If you never try, you'll never know!

If you're like me and have a lifelong dream of being a successful author, there’s one thing you can count on.

Rejection.

The sooner you embrace it, the sooner you’ll get on with the business of doing what you love: creating consumable content. 

 That’s the great thing about the writing biz. Words are consumable. Like food. McDonald’s gets rejected everyday as people pass it up for Wendy’s or Arby’s. But McDonald’s doesn’t quit and try to become like those restaurants. Nope. It just stays the course and keeps doing what it does best: being McDonald’s. 

Because food is consumable, and people get hungry at least three times a day, chances are good that during one of those hunger-fits, they’ll get a hankerin’ for a Big Mac. (Or in my case, a yogurt parfait and a diet Iced Tea--my faves!)

If a writer stays the course, and views rejection as bumps in the road rather than barriers, eventually someone’s going to get a hankerin’ for what they’re writing, and will gobble it up. 

Take the case of Edgar Rice Burroughs, the author of Tarzan. Imagine his disappointment when he opened this letter:

August 20, 1913

Dear Sir:

We are returning under separate cover The All-Story magazine (Oct 1912) containing your story, “Tarzan of the Apes.” We have given the work careful consideration and while interesting we find it does not fit in with our plans for the present year. Thanking you for submitting the story to us. We are

Yours very truly

Rand McNally & Co. 

Fortunately, Edgar Rice Burroughs realized that Rand McNally simply wasn’t hungry for Tarzan that day, so he continued to submit his story and finally talked All-Story Magazine to accept it as a serialization. Two years later it was published as a novel. It has since sold more than 50 million copies and been made into countless adaptations for the screen!

 Wow. That gives me hope. But I'd sure like to know what gave Burroughs absolute belief in his story. It took considerable courage not only to keep his chin up, but to fearlessly re-submit Tarzan at the risk of another rejection. That's tenacity and perseverance--two qualities modern writers need to feast on to nourish their backbones.

As you re-evaluate your writing accomplishments in 2014, and make plans for 2015, remember to look at the set-backs in submissions as pauses, not stops. 

Work on the next thing. And the next. Keep writing. Remember Tarzan swinging through those trees. Every vine you grab is a new opportunity. There are countless choices aka vines out there--you just have to keep reaching and swinging!

  
Humans love stories, and eventually someone will be starving for the very stories you’re dishing up.

Success is delicious.

I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

 

Tweet this: Never confuse a single defeat as a final defeat--F.S.F.

Redefining Failure

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.

Christians do not view success as the world views it. For a Christ follower success is being who Christ made you to be, doing the task Christ gives you to do as he gives it. That’s success in its entirety. Simply put, failure is not doing what the Master asks.

Until next time, 

                   Mary Allen

Keeping Your Tiggers and Eeyores in Line

Do you ever hear someone get asked a question and wish they asked you?

This was my case in June, 2005. I sat in a Toastmaster club as area governor elect. (Okay, technically I was appointed. Details, details.) The theme for the meeting was Winnie the Pooh, a theme well used by the Topics Master.

My question was what I would write if I wrote a children's book. That was a fun question. I told them I'd write about an otter raised by a family of beavers. You can imagine what that's like. The otter wants to play while his adoptive parents are getting him to work on the dam. This otter would meet a wolf taken in by a cougar family. “I want to be part of the pack.” “What pack? We aren't a pack.”

However, when I heard the next question, I wished I had gotten that one instead.

“You are Winnie the Pooh. You've been given a free counseling session. Now, you're well adjusted and don't need it. Will you give it to Tigger to help calm him down? Or to Eeyore to cheer him up?”

I was about nine when Disney's Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day came out, which introduced Tigger. I fell in love with Tigger. I wanted to be as bouncy and fun as he was.

Growing up, though, I found my companion and mentor to be gloomy old Eeyore. “It will fall off again,” he said when his tail was put back on him. “Always does.”

If I wrote this blog yesterday, I would have dealt with a topic that interested me, one that would give food for thought. But this has been an Eeyore week for me. Just this week? Maybe all of this year. (Fortunately, we're only half way through January; hope this isn't a trend.)

My Eeyore side has been given plenty to be gloomy about. My wife's dealing with health problems. The only presidential candidate I could be excited about finished 6^th in Iowa and dropped out. My Amazon review of that candidate's auto-biography has the current line “1 out of 6 find this review helpful.” (My hunch is that the five who found that not helpful did so solely because I gave a five star review to a book they disagreed with, but still it's discouraging.)

