by Kariss Lynch, @Kariss_Lynch
Our group text has been quiet lately, this cyber gathering of women from all over the country. Some are published. Some are well on their way. Some are stay-at-home moms, some are full-time day job women. And all of us are navigating life and this thing we all love, that we all feel called to—writing.
This summer, the chain went quiet. We were all off squeezing writing in around summertime activities, kids, vacations, and enjoying the great outdoors. The dreams were still present. The desire still burning. But for many of us, our time needed to be prioritized differently. Life dictated writing.
This is the art of identifying your best yes: knowing the season you are and identifying what only you can do. This summer, I relaunched my first series into the world. I sent a completed manuscript off to a publisher, and then I focused elsewhere—on grieving a lost loved one, welcoming a beautiful baby niece into the world, on my relationships, on rest.
Then I examined my current commitments. For writing to rise in priority as I transition into a busy fall, something needed to give. And that something was a ministry I love, a ministry I have served in for eight years. Sometimes our best yes means saying no to something good so we can focus on something better, something only we can do.
It finally hit me when I sat staring at the emails in my inboxes. One to contact a girl who had visited the ministry and see if I could help her get connected to the church. The other an email from a reader letting me know that her faith was struggling and reading my book had helped. One email could be answered by sixty other volunteers. One email could only be answered by me.
So I chose my best yes in this season and said goodbye to something I love in order to create space for what only I can do. And honestly, some of it was inspired by our quiet group text. I knew they were saying their best yes in this season, too.
I don’t know what that looks like for you. I don’t know what you may need to give up in order to give writing your all. I don’t know if your season right now needs to be a season of reprioritizing family over writing so that writing will thrive later. There isn’t a formula. But there is a way to balance.
Examine your calendar. Evaluate your commitments. Manage your time. Determine if there is something good that needs to be exchanged for something great. And when that season to write rolls back around, be all in. Write fearlessly, diligently, and passionately. The story in your head can only be written by you. And the world needs your voice. Figure out your best yes, and keep writing, friend. You’ve got this.
Recent college graduate Kaylan Richards has spent her entire life following a plan. Go to school. Get good grades. Do what you love. Love what you do. Only what Kaylan loves requires a sought after internship. She doesn’t want to wait. She wants to help people now. And on the eve of her decision to leave her life-long plans behind, the man she wants to forget walks back into her life. Navy SEAL Nick Carmichael never dreamed he would love a woman more than he loves serving his country. Now he’s finally ready to win her heart, but this time she’s the one who wants to leave for the most poverty-stricken country in the western hemisphere. And it’s his turn to watch her go. It’s the worst earthquake Haiti has ever seen. Kaylan is trapped in the aftermath, and Nick is a world away on a mission to catch a terrorist. As they find their way back to one another, Kaylan and Nick must learn that love grown in the midst of tragedy can truly conquer all. But only if they have the courage to fight for it.
Kariss Lynch writes contemporary romance about characters with big dreams, adventurous hearts, and enduring hope. She is the author of the Heart of a Warrior series and loves to encourage her readers to have courage. 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.