Most writers would tell you that writer’s block can be a difficult hurdle to overcome. It has a way of soaking into your brain, causing it to short circuit and you’re left sitting in your desk chair, buzzing and twitching while you stare at a blank computer screen.

We often blame writer’s block on an absence of ideas because in the moment, it feels like there is absolutely nothing to write about. We can almost see the tumbleweeds blow through our heads. But perhaps we’re looking at the problem from the wrong perspective. Maybe, it’s not the absence of ideas but rather the proliferation of ideas that causes the traffic jam in our brains.

Every day, we are inundated with information. It makes sense to be connected and keep informed, especially as a writer, but all of that stuff can clog the mind. We can’t decide what to write about because there is too much to write about. We find it hard to sort through all that information in a way that makes sense and so our minds blue screen.

Perhaps it would be a good idea for us to take a break from our electronics, particularly if we’re feeling stymied. Here are a few ways this might help:

1. Finding Our Voice
Trying to write in the midst of a storm of information is like trying to have a conversation in the middle of Grand Central Station during rush hour. There is too much distraction. Disconnecting from the electronics provides an opportunity for us to clearly hear the thoughts in our own heads and there are always nuggets of genius in there just waiting to be mined when we can see past the clutter enough to grab a hold of them. When we stop getting spoon-fed our opinions through the media, we have the time to think for ourselves, create our own opinions and draw our own conclusions.

2. Silence The Critic
We all have a part of us that wonders if we’re good enough as writers and those feelings can be intensified when we compare ourselves to others. It’s easy to start reading blogs, articles and features and worry that our writing isn’t as good. It can also make us start to feel like everything has been written about and there are no fresh angles. When we write without the pressure of trying to live up to someone else, we enjoy it more and end up writing something that is truly ourselves. The writing happens organically.

Incidentally, this I have found that unlike blogs and magazines, books have an infinite capacity to inspire and can be a spring board for new ideas.

3. Hear God’s Voice
We once lost power for a full two weeks! It was so difficult…and dark, but I found that not only was I able to think more clearly, I was able to hear God speak more clearly! Normally, it’s hard to hear his voice over the buzz of the world. Some of the best conversations I’ve ever had with God were when I was being really still. He loves to talk to me when I’m in the shower or when I’m lying in Savasana during yoga class or when I’m sitting alone in the exam room at the doctor’s office.

I’m sure he capitalizes on those moments because they are usually the only times when I am in complete silence and he has my undivided attention. It’s important for everyone, but especially writers who have a heart to write for God, to be still and silent every single day. Otherwise, we will miss what God is trying to teach us and we’ll also miss out on the blessing of sharing that lesson with others.

The next time you feel the writer’s block start to creep in and you’re looking for inspiration, fight the urge to find inspiration online or on television and instead, try turning everything off and look for inspiration within.

QUESTION: How can Christian writers do a better job of turning of the media in order to refocus?

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For the past two years, I’ve been pouring myself into a memoir. I spent time brainstorming, planning, writing, editing, and finally settled on my plan of action. I wrote about ten chapters and have been fine-tuning them. I asked a couple of friends to read through what I had so far to get some feedback.

After talking with them, I had a painful realization.

I need to go back to the drawing board. My original plan is not working.

Part of me is crushed. I was getting so close to the blissful land of DONE. Now I feel like I’m all the way back at the beginning. All the work I’ve put into it, and still nowhere near a finished product.

I had a small pity party, but now I need to pick myself up and remember some important things.

1) Writing is a process.

It takes time. I can’t rush it, and shouldn’t want to rush it. The act of writing is a beautiful thing, and I don’t want to miss out on anything along the way.

2) No writing is ever wasted writing.

Even if no one ever reads the words I’ve written, they are still important. If they’ve helped me to process or more clearly see something, then they have served their purpose.

3) I’m trying to make my work the best it can be.

I don’t want to strive for perfection, but I don’t want mediocre either. If I settle for just okay, that’s not honoring my story.

4) The book you set out to write is rarely the book you end with.

I first heard this bit of wisdom from Jon Acuff, and it’s likely he first heard it from someone else. In my case, it’s proving completely true. And it’s okay. I’m writing the book that needs to be written.

5) God is teaching me as I write.

