By Jennifer Deibel, @ThisGalsJourney
I’m not a risk-taker by nature. I like routine, predictability, and safety. And I don’t like to take action until I know for sure what the outcome is going to be.
In the writing world, as you can imagine, if I continued with that m.o., I’d likely still be unagented, unpublished, and stuck holed up in a room somewhere desperately searching for perfection.
I was just sharing with my newsletter group about this very thing. My family recently took a trip to Disney World—and I’m not a huge roller coaster fan. See above for reasoning. ☺
Anyway, I was sharing how that trip was an exercise in balancing self-care and understanding my boundaries, with stepping out of my comfort zone in order to build deeper connections and community with my family. They gently helped me stretch beyond my perceived limits, while respecting and understanding some of my very real limits involving motion sickness. The result was a gloriously fun time together that I could have missed out on had I chosen to play it completely safe and comfortable.
The same holds true for my writing. It can be a very scary thing to put ourselves out there in the form of words on a page. The writing life is rife with unknowns, hidden pitfalls, and rejection, alongside victories, dreams achieved, and deeper connection with people we’d never otherwise cross paths with.
There’s no way to predict whether or not a piece of writing is going to be accepted—by the agent, publisher, or audience you’re seeking. And that can be downright terrifying. And, newsflash, it can be equally so when it is accepted!
So, how do we bring ourselves to step beyond our self-perceived boundaries and stretch ourselves when it feels much safer and far more comfortable to stay where we are, keeping those words tucked safely in our own hearts, or even in a file on our computer?
- Just do it. There’s really no way around it. Sorry, not sorry. The only way to find out is to put your words out there for the world to see.
- Start small. I know, I know. It’s all well and good for me to say to just get out there and do it. However, that doesn’t mean you have to shoot for the moon straight out of the gate (though there’s nothing wrong with that!). If you’re feeling particularly paralyzed by the thought of sending your work off for scrutiny—begin by submitting an article or guest post, entering a writing contest, or querying an agent, starting eating that elephant one bite at a time. Start by sharing it with one or two trusted friends. Fellow writers or avid readers who can and will give you compassionate constructive feedback and encouragement.
- Pray about it. For people of faith, this is an integral part of the process. And, in truth, it should be #1 on the list above all. But pray and ask for the wisdom, discernment and guidance to know best how to proceed. Trying to rush ahead of His plan, or lag behind it kicking and screaming, are a waste of time. Pray, listen, and act.
- Remain in community. Whether it’s through your social media outlets, a local writers group, a digital group, or a combination, stay in community with writers and readers around you. Listen, encourage, and share your own struggles and victories. Yes, the act of writing is largely a solitude endeavor. But your writing career and life should not be. Yes, even if your career is as an author who is yet to meet all your major goals. Community is vital to our mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being, and will help keep our heads above water when we are drowning in doubt and rejection, and help keep us grounded when our sails are filled with the winds of publication, acceptance, and met goals.
Yes, it’s uncomfortable to step out beyond what we feel we are capable of, but it’s the only way we ever truly grow and mature—in all areas of life. What other things would you add to this list?
Happy writing, friends!
Jen
In 1920, Annabeth De Lacy’s father is appointed landlord of Galway Parish in Ireland. Bored without all the trappings of the British Court, Annabeth convinces her father to arrange an apprenticeship for her with the Jennings family–descendants of the creator of the famed Claddagh Ring.
Stephen Jennings longs to do anything other than run his family’s jewelry shop. Having had his heart broken, he no longer believes in love and is weary of peddling the lies the Claddagh Ring promises.
Meanwhile, as the war for Irish independence gains strength, many locals resent the De Lacys and decide to take things into their own hands to display their displeasure. As events take a dangerous turn for Annabeth and her family, she and Stephen begin to see that perhaps the “other side” isn’t quite as barbaric and uncultured as they’d been led to believe–and that the bonds of friendship, love, and loyalty are only made stronger when put through the refiner’s fire.
Travel to the Emerald Isle for another poignant and romantic story from the enchanted pen of Jennifer Deibel.
Jennifer Deibel, author of A Dance in Donegal, is a middle school teacher whose work has appeared on (in)courage, on The Better Mom, in Missions Mosaic magazine, and others. With firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and family. After nearly a decade of living in Ireland and Austria, she now lives in Arizona with her husband and their three children. You can find her online at www.jenniferdeibel.com . Her sophomore novel, The Lady of Galway Manor, releases Feb. 1, 2022 from Revell and is available for preorder wherever books are sold!