Three Cheers for Anonymous

by Rachael Phillips

 

If there’s one thing I love, it’s to see my name on the cover of a book.

You, too?

Neither of us would object, either, if our names outsized the titles of the books, sure signals that our literary babies, regardless of title (The Love Song of the Garbage Man? Vampire Recipes?) have hit The New York Times Best-seller List.

Yet some of the most famous literary works in history were written by people whose names have never appeared in Publishers Weekly, ancient epic poems such as Gilgamesh and Beowulf, and stories like Arabian Nights. Think of the long-term marketing opportunities those authors missed. Not to mention, the royalties.

The Bible itself embraces numerous works written by “Anonymous,” including some of my favorite Psalms and the book of Hebrews. Not surprising, I suppose, as the Bible teems with unnamed God-followers who thumbed their noses at earthly “immortality” and instead, imprinted His name on history.

All of us, for love of Jesus, have written or edited anonymously at one time or another. We've banished lousy spelling and offending apostrophes from congregational song lyrics, bulletins, and signs; rewritten church holiday programs and VBS skits that feature Dick and Jane; and slogged through eager friends' and relatives’ manuscripts that make us want to disappear into the Writer Protection Program.

Though no spotlights shine on us for such service, and our names may be forgotten on earth, they will show up one day, shiny and indelible, in the book that really counts.

The Book of Life. 

 

 

 

          

Writing Through Emotional Pain

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Life happens. And sometimes it happens painfully. Professional writers must write even when their hearts are broken, and life is delivering its most powerful punches. 

I’ve lost two dear friends within a few months of one another and have another devastating situation in my family right now. Crying myself to sleep, navigating my days in a vice-like fog and swallowing a constant lump in my throat—these physical reactions to emotional pain challenge my ability, nay, my desire to write. But write I must, because, you see, I’m a writer. And that’s what we do. And the publishing world doesn’t care that I have issues. The publishing world will go right along publishing without me. 

The only way we can write through hard days is to keep our focus. And frankly, the only way we can survive through hard days is to keep our focus. The focus isn’t on the writing. The focus for the Christian writer is on Him.

Psalm 22:5 says, They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed (NIV). 

In Kay Arthur’s book, As Silver Refined: Answers to Life's Disappointments, she writes about how life’s disappointments are really His Appointments. By changing just one letter in the word, we have a whole new perspective because the focus is on Him. 

We can trust Him, even when things don’t make sense.

We can trust Him to give us the words to write even when we’re so broken we can barely move our pen over the page, or our fingers across the keyboard.

We can cry unto God, and not be disappointed.

We will be appointed.

We will write.

"Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later"

(Revelation 1:19, NIV).

 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.

A Time to Create...and A Time to Rest

I have a lot on my mind right now (just as I’m sure we all do). I’ll let our other fabulously-talented Hoosier authors be pithy, witty and erudite. Using that last word is about as good as it gets for me right now. I’m in a fog, a haze – part euphoria, part contentment, and – yes, part exhaustion. Aside from the fact that it’s nearly 1:30 a.m. as I’m writing this, I’m tired. Every now and then, we need to pause and reflect and simply rest in the Lord. I mean really rest, taking comfort in His promises and that beautiful peace that truly surpasses all human understanding. Even the Lord rested and understood this business of creating is exhausting business. I need to ponder His word and refresh my engines before continuing on with my current project and starting on the next one.

My first book literally just released, and of course, I’m overjoyed. To be perfectly honest, I held my breath throughout this journey, praying (1) my new, small publisher would stay in business long enough to actually publish my book; (2) they wouldn’t wake up and realize they’d make a horrible mistake; and (3) it would actually happen and I’d someday hold my book in my hands. Only a few minutes ago, I saw those magic two words on Amazon.com, “In Stock.” It’s the realization of a dream come true, the culmination of many hours of writing, reading, editing and praying. But, sometimes you simply have to see the humor. For one thing, under the tags on Amazon for the book, it’s listed as “historical” romance. Since when is 1997 historical? Anyone under the age of 25 need not answer. I shot an e-mail to the publisher to see if we can get that tag removed since we don’t want to deceive or anger anyone.

For those who don’t appreciate the pure joy derived from writing, we authors are enigmas. I’ve always written for enjoyment, as a creative release and to help me maintain my sanity. But let’s face it, every writer dreams of one day getting their work published. We become so focused on the pursuit, and don’t stop to think about walking through to the other side of the door. Now, I’m crossing over to the “other side” and learning that publication is only the beginning. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. But now I’m dealing with the “other end” of the spectrum: marketing and all the details of post-publication. Blogging, guest interviews, book signings and giveaways... I’m reading blogs and articles about how shameless we can/should be in order to market ourselves and our books. It’s all about branding and creating a name for ourselves. My head is spinning. How much is too little? How much is too much? Is there ever a happy medium? Even if there were 50 hours in a day, would I ever be able to get it all done? Lots of decisions need to be made, but I'll let the One who's led me this far continue to open those doors of His choosing. He hasn't steered me wrong yet, and I know He never will.