I’m a bit hard headed, and don’t get a lesson right away. Sometimes God teaches me through the words I write. He’s pretty sneaky. So, even if those words don’t end up in a book, they’ve taught me a valuable lesson.

So, back to the drawing board I go. And I plan to enjoy the ride.

Question: When it comes to Christian writers, have you ever found yourself in the frustrating place of starting over? How do you handle it?

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It was a communications class with a new professor by the name of Dr. Hensley. Hensley got up, stared at us until we quieted down, and said:

“I am not Mr. Rogers. I don’t like you the way you are… I want you to be better.”

I thought, Okay, where did they find this guy? Is he serious?

He was serious. He refused to let us slack off, turn in half-hearted work, or show up to class late. He meant business.

My first paper I turned in – a paper I thought I breezed through – had red marks all over it. My grade mark – a D. Dr. Hensley wrote on my paper, “Mr. Arnold, I expect better work than this.”

But I didn’t do better. In fact, my next paper I got an F. He wrote, “You are currently the worst student in my class. Is this all I can expect from you?”

Well I had it. I was out to prove to him I was not the worst student.

My grades steadily improved until one day, toward the end of the semester, I got an A. He wrote, “Mr. Arnold, I knew you could do it. You are the most improved student in the class.”

I owe Dr. Hensley, more than anyone, for pushing me and inspiring me to be a writer. In fact, a few years after I graduated, I met with Dr. Hensley in his office and told him I wanted to be a writer. He was so encouraging. He gave me books on writing and told me I should attend a Christian Writer’s Conference, which I did.

I dedicated an entire chapter in my book, Pilgrims of the Alley, to Dr. Hensley.

I think as writers we need to be pushed; to be reminded to give our very best; to not settle or be content with mediocrity.

Here’s why being pushed is imperative:

• It raises the bar (the standard) for excellence. As human beings it’s natural to drift, to be passive. But when someone pushes us, it motivates us to reach further and higher.
• It teaches us discipline. When Dr. Hensley wrote I was the worst student in the class, I wasn’t okay with that. So I worked my tail off and my grades improved. The Bible talks about self-control being a fruit of the Spirit. But it’s so easy to let this one slide or brush it off saying, “I’m just too busy” or “it’s good enough.” God wants us to give our very best, not to settle.
• We respect those who push us, who refuse to see us settle and our dreams turn out unfilled. Why? Because they care about us and our God-given potential. Is it easy to hear constructive criticism or ways we need to improve? No. But it’s vital if we are to grow.

With that said, I’ve had many push me the last few years to write my book, Pilgrims of the Alley: Living out Faith in Displacement. And now my dream has become a reality as it released on Monday, February 18, 2013.

Ultimately, God pushed me to do this. He was the One who inspired me to write and put it on my heart to share my voice.

So my encouragement to you: Don’t give up on your dreams! Write for God’s glory. Push yourself. Allow others to push you so you can be the best at what God has called you to do.

Questions: Share of a time when someone pushed you to be a better writer? How have you seen God push you?

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Recently, I worked on a group project with several writers. After getting our initial thoughts on paper, we gave our thoughts on each other’s writing. Then it was time to move to the next step.

Editing

We sent the work to a professional editor to look at. A couple of weeks later, I received what looked like a graded term paper in my inbox. It was covered in red ink.

There are two ways to react to editing:

1. Be really offended at the changes made, taking it as a personal attack against your very core.
2. Be thankful for the feedback given and take it as a chance to improve your writing.

As writers, we’re never real happy to hear that something we poured our heart and soul into is not perfect. That sentence I spent ten minutes perfecting is now crossed out, deemed unnecessary to the rest of the piece. That word that I thought was really clever is actually just redundant. It can be hard to hear.

I took the corrections and revisions and carefully read through them, learning from each mistake. I’m holding onto that red inked term paper, in hopes that I can learn from my common mistakes.

After I finished making the changes, I realized how much tighter my writing was. It was more concise. My work was even better. It was a great feeling.

As writers, let’s take the constructive criticism we receive to spur us on to even greater writing. As Christians, let’s rely on the community around us to encourage us and push us on toward better writing.

QUESTION: In what ways can we respond better to the editing of our writing art?

