Reading the loop, following blogs for authors, or attending
conferences can leave a person with the notion that REAL writers have to develop
websites, Facebook author pages, Blogspots and be active on Pinterest. They may
come away with the idea that it is essential to be on LinkedIn or whatever the
current networking rage is.
All of these tools can be immensely helpful with
self-promotion, making important connections, building writing or business relationships.
The pressure to be a part of them can leave one asking, “Am I disloyal to my
trade if I prefer not to chase the big dream? Am I abnormal if I only want to
live a quiet life? If my dream of writing is simply to touch family and a few
friends, is there something wrong with me?”
I reply with a resounding, “No!”
If Christ asks you to write a pamphlet of poetry to share
locally, writing a best-selling fiction novel instead is failure. If Christ
gives you stories and the desire to publish a work of fiction, do that. Do it
to the best you can then whether you sell few or many you are a success. Failure would be to refuse or let fear stop you.
One of the attitudes in ACFW I admire is that we don’t have
to compete with one another. Each author, each story fits into a particular
time and place. That is why we can rejoice with those who rejoice at winning
Genesis or Carol Award or get the contract we wanted.
I’m not saying it’s easy. Some of the best storytellers I’ve
known have had their season of struggle with jealousy, comparison, judgmental-ism,
and self-doubt. These attitudes can creep in for the seasoned author as well as
the newbie especially when God’s timetable doesn’t make sense and expectations end in
disappointment. However, the struggle doesn’t validate or excuse the negative mindset. Thank God that we don't have to stay stuck in the Slough of Despond. We have a Rescuer.
Until next time,
Thank you for this post. I think there's a lot of truth in it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for saying so, H.T. It's certainly been a lesson I've had to learn.
ReplyDelete