Writers, especially Christian writers, are some of the most productive people I know. Most of us are involved in some type of ministry, work a full or part-time job, and have many day-to-day responsibilities with families or friends. Yet somehow we find the time to write. Because we love it. Because it’s what we’re called by the Lord to do. Keep at it, my friends. You inspire me. Blessings to you all during this most joyous season of the year. Rest assured, I’ll awake tomorrow, refreshed and renewed, ready to go again. And, uh, check out my book on Amazon.com, but only if you're so inclined. It's called Awakening. But for now, this tired writer is going to bed.

Want to Succeed at Conference? Bring these to ACFW 2010!

I'm going to the ACFW Writer's Conference September 17-20. It will be my first time, and I'm so excited I wake up every morning like a little kid waiting for Christmas. I mentally count down the days until I go. I've already started packing, and I'm full of butterflies and eager anticipation.

I've made a checklist so I don't forget anything and thought I'd share part of it with you.

1. Prayers. I'm loading up on them. Prayers for the people in charge of the conference, the speakers, the attendees, the hotel staff, protection for travelers, for supernatural energy and wisdom for all, and for myself that I won't forget any of the other things on my list (Philippians 4:6).  
2. Fruits of the Spirit. I figure if I have these along: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Galatians 5:22-23), they will pretty much cover me for the other stuff I might forget.
3. Positive Attitude. I refuse to let the devil beat me up with my insecurities. In fact, I think I'll just ignore him the entire time I'm there. (Which is what we're supposed to do all the time, anyway, right?) I have the mind of Christ. What more do I need? (1 Corinthians 2:16.)
4.  Trust. I can trust God with my writing career. He knows the sacrifices I've made to be at conference, and He will guide my steps and orchestrate the right meetings for me. He loves me more than I love myself. He created me to write. I can completely trust Him to use my gifts for His purpose. It's His purpose that matters. Not mine. He sees the big picture. I can't. I will trust in Him with my whole heart and seek not my own understanding. I will acknowledge Him and He will direct my path(s) at conference (Proverbs 3:5-7). Whew. What a relief!
5. Hope. I think we all have this packed if we're attending conference. Hope to learn how to be better writers, hope to meet the right people, hope to make new friends, hope that Jesus is coming soon! Wouldn't it be cool if He came at conference? Isn't that what it's all about anyway? (Psalm 39:7.)
6. Grace. Grace to accept God's answers for me at conference. This might seem a little obvious, but how I handle my disappointments, I believe, matters to God. He is more interested in my character than my success. I also need to be gracious to fellow writers, editors, agents and those who serve at conference. If I put other folks' needs before my own desires, grace will be automatic. I pray I'm gracious even when I'm exhausted. That's why I'm packing extra in this department (Ephesians 4:32).
7. Teachability Sponginess. Okay, so "teachability" isn't really a word. I made it up to remind myself to be teachable at every moment. It's how I want to be not only at conference but in life. There's no way I know everything. I never will. As someone who loves to learn, this is exciting! I can hardly wait to discover all sorts of new things about writing, whether in classes, or in my critique appointment. But I expect to learn more than just writing. I hope to keep my heart open to learning by watching others, listening to others, and soaking it all in. I just hope I'm porous enough (2 Timothy 2:15).
8. Faith. Without it, I can't please God. I know I already packed it along with the fruits of the Spirit, but I'm packing extra because without it, I can't believe that God has my best interest at heart. (Hebrews 11.)
9. Ears open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. I don't want to miss anything God has for me. I pray I'm sensitive to that still, small voice that loves to speak to me. Otherwise, He can't lead me where I need to go (John 16:13).
10. Eyes to see ways I can be a blessing. I want to be sensitive to the needs of others. I pray I can be as much a blessing to people at conference as the ACFW organization has been to me. I want to "pay it forward." I've been given so much - how can I not want to give back? (Luke 6:38.)
11. Peace. If I pack plenty of number 1 (prayer), I'll have plenty of number 11 (peace). (Philippians 4:6-7.)
12. Humility. See all the above. And the example of Jesus' humility in Matthew 11:29: "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Oh, how much I want to be like Jesus! For "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble" James 4:6).
13. Love. It fulfills all things. If I keep this at the forefront of everything I do, I'll be okay (Romans 13:8).
14. Smile. With all the above things packed, I'm sure to have one of these! Besides, since registering for ACFW 2010, I haven't been able to wipe the grin off my face!

