Look How Far You’ve Come
By Andrea Merrell
As I thumbed
through the spiral-bound book put together by a local printer, I laughed out
loud. First of all, I used 14 pt. Comic Sans as my font. There were also
numerous words and phrases underlined, in all caps, and with lots of exclamation
marks, not to mention tons of typos. Everything I held in my hand screamed newbie,
which I certainly was at the time.
Pulling out the
project after years on the proverbial shelf only reminded me how much I’ve
learned and how much my writing has changed over time. That can only be
attributed to being part of a good critique group, attending writers’
conferences and workshops, and having writing buddies, beta readers, and editors who will
be honest yet kind in their feedback—not to mention writing, writing, writing.
They say practice
makes perfect. Well, none of us will ever reach the perfect mark, but we can certainly
celebrate the progress we make and the milestones we reach. You might be
discouraged because of rejections or failure to obtain a contract or an agent.
Maybe you feel as if everyone else is racing ahead and leaving you in the dust.
What I recommend
is giving that discouragement to the Lord, the One who called you to write in
the first place. His plan for each of us is uniquely different from anyone
else. That’s why we should never compare ourselves with others and their
success. The key is for us to remain teachable and to be diligent to pen the
words He gives us.
Go back and pull
out some of your earlier work, comparing it to what you’re working on today.
You just might be pleasantly surprised at the difference and how far you’ve
come in the craft of writing.
Photo by Houcine Ncib on Unsplash
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