Your Writing Journey ... One Step at a Time
By Andrea Merrell
I’m a creature of
habit, especially in the morning—bathroom break, eye drops, vitamins, coffee,
devotions, and time spent in prayer. That’s my routine. When it gets
interrupted or changed, you could say there’s a disturbance in the force.
As a
detail-oriented Melancholy temperament, it’s important to me to have my steps
follow a certain order. When they don’t, my day usually ends up being out of
kilter and unproductive. (Plus, I tend to forget what I’ve done or haven’t
done.)
If you’re more
flexible and spontaneous, you might be wondering what this has to do with our
writing journey.
For writers—especially
new writers—it’s important to understand how to follow your passion and destiny
without missing any steps or getting one step in front of another.
As an example,
when I first started writing, all I knew was to get my words on paper. I had
never been to a conference, read a book on writing, or even spoken with another
writer. I randomly submitted a few projects, which were immediately turned
down. They were simply not ready for publication. I had a lot to learn.
After several years, the Lord divinely
connected me with Vonda Skelton, who totally understood where I was coming
from. Her sage advice to me was, “You need to attend writers’ conferences, join
a critique group, and network, network, network.”
That’s how my
writing career began as I took one baby step after another.
If you’re just
beginning your journey, let’s look at a few ways to keep your steps in order.
Read, Read, Read
A good writer is a
voracious reader. Read books on the craft of writing by others who have learned
the ins and outs of the industry. Read for pleasure. Read books in the genre
that you feel called to write.
Write, Write, Write
Don’t just think
about writing and talk about writing. Write. Write letters (yes, people still
do that), thank you notes, blog posts, or an article for your church newsletter
or local paper. Maybe you prefer to start with a devotion. Journaling is always
a plus.
Join a Local Critique Group
A good, supportive
critique group is worth its weight in gold. It’s like iron sharpening iron. You
can learn, grow, and be encouraged by a like-minded group of people. If there’s
not a group in your area, organize one. There are also online groups available.
Attend Conferences
Conferences are
critical for the writer. That’s where we learn the craft, get encouraged, and expand
our network. It’s also the place where you can have face-to-face interaction
with agents, editors, and publishers. Depending on the location and length of
the conference, the cost can be high. When I first started attending, my
husband told me to think of it as continuing education. Put money aside, and make plans to attend at least one conference or local workshop per year.
Build Your Platform
Most people have a
love/hate relationship with social media, but it’s another critical element for
the writer. People need to find you. At a minimum, be active on Facebook and
Twitter. Then add others (Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, etc.) as
you feel comfortable. The time to build your platform is now. If you wait until
you receive a book contract, you’ve waited too long.
Promote Others
In the Christian
community, there’s room for all of us, and the Bible tells us to prefer others
above ourselves. The best way we can do that is by promoting them. We can subscribe
to their blogs, follow them on Facebook or Twitter, like and share their posts,
and support them when they have a new book, blog post, or article. We can also
invite them to be a guest on our blog and write a review for them on Amazon or
Goodreads. I love Edie Melson’s five-to-one rule: for every five posts you
share, only one can be about you. The other four are to promote others. It’s
the principle of sowing and reaping: the more we pour into others, the more the
Lord will pour back into our lives.
Pray, Pray, Pray
Pray over your
projects and ask God to open the right doors at the right time. If the Lord has
blessed you with the gift of words, He has a purpose for them.
What suggestions can you add to the list? We would love to hear from you.
What suggestions can you add to the list? We would love to hear from you.
(Photos courtesy
of FreeDigitalPhotos.net/marin/atibodyphoto/Stuart Miles.)
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