A Writer's Day in 1958

Writer’s Digest is celebrating its centennial this year by reprinting selected articles from their archive. One that caught my attention was written by Kirk Polking in 1958 and titled, ”The Best Job on Earth.” She’s referring to the job of freelance writing.

Several things piqued my curiosity as I scanned the piece, such as the difference in economics. (For that year, Ms. Polking’s income as a full-time nonfiction freelancer was just over two thousand dollars, and her total expenses came to just over $2,600. “Those were the days, my friend…”)

However, what really caught my eye was her daily schedule. When she gave up her salaried staff job to become a full-time freelancer, she had to wrestle with the same temptation that most self-employed people encounter: the temptation to waste time. So she devised this daily schedule:

1. I will get up every morning at 7:30 and be at work no later than 9:00.

2. Each day, something must go in the mail.

3. Each week I will write at least 1,000 words just to improve my style and facility.

4. Because pictures are so important to many articles and they add to the writer’s income I will learn to improve my photography.

5. To organize my time, I will line up interviews on the same day, library research on another, and telephone calls another, so I can write uninterruptedly for longer periods.

6. I will get some exercise each day if only a walk—to keep healthy and get a change of pace from mental work.

7. Since I no longer have the social contact of an office, I will find other ways of meeting people, cultivating friends outside “the trade."

Sixty-two years later, her schedule still has a lot of merit. And it served her well. She later became editor-in-chief of Writer’s Digest.

How does your schedule look? Do you even have a schedule, or does it consist of a list of tasks on a yellowing Post-It Note that begins with the item, “Plan Schedule”?

A Phrase for the New Year

One day as I prayed for my adult children, my mind swirled with requests concerning their health and safety, their relationships, jobs, and finances, my daughter’s and her husband’s parenting of our grandson, their relationships with God the Father, the insulation of their hearts and minds against the world’s influence. My requests culminated in, “May they seek you above all else . . . ”

I paused pondering those last words, realizing that’s exactly what I wanted for my life.  “Oh, God, may I seek you above all else.”

Photo by Denise Karis on Unsplash

That phrase wafted about my brain the rest of the day. I’d been considering adopting a word or phrase to focus on for the year. What did I want to accomplish in the coming twelve months? A mental list of ambitious goals mixed with wishful thinking notions had bombarded my thoughts as the days of December wound down. I could think of no better focus for the year ahead than to seek GOD above the myriad of voices clamoring for both my attention and my allegiance.

As writers we can choose to seek fame and fortune. We can align ourselves with the trends that promise success. Fashion our writing content and publishing decisions around money and notoriety. Be less concerned about the opportunity to influence the world around us than on what’s in it for us. Or, we can pursue His will for our writing endeavors, above all other influences. Commit to write what, when, how, and why He desires.

As Christians, we have the opportunity to minister to others and to glorify the Lord with our writing. But that will only happen if and when we seek HIM above all else. If we try to imitate a favored author or charge ahead when His guidance says wait or fritter away time and energy that should be spent putting His words to paper, we squander opportunities to be His instrument, to bring hope and healing to a hurting world.

As the pages of a new year lay before us, waiting to be filled, I want my overall life goals and writing agenda to be aligned with the Creator’s. Will you join me in seeking HIM above all else in 2020?

Photo by Carolyn V on Unsplash