Three Frustrations Authors Suffer

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As I sit here today at my laptop, I’m frustrated. Why? Writer’s block. My “idea well” has run dry. Hey! A thought just occurred. Why not write about some of the frustrations we face along our literary journey. All right, then. Let’s begin.

Rejections

Serious writers understand that rejection comes with the territory. An oft-repeated cliché heard at conferences goes like this: “Not everyone will like our baby,” that is, “Not everyone will like our book.” It doesn’t necessarily mean our writing’s bad. It may mean our book isn’t for everyone, not even for some agents and publishers. Those of us who are called to write won’t let rejection destroy our dreams. Instead, we’ll persevere in our craft.

Finding Ideas

An affliction that affects most writers at some point or other in their careers is writer’s block. That is, their well of ideas runs dry, as shown in my blog’s introductory paragraph. How do we refill it? Here are three ways to consider.

Read. Spend lots of time reading. When we read, kernels of thoughts enter our minds which sometimes spread into ideas for articles, nonfiction books, short stories and novels. Don’t just read in our genres. In fact, read everything we can get our hands on. Approach reading as part of our work—because it is.
Pictures, photos, etc. When I was in the sixth grade, my teacher had what she called a “writing table.” Lots of pictures were on it, some cut out of magazines. She’d give those of us who wanted to do so a chance to pick out a picture and write about it. I remember cutting out an advertisement—the photo of a cow standing in front of a commercial airliner. I probably used this table more than my classmates. By studying pictures closely, we may be prompted to write something that inspires us.
Experience Life. I love to travel and explore new places. Often, these provide ideas for me as well. When your idea well dries up, consider going to a place you’ve never been before. Take a few days off to walk around and explore it. Who knows? That place may be an excellent setting for a new story.

Finding Time

Truthfully, it’s usually not a matter of “not having time.” It’s a matter of “making time,” and serious writers make time if only thirty minutes or less a day. Of course, sometimes things happen out of our control and our schedule is so full we truly don’t have time to write. That said, truly “not having time” should be the exception to our schedules, not the rule. Make writing a habit. Get up earlier than usual, or go to be later than usual if need be. Practice becoming a writer who takes his/her craft seriously. Don’t let anything discourage you in your literary calling.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow on “Success”

January 24, 2024December 2, 2023 ~ Jack ~ Leave a comment

“The talent of success is nothing more than doing what you do well, and doing well whatever you can do without a thought of fame. If it comes at all, it will come because it is deserved, not because it is sought after.”

Literary Missionaries

Featured ~ Jack ~ 4 Comments

When I was in college, I’d considered becoming a foreign missionary. With my love of language, I pondered joining the Wycliffe Bible Translators. Ah, but the Lord had other plans, and my life took a different direction. Or did it?

As I look back on my early years, I wonder. When the Lord called me into writing for Him in the mid-1980s, He confirmed my calling time and again. Without these confirmations, and the confidence that I was doing His will, I may not have persevered during the hard times. Since then, with numerous bylines under my belt, I think I understand now. I am, indeed, a missionary using my language skills. A literary missionary. Not just me—all Christian writers are!

As literary missionaries, like every other ministry, we must take our calling seriously. That means lots of hard work with an eye toward reaching our intended reading audience. Most of us likely won’t receive the accolades of some who serve in the public eye. And that’s all right. If we stay true to our calling and keep our motives pure, such things won’t (and shouldn’t) matter.

God watches over His literary missionaries. Our words will reach those He intends to reach. I doubt we’ll ever know how effective our work has been, how many people our stories, articles, poems and books have reached, till our journey here ends and we pass on into our heavenly home.

Called to write, then? Don’t quit. There’s a vast mission field out in this world. The world needs to read our words.

Little Foxes

January 10, 2024November 9, 2023 ~ Jack ~ 1 Comment

“Little foxes” are sly literary critters that often sneak in and spoil a well-written piece of prose. As writers, we must stay vigilant against them. Sometimes they’ll pop on our pages while we’re writing. Other times, we’re unaware of their presence.

Little literary foxes are words we overuse, such as so and that. Many times, we don’t need them.

Let’s look at the word that.

1. John thought that Billy played golf.

This “little fox” in bold weakens the sentence’s impact.

2. John thought Billy played golf..

This sentence, without the word that, reads smoother and stronger.

A good way to identify when this word is unnecessary is when it follows a verb. In such cases, that usually isn’t needed. TIP: Read your that sentences without using it. Is your writing still clear? If it is, delete that.