Also, I received a rejection letter (okay, e-mail) from an agent who kindly mentions my characters and plot don't resonate with him. Not much to encourage me to write, something I've been struggling to find time to do. To be honest, I'm even wondering if writing is what I'm supposed to be doing.

Did the person who got the counseling question think Eeyore was the one who needed counseling? No, she thought it was Tigger who was too hyper. I can identify. Sometimes, my Tigger tries to compensate for the Eeyore. Time to get bouncy. Find other activities. Keep busy, busy, busy, so I don't have time to be gloomy, gloomy, gloomy.

So how would I have answered the question?

Simple. I would have given the counseling to neither of them. Rather, I'd get them Tigger and Eeyore to counsel each other. Have Eeyore kindly mellow out Tigger, while Tigger gives Eeyore something to be cheerful about.

That's one thing good about the ACFW meetings or critique groups. We can point out areas of improvement but give encouragement at the same time. (This is one of Toastmaster's strengths, by the way.)

And the counseling session? I'd give that to grouchy Rabbit.

The Only Fear Worth Having When it Comes to Writing

Fear.

Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons

It's gripped my heart, knocked my knees, and chattered my teeth.

And I confess, I've let it hinder me from attempting one too many things.

I never took philosophy in college, for I feared I lacked an analytical mind. I avoided economics, for the textbooks were filled with too many tables. How was I to understand supply and demand? And I avoided my passion--creative writing--for there was always someone better. I just wouldn't be good enough.

For didn't Jane Austen already craft the perfect heroine? Or Charles Dickens weave the most intricate plots? My words didn't stand a chance amidst the creative geniuses--the Oxford classics or master storytellers. And though my heart longed to move in the writing direction, my mind succumbed to that dreaded four letter word.

And I feared failure.

So, I took the safe route. I participated in low risk tasks and made decisions based on my chance of success. And at the end of the day, I succeeded. Failure wasn't an option.

But in attempting to avoid failure, I attempted nothing at all.

It wasn't until I heard the whoosh of my son's heartbeat, I realized my utter inadequacy for the task ahead. As a mama, I was destined to fail my child a thousand and one times. The touch of my babe's skin propelled me onto the writing path. I decided life was just too precious and short to live in what-ifs or bury God's gifts.

As I donned mama-skin, I felt compelled to write stories. Though I knew nothing about the craft of writing, I decided I would do my best for God, regardless of the result.

It's been three years, and to be honest, this path--though thrilling and invigorating--terrifies me. I'm afraid my stories will fall short. Will everyone laugh at them? What will the critics say? What if my pages never see the sun?

Yet God's measure of success is different from that of the world's. He doesn't look at the accolades, published titles, or sales. He looks at the heart. Am I willing to obey even if my words are buried on a hard drive or my stories don't fit the current market?

It is not up to me to determine the results of my writing. But it is my job to use this gift to the best of my ability. When William Carey heard his church leaders tell him God didn't need his help to reach others, he disagreed. He pioneered the modern missions movement and lived by the saying, "expect great things from God, attempt great things for God."

I know in attempting, I will fall flat on my face {already have}, but I also know that if I don't take risks, I will never know what God can do in and through me, or experience the fullness of grace.

And I could possibly miss out on His best for me.

So, despite my fears, I write in faith, and I know I must not stop.

For, the only fear that trumps all others is the fear of God.

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, and contemplates faith, family, and writing at her personal blog. Though she’s an aspiring author, she’ll never quit her day job.

Producing Passion from Pain



Photo credit: Billy Alexander



“Art begins in a wound,” according to John Gardner, and the same could often be said concerning ministry. As writers, often our writing and our ministries are connected. Let’s talk a bit about passion and then look at how you can use your passions to influence your ministry and your writing.

What are Passions?

Passions, in brief, are strong feelings. The emotions can be positive like love or loyalty. They can also be negative emotions such as hate or rage. Synonyms such as zealous, ardor, and enthusiasm may help bring it into focus. It is interesting to note that the word enthusiasm comes from the Greek en theos, which literally means “with God”.

How Do You Find Your Passion?

Since passions are, by definition, strong feelings, then that is where you start. You observe what causes or beliefs evoke strong emotions in you. Whether it is a news story, an activity, or the lunch table discussion, what are those things that make you want to weigh in? What makes you cry? What evokes feelings of righteous anger? What brings delight to your heart?

