The Craft of Writing

I spent most of my younger years believing that good writers simply woke up one day and poof! They were excellent writers. I thought they had a sixth sense; the sense of excellent writing and storytelling. As I've grown up and journeyed into the professional arena of writing, I’ve found that I am utterly and completely wrong.

It is true that some people have a natural talent to pen creative words on paper, but most of the successful writers of today are bondservants to practice. This jabbed a bit at childhood version of Jessica who thought quiet corners of cabins with smoky fires brought forth brilliant writings. You could easily find pre-teen me laying on my bedroom floor writing on a giant yellow legal pad about faraway lands or great adventures. My naivety lead me to believe that because I simply had ideas, one day I would be praised and honored from them. The yellow legal pad would be found in museums, and I would be crafting the art of my signature instead of good writing.  

To my surprise and shock, those stories on the legal pad did not end up on the New York Times Best Seller List.

They ended up in boxes or stuffed in bedside table drawers – never to be read by anyone else besides my mother. I thought the creative descriptions and a heartfelt effort would accelerate me to the top. Fast forward 15 years and I’ve learned that possessing a knack for something does not make you a professional, hour upon hours of practice does.

The weight of this lesson hit me hard when I was on The World Race and writing about unbelievable stories of God’s goodness with very few people reading them. It wasn’t because the content was lacking, it was simply because I was out of practice. So I focused, honed in, and got to work.

Since then I’ve developed a personal brand, as well as increased my professional experience in public relations and online writing. Here are some principles I’ve adopted and people I’ve followed on this writing journey:

1.   Read. This is the best advice I can give to any writer. When you are searching for your brand identity as a writer, see what the pros are doing. Follow professionals who you respect and learn from their mistakes and victories. This will also give you a great opportunity to see what type of writing style you prefer. I recommend Michael Hyatt, Jeff Goins, and John Saddington for writing tips, publishing, and blogging advice. For inspiration and an incredible storyteller to learn from, read some of C.S. Lewis’ works (@CSLewisDaily).

2.   Experience.  You can’t effectively engage people in your writing unless you are experiencing something new each day. Ride a bike, eat something new, or meet your neighbor, then write about it. A blogger mentor of mine wrote a great post on this very thing. The colors of the new fall leaves are much more inspiring than the glow of your computer screen.

3.   Learn. Always ask. As a writer, you should train yourself to investigate. Where is your new friend from? How did Michael Hyatt establish such a huge tribe of followers? Who does a red coffee bean turn into that thick, syrupy wake-up treat? Nowadays people are much more interested in the unusual than the day-to-day. Find a new way to intrigue and engage them.

4.   Write. Jeff Goins blogs constantly about this importance of writing and publishing your work. Your writing will never be perfect. There is no such thing. But you will never be good at your craft if you do not schedule yourself to practice consistently. Be ruthless with your practicing rule; no one is going to make you write, you have to do it yourself. 

I hope this encourages and inspires you today. You are not alone my friend! There are writers everywhere hoping to learn from what you create and be inspired by your thoughts. Focus. Hone in. Get to work. 

Dusty Books

Old, dusty books inspire me. I feel like they have a lot of wisdom and secret knowledge hidden between the pages. It seems the secret knowledge can only be uncovered in the quietness of a bookstore or a secluded library. This past Saturday afternoon I found myself tucked away in the corners of a bookstore, surrounded by books bursting to share their stories. I turned down the alluring offer of a chili cook off to pursue a day in solitude, thinking it would help calm my anxiety. I am still on the job hunt, and each day last week seemed to heap a new load of burdens. The books helped, but they didn’t console the deep need in my heart.

I laid on an old-fashioned ottoman covered in fabric that looked like it belonged in the parlor from the game Clue. I pulled out The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis and began at chapter one. It was pocket-sized and the pages felt like the chapter books I used to read in elementary school (the time when reading a ‘chapter book’ was the right of passage into 3^rd grade). The more I tried to get lost in the adventures of Puzzle and Shift, the more distracted I became by the weight of my own anxieties. I couldn’t step into the story and enjoy someone else’s adventure because I wasn’t satisfied with my own. Ouch.