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However, I’ve discovered there is a significant difference between criticizing and critiquing.

I came across the following definition which I found helpful:

The Difference between Critique and Criticism[1]

• Criticism finds fault/Critique looks at structure
• Criticism looks for what’s lacking/Critique finds what’s working
• Criticism condemns what it doesn’t understand/Critique asks for clarification
• Criticism is spoken with a cruel wit and sarcastic tongue/Critique’s voice is kind, honest, and objective
• Criticism is negative/Critique is positive (even about what isn’t working)
• Criticism is vague and general/Critique is concrete and specific
• Criticism has no sense of humor/Critique insists on laughter, too
• Criticism looks for flaws in the writer as well as the writing/Critique addresses only what is on the page

I have experienced both. Thankfully, the critiques I have received have been helpful whereas criticism has had the opposite effect.

The Bible teaches us about proper communication. For instance, in Colossians 4:6, it states that our speech should be full of grace and seasoned with salt.

As godly writers, we should implement this practice and our faith should be apparent in everything we say and do.

Critiquing is positive and constructive while criticizing is negative and counterproductive. We must be thoughtful in our approach in critiquing others. We must be mindful of the spirit behind what we say as well as how we say it.

We all have opinions, but we must be careful and responsible in how we communicate it to others. Are we communicating in a meekness, gentleness and love? Or are we being harsh, critical or judgmental? Is our critique helpful or hurtful?

If you are a beginner or novice at writing, I believe it’s important to know the difference between someone critiquing your work versus someone criticizing it.

I am grateful to God to be learning the difference early on in my writing career.

QUESTION: Did you know the difference between critiquing or criticism? Has anyone ever criticized your writing instead of critiquing it? If so, how did you handle it?

Three weeks ago, my husband and I were out looking at cars.

We walked into a dealers shop and a manager came out to meet us. After showing us around, he turned to me and asked,

“So what do you do?”

One and half years ago, my answer would have been sure and effortless: I run a clothing outlet, plan events and coach on the side.

Thanks to moving 8,000 miles across the globe, I was stumped.

My husband (bless his heart) read my expression and answered the manager, “She’s a writer”.

I found my voice and finished “…and life and relationship coach.”

The manager laughed, “Oh, so you are one of those starving artists!”

I laughed aloud and corrected him, “Am certainly not starving!”

But on the inside, I hurt.

His remark, meant as a joke, found a soft spot.

The truth is I am not making money from the blog yet. Okay I made like 5 bucks from Ad sense. But beyond that and when it comes to writing, I am not counting dollars.

Sometimes, I do feel like a starving artist.

And I don’t think am alone. I think many Christian writers feel the same way sometimes.

We often find it easier to encourage and correct ourselves in private, when these starving artist thoughts rise up in us.

But we struggle when someone else, or some off-hand circumstance bangs against us and questions the hope we believe in.

So two weeks ago, I sulked and brooded for a couple of hours.

Then the Spirit of God quietly reminded me that the reason I corrected the dealer was because I don’t measure the value of what I do in monetary terms.

For me, it’s about impact and changing lives.

I don’t know about you and what you believe. I don’t know what God has spoken to you about your journey as a Christian writer.

What I know is that there’s purpose to this craft.

And that purpose will be tested in every possible way, and mostly when we least expect it.

The question is, what will come out of your mouth when pesky ‘car dealers’ (questioning circumstances) come calling? How will you respond to life’s difficult moments?

John Maxwell says something powerful about impact. He says that success is about adding value.

“Every person can be successful if they do one thing. Wake up everyday and ask “who can I add value to today? “

As Christian writers, God has called us to add value.

When we add value, success often follows.

In the meantime, we must learn to thrive and grow in the in-between!

QUESTION: As a writer, have you ever dealt with “starving artist” kind of situations? How did you deal with it?

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Writing for God is decidedly different from being an average writer. What we do, how we do it and even what we gain from it are unique experiences.

We write because God has given us a voice and we want to use that voice to bring others closer to him. Our goals should not be to make money or become famous. But since those are the things generally associated with success, how do we measure our success without them?

To answer this question we must ask ourselves another: “How does God define success?”

