Building a Body of Work by Sandi Somers

 

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,

and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

2 Corinthians 9:6 

 In my early years of writing, I wasn’t too prolific or consistent. I had written many drafts and sometimes bubbled with more ideas than I could handle. But publish them? Not so much. During Fall Conference last year, the Lord prompted me to finish more. It’s no wonder that over the last few years, He’s given me a challenge and promise: “Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit. From this day on I will bless you” (Haggai 2:19).

As I began more diligently to finish and publish, I thought of many principles of finishing that the Lord has been teaching me. If you are like me, here are some values that can make a huge difference in your approach to finishing well.

First, thank the Lord for His purpose for your writing. Then thank those who are inspiring you to spread your wings and publish more, those who have been models and mentors for you. I can think of a number in our IWO and InScribe who’ve done just that for me.

 Forgive yourself if you haven’t yet built up a body of work or if you’ve wasted years in finishing. You have untapped potential, ability, and skills. Begin now and believe God: “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten…” (Joel 2:25). As you claim this promise, His Spirit will empower you to publish what you thought you couldn’t do.

 Enlarge the vision of what you can do. You can be like Abraham who listened to God's directive: “Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you” (Genesis 13:17).  Launch out and write blog posts, op-eds, personal essays, long-form articles, devotionals, and newsletters. Venture into podcasts and speaking engagements…Your vision will grow as you follow through on God’s assignments.

 Be faithful in creation. Put in the hard work and stick with the projects God has called you to write. The Apostle Paul advised us: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (Colossians 3:23). At the right time, He’ll open the way for greater publishing and ministry.

 But above all, pray. Thank the Lord for your potential. Be as Jeanette Oke who said she saturates her writing with prayer. Wait before the Lord and He will anoint your message.

 Your work matters. God intended you to make a difference. The world is hungry for your stories. As you publish, you can trust that God will get your work into the hands of those who need to hear our Spirit-inspired writing.

 It’s vital that we finish well. One writer recently described her dream of entering heaven.  God asked her, “Where are all the books I wanted you to leave on Earth?  Why have you brought them with you?” This was a stark reminder to be faithful in the writing God has appointed me to do. I want to hear the Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).

 God wants you to rise to your calling. Are you ready to take the next step?

“Your words are the most powerful tool you will ever own.

Don’t let another day slip away without using them to weave a better future for yourself and those you care about.”

~Matthew Kelly~

 

“Writer Interrupted” by Sandi Somers

I once said that If I were to write my literary memoir, I would title it, Writer Interrupted, because much of my writing life has wound through my experiences sporadically like a meandering brook, now appearing, now hidden under mossy grass.

 My writing success began early when I entered a contest in a Christian youth magazine—and won! Interestingly, this event didn’t birth a dream to be a writer. That came later.

  After graduating from university, I was invited to teach in a mission school in Colombia, South America. This was my first overseas experience, and I had so many interesting life experiences to journal and write to my family and friends.

 During this time, the first trickles of my writing dream began to appear. As I read books by Catherine Marshall to nourish my faith, I also absorbed her own story of becoming a writer after her husband passed. I was inspired to write faith stories just as she had done.

 However, when I came home from Colombia, I became engrossed in a new job as Teacher Librarian, and my writing stopped.

 Several years later, I discovered the devotional booklet, The Upper Room, and began submitting devotionals. Each of my earliest attempts was accepted.  My first entry was even anthologized and I was invited to write a seven-part series for their Upper Room Disciplines. In addition, after I queried The Quiet Hour, (David C Cook’s devotional companion to their Sunday School lessons), the editor phoned me—yes, phoned me—early one morning inviting me to write a series of devotionals. The genre of devotional writing seemed natural to me.

 Shortly afterwards I bought my first house, and my writing again flagged. Only occasionally did I write and submit an article. But over the years I was part of a local writers’ group that published our church newspaper, and I wrote an occasional article for our teachers’ professional journal. 

 Fast forward to the 1990s when I began teaching ESL. The cultural theme was a perfect fit for me. I had so many immigrant/refugee experiences to relate and so many cultural anecdotes my students told me. My writing momentum began again as I journalled and wrote initial drafts of articles.

