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On Friday, I'll send my December newsletter with subscribers--and share a BIG announcement about my writing journey. :)

 
 

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Thanks for sharing in my joy!

Want Some Good News?

I’ve shared the quote above several times only because it still resonates profoundly with me. Many of you know that I’ve wanted to write fiction my entire life. I started churning out short stories at the ripe ol' age of six.

They were descriptive, too—right down to the color of the Laz-Y-Boy recliner and the buttons on the remote (important images for me back then J).

The dream has been in my heart for several decades, but I’ve only spent the last almost decade getting serious—thanks, in large part, to my husband who helped me believe in myself, in my God-given talents.

At the time, I was working on my PhD. Writing a work of fiction while writing a two-hundred page research project not only seemed unrealistic but also, again, less serious. One side of my brain is processing Foucault and Bakhtin while the other half is wading around in the minds of my characters, a stubborn and independent journalist and a life-worn but seasoned rancher.

It had been a few years since my grandmother passed away, and I felt nostalgic, missing her like crazy and sentimental toward all things small town, and ranch life, and antique.

I officially finished the manuscript in 2013, and I’ve spent the last three years making intense changes to it—not the story line, per se, but the quality of writing. I’ve learned a lot from those who have helped me, critiqued me, mentored me along the way.

I’ve shared before about the waiting game of publishing, and today, it’s no different. But I’ve taken the wise advice of a writing mentor this semester, who said, when you’re waiting, KEEP WRITING.

So a few months ago, I gave myself a daily writing goal and decided, for my own soul, I would endeavor to write every day.

Occasionally, it feels like a chore, but most days, it’s a breath of fresh air. My whole brain resets, and I come away revived.

I’m still very willing to wait, to learn, to receive all that God has for me on this journey.

And in the meantime, I have some good news to share with you:

I’m happy to tell you I’m less than 10K words away from finishing a second manuscript. I’m on track to finish on or before June 15, and I hope to spend the next few months on the first round of edits and revisions before sending it off to critiquing eyes.

I’m also over-the-moon overjoyed to share that my first book is a semi-finalist in the prestigious Genesis contest. We were hosting about thirty-five students and faculty at our house the evening I was notified, so I missed the call. And when I listened to the voicemail in the rush of letting the dogs out and getting ready for bed, I seriously froze—and almost fainted.

Y’all, I can’t even describe how honored and humbled I feel. It’s not even the end of the contest—like finalist or winner—but this alone feels priceless. All glory to Jesus, for sure.

Thanks for sticking with me on this journey. The time will pass anyway, so I’ll keep chasing after my dreams. 

Back on Track!

I have a confession. Until recently, I’ve never had a consistent writing schedule for my fiction. I would write in spurts, usually in long chunks when I had both time and inspiration.

Do you know how unlikely it is that those two would intersect—both time and inspiration?

For the last seven months, free time has been even more scarce, and I reached a breaking point somewhere around February. (It started with those three little words: Present over Perfect.)

I began to take ownership of my time; it is, after all, mine to spend. I choose my yes and my no.

Since then two really cool things have happened with my writing.

First, I determined in my heart that I would follow through with a consistent writing schedule. I set a realistic time and a word count goal for myself, and y’all, it’s been over 30 days.

I’m happy the say the habit has fully formed.

I’ve said before that writing is my hobby, my passion, MY thing. I get to suspend reality for a little bit and get lost in another world.

Second, I threw out all pre-writing plans and plotting and simply started writing the story that’s been in my head.

I had heard successful, award-winning authors talk about writing without a plan, just seeing where the characters take them. I always thought that was preposterous.

Who can write a novel without a plan?

My first novel was carefully plotted, each chapter designed before I even started writing.

I don’t think this was a wrong way to do it, but I’ve found that sitting down to write is far more fun.

I’m not constrained by a chapter plan. I don’t even know what will happen next.

I just start typing and see what comes out.

Writing feels free and exciting. I sometimes laugh out loud as I write a scene, shaking my head at my characters. Who knew he was going to do that?

Although I occasionally groan and don’t want to write when the time arrives, I’ve not once regretted it when I start pounding the keys, and it truly doesn’t take long before I’ve met my word count for the day.

If I keep my schedule, which I hope to do for the rest of my life, I’ll have the first draft of a new book finished by early June. I can’t tell you how good it feels to have my writing career back on track—at least the part of it that I can control, the actual writing.  :)

Friends, do you have a hobby, a dream, something you desire to do but can’t seem to find time for? I encourage you to give it priority. 

We get to say where our time goes. We’re not victims of our daily schedule.

I hope you’ll find freedom in saying yes to the thing you really love to do.

When the Word Tests You

"Until the word of the Lord came to pass, the word tested [Joseph]." Psalm 105:19

I've been meditating on this verse all week. It's a favorite of mine, and in the past I've always used it to encourage us to have faith in the gap.

You know, the gap of confrontation, that hole between when God gives you a word or a dream or a promise and when He accomplishes it.

In that place, you learn to stand on God's word, to declare His truth and His promises over your circumstances, over your feelings, over your enemy.