Obedience is Key

When David was dying he gave his son Solomon some advice,

“Do what the LORD your God commands and follow his teachings. Obey everything written in the Law of Moses. Then you will be a success, no matter what you do or where you go.”

That advice is still relevant today. If we obey God and follow his lead with our lives as well as our writing, we will be successful. It may not yield riches or power but being obedient and fulfilling our purpose is worth much more in the only kingdom that matters.

One Is A Priceless Number

If my blog only gets 100 hits today and I get one comment, am I still successful? Yes. The truth is that in God’s economy, reaching one person is a priceless thing. If that one blog comment says, “I really needed to hear this today,” you’ve done a great job! If today you can string words together in a way that changes one person’s day and points them in the right direction, you can count yourself as crazy successful.

Focus On God, Not Gifts

You’re probably writing because God gave you a gift and the action of using that gift towards God is a powerful thing.  Rumi said, “there are many ways to kneel and kiss the ground.” Writing is our offering, it’s an act of obedience and if we try to make it about ourselves, our sense of success is skewed.

• Are you focusing on your writing or on your God?
• Are you focusing on the gift or the giver?
• If you’re not feeling fulfilled, contented or successful, perhaps you’re focusing on the wrong thing.

Sometimes it’s easy to stumble on the gifts God gives us if we take our eyes off him. If you are focused entirely on God the rest will come and no matter where we land, we’ll have success. Remember, a gift used for ourselves is called talent. A gift used for God is called grace and being full of grace is worth more than a million blog hits, worth more than a spot on the New York Best Sellers list and worth more than any amount of money could imagine.

QUESTION: How do you define success as a Christian writer?

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When I first started out, I saw blogging as an extension of my offline life. I helped people in real life. I was in business and so I thought I could bring that aspect into my site.

It’s been a journey (a rather long one) and I’ve learned a couple of things when it comes to how to make money from a blog.

Job boards

I started out with a job board in my old blogspot (free blogger website). You know, the banners you put up on your site and when people click and pick up work, you earn something.

Months later, I’d earned exactly…. zero. I pulled down the job board fast.

Ad sense

I read up on it and installed it on my site. My earnings after almost two years of blogging? 5 dollars.

On a side (but important) note, my problem with Ad sense was that it didn’t seem to catch on that I am a Christian.

I tried to block all the tasteless URLs, even checked-off that little box that allows Google to target the audience according to their browsing tastes.

Still some clever URL would once in a while pop up on my site and scare/shame the daylights out of me. And my readers.

I removed Ad-sense from my site.

E-books

I cranked out a 17,000-word e-book manuscript at the beginning of this year. I planned to sell it for a a dollar or two. But a friend helped me revise my thoughts.

Now am tying up a little 7,000 word ebook to give away for free (in exchange for subscription).

My lesson? Consider generosity first. Sow where you want to go.

Books

I’ve written so many manuscripts that I’ve lost count. I burned some of them (long story), lost some and have three remaining in my hard drive.

Again, publishing is less than straight forward (and expensive) in Kenya compared to the US. So my thoughts and ‘books’ piled on.

My blog has given me a place to practice publicly and consistently. And has made me realize that there’s a lot of re-writing to be done in my remaining manuscripts.

I have also learned that most of the money will come from associated products, not from the books themselves.

Services

I have a brick-and-mortar kind of business background. All my consulting, coaching and events planning was done off line. My main marketing thrust was word of mouth. Going online (and starting from scratch) has turned my head around.

Blogging has taught me a thing or two about adapting, re-learning (and unlearning), networking and growing. We have to start somewhere. Although personally I prefer to start right before that final step.

I’ve discovered that the things you learn on the way to the top are the things that keep you thriving at the top.

My biggest lesson yet…

In my journey, I have once again confirmed that there’s more to life and writing than making money.

Blogging is not about making money. But about helping people. And doing so in line with my passion and purpose.

Money is a byproduct of good deeds. Without this revelation, online business (and ministry) can be a long hard process.

Question – Have you ever tried to make money from a blog? What lessons have you learned? Share your story below.

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I don’t mean that it’s only a privilege to be writer here at Godly Writers. That it is. But I’m talking about something greater, about a bigger lesson learned from the Apostle Paul, arguably the most influential writer of all time.

A godly writer has a privilege we all too easily forget. Paul put it like this:

“We are God’s fellow workers.”

