Slow Down and Write: Unlock the Gift of Writing

The gift of writing is a passion project for me right now. I want to tell many stories. Yet, finding time to write amid work, family, and ministry responsibilities is challenging. God has called me to all three of those responsibilities before writing books.

I used to write “by the seat of my pants” but ended with stories that were not satisfying or interesting.  So, I gave in to outlining (or pre-planning) my stories to make the writing more efficient.  (NOTE: Writing is not efficient, but you can make it more efficient)

Though impatience and self-imposed deadlines brought me to outlining, they also stole the joy away from the gift of writing.  

Then, this verse in Ecclesiastes smacked me in the head. “So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him?”

The Gift of Writing: Joy in the Journey

Sitting down at my local Panera, enjoying a hot tea and bagel, and churning 1,000 words before 8:30 is a joy.  The same applies to rewriting, formatting, cover design, and publishing.  But then what?

The joy of the finished project evaporates.  In other words, the journey to the finished book is much more enjoyable than the finished book.

I’m sure you’ve felt the same way when reading a book.  There is joy in cracking open the cover for the first time, the scent of new pages, and diving into a new story.  There is even joy in what my mother calls “the chase.” “The chase” is when the plot drives so hard at the end of the book that you’ll sacrifice sleep to see how it ends.  But then it ends, you close the cover and realize reading the book was more enjoyable than finishing it.

The Pressure of Platform and Adding Value

I’ve outlined using the Story Grid method in the past. For my current book, I’m outlining Dan Harmon’s Story Circle.  Structure streamlines my thoughts and guides the story to a logical conclusion.  The difficulty in my heart, what caused stress and a lack of joy, was the self-imposed deadlines.

Something that “publishing experts” say is that if you want people to read your books, you need a platform. To get a platform, you need to post. These posts must “add value,” be on a “post-or-die” regularity, and solve the reader’s problems. 

Though I would like people to read the stories, I couldn’t hope to say what problems entertainment solves. Besides, value is not something I can create; it is what the reader takes out of it. I found myself writing articles for what I thought the internet wanted. I was not writing from joy because I needed to post, post, post.

The Challenges of Being a Part-Time Writer

Most fiction writers who have figured out the platform thing are full-time writers. I have never sensed that God wants me to be a full-time writer. These writers also carve out a space in the teaching space. I’ve tried teaching, which is neither a joy nor a talent. Art playing to the masses is rarely surprising. I’m not saying my writing is surprising, but I want it to have a fighting chance.

Some of the reasons Shell Game took longer to publish than I hoped were because I aimed at efficiency over joy. This was silly because I was the only one worried about the schedule. The first (almost published but flawed) draft felt rushed and incomplete. I’m grateful for my friends who called me out on it.

Recently, as I’ve been working on a new story, I’ve struggled to break free from the temptation to rush the process. I’ve had to remind myself to slow down, to immerse myself in the work, and to find joy in the act of creation itself.

Finding Purpose and Fulfillment in the Gift of Writing

Writing is not only about the finished product. The joy of crafting a story allows me to explore themes and solve plot problems in exciting ways.  As of this writing, I’m close to the end of outlining the third book in the Pearl Saga series. I’m delighted that I’ve taken the slow route this time.  Whenever it gets done, I’m confident you’ll enjoy it more than if I’d cranked out another story in a year.

Writing is a journey of ups and downs, triumphs and struggles. It is easy to get caught up in the platform’s demands, the pressure to produce, and to sacrifice for quantity. I’m finding joy in the process, immersing in the work, and approaching writing as a gift. Along the way, I’m discovering a more profound sense of purpose and fulfillment in the craft.