories in a relevant way, and bring our characters out the other side, we can bring hope. Could you do that with your story?

Perhaps you can turn those awful things you have been through yourself into comfort for a new generation? Nobody else can write your story, so don’t give up. And if I can be of any further assistance, don’t hesitate to let me know. Why not join the membership programme or the next course? Be lovely to have you!

Janet