Your God-Given Vocation

I recently came across a book on Christian academic vocations written by A.G. Sertillanges, a French Catholic university professor. He says:

A vocation is not fulfilled by vague reading and a few scattered writings. It requires penetration and continuity and methodical effort, so as to attain a fulness of development which will correspond to the call of the Spirit, and to the resources that it has pleased Him to bestow upon us.[1]

He emphasizes that our vocations are God’s gifts to the church, so we cannot neglect them “without impoverishing the group and without depriving the eternal Christ of a part of His Kingdom.” He adds:

If you are designated as a light bearer, do not go and hide under a bushel the gleam or the flame expected from you in the house of the Father of all.[2]

Our Creator has entrusted us with the light of truth, which the world needs more urgently than any other. “Set your minds, then, on endorsing by your conduct the fact that God has called and chosen you” (2 Pet. 1:10a, Phillips).

Any God-given vocation deserves our steadfast commitment, in season and out. This is certainly true of Christian writing, Here's a suggestion: During your next meditation time, reflect on the  way you write. Think not only about the amount of time you give to the task, but the way you invest that time.  As Sertillanges reminds us, a vocation "requires penetration and continuity and methodical effort."

If you know God has called you to write, begin writing that way. Today.

Joe Allison writes both fiction and nonfiction, and has been a member of the Indiana chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers since 2010. He lives in Anderson, IN, with his wife Maribeth.

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[1] A.G. Sertillanges, The Intellectual Life, rev. ed. (Washington, DC: Catholic University Press, 1998), 3.

[2] Sertillanges, 5.

On the Clock

 Here’s a bit of trivia that could change your writing habits:

Mechanical clocks were invented to call the faithful to prayer.

In the 12^th and 13^th centuries, several European cathedrals installed clock towers powered by falling water or metallic springs to mark the canonical hours (i.e., times designated for prayer). These clocks seldom had faces or hands, simply a bell to chime the times to rise from bed and pray. They had to be adjusted throughout the year, since canonical hours were measured from sunrise or sunset, which changed with the seasons.

Muslim mathematicians devised clocks of their own for the same purpose. Faithful Muslims pray five times each day, two of which are sunset and evening. So what are the exact times of those darkening hours?  A clock establishes them. When a Muslim clock indicates the time for prayer, a muezzin cries out from a tower to call worshipers to their duty.

What does this have to do with our writing habits? Simply this: 

Each of us eventually learns that we are most productive if we begin our writing at the same time every day.

If you’ve ever worked in a factory, you know what it means to be “on the clock.” When you begin your work day, you punch a time card in a device that records your time in, and when you stop work for lunch or the end of the day, you punch the card again to record your time out. The span between is your time “on the clock”—time you are focused on your work, time for which you will be paid.

As a writer, what’s your daily time “on the clock”? This is when you go to the niche you devote to writing, you turn off your phone ringer, and pay no attention to incoming emails. This is the place and time you dedicate to writing, nothing else.

If you’re falling short of your writing goals, ask yourself when you’re on the clock. If you haven't identified such a time, try designating one. Set alarms for the start and end of your daily writing time, and follow that schedule without fail. It’ll improve your productivity.

Joe Allison writes both fiction and nonfiction, and has been a member of the Indiana chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers since 2010. He lives in Anderson, IN, with his wife Maribeth.

Benefits of a Writing Contest

My first published piece of fiction was written as a contest entry. In 1999, AOL invited members of its fiction writers’ group to submit a Western flash fiction story (no more than 1,000 words) on a weekend writing contest. A free year’s membership was the prize. I won first place with a story titled, “Riders of the Midnight Moon.” That early bit of encouragement kept me going.

Perhaps you’ve competed in NaNoWriMo or one of ACFW’s competitions. If you’re mulling over that idea, consider some benefits of participating in a fiction writers’ contest:

Firm Deadline. Authors have to maintain a consistent work schedule to meet their publisher’s schedule. A contest deadline imposes that kind of discipline before you sign a publishing contract.

Reader Awareness. Some authors believe they can write for their own satisfaction and disregard the needs of other readers. That belief soon fades when you’re writing for a contest. You become conscious of your story’s pacing, character arcs, and other factors that will capture and hold your readers’ interest.

Peer Review. Most contests involve several rounds of evaluation, so your book will be scrutinized by agents, editors, and publishers as well as established authors. In most cases, you’ll receive some feedback from them.

Marketing Leverage. If you do win a prize, it will open doors to agents and publishers who don’t yet recognize your name.  The same is true of the general reading public. Like an Oscar or Golden Globe draws attention to a rising cinema star, a book prize focuses the spotlight on a new author.

A writing contest requires discipline and hard work, like any other aspect of a professional author’s work. Why not enter a contest? It may help you begin writing like a pro.

Joe Allison writes both fiction and nonfiction, and has been a member of the Indiana chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers since 2010. He lives in Anderson, IN, with his wife Maribeth and daughter Heather.

 

Silencing the Inner Critic

Prolific author Barbara Brown Taylor admits being a perfectionist. This can be a real handicap if we keep revising and tweaking, unable to let go. Taylor was asked recently what she does to silence this inner critic. “I give it $50 to buy a pair of shoes and tell it to come back later,” she said. 

I had to do this with my first book, which I kept polishing and enlarging until my late wife Judy appeared at my shoulder to watch what I was doing. She eventually said, “I think it’s time to let this child go out and play in the street.” I knew she was right, so I sent the manuscript off to my publisher and didn’t look back.

Don’t get me wrong. I think every writer needs enough objectivity to evaluate and improve a manuscript; but if our inner critic paralyzes us, our work will never speak to the world. It becomes like a floundering swimmer who grabs an able swimmer and pulls him underwater. How do we get the benefit of our inner critic without allowing it to drown us?

I suppose there’s no hard and fast rule, but try this: Heed your inner critic as long as it builds your confidence, clarifies your meaning, and engages your reader. But when the inner critic becomes a voice of self doubt, pay it no mind. Take that as the cue to let your child go out and play.

Joe Allison writes both fiction and nonfiction, and has been a member of the Indiana chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers since 2010. His most recent book is Hard Times (Warner Press: 2019). He lives in Anderson, IN, with his wife Maribeth.

Writing As Prayer

While leading a writer's workshop, Dan Wakefield said that writing is a form of prayer. One participant objected, saying that writing is plain hard work. "Well, prayer can be hard work, too," Wakefield answered.

Soon after, he came across a biography of Franz Kafka in a used bookstore. While browsing its pages, he discovered that the famed nineteenth-century writer had already said it: "Writing is prayer." He had to smile.

Think about it: Faithful writing is an act of devotion to God because it requires us to focus our full attention on God's redemptive purpose in our world. It is an act of supplication because we seek God's help as we write. And it is an act of faith because we find ourselves describing what we think God's help will look like.

The outcome of our writing can be just as surprising as the outcome of prayer, too, especially when we can't anticipate what our characters will do. We may grope for a clear vision of their future until, by the grace of God, an unexpected turn of plot leads them to a satisfying resolution of their problem.

That's what inspired writing does. I believe it's what inspired praying does as well.


Joe Allison writes both fiction and nonfiction, and has been a member of the Indiana chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers since 2010. He lives in Anderson, IN, with his wife Maribeth and daughter Heather.