The Apprenticeship of Robert W. Jones by Bob Jones

The Apprenticeship of Robert W. Jones

Mordecai Richler authored “The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz,” – a classic about a poor Jewish boy raised in Montreal, Quebec. The novel was part of my high school education.

I never imagined that one day I would be composing something others would read about my own writing apprenticeship. 

Apprenticeship is how Jeff Goins in “The Art of the Work” suggests writers view their learning process.

I started writing for publication in 2013. Now I’m composing two blog posts a week, write for a local newspaper, a national magazine and on two sites for writers. My first book was published in 2015. 

I’m still at the early stage of my apprenticeship, but I’ve learned a lot.

My Turning Point

My writing process changed for the better when I learned to separate the writing function from the editing function.

When I began writing I edited on the fly.  I would get a couple of paragraphs down. Then I’d go back and change a word or a phrase or a whole sentence.

Then I would do it again.  And again.

I am a perfectionist.

Jeff Goins encouraged me to let my writing “flow.”  Get your words out – spelling mistakes, awkward wording, imperfections and all.

Now I write and then leave it alone. I come back to edit in an hour or a day.

That’s how I wrote this post. I started it on April 26th and now I’m editing it aboard Air Canada flight 176 to Montreal on April 28th.

As a new writer, I’m indebted to Jeff to have learned this lesson soon than later.

My Two Most Important Discoveries

First, I discovered that my content can always be bettered.

I return to posts I published twelve months previously.

Posts I edited.

Posts I liked.

A year later I immediately see ways that I can improve the post.

I know I’m getting better as a writer. It’s a slow, but gradual process.

I know I’ll become an even better writer.

At one time I felt intimidated by the realization that I could do better. I hesitated to share content that I knew could be improved. I delayed publishing posts until they were perfected.

Now I write, edit and share.

Second, I discovered that the visual aspect of a post is as important as the content.

I owe that discovery to Cindy Keating at Red Carpet Life.

Cindy’s writing content is engaging and makes me want to come back for more but it was the layout of her posts I realized helped me to engage.

I used to write long paragraphs, as in essay style. I didn’t use images to support my writing because I believed them to be a crutch. Good writing should stand on it’s own.

Red Carpet Life taught me the use of vibrant colors, rich images, single sentences rather than paragraphs and section headers for ease of scanning.

What I Would Do Differently

I would never have stopped publishing.

Twenty-five years ago I wrote with a purpose.

I submitted articles that were issue-oriented to national magazines and local newspapers. I thought they were important. Some were occasionally published – I’ve got a scrapbook of them.

I stopped publishing because I wasn’t getting enough affirmation.

No one, other than the editors, ever commented on my content.

After awhile, others pursuits that garnered better response rose to the top of my priority list and I stopped publishing and then writing altogether.

My regret, that I hope I can help you avoid, is imagining where I could be as a writer if I had continued my publishing and writing pursuits.

Twenty-five years is a lot of lost experience and practice.

You’re reading this because you are a writer.

If you keep writing someone will keep reading.

Who knows which reader may themselves be a writer needing to be heard.

Be Not A Self-Starter - Bruce Atchison

 It's a reoccurring pattern in my life. I'm invited to participate but nobody mentors me when I do. Mrs. Blacklock didn't disciple me after I gave my life to Christ at her vacation Bible school. VE6BOS had no time to "Elmer" me when I studied for my amateur radio exam. And freelance writers were too busy to coach me. Consequently, I wasted a lot of time, money, and effort trying to be a self-taught writer.

Twenty years of trial and error have taught me much. One important lesson is to find and join a writers' group. Members are more than willing to help novice scribes since they were once in that situation.

Reading writing magazines is another must for new writers. We all thought we were good when we began but in retrospect, we stunk. I still cringe when I open files from years ago and realize how poorly I wrote. So the price of those magazines proved to be a bargain after all since they taught me so much.

Self-publishing also gave me much to learn. Helpful editors not only pointed out my errors but explained why what I wrote was incorrect. Though they were busy, they did point me in the right direction.

Writing courses are also valuable to new writers. Instructors give relevant feedback and often correct our misconceptions on various writing styles.

The best advice I can give to beginners is that it isn't as easy as it looks. You need to listen to other writers and read guidelines thoroughly. Magazine and news paper editors are swamped with work and have no time to critique your submission. They often don't even bother to reply if your work is clearly wrong for their publication.

Don't be shy. Join a writing group for support and critique. Chances are that people will help you to write powerful and mistake-free prose or poetry. Persistence pays off in the end but you need others helping you to become skilled at the craft.

Being Yentl by Marnie Pohlmann

“Follow Me,” said Jesus, and by ones and twos the men we know as His disciples began their apprenticeship. That’s not really where their training began, though.

In Jewish culture, boys were taught from a young age what the Torah and Tanakh said, and also what the Talmud said as interpretation of the Torah. While girls were not necessarily taught in a formal manner, Scripture’s examples of women as prophets, judges, and leaders indicate girls also grew in knowledge of the Lord and God’s Word.

I am reminded of one of my favourite music movies, “Yentl” with Barbara Streisand as a Jewish girl who poses as a boy so she can learn. I won’t share the details so the twists of the movie are not spoiled if you haven’t seen it, so please look for this entertaining show. Suffice it to say; learning the Word of God was a central part of Jewish culture.