We get to work with God. I find that simple statement to be simply amazing.

He doesn’t say that we are God’s slaves, His field hands, or even His proofreaders. But co-workers. The image is one of laboring alongside the Almighty, shoulder to shoulder in the field to build up His people. It brings to my mind the image of being down in the trenches with God each day — and sometimes, let’s face it — that’s what it feels like. Other times, it’s as if we’re carving exquisite ivory that will enchant as a thing of beauty forever. But we’re always with Him.

What We Take for Granted

I know I’m dating myself a bit with this memory, but I recall the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles that aired back in the 1990′s. The show followed a young Indian Jones as he journeyed around the world with his parents, meeting such luminaries as Hemingway, Picasso, and even more infamous figures such as Eliot Ness. He seemed to meet everyone who was anyone at the time, from presidents to painters, all the while unaware of the privileged childhood he experienced.

I think that, all too often, we writers can be like young Indy. Privileged but unaware.

Think about it, when God created the universe, what did he use? Words. When God brought us into existence, what did He use? Words. When he wanted to reveal Himself to His creation what did he choose as the medium? Words. Even Jesus himself, the incarnate God, is called the Word. God chose to use words to do his greatest work. And we get to work alongside Him using — you got it — words.

Can there be many higher privileges than this? As J.R.R. Tolkien put it, we are “sub-creators” taking the gift of language God has created and then sub-fashioning it with ever more skill to reveal the fullness of the One who labors with us.

So What’s It Like?

For those who have worked alongside Presidents or other famous historical figures, a question often asked by biographers is, ”So what was it like to work alongside __________?” For us, the question should be the same at the end of each day. So what was it like to work alongside the Almighty wordsmith today? What did you learn from Him? How did you enrich His fields? And did anyone notice a difference?

When the disciples spent time alongside Jesus, people could tell.

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13)

Something miraculous takes place when we spend time laboring alongside Him, whether it’s in the trenches, fields, or at our keyboards.

Whenever you feel discouraged about writing, remember the privilege you have been given as a godly writer, a co-laborer with your Creator. Try this answer the next time someone asks who you work with:

I work with the Creator and Sustainer of all life, the Author and Finisher of all faith, the all-knowing, all-powerful Master of all art, the Writer of all history, the Source of all wisdom, truth and knowledge, the epitome of love, care, and compassion. And I’m just getting started.

If that’s not enough of a privilege to motivate your writing today, I don’t know what will.

QUESTION: What do you believe is the greatest privilege to being a Christian writer?

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Every writer asks this question at some time, maybe many times. Christian writers ask it right along with all the others. Every Christian knows that it is not God’s plan for us to be scared or confused or unproductive. When we feel this way, we have wandered off God’s path into Satan’s wilderness.

This isn’t the vicious abrasive Satan that scares us when we think of spiritual warfare. This is the indolent Satan who is enjoying the shade of a big tree on a warm day when the rest of us are trying to accomplish something. Out of the corner of one eye we see the wastrel lying there in the cool grass. Playing with bugs. Figuring out cloud images. Looking for the bird with the special song up there in that tree somewhere. Swilling Kool-Aid or Coke while we are sweating. It all looks a lot better than a computer screen. We envy the hours of guilt-free purposelessness as Satan whispers:

“You are wasting your time. Shut up. Quit. Nobody cares what you think.”

There is only one answer. Prayer.

This is the time to remember just one sentence of the Lord’s Prayer, the prayer Jesus gave us to teach us how to pray. As Satan lolls back with a smirk on his face and a sneer in his eye, pray, “Your will be done, Lord, on earth as it is in heaven.” Satan’s smirk be wiped away, but that is not all. As you pray, you will remember your call from Christ. “Stop focusing on you and look at me. Follow me. Go where I go. Do what I do. This isn’t about you. It is about me.”

At this point you can begin praying and talking with God about your work. Go ahead and be frustrated.

Tell him how you have started and deleted at least five versions of chapter 8 since breakfast because they were garbage.

Ask him why you haven’t increased your blog following since last June.

Rant at the prices stupid editors charge for the right to read your great book.

Cry because you can’t afford a premium theme and your own domain and a web artist to create a great logo.

