by Allen Arnold, @TheStoryofWith

The best creativity begins with what God stirs in our hearts. It is an invitation to intimately and actively pursue our gifting with the Creator.

So who needs your art? First of all, you do.

For novelists, we need story to make sense of the world around and beyond us. There are the times where the urge to write is so strong that – if stranded alone on a desert island – we’d scribble the story in sand or carve it on cave walls.

I’m not talking about stories you can write. These are the stories you must write. It’s the idea that wakes you up in the middle of the night. It’s the realization that the crisis your protagonist faces isn’t just a plot device; it’s your struggle. These are the kind of stories that require you to live more before you can write more.

Because ultimately what we create is an outer expression of our inner journey. The best stories always are. We don’t breathe life into them to teach someone a lesson. We invite readers, through story, to join us on a journey that matters. Our art is a costly process of discovery that stretches us in ways we can then stretch our characters…and our readers.

Where in your life are you actively exploring new frontiers? How are you sacrificing for those you love? Where have you recently blown it? What are you risking? How is your faith being tested? As authors, we must take new journeys off the page before we can take readers new places within the pages. For our characters to be fully realized, we must first live fully examined lives.

Often a writer’s best book is their first book. Why is that? After all, it’s usually the book nobody was asking for. Which is actually a big reason for its power. They weren’t written as a follow-up or to fit a formula. The ideas had time to simmer for more than a minute because there was no looming contract deadline. Nor were there readers waiting in the wings with pre-set expectations.

So then who was the first book for?

It was for the writer…first. That’s how the best stories begin.

But that’s not how all stories are born. Industry demands, trend chasing, and the desire to control success frequently drives the process. Many books are written because, well, contractually a manuscript is due. Other times, an author is asked to follow a marketplace trend to ride that wave. And some authors get stuck in formula once a prior book sells well. Because when something works, the pull is for more of the same. Not exactly the same. But close enough to increase the odds lightning will strike again.

Yet in these cases, it’s often easier to measure the writer’s external word count than their internal passion.

Well-crafted books simply aren’t enough. When we focus more on how a book should be written than why a book should be written, we’ve traded purpose for process. Both matter. But purpose and passion must come first.

Readers instinctively know when this doesn’t happen. They stop reading an author when predictability and boredom set in. My sense is the author grew bored first. Who wouldn’t after treading the same waters again and again?

Honestly, which type of book would you rather spend time with – one written out of duty, formula, and deadline or one that kept the writer awake at night because it captured the journey of his or her heart? More importantly, which type of book would you rather write?

As our Creator, God instills in us the desire to co-create with Him. So pursue what awakens your soul. Actively write with God. Give yourself – and your story – time to breathe and grow.

What if the marketplace doesn’t like it? That’s a possibility. But if you’re writing stories that make you come alive – and you’re doing so with God – let that be enough.

Your art will never satisfy everyone. So create what stirs you and then serve it full strength to the hungry. That isn’t settling for less. It’s being settled in your gifting.

The Story of With: A Better Way to Live, Love, & Create

“Unique and powerful, The Story of With will take readers deep into the discovery of their own identity. “Bravo! This fascinating blend of storytelling and teaching will shift the thinking of all who take this journey.” New York Times Bestselling Author, TED DEKKER

“Through allegory and invitation, Allen Arnold ushers us into a journey of imagination, insight, wonder, and wisdom…Read The Story of With!” New York Times Bestselling Co-Author of Captivating, STASI ELDREDGE

“This is your invitation into deeper identity, intimacy, and imagination with God. Like finding the place you’ve always longed to be. The moment you finish this book, you’ll race to grab one for a friend. Highest Recommendation!” Bestselling Author of The Long Journey to Jake Palmer, JAMES L. RUBART

“Allen has written a roadmap for dreaming with God. The Story of With is a beautiful, revelatory parable, filled with wonder, mystery, and adventure.” Author of Prone to Love & Untamed, JASON CLARK

– From the Foreword –

“You are not alone. Whether you’re a free spirit, an office exec, a writer, musician, college student, or tired parent—your soul, like mine, knows life is meant to go beyond rat races and rare applause. This book speaks to that belief. And if you’re not careful, you may find tears warming your eyes as you read because finally someone is naming your weariness, your striving, your questions of why you just can’t quite make it, or the emptiness that hit because maybe you did. It is into those places The Story of With reaches—fusing allegory with application—to offer fresh perspective, restored hope, and a rebirth of creativity.”

—From the Foreword by Mary Weber, Christy & Carol Award-Winning, Scholastic Pick Author of the Storm Siren Trilogy.

Allen Arnold is the author of The Story of With, an allegory that reveals a better way to live and create through the doorway of identity, imagination, and intimacy. His mission is to help people actively pursue and transform their talent by discovering how to pursue it with God. As the founding Fiction Publisher for one of the world’s largest Christian publishing houses, Allen oversaw the development of more than five hundred novels. He knows first-hand how common it is for creators to become disheartened, overwhelmed or burnt-out–as well as what it takes to help the dreams of writers become reality. In his current role at Ransomed Heart, he oversees content from the mountains of Colorado for the ministry. Before becoming a Board Member for ACFW, he was awarded their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 for his substantial contributions to the world of Christian Fiction.