So the fishermen, tax collector, doctor, and others were already knowledgeable about the foundations of faith. When their call came, they recognized it and responded to the invitation of the Master. Jesus taught them by example, by word, and through discussion, reminding them and illuminating for them things they already knew. He challenged them to more and greater than they ever imagined.

My writing apprenticeship also started long before I responded to the call.

Heading to school, I was already a lover of reading, so when we learned to print our names I was so excited! I ran home to show my Mom.
“Marjorie. That’s spelled wrong,” she said.
So she sent a note back to my teacher, explaining my name was spelled “Margery.” I didn’t mind – now I knew how to write more letters, and put them together to make words.

About Grade Four, we were asked to write a story from the point of view of an object. The teacher was impressed with my tale of a tire that was happy to be recycled as a flowerbed. I had seen such a garden on my walk home from school. And so I learned the basics of POV and personification.

By Grade Seven I knew I loved creative writing, and discovered synonyms and antonyms to make my writing more interesting. I wrote about a conflagration and described how the blood of an animal teemed. What fun!

Throughout school, but especially in High School, I discovered recognition for my writing by winning National contests. I also wrote for the school newspaper, and enjoyed writing essay assignments.

But what happened when school was done? How did I continue to write? Was the saying true, “if you don’t use it, you lose it”? Perhaps! My writing turned inward with journaling, and occasional pieces for non-profits or my job, but nothing to move me forward.

Yet that is when the call came. As I wrote just between God and me, journaling my past and present pains, the call to follow God as a writer came. At first I refused. I struggled with God. I wanted to write exciting things, not happy-ever-after religious stuff.

And so began my apprenticeship. First lesson – with God an integral part of me, no matter what genre I write, His influence shows. Only with God is there a happy-ever-after, so even the most difficult, realistic stories I pen will show that Hope in some form. It’s just who I am.

Now, as I follow God, I will learn from the example of others and through discussion and correction. We journey together bravely sharing what we are led to write. Writing seems solitary, but it takes teachers and companions to learn our ministry and craft. I grow stronger by following God with others on this adventure.

Like Yentl, a writer’s desire is not met by just having a foundation. We must apply that basic knowledge and seek to understand more, to practice and share more. And like Yentl, I pray we will travel to new places as we follow our desire to know and show God.

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” John 8:12 (NASB)

Marnie Pohlmann writes from a small northern town to show the world that God’s light shines in darkness. Read Marnie’s blog, Phosphorescent, at marniewriter.com

From the Beginning By Vickie Stam

"She prints very good stories and knows all her reading words." These words leap from the page of my 1971 report card; one of the few my mother kept.   

"Vickie reads well with comprehension applying phonetic and word attack skills without difficulty." A year later, at the tender age of eight, I'm still doing very well with syntax. My formation of words is coming together. I smile at the very thought of my teacher's comments. I only wish my mother had kept some of those stories from long ago.  

But, what I discovered when I read those old report cards is that they indeed mark the first real evidence of my writing apprenticeship. The start of a passion. I learned at a very young age to "attack words" -- hear the individual sound of the letters, link them together and build a relationship among them. I learned that stringing words together would form a sentence and eventually a story. An expression of me!

In grade six my report card brings more great news. The letter, "A" stares back at me in bold blue ink; smack dab beside the subjects, spelling and phonics. I see this marvelous achievement as a stepping stone to something bigger; something I know could only have come from God. The letter "B" is penned beside the task of written expression. It's clear that writing still agreed with me.        

Unfortunately, those are the only report cards I have. Each time I look at them I'm reminded of the fact that I liked words then and still do today. 

As I jump forward in time, the memories flip like a slide show in my mind. I can see myself sitting at my desk. My English teacher's blond hair barely moves as she strolls up and down the aisles between our seats. She allows us to hide an open bag of chips in the cavity of our desks. We're granted permission to eat them during class, "Only if you promise to do it quietly." She says. Hmmm...a challenge for me. She was quite the teacher! She would belt out the day's lesson, pronouncing each word with such clarity and then proceed to rake the white chalk across the black board up front. The thought of her nails catching the chalk board still makes me shiver.  

Not only did she want us to use our visual skills, she wanted us to listen; something that would also become quite an essential part of the writing process. All writer's use words to unlock the senses. The things we see, hear, smell, taste and touch need to paint a picture.

That was 1979 and like most teenagers, I remember thinking, I can't wait to get out of here. My social life seemed much more important. Even so, nothing deterred me from earning high marks in English. My passion for writing was there even if I didn't acknowledge it at the time.  

In my twenties I entered a poem in a poetry contest. Nothing ever came of it but the desire for me to submit something was obviously sparked when I came upon the request for submissions. 

But, the biggest turning point for me in my writing journey came in 2010 when I enrolled in a writing class at the University almost an hour's drive from my home. What was I thinking? I remember wondering if I'd made a mistake. My stomach flipped several times on the drive to school yet I walked out at the end of my first class -- on fire. I could hardly wait to do my homework.   

I'm not brimming with any outstanding advice, really. But if there is one piece of encouragement I can offer to someone, it would be, "Never let someone tell you that you cannot write." If you feel it --- write it. 

Unlike other types of apprenticeships, no one paid me while in the process of learning. I simply write because the evidence shows that it's been in me from the very beginning.  


Psalm 139:13-14

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."