Only 14 more days until conference! What do you have packed?

We Make Plans--God Laughs.

A beautiful Jewish woman once said: "We make plans--God laughs."

 Take my bookshelves for example.

They reminded me this week that "many are the plans of a [wo]man's heart, but it's the Lord's purpose that prevails" (Proverbs 19:21).

I'm no longer teaching full-time, and am in the process of moving all my materials, books and supplies into my tiny home office. My husband built beautiful shelves on my office wall. Still not room enough

Some inexpensive, short book cases caught my eye at Wal-mart, and I thought it was rather clever of me to buy two of them for stacking on top of one another.

God didn't give me an engineer's or carpenter's mind. I have two things working against me in the logic department: I'm blond and a soprano. (No offense to the smarter blonds and sopranos out there.) It never occurred to me that the little shelves wouldn't sustain the weight of another little shelf on top, burdened with more books than the library at Alexandria.

I was rather pleased with myself as I placed the last book on the top shelves when CRASH, the shelf on the bottom completely collapsed.

My plans seemed reasonable at the time. Now, they were clearly bad ones. I wonder--did God laugh? If I were Him, I would have.

It's been like this for me as I prepare for ACFW Conference. I had X number of days to get X number of pages polished and other preparations done. I was on a roll. I was going to be ready like no one else. I was a writing machine. (Click here to read how obsessed I am about conference: "Excited as a Puppy with Two Tails.")

Then, a friend of mine got sick. And that's when I had to accept an important truth: people are more important than my writing plans and goals and dreams.

I thought I had turned my goals and dreams over to the Lord long ago. But these interruptions taught me a valuable lesson. They taught me that God's plans and purposes will indeed prevail, whether I think so or not. He has a plan for my work in progress, and He knows the exact time when it is to be published or whether or not it will be. Because this journey isn't about me and my dreams. It's about the message He wants to give through me.

There have been other kinks in my journey toward ACFW Conference and my dream of meeting the agent and editor who will love my platform and my ministry. But I think God is sending these little detours to test my ability to roll with His plans. I won't be able to give anyone credit but Him, should any success be mine.

It's all bigger than me, anyway. But it's not bigger than God. He is bigger than any expectation I may have. And He can handle it. If I truly believe He's in control, and do my part to be a workman that needeth not be ashamed, then there will be peace.

And I, with God, will laugh.

Caution! Discouragement (Maybe) Ahead...

Let’s face it: discouragement besets all creative souls from time to time. Inspiration can be an illusive “gift” by itself, a pretty flimsy foundation in the face of ordinary everyday reality—much less the “character-building” events that hit all of us in this writing life. That’s why we appreciate the importance of being around other writers. Of lifting each other up. Of being as gentle as possible with any criticisms or negatives. (Well, okay, for some of us that’s—er—a little more challenging. I’m working on it. Honest. :-))

Seriously speaking, we all know that many of the “letdowns” of life itself—never mind writing!—come from factors we really can’t control. But if we do our best, let God take care of the rest, and praise Him for all of it, we’ll help counteract those bumps in the road and bless those around us. Right?

Maybe. Maybe not.

Sometimes, the way some of us choose to praise God in our writing lives can come across as careless…or thoughtless…and can even be devastating to another writer. If you doubt this, let’s listen in as Ms. Martha Multipub shares her latest success:

“I’m soooooo thrilled with God’s blessings on my writing! Why He chooses to honor me with these great stories—and He just gives them to me, they’re not from me at all!—I don’t know, but praise Gawd! And people are being blessed—why, just yesterday, I got this wonderful, wonderful letter from a fan about how 137 of her friends got saved because of my little book . . . !”

Some of us just smile at this: we know Martha, and we know she tends to go a wee bit (!) overboard in her exuberance. But what about newbies among us who don’t know Martha—or even not-so-newbies with a few setbacks—and who find themselves wondering if being a truly Godly writer means your stories will automatically “write themselves,” sell themselves, and bless people?

Can you see where this is headed? Yep. And it’s not pretty.

We as Christian writers tend to be very conscientious about our behaviors, language, and subject matter, lest we cause a brother or sister to stumble. But I would submit that we need to do the same due diligence on our words of praise—our “jargon,” if you will—so that we don’t inadvertently throw a “block” in front of someone by making a successful writing life look too easy, too perfect, or too pat. We don’t need to be cheerleaders in front of the pack, flaunting dazzling smiles or perfect cartwheels; nor do we need to err in the other extreme and denigrate our own efforts toward our success. But there is a happy medium; it’s called humility, honesty…and truthful encouragement.

That, we can all do—no matter how dizzyingly successful, or even maddeningly average (!), our writing lives are at this point.

Thoughts?

Janny