Dissatisfied, I drove grumpily home. I began to let fear dictate my mood, and it seemed that nothing could change it. My roommate’s cheerful attitude couldn’t shake it, and the freshly baked snicker doodles couldn’t suppress the edge in my tone. Even the warm faces of my friends coming over for movie night didn’t ease my stressed out mind. There I was – hospitable, but not warm. I wasn’t myself.

I went to bed, with glass half empty, and a poor outlook on my circumstances. Luckily the Lord has grace in times like this, you know?

The next day, surprisingly, I felt a new sense of hope and joy. Something had changed, and I felt like the Lord was about to move. I went through the motions of the day – church and fellowship with friends – but with a new outlook. It was almost like all of those prayers about increasing my faith were starting to seep into my beliefs. My thoughts were changing, and the verses about faith without seeing began to take a solid foundation in my mind. I was no longer desperately crying out to a faraway God to please, please provide for me; I was standing in belief that he will provide for me.

And my prayers began to change. My conversations began to change. My outlook began to change. It all made sense. All of the weeks I have been pouring over the word of God and praying feverishly for Him to answer my call came to a head, and He moved. He moved in my heart and He moved in my spirit. Suddenly these scriptures settled in my heart:

Doing the will of God will silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. (1 Peter 2:15)

Blessings come to those who trust in the Lord. (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

We do not live by sight! (2 Corinthians 5:7)

God rewards those who earnestly seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

It didn’t matter how much wisdom or insight poured out of those dusty books that day, it was another book that changed my heart. Take heart my friends, if you are going through trials or running after a dream. His rewards are coming for those who earnestly seek him. 

The Myth About Waiting

‘Wait’ is such a heavy word. Whenever anyone says it you almost feel like sand bags are being placed on your shoulders, and the extra weight slows you down to a tedious crawl. You can’t get where you want to go, you automatically feel paralyzed, and a seed of bitterness starts to grow in your heart towards the person who uttered that awful word. Wait. 

Wait for the right job.

Wait for marriage.

Wait to travel the world.

Wait…wait…wait.

Even just typing those words makes me feel suppressed, like someone is desperately trying to stifle my dreams. Proverbs tells us that “hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12). Waiting, in a sense, is deferring a hope. It’s postponing our dreams and saying that today we will not be fulfilled. That sounds pretty terrible to me, especially since I have lots and lots of dreams I want to see come to fruition, and in this lifetime please.

Yesterday I was having coffee with a friend in downtown Nashville. We were talking about this sort of thing, and she said something that sent me off my rocker:

“We’re never really waiting for anything – we’re preparing. God’s timing is perfect, and he gives us these seasons to treasure and prepare for what is to come.”

Just like a young couple who is pregnant; they’re not waiting 9 months for the baby to arrive, they’re preparing. Setting up the nursery; taking time off work; preparing the siblings for the new arrival, and so forth. (Thanks Nashville Life Christian Church for that insight!) Slowly, methodically, and thoughtfully, they are preparing for the promise that God has given them of a child.

I'm saying this as much to myself as I am to those reading, but I beg you to trust in this time of preparing that everything you are doing is not in vain. Noah built an entire ark simply through trust and faith in the Lord. Plank by plank he labored in the sunlight to build everything just as the Lord directed. He wasn’t waiting idly on the storm to come, he was faithfully preparing for it. And it did; right on time.

Going back to my coffee date, just as my friend was talking about God’s timing a butterfly flew right into her coffee. She hurriedly scooped it out and it crawled onto her pointer finger. She sighed a bit, laughed, and then stated, “Butterflies are the sign God always gives me to show his faithfulness.”

You’re not waiting for God to show up; you are preparing in faith that He will. 

"Blessed is a man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."

