Post-Pandemic Writing
By Linda Gilden
Continue to Keep
Things Clean
We are writing for
the kingdom. Therefore, we need to not only keep our physical surroundings
clean but also our thoughts and writing. Just as it takes a miniscule germ to
infect a person’s entire body, one offensive word can turn your readers away
from a lifesaving message.
Have you ever been
waiting for a book to be released because you just know it will change your
life. Then as you are reading, the author uses one expression or word that you
find offensive and the whole book is ruined for you? Don’t let that happen to
your readers.
Take Off Your Mask
Only When Not in a Crowd
Masks can only
help us when we use them properly. We have been encouraged to wear masks
whenever we are around lots of people, even family.
However, we can
safely remove them in our writing. Being vulnerable is important when we are
sharing the message God has given us with others. Vulnerability is not the
easiest thing to practice in our writing. But when your target is the heart of
your reader, you will change lives when you hit that target.
When I took off my
“mask” of vulnerability, I began to get mail from my readers as to how much my
words had meant in their lives. They connected with me at a level I couldn’t
reach when I was holding back and had my mask on.
Stay Out of Crowds
One of the things
we have heard for the last year was to stay out of crowds. Every group over a
certain number could be a haven for germs. This applied to friends and public
gatherings as well as small family events.
Writing is a
solitary activity, yet the easiest things to write about are often those which
are on the minds of the crowd. Hence, the pandemic has been the topic of many
articles and even books over the last year. However, stepping outside of the
popular box and writing about topics which are related and sometimes difficult
can have the greatest impact. Trust God to direct you and lead you to write
what will change lives. Perhaps you can approach articles from a spiritual
standpoint. How did the pandemic impact your faith? How did your faith grow as
a result of changes in the world over the past year? It’s time now to reach out
to other people, whether through your writing or in person.
This horrid virus
has wreaked havoc on families all over the world. Let’s take a lesson from the
new rules that have been imposed for our protection. It’s time to take off our
writing masks, write our messages cleanly and clearly, and take a stand to
encourage others to speak up and make a difference, one word at a time.
TWEETABLE
What a great article! Thank you Linda Gilden.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading, Melissa! Hope you are having a good writing day.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Linda. We can trust God to lead us as we write, edit, and speak.
ReplyDeleteLinda, this was a great analogy! Thank you so much for these reminders.
ReplyDelete