Giving Thanks Each Step of the Way by Steph Beth Nickel

 

RESEARCHING

My hubby is the one who loves to do research. I have always thought we would make a good writing duo. While there’s more to the whole “write what you know” adage than appears on the surface, I enjoy writing from my base of knowledge or about the fictional worlds I create. Typically, I find it challenging to research what I need to know, retain that knowledge, and then compile it into something that will benefit readers. I am currently coauthoring Paralympian Deb Willows’s second memoir, tentatively titled Keep Looking Up. I am incredibly thankful for our ongoing back and forth through each stage from our initial chat about the project onward. (We are currently working on revisions.)

OUTLINING

When it comes to nonfiction, I recognize the need for a more detailed outline. However, when it comes to writing fiction, I much prefer the discovery writing process… And then I get to the messy middle. I find it can drag when the blush of getting to know new characters and where they want to take me wears off. At that point, I have a tendency to skip ahead and write the ending. That way, although I know I’ll never be a detailed outliner / plotter, I know where I am and where I’m headed. Even so, there’s still room for some surprises along the way. I am incredibly thankful that there are a plethora of ways to get from the figurative “once upon a time” to “the end.”

DRAFTING

The middle of the novel I’ve been working on for-ev-er is dragging and in need of serious revamping. The main thing that’s keeping me from going back to Square One is the fact that I have been releasing chapters to Substack. I only have a handful of followers, but those who are reading Rule and Reign chapter by chapter keep me pressing on. I’m thankful for them, for every Like, and for every comment.

REVISING

Some people love working their way through the first draft of a new manuscript. Others prefer the revision process. Because I have what has been referred to as an abundance of “starting energy,” I find going back over my work, tweaking, and polishing it doesn’t stir up the same enthusiasm as diving into a new project does. Funny, as an editor, I am more than happy to go through a client’s manuscript time and time again. I am thankful for that and may need to bring the same perspective to my own writing.

PUBLISHING

Which option to choose: The Big Five? Or is that the Big Four? A small royalty press? A hybrid press? Indie publishing? While Deb and I are working with a small royalty press, I intend to independently publish my own work. However, there are challenges no matter which route a writer chooses and much to learn. And for me… See above how I feel about researching. I am thankful for my many connections to both independent and traditionally published authors as well as books, blogs, and courses.

MARKETING

While there is much “conventional wisdom” floating around out there about how to market one’s book, there are also methods that are more approachable for different personality types. Authors are not all the same nor does their approach to marketing have to be one size fits all. I am incredibly thankful for this.

The number one think I’m thankful for, as a Christian writer, is that I can ask the Lord for wisdom each step of the way and keep moving forward one step at a time.

Steph Beth Nickel is the former Editor of FellowScript and the outgoing InScribe Contest Coordinator. Steph is an editor and author and plans to relocate to Saskatchewan from Ontario to be close to family in 2027, Lord willing. (Headshot Photo Credit: Jaime Mellor Photography)

The Transformative Power of Writing by Nina Faye Morey

Writing has transformative power for both the writer and the reader. As a writer, there’s nothing I enjoy more than the process of putting my thoughts down on paper. When I give free range to my imagination, I’m often surprised where it leads. You see, I’m more of a “pantser” than a “plotter.” When a story pops into my head, I don’t immediately start outlining it on paper. I might jot down a few notes as ideas occur to me, but that’s it. I usually just meditate on it for some time before I actually begin to write.

However, when I sit down at my computer to commence writing, I often find that, unbeknownst to me, someone has erected some sharp detours on my mind map that cause me to take a more circuitous route to my final destination. I encounter a number of interesting sightseeing spots and other inspiring places that I hadn’t anticipated along the way. These provide me with a lot of material and different perspectives on the territory I’m covering. By the time I get to my journey’s end, I discover that it’s nowhere near where I thought it was in the first place. It’s times like these I truly feel that my writing is a calling because I’ve somehow been intuitively led to my final goal by the Holy Spirit.

Once I get involved in writing a piece, my words normally flow freely onto the page. I find myself totally “in the zone” and become completely absorbed in the process. I lose all awareness of the activity around me and the passage of time. That doesn’t just happen when I’m writing about a topic that’s lighthearted or joyful. It also occurs when I feel drawn to my computer to tap out a piece on a troublesome or traumatic topic.

This all circles back to the feeling that my writing is a calling. Why would I be motivated to tackle distressing topics other than out of a desire to minister to my readers? Why else would I hive off hunks of my heart and soul and cast them out there for the entire world to devour? That’s one of the risks I have to take if I truly feel that my writing is a calling to contribute something to the world that exists outside of my little writing room.

So it’s all tied in to how I view my relationship with my readers. As a writer, I want to connect with my readers. I want them to know that they are not alone out there. I hope to offer them a perspective on their joys and sorrows that they might not encounter elsewhere. As a Christian writer, I hope to shine a new light on whatever is happening in their lives by offering them a biblical frame of reference. Perhaps when they close that magazine or book on my story, they will come away with a different perception of their world. Maybe they’ll share my work with someone close to them who can benefit from my message. Being able to convey some Christian insights into the issues they are dealing with through my gift of writing gives me a deep sense of satisfaction and joy.

For me, writing is a labour of love. The longer I write, the greater my sense of being “tuned in” to the Holy Spirit. It gladdens my heart to be able to spread God’s Word through my words and know that this creative act has the power to transform someone’s life.