Motivated to Write by Kathy Ide | Guest Post

When I attended my first writers’ conference, I had no idea what I was getting into! Most people think writing a book is easy … until they actually try to write for publication. It’s such a long process, filled with discouragements and distractions, setbacks and rejections. Sometimes it would be a lot easier to quit writing than to keep at it.

But if God has called you to write, you can’t quit. Writers’ write. It’s what we do. We can’t help it.

On days when I’m not feeling very motivated, I think about the long-range effects of the tasks God has called me to do. Whether I’m writing something myself, helping a client edit a manuscript, working with writers at a conference, or helping freelance editors develop their own businesses, I’m a small part of a big team of people that God put together to get what He wanted to be written into the hands of the people He knew would need to read it, at precisely the right moment.

What if Jesus’ followers hadn’t written the gospels? You know, Luke opened his book by saying that many others had already written narratives about Jesus’ life, and they were eyewitnesses. Surely Luke must have wondered whether he should bother writing yet another account of the same story. But, he said, “It seemed good to me.” And so he wrote. Luke knew he didn’t have a unique idea, something no one had ever thought of before. But if he hadn’t written his version of the story of Christ’s life, we would not have Luke 2, that beautifully written account of Jesus’ virgin birth.

The only other gospel account we have that even mentions Jesus' birth is Matthew. And he doesn't say anything about Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem and finding no room for them in the inn. Nothing about a manger. Or shepherds. Or heavenly hosts. Without Luke's writing, most of our favorite Christmas traditions wouldn't even exist. And Charlie Brown’s Christmas special would not be the same!

What if the apostle Paul had decided he was too busy traveling and preaching the good news to write? What if he’d let his “thorn in the flesh,” his failing eyesight, not to mention his imprisonment, keep him from sending letters to the churches? We wouldn’t have any of his powerful epistles from which we gain so much insight into how we are to live our lives as believers.

When I’m mired in discouragement over my writing, I think back to a moment when something I read really touched my heart or changed my life. What if the author of that book or article or short story had decided she was just too busy to write? Or gotten discouraged when she first started out? What if she’d let rejection letters, or the cost of a writers’ conference, or some critical comments from an editor crush her spirit so that she turned her back on God’s calling to write? If she had, then that moment when God touched my heart through that thing I read would never have happened.

Writers have the opportunity to make an impact for eternity. If we don’t write what God has called us to write, and pursue whatever publishing avenues God leads us to pursue, we’ll be denying readers the benefit of the wisdom God has shared with us in our life journeys.

God touches hearts and changes lives through the written word. And I love being part of the behind-the-scenes work that brings about that miracle. When I get to heaven, I’m really looking forward to meeting all the people God reached through the books and articles I helped create … and all the people who were affected by those people’s lives!

_____

I have been writing for publication since 1989. I've written books, short stories, play and movie scripts, devotionals, and Sunday school curriculum. I'm the author of "Proofreading Secrets of Best-Selling Authors" (an updated and improved version of "Polishing the PUGS," which is now out of print). I have also written books on "Christian Drama Publishing" and "Typing without Pain."

I do editing and mentoring for aspiring, beginning, intermediate, and established authors. I speak at writers' conferences across the country.

I am the founder and director/coordinator of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network (www.TheChristianPEN.com)and the Christian Editor Connection (www.ChristianEditor.com).

Kathy Ide {Writer Wedesday}

A little bit about Kathy...

I have been writing for publication since 1989. I've written books, short stories, play and movie scripts, devotionals, and Sunday school curriculum. I'm the author of "Proofreading Secrets of Best-Selling Authors" (an updated and improved version of "Polishing the PUGS," which is now out of print). I have also written books on "Christian Drama Publishing" and "Typing without Pain."

I do editing and mentoring for aspiring, beginning, intermediate, and established authors. I speak at writers' conferences across the country.

I am the founder and director/coordinator of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network (www.TheChristianPEN.com)and the Christian Editor Connection (www.ChristianEditor.com).

Connect with Kathy...

Website: http://kathyide.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KathyIde.AuthorEditor?ref=br_tf
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KathyIde
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4354766.Kathy_Ide
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/KathyIdeEditor/
Purchase: 21 Days of Grace: Stories that Celebrate God's Unconditional Love

Get to know Kathy...

You and Writing

Tell us a little bit about yourself and writing...

How did you start writing?
Back in the 1900s (okay, the late 1980s), a friend from church asked for my help stuffing binders for a writers’ conference she was directing. When we finished, she said I’d been so much help I could attend the conference for free if I wanted. I said, “I’m not a writer. Why would I go to a writers’ conference?” She said that since I was an avid reader, I might enjoy it. And “Who knows? Maybe you are a writer and just don’t realize it.” I laughed, but took her up on her offer anyway, just for kicks. Along with being “starstruck” at meeting people whose names were on the covers of books I had at home, I attended the workshops and sessions and started wondering if I might be able to do this writing thing after all. I took a copy of every single thing on the freebie table, then submitted an article to a magazine I’d never heard of, and they sent me a check for $100. I was hooked!

