Sarah Sundin, @sarahsundin
In August, we adopted Senshi, a jindo—a Korean breed. Senshi was found living in the wild with a pack of other jindos, probably dumped by a breeder. Like most rescue dogs, he’s sweet and affectionate and extremely grateful for having a home and a loving family. And like most rescue dogs, he has . . . quirks.
As I take him for his lengthy walks, my writerly brain plays. Here are some lessons I’ve learned from Senshi.
Watch out for Squirrels!
Senshi is a hunter. He knows the names and addresses of every squirrel in our neighborhood. And when he sees one, he goes into hyper-alert.
We writers tend to be distracted by squirrels. Many of our distractions aren’t necessarily bad things—social media, research leads, writing articles—but they can be bad when they pull us away from our primary purpose. Write. The. Book.
This is where I want to be like Senshi. He doesn’t automatically chase every squirrel. He stops. He observes. And if conditions are right, he charges—low and quiet and fast. Oh, and he wears a leash.
Be on the hyper-alert for those writerly squirrels. Before charging off, stop. Observe. Make a conscious decision whether to pursue or not. And have leashes in your life—give yourself designated times for social media, set timers for chats, bookmark research leads to read later, whatever you need to do.
Keep Fear in Check
Senshi is rather high-strung and fearful. He startles when people approach him from behind, and he doesn’t trust new people. This kept him alive in the wild, but it hinders him in civilization. My job with Senshi is to teach him to keep his fears in check, to reassure him when there is no danger and to help him trust the safe people in our lives.
Some element of fear is healthy and wise for a writer. A healthy fear of missing deadlines keeps us writing on days we don’t feel like it. A healthy fear of not getting a new contract will keep us doing our best promoting our books.
But we must never forget the most common command in the Bible—“Fear not!” Fear is more likely to hold us back than to motivate us. It hinders relationships. It cripples.
As writers, we need to keep our own fears in check, to give our concerns over to the Lord, and to rest in his power, his sovereignty, and his love.
Mix It Up!
One of Senshi’s cutest quirks is how he rearranges his space. When he’s playful or wants to get our attention, he’ll haul things into the backyard. His bed. His toys. The towel we use to dry his feet. My husband’s shoes. My son’s shoes. (Note I didn’t say my shoes, because I keep my shoes where he can’t reach them).
As writers, we often find ourselves stuck. We don’t know how to start the scene. Our plot is giving us headaches. Our characters aren’t cooperating. The words just won’t come.
So mix it up! If you write at your desk, move to the couch. If you write indoors, take it outdoors. If you write on your laptop, try pen and paper. Try a new method. Bring out index cards and scatter them on your floor. Use colorful markers. Brainstorm with writer buddies. Play!
And take time to walk the dog. Who knows what you’ll come up with?
Note: No squirrels were harmed in the writing of this article.
Munich, 1938. Evelyn Brand is an American foreign correspondent determined to prove her worth in a male-dominated profession and to expose the growing tyranny in Nazi Germany. To do so, she must walk a thin line. If she offends the government, she could be expelled from the country—or worse. If she does not report truthfully, she’ll betray the oppressed and fail to wake up the folks back home.
Peter Lang is an American graduate student working on his PhD in German. Disillusioned with the chaos in the world due to the Great Depression, he is impressed with the prosperity and order of German society. But when the brutality of the regime hits close, he discovers a far better way to use his contacts within the Nazi party—to feed information to the shrewd reporter he can’t get off his mind.
As the world marches relentlessly toward war, Evelyn and Peter are on a collision course with destiny.
Sarah Sundin is an ECPA- and CBA-bestselling author of World War II novels, including When Twilight Breaks. Her novel The Land Beneath Us was a 2020 Christy Award finalist, The Sky Above Us won the 2020 Carol Award, The Sea Before Us received the 2019 Readers Choice Award from Faith, Hope, and Love, and When Tides Turn and Through Waters Deep were named to Booklist’s “101 Best Romance Novels of the Last 10 Years.”
A mother of three adult children, Sarah lives in northern California and enjoys speaking for church, community, and writers’ groups. She serves as Co-Director for the West Coast Christian Writers Conference. You can find her at http://www.sarahsundin.com