But after you have finally laid on him all your fears and failures and fulminations, then be quiet. Be still. Let God speak. Listen for the voice of sheer silence. Wait.

The psalmist had days just like yours, and he had to deal with them. God had work for him to do, and Satan threw roadblocks in his path, too.

To you, O Lord, I lift up my writing project. I trusted you! Those reader comments are so insulting! Those editors have no taste, and they keep rejecting me! Did you mean for me to fail? Do not let me be put to shame! Make me to know your ways, O Lord; Teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me. For you are the God of my salvation; For you I wait all day long.

Psalm 25: 1-3 (my free paraphrase) 4-5 NRSV

QUESTION: What do you do to combat the feeling for the need to quit writing? Click here to leave a comment.

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We all write for a reason.

Whether it’s to make a living or to get your thoughts on paper, you have a purpose for putting words on paper.

Have you ever thought about that purpose?

Do you know why it is you happen to be a Christian writer, specifically?

I’m willing to bet it’s for the same reason as me.

I’m a blogger. A Christian blogger, to be exact. But that wasn’t always the case.

Early on, I wrote articles in a journalistic sense, delving into interesting current topics. Something just didn’t connect though.

I had just learned writing was a passion that combined my spiritual gifts of teaching, knowledge and discernment, and I couldn’t help but think I was wasting those gifts by writing this way.

So, in my enormous spiritual wisdom, I ignored those thoughts and feelings. I kept blogging about things no one really cared about (not even myself if I’m being honest) and moaning no one was reading my stuff.

Then one day it hit me. Hard.

Why We Are Christian Writers

I was praying and reflecting over what I was supposed to do with my new found gifts and it brought me to a point of spiritual clarity with God. My thoughts solidified into a concise statement which guides my writing to this day. It was this:

If I was going to write, I couldn’t justify writing about anything other than Christ.

That was it. Plain and simple.

I’m not a Christian writer because it’s a niche that no one’s found. It’s not.

I’m not a Christian writer because it helps me keep a comfortable existence. It doesn’t.

I’m a Christian writer for one reason:

I have to be.

I realize that may not be everyone’s take, but I’d be willing to bet you had a similar experience. Shortly after that epiphany, my wonderful, wonderful journey into blogging began.

“Honey! I’m going to start a blog and it’s going to be called A Parched Soul!” I blurted out one morning to my wife.

It was overwhelmingly obvious to me that this was to be my road. The name and the purpose were clear, though I had no idea what to do next.

So I started writing.

And I have been ever since.

Question: Why are you a Christian writer? Why are we Christian writers? Click here to leave a comment.

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As a writer, I strive to write daily. It’s good to get in the practice of daily writing. I have discovered that the more you write, the more you write.

But what happens when life gets so crazy that daily writing is simply not possible?

In my current day job, the month of December is insane. I work in the activities department of a retirement facility, and December is absolute craziness. The month is jam-packed with activity. Christmas light tours, living Christmas scenes, the Nutcracker; the list goes on. That extensive list causes me to work extra hours, and at odd times.

When I return home, I am absolutely exhausted. I try to get up early, only to find that the previous day’s activities have left me dragging so much that even my morning coffee isn’t enough to revive me.

All the extra activities in my life don’t get much time during the holidays. As sad as it makes me, writing is one of those activities. Some days, it just doesn’t get done.

I feel guilty. I kick myself for not being more self disciplined. Surely I should be able to make time for something that matters to me.

But then I remember that sometimes, life happens. And it needs to be lived.

I do what needs to be done in my day job. With the rest of my time, I do my best to enjoy the holidays with my husband. That is important.

So, I remind myself of a phrase I often share with others:

Give yourself some grace.

Christmas, as wonderful and magical as it can be, is a busy time. The season sucks much of our spare time and energy. Write when you can, but don’t beat yourself up for missing a day. Sit down with a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy some family time instead.

The words will be there when life begins to slow down.

QUESTION: What do you do to remind yourself that you are not called to be a slave to your writing when life happens? Click here to leave a comment.

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Sometimes I wonder why I write. Is anybody listening? Do people care what I have to say?

Do you have those questions? Do you ever think,

“Why do I write? Does anybody out there even care?”