You can also notice what draws your attention. When you read a newspaper or scan the television channels, what captures your eyes and your heart? When you are in a group setting and have the choice of several conversations to dive into, where do you gravitate?

One last test you can use to discover your passions is to ask yourself this question: What do I most long to see God accomplish. Your answers may lead you to your passion. Do you want to see orphans set in families? Would you like divorce to be a thing of the past? Perhaps you’d like to see people find freedom from addictions. Possibly it is a group of people you’d like to see helped such as single moms, teenagers, those suffering from AIDs.

What Do You Do with Passions When You Find Them?

As mentioned before, many times our passions rise as beauty out of the ashes of our pain. The woman abandoned as a young mother feels a burden for single moms. A post-abortive teenager grows into a woman determined to keep others from that pain. A child of divorce seeks to help marriages thrive. Working out our passions in our writing or in our ministry helps us to bring “comfort to those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves received from God” (2 Cor. 1:4). Our trial gains meaning and value when God allows someone else to be helped and healed because of a pain in our past.

Whether you write fiction or non-fiction, your writing can reflect your passion. Fiction writers often give characters painful pasts or character flaws. In the course of the novel, as the character comes to a place of healing or surrender, this brings comfort to readers touched by the same hurt. Non-fiction writers can shed light on problems, offer their own journey to healing, and give comfort and hope to others still mired in pain.

Ministries within and outside the church abound, bringing help and healing from nearly every painful experience that might shadow your history.

One caution is needed when taking a painful past and transforming it into a ministry of healing whether through your writing or another outlet. You must have already found healing and, if necessary, forgiveness from the painful experience. Christians should always minister out of a place of fullness. If writing is therapy for you, then write until your soul is purged; just don’t expect to publish it. Your readers don’t need to be shielded from the raw emotions or messy consequences of your pain, but they need to see it as only one part of a journey of wholeness whether you are writing fiction or non-fiction. The same is true in any other ministry.

We live in a sick and hurting world. People desperately need the hope and healing Jesus offers. What are those beliefs and causes you will choose to champion? Who are the hurting people you will choose to help?

How do your passions come through in your writing?

By Nikki Studebaker Barcus

More Reasons Not to Waste Your Failure

Four more weeks and I've discovered twice as many reasons not to squander the gift in the brown bag, failure.

1. I will waste my failure if it skews my view of God.

“For the LORD is good;

His lovingkindness is everlasting

And His faithfulness to all generations” (Psalm 100:5).

2. I will waste my failure if I do not know God’s nearness.

“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted

And saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).

3. I will waste my failure if I do not humble.

“Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you” (James 4:10).

4. I will waste my failure if I turn inward to self-protect.

“But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all” (Philippians 2:17).

5. I will waste my failure if joy disappears.

“You, too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me” (Philippians 2:18).

6. I will waste my failure if I my thinking remains unchanged.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

7. I will waste my failure if I do not ask to be taught.

“You are good and do good;

Teach me Your statutes” (Psalm 119:68).

8. I will waste my failure if I do not consider God may have something greater.

“But just as it is written,

THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN

AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD,

AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN,

ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM”

(1 Corinthians 2:9).

It's tempting to rid myself of any trace of failure, but I have a suspicion that would be a little like pawning family silver. I'd regret the waste.

Don't Waste Your Failure

Recently a friend introduced me to “Don’t Waste Your Cancer,” written by John Piper on the eve of his prostate surgery. Many, but not all of us have battled cancer. None of us have escaped failure.

The trick is not to waste the failure, but gain by it.

1. I will waste my failure if I hide it.

“If we walk in the Light, as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of His Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin”

(1 John 1:7).

2. I will waste my failure if deny it.

“If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).

3. I will waste my failure if I attack those who disagree with me.

“Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges a brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it” (James 4:11).

4. I will waste my failure if I refuse to discover its root.

“Test me, LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind” (Psalm 26:2).

5. I will waste my failure if I vow to try harder rather than believe God.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).

6. I will waste my failure if I wallow in self-pity.

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (Habakkuk 3:17-18).

7. I will waste my failure if I allow it to define me.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1).

8. I will waste my failure if I quit.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).

9. I will waste my failure if I do not seek wise counsel.

“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed”

(Proverbs 15:22).

10. I will waste my failure if I do not allow it to drive me to Jesus.

“If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love” (John 15:10).

11. I will waste my failure if I refuse to glorify Christ through it.

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).