What has kept you writing?
Seeing the power of the written word in my own life and the lives of others. And knowing that God had to call someone to write those things … and that person had to answer that call.

Your Writing

Tell us a little bit about your book...

What gave you the idea?
I love Christian fiction. And I’ve seen its power to touch hearts and change lives. But in my quiet times with the Lord, reading a chapter of a novel just didn’t seem right! So I thought, how cool would it be to have a devotional with short fiction stories followed by life applications? And if each chapter was written by a different person, I could read stories from my favorite authors and also discover some new ones.

What did you learn while writing it?
I learned patience with God’s timing! The Lord gave me this idea almost 20 years ago, and I thought it was brilliant. But I couldn’t get a traditional publishing house to catch the vision for it. It did get some keen interest from a few acquisitions editors, but their sales and marketing people couldn’t figure out how to promote a devotional (typically nonfiction) that featured fiction stories. That was frustrating. But when God finally opened the door with BroadStreet Publishing Group, I got a four-book contract for a series of Fiction Lover’s Devotionals. And they created them as gorgeous hardcover gift books with debossed covers, full-color interior, even ribbon page markers. Well worth waiting for! And by the time the books got published, I’d developed a decent online fan base to promote them through. God knew what He was doing!

Did you get to do any fun research for the book?
As the editor/compiler for the series, I got to work with some big-name best-selling authors like Angela Hunt, Deb Raney, Cindy Woodsmall, Tracy Higley, Susan May Warren, Lynette Sowell, and Mary DeMuth. (I actually got to edit these amazing authors! Wow!) I also discovered some lesser-known writers who had really good stories. I even got to include chapters from some of my not-yet-discovered writer friends, putting them in compilations with big-name authors. That was really fun!

Writing

Let’s talk about your writing life...

What’s your encouragement for younger writers aside from “keep writing”?
Think about something you read that touched your heart and changed your life. When God called you to write, He had specific people in mind who would need to read what He wanted you to write at a particular point in their lives. He also knew about the long and sometimes bumpy journey between that calling and actually getting your book (or article or script or curriculum or poem) into those people’s hands. So as long as you are taking the steps He has asked you to take, and walking through the doors He has opened for you, and doing everything you can to make your writing the best it can be … you can relax, knowing that He is orchestrating every situation and circumstance, and He will overcome every obstacle, to get what He has called you to write into the hands of the people He knows will need to read it at exactly the right moment.

What advice would you give to aspiring authors for writing and/or publishing?
First, realize that writing is a craft that can be learned and developed, and that it takes time and effort t do well. Sure, it’s easy to string words into sentences and sentences into paragraphs. But if you want the message or story of your heart to effectively communicate to readers (and be of interest to people outside your friends and family), you have to work at it. Read books on how to write (and how to write in your chosen genre). Take classes. Learn from podcasts and webinars. Get into a critique group (in person or by e-mail) or find a few critique partners—and take their suggestions seriously. Rewrite, revise, and polish. Hire a freelance editor to take your manuscript to the next level … and learn writing techniques in the process. Attend writers’ conferences where you can meet kindred spirits, network with industry professionals, make connections, have divine appointments, and hear the Holy Spirit prompt you on the next step to take. Then take those steps!

You

If you could travel to any location and stay there for one month (probably spending most of the time writing) where would you go?
 Easiest question ever! Maui. It’s the most beautiful, peaceful, fun, restorative place I’ve ever been to. I’d get up every morning during that month, sit on the lanai with a cup of hot cinnamon tea, and gaze at the ocean while engaging in an inspirational conversation with the one who created the view—and me. Then I’d take a spiral notebook and pen out to the beach, sink into a comfy lounge chair, and write. After a yummy lunch of fish and purple sweet rolls, I’d head back to my condo, plug in my laptop, sit by the open window, and then type what I wrote and edit it. When my brain ran out of juice, I’d hop into my rented convertible and go snorkeling or parasailing or white-water rafting or waterfall hunting on the road to Hana. Dinner with my hubby at a waterfront restaurant in Lahaina. A romantic stroll along the shore watching the stunningly gorgeous sunset. (My heart is yearning just thinking about it. Anybody got a condo they’d be willing to let me stay in for a month rent-free?)

What are you currently reading?
I just finished Jody Hedlund’s Newton & Polly and totally loved it! As a professional editor, I have a hard time reading for pleasure because I can’t help editing as I read. But every once in a while I come across a gem that totally draws me in (and is polished enough that I’m not distracted). Newton & Polly was an absolute joy to read. I’ve already ordered more Jody Hedlund novels. Can’t wait to get them!