Let’s face it: being a writer is hard work. It’s not easy and it’s often filled with loneliness and besetting doubts. But when we write for God’s glory and to impact people, this difficult calling becomes life-giving.

Why?

Because we are called to speak into the chaos of this world, to let our words pierce through the darkness all around and make a difference. But how do we do this?

I’d like to suggest three main ways:

1. Learn from Creation.

In the book of Genesis, the first act God did was create. In fact, the Bible says that in the beginning the world was formless, dark and empty (Genesis 1:2). So what did God do? He moved into this darkness, into the void.

This word for darkness is the word for confusion or chaos.

Think of it as a heavy London fog, like in Dickens’ Christmas Carol, when he writes, “the fog and darkness thickened so.” And it was in this darkness – this chaos – God hovered over and spoke into.

“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Gen. 1:3).

As writers, we are called to speak into the chaos, into the darkness of the world, believing God will use our words to bring light. We are called to tell His story, the story of God’s creative and redemptive purpose.

Larry Crabb says, “Man, like God, was meant to speak into the darkness and to become a
storyteller.”

2. Remember, you are a part of the Story.

Following God’s creation of the world, He created man in His own image. Which means, He created man to create, to speak into chaos, and to bring beauty.

Right after God created Adam, he told him to work in the Garden of Eden and “take care of it” (Gen. 2:15). He then gave Adam the assignment of naming all the animals (Gen. 2:19-20).

Similarly, God placed in every person the ability to create, to have a voice, to make a difference, and to do something beyond themselves.

When I get discouraged about my writing, I remind myself that God gave me a voice. He has wired me a certain way, giving me a unique personality with different experiences. I am part of a bigger Story. His Story.

You are the only “you” there is. And God gave you the ability to speak and to create – to help make sense of the world and to offer hope to people longing for words of life.

3. Don’t get caught up in yourself.

Writing can be an isolated calling. And with that, it’s easy to forget why we write.

My wife reminded me of this the other night. I was lamenting about my fear and what-ifs – what if nobody buys my book or what if I don’t sell many copies? She said,

“Dave, is it about you and selling lots of books, or is about the Lord and what He’s called you to do?”

I was humbled. She was right. My perspective must not be on selling a lot of books – although there’s nothing wrong with wanting to make a profit – but on glorifying the God who gave me this ability and called me to it.

It’s easy to get lost in the art of writing, forgetting why we do what we do. But when we surrender our writing to God and ask Him to use it to bring life and beauty, our words get caught up in the larger Story, in His story of redemption.

Question: In what way does your writing speak into the chaos and darkness of the world? Click here to leave a comment.

* Image credit: Tintin44 – Sylvain Masson (Creative Commons)

Which of these two messages do you tend to listen to when it comes to being the writer God has called you to be? Which one provides true words of encouragement?

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:5-9).

QUESTION: When it comes to penning words of encouragement, why do we so often listen to the echo of that first message, rather than the truth of the second one? Click here to leave your comment below.

* Image credit: caddy_corner (Creative Commons)

There is a struggle every writer experiences. An invisible war one wages against. This struggle and battle is called…

Resistance.

I first heard about resistance when reading The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield. I  just finished his other book called Do The Work where he refers to resistance a lot.

I like reading his books because it helps me realize I’m not alone in the struggle with resistance. His books help motivate me to continue writing and not give up.

Resistance has a funny way of showing up when I’m sitting at the computer or when I need to get up early in the morning to write.

These voices of resistance bombard me by saying I shouldn’t bother getting up early because I can’t write anyway.

Resistance for the writer is like spiritual warfare for a believer. I believe they are one and the same.

As Christian writers, we are constantly battling an invisible force. This force doesn’t want us to use our gift to bless others.

This force is resistance and resistance comes from the enemy. The enemy wants to stop us from being used of God.

So how do we combat resistance?

I believe the only way to combat resistance is by prayer and the Word of God. We need to pray before we write.

When the voices of resistance come, we need to use Scripture to combat it. The Bible says,

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

As Christian writers, we can overcome the struggle through prayer and by submitting to God.

Resistance will have no option but to flee.

QUESTION: What are some of the ways resistance tries to stop the writer from writing? (click here to leave a comment)

* Image credit: Jonno Witts (Creative Commons)