What inspires you?

Source: Wikimedia Commons

As imaginative writers, many things inspire us: sunsets, mountains, romantic candlelight. Maybe it’s a memory of our childhood, a nightmare, or our latest trip to the mall. We're constantly people watching, thinking up new plot lines, creating “what if” scenarios in our minds.

We go to conferences to learn the logistics of fashioning a book,meeting agents or networking with publishers. We spend valuable time on group emails, building an online platform, and gathering friends on Facebook. There’s nothing wrong with doing these things. It’s part of the job. We need to be the best that we can be and  fellowship with other writers to feel inspired, encouraged or validated.

Sometimes, though, we look too hard for inspiration, when as Christians, we have it inside of us. Sadly, we may forget it’s there, or worse, ignore it.

Job was someone in the Bible who got a lot of advice. He was surrounded by “encouraging” nay sayers who shared their expert opinions: “Quit! Give up! Die!” 

But Job knew where to look for inspiration. He knew Who to listen to:

“But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment” (Job 8 & 9, KJV).

As writers in these last days, we need to work smart, not hard. It’s tempting to take the hard road of going to and fro picking up tidbits here and there. We can wear ourselves out being afraid we might miss some morsel of a publishing secret or writing trend, when all we need to do is get quiet and listen.

To Him.

“What is it you want to say today, Lord? What words do you want on this page?”

I wonder sometimes—do we hurt the Holy Spirit’s tender feelings when we ignore His ideas? His inspiration? How would we feel if we were telling someone the perfect way to succeed but they never took our advice? What makes us think we have better ideas than God?

I am often inspired by thoughtfulness, grief, and the spirit of the overcoming soul. Courageous athletes, cancer survivors, pianists playing Rachmaninoff—these folks receive my awe and attention. But I must remember that my most powerful inspiration comes from the Holy Spirit. He knows better than anyone what needs to be written. He knows better than anyone Who needs a message that God has put me on this planet to write.

He longs to inspire us. He patiently waits for us to listen. All we need do is follow Job’s example, and obey. Obeying His voice is much better than all the sacrifices we make going hither and yon for inspiration. For it is written: “…to obey is better than sacrifice…”(1 Samuel 15:22).

Karla Akins is a pastor's wife, mother of five, grandma to five beautiful little girls and author of O Canada! Her Story. She lives in North Manchester with her husband, twin teenage boys with autism, and three silly dogs. Her favorite color is purple, favorite hobby is book-hoarding, and favorite food group is cupcakes.

My Peter Pan Syndrome

Suzanne & her daughters

True confession: I don't think I'll ever grow up. Oh, I'm technically a grown up. I've got all the headaches of a grown up - bills to pay, children to raise, all the usual stuff. BUT, I think there is a big part of me that somewhere along the way refused to stop 'playing pretend'.

When I was little I was more like my children. I remember donning my mother's or even my grandmother's clothes to play 'dress up' - including shoes, jewelry and the like. As a writer, I don't usually go to the extreme of dressing up like my characters, but I had the opportunity this summer to visit a local treasure called Conner Prairie up near Fishers, Indiana. If you are at all interested in history it is worth the trip.

While walking through the Conner homestead (resembling an 1836 prairie town) it hit me how awesome imagination can be. Around every corner was a new opportunity to pretend you lived there and fill the town with crazy neighbors, rugged heroes, and every day challenges. My daughters loved it when I jumped in and dressed up with them in some provided costumes for the photo above, but I realized the truth to be that nothing provided came close to the costuming and conversations I was picturing in my head.

Even in more modern settings, a snatch of conversation can stimulate my mind to manufacture an entire back story for the people I've overheard. And I love it! Even if the stories I make up aren't their 'real' story, I feel this ability makes me more understanding of others ... more compassionate. How can that be a bad thing?

So I don't think I'll ever be done 'playing pretend' - even if I mostly do it in my mind, or on my computer screen via keyboard. And I know that amongst fiction writers I have many kindred spirits. How about it everyone, off to Neverland?

Which Stories Affected You?

When I was in seventh grade, our family visited relatives in Detroit. In the course of the evening, someone turned on a TV and flipped channels to a movie titled The Great Escape. I started watching. Understand that I had no special interest in war or movies about wars. It was just a story. However, as I sat watching this film, which was adapted from a non-fiction book by the same name, my horizons rapidly widened.