 It was here I began developing my craft and vision, studying writing, taking writing courses and gradually planning different projects. Some ideas were workable, while others needed to be left in the back reaches of a closet.

 Several years ago I came to a crisis point, and prayed, “Is developing my writing part of Your plan for me, or is it just my idea?” Gradually God showed me that, Yes, His open doors of opportunity meant that He was guiding my writing. Then He gave me a special verse: Haggai 2:19: “Is there still seed in the barn? From this day I will bless you.”

 Sometime after I joined InScribe, I was invited to be lead writer for this blog; I also began developing monthly themes. Doing so has stretched my faith and writing, from my first tentative posts, to a variety of writing strategies. Comments from other bloggers affirmed and encouraged me.

 As I review my writing life, a number of themes emerged which I hadn’t noticed before. He gave me early success to begin my pathway. He provided major turning points, from the birth of a dream, to encouragement to grow in developing my gifts. Stopping when I had other demands in my life showed me that He was building my life with a breadth of experience and faith that I can bring to my writing. 

 Which brings me to today. I recognize how much the dreams He’s given us and our life stories are a vital part of the Lord's gospel narrative for the world. Sharing what the Lord has given me may be the key that unlocks the door to someone's needs.

 Though I haven't finished much of what I've dreamed of writing, the Lord often reminds me to keep faithful in creation and at the right time, He will open the way to greater publication. “Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will do it (1 Thess 5:24).

Unleash Your Writing Dreams by Sandi Somers

Image by rawpixel in Unsplash

Do you have a dream of what your writing/published works could be? Lynn Simpson inspired this month’s theme with an earlier blog post:

I challenge myself and all of us,

to take a chance to unleash our writing

beyond the boundaries that may be tying up our creativity. 

And in celebration,

live out our lives as the masterpiece we are created to be.

Visioning Our Best Writing Selves

My most recent reset to unleash writing goals came this winter and spring. Our local writing group has been studying Julia Cameron’s Right to Write. In one exercise, she asked us to list things we wished we could do. I wanted my writers to take that exercise to the next levels, and so we spent a few minutes listing our writing wishes. 

To emphasize how imagination spurs us to accomplish our dreams, I read a blog post by Jack Popjes, part of which I've included here:

"We have the amazing God-given talent to picture in our mind

something that doesn't yet exist,

to mentally create situations that have not happened.

 Over time, we tend to accomplish the things we think about imaginatively.

The stronger and more emotionally we respond to our focused thinking and visualizing,

the surer the eventual outcome will match our mental picture."

 Knowing also that “a goal without a plan is just a wish,” I introduced the concept of “Visioning Our Best Writing Selves.” I asked each writer to list her wishes as accomplishments using this prompt: "By December of this year, I will have..." We were planning for specific success.

This was a powerful exercise and I recognized the amazing potential in each of our writers. It also put feet to my own desires and anchored me in working towards more concrete, achievable goals.

I continued writing wishes, journalling “dialogues” with God. I wanted to submit more articles, some on new topics and for new publications—and a number of ideas came to mind. Doing so meant I needed to be more consistent in my output. The author Mark Buchanan suggested completing 1,000 words of finished copy a week, something I have often accomplished since then.

Another major area that came into focus was clearer planning on a daily, weekly, short-term, and long-term basis. Both the book The 12 Week Year and our own Ellen Hooge’s Writer’s Planit have given me strategies to better organize my time and keep track of my progress. It's a step-by-step process.

One morning after I had written these and other dreams, I awoke to the Spirit’s voice: “Now give your desires to Me.” He will accomplish what I cannot do on my own. I just need to be faithful to His calling.

Now more than ever, God continues to encourage me with insight, wisdom, and strategies for my next steps. He promises to release my potential and the potential of my group of writers. And that promise is one I pray He will do for all of us:

Is there yet any seed left in the barn?

Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree

have not borne fruit. "From this day on I will bless you."

~Haggai 2:19~

~ ~ ~

How is God nudging you (or has nudged you)

to make your writing dreams a reality?

What are small or large steps you can take now?

This week? This month?

What advice would you give to those struggling to accomplish their dreams?