I know that gap because I've been in it for five years.

We've heard God that we'll be parents, and we know He's going to give us children.

So we continue to wait and trust His plan., and when I feel discouraged, Psalm 105:19 is my go-to verse.

But this week, I've meditated on it for a different gap. Maybe I'll call it the writer's gap.

I know He's put this dream in my heart. In fact, I believe He's called me to write, which is why I named this blog "Obeying the Call."

I'd spent many years hiding from my calling, and I started this blog--six years ago--as an act of obedience.

Do you know what happens when we step out in faith and do something?

Well, sometimes we get tested.

I have so much that is calling for my attention now that it's a test to even write.

I'm not saying that I'm in disobedience if I don't write. I'm not out of God's will if I'm
not popping out book chapters or blog posts.

That's not God's heart.

The truth is, I feel free when I write. It relaxes my mind and brings joy to my heart and refreshes my soul.

Even if I'm not writing to share the words, the act itself blesses me and draws me closer to God.

It seems natural, then, that I might face opposition before getting to that place of serenity, of chosen time, of consecrated words, pushing pen across paper or clicking keys to a screen.

Wiring in this season might look differently than it did this summer, when I could devote entire days to working on and editing my book.

That's okay. In fact, I have to be okay with that.

But I believe writing--finding time to write, regardless if it's to be shared or to be cherished--is a battle I'll have to fight and overcome.

It's a conscious decision I'll have to make, and it's not about the words, where they'll go or what they'll say. It's about me and my heart and my joy.

What about you, friend?

Do you have a dream God has put in your heart? Do you find yourself in the gap of confrontation?

I pray you'll dwell on His word, His truth for your life.

Keep dreaming. Keep fighting for your dreams. He is faithful.

"Writing WITH God:" A Refreshing Weekend in the Springs

For the first Saturday in April, I was blessed to attend the ACFW “Write in the Springs” event with the local Colorado Springs chapter. (Although I’m here in Texas, my closest chapters are Colorado Springs or Dallas—both six hours away!)

I didn’t know anyone attending the event—and as an introvert, meeting new people feels scary sometimes. But God truly went before me to open doors.  I sat between two multi-published authors, and I was overwhelmed with their kindness and advice.

Allen Arnold’s message for the day could not have been more timely. (If you’re going to ACFW in Nashville, I encourage you to go to his “Two Realms” session.)

I won’t divulge his message too much, but suffice to say—I approached my writing from the wrong realm. He talked about writing with God, not for Him or about Him. What a powerful concept!

Writing with Him means positioning my heart to be open before Him, to be led by Him, to hear Him.

And to do that, we have to walk in who we are in Christ, so we can approach Him and know Him as the relational Father, not as a distant or uncaring or angry or disappointed Father.

At one point, Allen asked us to spend time with the Lord individually and ask to receive from Him how He feels about our writing.

I don’t know why I had never done that before—and I don’t know why I expected something negative (like the voice of an angry critic: do more of this, don’t do that, etc.), but what I heard from Him I will treasure forever.

I finally have a vision statement for my writing, and I can see my work as He sees it, which means I can see the purpose He has for it. I feel so encouraged to keep pursuing this journey.

But the BEST part of my weekend came later that day—when Howell and I got to spend the evening with my favorite author and her husband. She is an award-winning, multi-published author, but she treated me as a friend and offered incredible advice and direction.

She even asked to read my first chapter. (*SQUEAL!*) I was scared to send it to her (But she’s so awesome, and I’m so…) But I’m glad I did because her suggestions and comments were positive and encouraging and incredibly helpful.

It’s been almost two weeks, and I’m still on cloud nine from that trip. I made new friends, I received great advice from several people, and the Lord refreshed my soul! What a blessing!  

There’s a Hillsong line that says, “To your glory, for your glory.”

That’s what I continue to speak over my work and over my writing journey.

This semester is soon ending, and I feel more revived than ever to keep writing and editing and pursuing options to get my work out there!

Writing friends: How are you feeling these days? Do you need the Lord to refresh your soul? Ask Him how He feels about your writing. I promise you’ll feel restored. >>> Click to Tweet

Lessons from Another #NaNoWriMoFail

NaNoWriMo ended Monday, and I can safely put another #NaNoWriMoFail in the books. 

But before you stop reading, this is not a self-deprecating post. I made it to almost 11,000 words, and I’m proud of that accomplishment. I spent the first 10 days of the month stressed out because I started out behind, and then the Lord, ever so gently, asked me who I was performing for. Ouch. 

I stayed behind for the rest of the month, but it wasn’t about competing, or proving, or performing anymore. The goal was to write, and I did—when I could.

NaNoWriMo has this mantra that one should write 50,000 words—regardless of whether they are ‘good’ words or not. Just get them down. Just. Write. Write. Write.