In case you're not familiar with the actual events, in World War II the Germans created Stalag Luft III, a prison camp for captured Allied airmen. Even though they were prisoners, these men considered it their patriotic duty to attempt escape. By escaping, they could either make their way back to England, or else they would confuse and harass German troops, who would waste time tracking them down instead of actually fighting on the front. In the end, 76 men escaped in one night. Only 3 made it home, and the Germans machine-gunned the majority of those they captured as a warning against future escapes.

The film captivated me so much that later I read the actual book by Paul Brickhill, who had been a prisoner in the Stalag Luft III. This one story ignited my interest in the far-flung experiences that so many endured during World War II. They have stories worth hearing.

Your turn: Think back. Has there ever been one particular story (whether a movie, a book, or one told verbally) that especially caught your interest and made a long-lasting impact? What was it? Why did it grip you? Please share your comments below.

Everything You Need to Know about Blogging You Already Learned in Kindergarten

You have a blog, but you’re wondering why the only comments are from your mother and an occasional spammer.

photo credit: flickr creative commons

It’s not that you don’t have fabulous content, nice photos, or beautiful thoughts. Perhaps it’s just that you need to revisit some simple kindergarten rules.

In fact, I’m realizing that the rules of blogging are akin to those first golden rules you learned while sitting in circle time listening to your teacher with shiny hair and glossy lips. Can you picture her now, friend? She's on the swivel chair beside the flip chart with a permanent marker in her right hand and a painted smile on her face. She's asks a question about classroom rules, and your hand bounces up.

"Oh, oh." You say. "I know."

You want to be the first to answer her query, but she picks the student who has her hand raised properly. And it's the first time you realize there are rules to being picked.

It's the first time you discover the secrets to a happy school year, life, and blog.

• Do to others as you would have them do to you- Your teacher told you this golden rule from Jesus' sermon on the mount (Luke 6:31). It's a reminder to treat others the way you want to be treated. If you desire comments on your blog, leave comments on others. If you desire others to promote your work, promote theirs. If a new person leaves a comment on your blog, go leave one on theirs. It's that simple. (Did you read Nikki Studebaker Barcus' post titled "You've Got the Power"? It's a great discussion on technology.) 

• Share- You always wanted to keep the blocks to yourself, didn't you (I know I did)? But your teacher reminded you that when you share, you make friends. Bingo. When you share other people's posts on your blog or facebook page, you develop friendships. Do you spend all of your energy in self-promotion? Philippians 2:3 says, "value others above yourselves." I know I long to focus on lifting up others this year. It's always more joyful, isn't it? (Check out Sharon Clifton's interesting article on how you can use Pinterest to promote other writers.)

• Be Polite- Your kindergarten teacher told you the words thank-you and please are the magic keys. Indeed, they open up doors to wonderful friendships. Remember the leper who thanked Jesus after he was healed (Luke 17:11-17)? I wonder if that leper had a deeper relationship with the Savior? Thank those who visit your blog by leaving a note on theirs. Write positive and kind blog posts. Is your blog an encouraging place? Is it a welcoming place?

• Don't take things that don't belong to you- You were taught not to steal your neighbor's fancy mechanical pencil, or his answers on the test. The same applies to blogging. Are you stealing content from others, or are you giving credit where it's due? Your readers want to hear your thoughts, not long blocks of quotes, or regurgitated material. And if you do borrow thoughts, make sure you site it.

•  If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it- This is age old advice from your teacher and mother, and it still holds true for blogging. Don't clog up the web with unnecessary words. Ask yourself, is this post beneficial?

• Say sorry if you've wronged someone- You know how your teacher made you look into the eyes of the person you hurt and say, "I'm sorry." It was so hard to do, but it made you feel better, didn't it? If you've hurt someone through one of your posts, apologize. We all need grace.

Kindergarten was a positive experience when you followed the rules, wasn't it? It's the same for blogging. Follow the above guidelines, and you'll begin to see comments from a few strangers who may just become close friends.

And when that happens, be sure to thank your teacher.

*I got the idea for this post from the book, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum

Melanie N. Brasher is a full time mama of two boys and wife to an incredible husband who understands her bicultural background. She moonlights as a fiction and freelance writer, crafting stories and articles toward justice and change. She's a member of American Christian Fiction writers and a contributing blogger for Ungrind. Though she's an aspiring author, she'll never quit her day job.