The Writers' Three Rs by Steph Beth Nickel

Laptop Computer Keyboard - Free photo on Pixabay

Are you sitting in front of your keyboard (or writing notebook) wondering if you have anything more to write? Anything to say that hasn't been said countless times before . . . by you and others? Anything that will truly encourage, entertain, or educate your readers?

Most of us have been there. Possibly, multiple times.

But as this month's theme indicates, there are three Rs that can help us address these issues: reuse, rethink, and recycle.

Our own words can serve as a springboard for new ideas. 

And those new ideas?

A new platform on which to republish our work with little to no changes. And don't be afraid to repost the same piece weeks, months, or years later on the same platform. The algorithms are always changing, and you never know who may be seeing it for the first time or who may need to read it again.

An expanded work with updated info.

A social media post or blog post that inspires a short story, a novella, even a full-length manuscript.

An old manuscript we've tucked away that we might want to revisit. You know the ones, those sitting in a drawer or on our computers gathering dust.

Our Discarded Sentences, Paragraphs, and More file. (You do have one of these, don't you? Sometimes, a line or paragraph doesn't work in our WIP, but that doesn't mean it won't find a home in a future work.)

And speaking of deleting our work . . .

Instead of deleting an old post, why not compare and contrast our thoughts from days gone by with those we have now?

And what about those journals we've squirreled away? Those words that were for no one's eyes but our own? Maybe it's time to pick up one of those journals and see if one or more of the entries inspires a new piece that you do want to share with the world?

There are several R words that apply to our writing: reuse, rethink, recycle, revisit, revise, reshare, etc., etc., etc. Let's give it a try today!

I'd love to know how you've reused, rethought, and recycled your writing. Feel free to leave a comment below or email me at stephbethnickel@gmail.com

Steph Beth Nickel is the former Editor of FellowScript and the current InScribe Contest Coordinator. Steph is an editor and author and plans to relocate to Saskatchewan from Ontario to be close to family in 2026. (Headshot Photo Credit: Jaime Mellor Photography)

Write What You Love by Steph Beth Nickel

 

Write What You Know

We've all heard the advice to "write what you know." However, that is only the jumping off point. As writers, we are also researchers, whether formally or informally. Every day we're discovering and observing new things that find their way into our writing.

Should we write what we know? Yes.

Should we always be learning new things and incorporating them into our writing? Absolutely.

Write What You Love

If you're a journalist or a content creator, this may not be an option—at least not during your "working hours."

However, this is just one reason why those who write for a living often make time in the morning or evening to write what gets their mojo flowing, what's on their heart, what they love.

While there are countless factors that determine what we write, there is a sense of joy and expectation when the topic is near and dear to our heart.

When Love is the Motivator

Imagine your ideal writing life.

Writing about a topic we're passionate about and getting our work into the hands of those who are equally passionate (or become so) can fill the proverbial well. (We all know that writing, even about things we love, can be draining.)

Further, writing about a topic we love in an environment that inspires and energizes us and earning a living from that writing . . . Does it get better than that?

Practically speaking, the ideal is rarely our reality, but love can still be our motivator.

As believers, the Lord is to be our First Love. Has He laid a message on our heart and provided a way to share that message with others? When we do so, we express our love for Him.

Are we able to provide for ourselves and our family doing what we love even if what we write about isn't our #1 passion? Creating our best work is a way to express love to our family and others who benefit from our efforts. It's also a way to obey Colossians 3:23-24, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving" (ESV), thereby expressing our love for the Lord as well.

Do we entertain, encourage, and/or educate others with our words? This is a way of expressing love.

The Power of Our Words

We should never underestimate the power of our words.

When life becomes too overwhelming, our fiction can provide a temporary reprieve.

When our readers are weighed down by life's challenges and heartaches, our encouraging words can lighten their load.

When they're seeking direction, our nonfiction can point them to the truth—as can our fiction.

As Christians, we know our readers need to know the One who is the Truth more than anything else. And we can share this Truth no matter what we write.

Is there anything more powerful, anything more loving, than sharing our words with others?

Photo Credit: Heart Hearts Cord Hung - Free photo on Pixabay

Steph Beth Nickel is the former Editor of FellowScript and the current InScribe Contest Coordinator. Steph is an editor and author and plans to relocate to Saskatchewan from Ontario to be close to family sometime after her husband retires in the spring of 2025. (Headshot Photo Credit: Jaime Mellor Photography)

Writing That Makes My Heart Sing by Steph Beth Nickel

It was far easier to think of works by other authors that make my heart sing, some of which I share below, than it was to think of my own writing that qualifies. Still, I wanted to share a few aspects of the writing process that I enjoy.

SURPRISE! When I sit down at my computer with the seed of a new idea and start to write and things come together more quickly and more surprisingly than I thought they would, I'm reminded of the adventure that writing can be.

And at the other end of the process...When God uses something I've written to encourage, instruct, or entertain a reader, I am absolutely, positively over the moon. Is there a better feeling than that?

Sidenote: Revising my work to make it better is necessary and can be very rewarding—when the work is done—but the song that comes to mind during this process is “The Song That Never Ends” by puppeteer Sherry Lewis. <grin>

And now a few notes about works by other authors...

Memoir that draws me in can make my heart sing, although, at times, the tune and lyrics are sombre and heart wrenching. Punching the Air, a memoir by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam, is written in verse and goes straight to the heart. Warning: language.

And speaking of poetry...

Whether it's thought-provoking, such as Punching the Air, or a lighthearted children's book by an author such as P.D. Eastman or Dr. Seuss, verse can make my heart sing and, sometimes, a smile spread across my face. Even at 61, I love a well-written picture book.

After reading No Wonder They Call Him the Savior, I dubbed Max Lucado a poet who writes in prose. Lucado has a way of taking the simple yet profound truths of God's Word and painting a mental picture that allows these truths to sink deep into my spirit.

Devotionals that the Lord uses to give me fresh perspective on familiar passages and remind me of the awesomeness of Truth are the most life-changing nonfiction works I have the privilege of reading. Bonus: I know many of the authors, and that gives me an even greater sense of connectedness.

I enjoy a wide variety of fiction genres: suspense, cozy mysteries, sweet romances, clean romcoms, fantasies…

Fiction that grabs me by the throat and won't let go is my favourite. Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness is the first book I can remember taking with me wherever I went—although, I pretty much always had a Nancy Drew Mystery close at hand for much of my youth. I even tried to wash the dishes while reading Peretti’s book. (I'm definitely thankful for the advent of audiobooks, which makes consuming content so much easier while doing other tasks.)

And, as I mentioned earlier...

When a portion of scripture seems to jump off the page, whether to convict or encourage me, my heart sings, knowing the God of the Universe speaks to His children through words penned hundreds, some thousands, of years ago.