Jeremiah 17:7-8

Breezy and Colorful October Saturday

Just around the curvy country roads of Tennessee and up the path only experienced bikers, know is a hidden town called Leiper’s Fork. If you weren’t looking for it, this wisp of a town would pass right by you. It has one main street, and is surrounded by white picket fences and quaint little homes where the scent of apple pie drifts out of the cracked windows. It’s a place where people circle around town bonfires and gossip about the latest great find at the rare bookstore next door.

Everything seems settled in Leiper’s Fork. No one is in a hurry to beat rush hour traffic or catch the Saturday evening flick. Each other’s company is enough for them, and the local BBQ restaurant’s fruit tea is just the right caveat for conversation.

This past Saturday a great friend and I sought out to explore the town, because rumors of a grand estate sale tickled our ears. We were met with cars jammed along the side streets, pumpkins of all sizes, repurposed furniture and orange leaves everywhere. Hay bales also made numerous appearances throughout the side streets. 

We stopped for a late lunch at a country kitchen and meandered the town looking for an estate sale gem. We passed old homes full of character and classic trucks you only see in movies. We walked out of there with arms full of shiny pumpkins and a couple of handcrafted bar stools. Estate sale gem: check.

The laid back afternoon turned into a lazy evening on the couch, typing this post while listening to the crickets sing. It was a great day to intentionally be a part of fall, and great night to reminisce about it.  

Why Schedules Are Important to Living the Good Life

I heard once that each month you should budget every penny you are projected to make before one cent goes in the bank. I tried it for a while, and ended up with more savings than I have ever had before. I budgeted everything from how much I wanted to save to how much I wanted to spend on coffee. I was no longer living out of the mentality that if it was in the bank, it was fair game to spend, and it changed my spending habits.

Instead of locking my finances in a ‘no spend zone,’ it gave me the freedom to spend (or save) my money according to what I had allotted for myself. I didn’t feel bad about spending $4 on a latte, because I knew I could spend $35 on coffee for the month. It simply gave me boundaries for my spending, not a tedious list of do’s and don’t's I was enslaved to follow.

The same principle applies to scheduling your time. For some, a schedule can seem restricting and confining; a quick way to stomp out your ‘creative spirit’ or make everyday seem like a workday. I’ve found the opposite to be true, and here are a few reasons why:

·      Scheduling my time actually helps me tap into my creative juices faster. I don’t have the luxury to go out and find creative inspiration, so it becomes a practiced talent. I know some creatives are scoffing at this, and sometimes a walk in the park or visit to the town library is just what you need to find your next great idea. I’m talking about on the days when time isn’t allotted and you’re expected to produce. Scheduled brainstorming sessions and creative writing times will sharpen your skills and ability to call on your creative side more easily.

·      It will allow you to do the things you really want to do. We all have that secret drawer where all of our hopes and dreams are stowed away. It can be as simple as, ‘learn a new recipe every week’ that we never seem to have enough time to do. I have the beginnings of a book sitting on my external hard drive because I never ‘get around to working on it.’ Silly.

·      Your days will be more fulfilling and worthwhile. This doesn’t mean every minute has to be scheduled to have a life worth telling stories about. There is always room for the surprises off the beaten path brings. But for the normal day, that sense of accomplishment always seems to follow when you’ve had a productive day’s work and play, all on the same schedule.

·      It helps you narrow down what’s important to you. If you catch yourself slipping into hours of TV watching, only to realize Ross indefinitely will end up with Rachel, chances are you’re missing out on what you really want to do. Schedules don’t permit mindless time wasting and encourage doing things that you truly love. I love to write and I know I need to be constantly improving, so if stalking Facebook is eating away at my writing time, something needs to change. Boredom is not an excuse for inactivity.

The truth is, successful people live scheduled lives. Not demanding, air-sucking schedules filled with deadlines and ‘do or die’ subject lines, but times slots that are wisely and thoroughly thought out to help you truly live the life you want to live. It’s surprisingly a freeing feeling!

Do you have anything you desperately want to squeeze into your schedule? What scheduling tips have worked for you? I’d love to read about them in the comments.