Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to connect with a group of other writers at a retreat. I was in a room full of people who get it: the ups and downs of writing, the challenges, the voices in our heads keeping us up at night. We laughed together, cried together, and celebrated each other’s victories. It was the sweetest kind of fellowship.
(So, little rabbit trail here, if you don’t have a group of fellow writers, find one!)
Among our group was Lauraine Snelling, who is like the favorite granny of Christian fiction. She has over 125 books published and over 5 million copies sold! She has the spunk and wisdom and heart I want to have some day.
One night as we gathered around, she asked us all, “Why do you write?” As we went around the room there were many versions of the same answer.
“I feel alive when I write.”
“I can’t not write.”
“I’m the best version of me when I’m writing.”
“Because I have these stories inside that just need to come out.”
We write because we are compelled to write. It’s a calling, a dream, a ministry, and a creative outlet. If you’re reading this post, I’m guessing you understand.
But as you start on this journey to publication beware. There are many bad reasons to write too.
- Writing for the money. Oh, honey, if this is your motivation, jump ship now. Don’t get me wrong, it is possible to earn a living at writing, but it is a slow process. You invest a lot of time and money before you see a return. Yes, there are the J.K. Rowling success stories, but they are so few. Believe me, there are much better, faster ways of making money than writing a novel.
- Writing for fame and success. Again, there is probably a better way to become famous if that’s your goal. And maybe it’s not fame per se, but respect or notoriety you seek. If that’s the case, you could write hundreds of books and never find that sense of self you’re looking for. Being published is a poor substitute for security and a strong sense of identity. If anything, the writing process will bring up insecurities, so first find your grounding in who God says you are apart from your success.
- Writing to preach a message or agenda. Yes, novels have themes and deal with a variety of topics, but if you want to be published because you think it will give you a captive audience to push your personal agenda onto then you’ve forgotten the purpose of fiction. Ultimately readers want to be entertained. As novel-writers we need to provide good wholesome entertainment. But it’s not your personal soapbox. Yes, we want to deal with real issues in our stories but if you want to preach, you’re in the wrong market. Maybe your writing is better suited for non-fiction or speaking engagements.
Fiction publishing is a very competitive market. You will face many challenges. So if you’re writing for the wrong reasons you might as well bow out now. But if you resonate with the first answers above and you simply
must write, then don’t let anything stop you!Right Here Waiting
Sled dog musher and outdoor adventurer Nick Dahlquist doesn’t mean to be a loner—he just feels at home in the woods, with his dogs, and online in his vlogging world, where he’s amassed nearly a million viewers. But he’s just a simple guy, with simple goals—care for his dogs, teach people how to survive the cold, and run the Iditarod. Unfortunately, life turns cold when his lead dog is injured, and he’s low on funds. Good thing he has LadyJHawk to chat with. She’s become an online friend he can turn to, and he’s starting to need her more than he’d like to admit. But the last thing he wants is for some random woman to show up on his doorstep…
Chopper pilot and Texas gal Jae Lynn Washington has been following Nick’s DogQuest videos and Get Lost in the Woods vlogs since she inherited her deceased boyfriend’s military working dog. Two years later, his online friendship has made her wonder if he could be more than a friend. What if she moved to Deep Haven? Would that be considered stalking, even if she got a bonafide job on the Crisis Response Team?
When Jae shows up in Deep Haven—and on Nick’s doorstep—he’s not at all the man she met online. And when Nick is tapped to train the team, he’s pretty sure petite, summer-loving Jae won’t last a moment in the brutal cold—a fear he pours out to LadyJHawk. As their training takes a personal turn, their chilly start begins to thaw. But what will happen if he discovers that Jae and LadyJHawk are one and the same?
When a blizzard strikes, and the CRT is called out into the storm, more than just their relationship is at risk…
Cozy up to this delightful twist on You’ve Got Mail set in the snowy escape of Deep Haven.
She writes contemporary stories full of romance, grace, and, yes, a little sass too. You can connect with her at michellealeckson.com!