I’m not necessarily opposed to this exercise in writing, but for me, I decided to make the month about being diligent to my writing—and for me, being diligent about writing means I don’t waste words for the sake of a word count. I’m a thoughtful writer—and, as I’m learning, that makes me a slow writer. I imagine scenes in my head for days before I write them down. When I write, I write a lot at once—but I can’t keep that up every day. It’s too much.

One of the big takeaways I had from the ACFW conference this year was creating a writing plan or a writing schedule. I talked to one person who told me Frank Peretti writes 250 words a day. That’s not much—and seems so do-able—and it allows for 90,000 words a year: a book-length manuscript.

Others, I learned, try to write 3,000 words a week; some even said 5,000 words a week.

I wrote almost 11,000 words in a month, and I feel good about that—it’s slightly less than 3,000 a week, and it’s slightly more than 250 words a day.

And you know what else? I wrote. I worked. I thoughtfully considered my new story plot and my characters and my scenes and my dialogue. And I wrote some more.

I was reading Rachelle Gardner’s post about rejection this morning. I especially like reading the comments section on the B&S blog, and I was reminded that if I genuinely feel called to write, if I feel like it’s the gift He’s given me, then I can’t quit—regardless of the rejection I might face. By the same measure, I can’t make writing about me—my success or promotion.

In For the Love, Jen Hatmaker says it like this: “Run your race. Maybe you need to invest in your gifts. Take a class. Go to a conference. Sign up for a seminar. Start that small business. Put that website up. Build in some space. Say yes to that thing. Work with a mentor. Stop minimizing what you are good at and throw yourself into it with no apologies. Do you know who will do this for you? No one. You are it. Don’t bury that talent, because the only thing fear yields is one dormant gift in a shallow grave” (p. 33). 

NaNoWriMo is over, but my story is not complete. That status for my first manuscript is still uncertain, but I am not done.

Being a writer is about more than writing. And writing a novel is about more than one month of the year.

I’ve said before—I’m willing to work, to edit, to take the hard words and the real truth and criticism, to collaborate, to re-do, and to listen.

My part, for now, is to write. To do anything else is to bury the talent.

 What gift has God given you to steward? Do you need to resurrect the talent from a shallow grave?  [Click to Tweet!]

Writer-friends:  Advice for me? What's your writing plan? How do you keep your "I won't quit" attitude? [Click to Tweet!]

The Temptation to Perform and Please

As I was thinking about what to write this week, I realized that Thursdays are titled “Transparent Thursdays,” so it’s appropriate that I be transparent today. 

Let’s talk about this journey I’m on as an unpublished, unrepresented author. 

Right now, my goal is to send my manuscript to one of the agents who asked for it at the ACFW 2015 conference. I’ve been editing and polishing the draft since the day I returned. I sent it out to a second round of readers for feedback. And I’ve been agonizing over every word in the cover letter/email I plan to send as well. 

Let me put you inside my head for a moment. We are driving home from a weekend trip on Sunday, and I’m thinking about the email as I look out the window. Hmmm, I wonder if I should keep that line. Should I? I don’t know. I mean, maybe. Well, I don’t know. Maybe not. 

Sigh.

Man, I really need to be still before the Lord. I need to hear from Him on this.

A few seconds later…

But what if I think I hear from Him. And then I submit it. And she’s not interested. Rejection. Did I not hear Him? Was it that line that turned her off, made her stop reading? Ugh. If I miss Him, I might miss out on His favor—and it’ll be because that’s not what He said for me to do.

More sighing.

So, this is my internal dialogue—the full re-cap. And about the time I’m feeling defeated before I even begin, I gently heard the Lord say: “Sweet girl, that sounds like works-based performance. That sounds like attempts at pleasing me and pleasing others. I’m already pleased with you, remember? The Cross? It’s finished. My grace? It’s unmerited. It’s not about what you do or don’t do. I love you, baby. Don’t put performance on yourself.” 

I could have cried. Thank you, Lord, for the reminder.

The thing is, I’ve been on this journey with not being able to get pregnant for over four years. And it has been rough for most of those four years, but I’ve only recently learned a very important truth: the reason I can’t get pregnant (yet) has nothing to do with my performance. It’s not because I didn’t pray enough or believe enough. And my barrenness is not a punishment. God already dealt with punishment at the cross—He doesn’t punish me.

In fact, He loves me. He’s for me. And He’s a good Daddy. I can trust those truths. 

I didn’t realize until Sunday that the same truths I’m learning to walk in, to lean into—those truths apply to this journey as a writer, trying to pursue the dream God has put in my heart.

I may be rejected. I will inevitably face criticism. People may not like me. And they may not like my story.

But my identity—who I am—must be rooted in Christ, that I’m a daughter of the King, that I’m righteous, that I’m covered, that He’s already pleased with me—and that I don’t have to perform for HIS love, now or ever.

That has to be the foundation on which I begin this journey as an author.

To my author-friends: Do you need to remind yourself who are you in Christ today—or do you have any advice for me (or others) about how you remind yourself of your identity as you face situations that make you feel vulnerable with your work?

Click to Tweet: 

Need to remind yourself that your performance does not earn God's favor? @grace2write http://ctt.ec/bjXcc+