Today, I’m celebrating the big 3-0. With the day comes a little nostalgia and a lot of excitement. My 20s have been a blur, a fun adventure of watching God use me despite myself, grow me, and chart my journey in ways that were confusing and sometimes painful but now are beautiful. Hindsight is 20/20. As I look back at the past decade, I’m a little shocked. I definitely never thought I would be a multi-published author. That was a someday dream without substance until God overruled and wrote a different story with my last 10 years. I say all to make sure you read this:
- Never underestimate what God wants to do with your story. He will surprise you.
- My writing journey started with one character, half a scene, and a few paragraphs. Everyone starts somewhere. So what does that look like for you if you are just learning how to write a novel? How and where do you begin?
- Start with a dream and pursue it with prayer. Like I mentioned, my dreams of being an author were a “someday dream” until someone challenged me to just begin. So, I will challenge you the same way. Got a story floating in your head? Characters chattering away? Don’t worry. It’s normal. Grab a notebook or your computer and just begin. Let it be messy. Don’t think through all the publishing details yet. Just start. And pray. Pray that God will direct. Pray that God will use you. Pray for the courage just to begin.
Create a strategy. All dreams and wishes upon stars require us to chart a course. If that overwhelms you, just consider it part of the dreaming process. My first book began with one character and a few paragraphs that sprang to mind my first semester out of college in a temp job when I was wondering what in the world to do with my life. Isn’t it funny that God speaks the most in our moments when we don’t know what’s next? That character and few paragraphs turned into three chapters needed for a writing workshop. Those three chapters turned into a book. That book turned into three. Those three spurred ideas for another series. Did I plan that? Nope. Did I want a version of that? Yep. I just kept saying yes to God as he brought ideas, and I kept building a strategy around my dream as I went. The common thread in all this is that I just kept writing.- Focus on your grand adventure. No two books are ever the same. No two people think completely alike. No two writing journeys are identical. Stop comparing yourself to the journeys of others. My prayer is that my story encourages you to chase the story God is writing for you and trust him in the process.
Just keep telling God you’ll follow him anywhere he wants to lead you. Then write, learn, grow, strategize. Write like a dreamer. Plan like a business professional. Celebrate every step of the adventure.
Kariss Lynch is the author of the Heart of a Warrior series and writes contemporary romance about characters with big dreams, adventurous hearts, and enduring hope. In her free time, she hangs out with her family and friends, explores the great outdoors, and tries not to plot five stories at once. Connect with her at karisslynch.com, or on Facebook, Instagram, or Goodreads.