by Tammy Karasek, @tickledpinktam

There is a specific allotted time to sit down and write. You’ve perched yourself in front of the computer screen and typed your fingers numb. No matter the piece of writing you’ve completed, whether it’s a blog post, article, devo or part of your book, did you give it your best effort?

My hand is raised here as I have to confess, there have been times in the past that I would wait until the last minute, or my mood to cooperate, but I would be smack-dab at a due date. I needed to finish the piece for submission and I hurried through it to catch a deadline. I threw some words down on the paper, rearranged the order to make it somewhat flow and pressed the submit button. 

Then I would agonize later for the error of my ways. 

I decided I needed to redirect that process. One of my prayers for the year was to pray for God to show me when my best wasn’t in any of the submissions I intended to type The End on. I asked Him to give me an unsettledness about the writing piece. 

And man has He! They say, be careful what you ask for, and this has applied here. There have been times where I was about to hit the submit button and my computer froze or the piece wouldn’t transfer. I was living in answered prayer. 

In order to make sure my best work is what I published, I have come up with three checkpoints I’ve used so far this year. Maybe they will give you some help so you, too, can do the same. Here they are:

1. Plan your writing schedule better. Now, I back up my deadline for something one week earlier than the true due date on my calendar. Yes, I might play a little mind game with myself, but it works. With built-in margins in my deadline dates, it allows time for the words to roll around in my mind. Have a piece due on the fourth Tuesday of the month? Put it on the third Tuesday in bold red and then a different color on the true due date. This will allow time to write the post, do whatever extra is needed—photos, references, etc.—and then read it again a day or two later. Does it feel right? Do you have peace that you gave it your best effort? Perfect, hit that submit button.

2. Make an attitude adjustment. Have you rehashed a snarky comment made which was directed at you? Did a family member say something hurtful? Are you bitter about something you don’t want to admit? This could be blocking your entire thought process, which could cause you to be writing with a sour attitude and you didn’t realize it. Time to get up and walk away. Take a breath. Say a prayer. Maybe even make a needed phone call. 

3. File it for later. When you complete a writing piece, sit back and ask God to show you if you really applied yourself to it. If you question if it’s your best piece, do not hit delete. Make yourself a file that says, needs work. File the piece there. Pull it out on another day. Let it brew until the words pour into you again. 

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,” Colossians 3:23 ESV

My prayer for each of us is that we always present or post our best work wherever we have placed our words. Because remember—we want all things to be pleasing to God. 

What about you? Do you have a tip to add to those above?

---

Tammy Karasek uses humor and wit to bring joy and hope to every aspect in life. Her past, filled with bullying and criticism from family, drives her passion to encourage and inspire others and give them The Reason to smile. She’s gone from down and defeated to living a “Tickled Pink” life as she believes there’s always a giggle wanting to come out! 
A writer of Romance—with a splash of sass. She’s also The Launch Team Geek helping authors launch their books and a Virtual Assistant for several best-selling authors. Her first book, Launch  the Book! released Fall 2023. Her works have been published in a Divine Moments Compilation Book—Cool-inary Moments and The PAC Method for Writers Compilation Book. She’s also the Social Media Manager for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, Founding President and current Vice-President of ACFW Upstate SC, and Founding President of Word Weavers Upstate SC. She’s a writing team member for The Write Conversation Blog, Novel Academy, MBT Monday Devotions, The Write Editing and more. Connect with Tammy at https://www.tammykarasek.com.