Have you ever traveled through the countryside and come upon a road that ended with a fence in front of you and a perpendicular road that forced you to turn either right or left? No going forward?
Think about writing. Many times you will come to a dead stop. When that happens, have you ever thought of it as one of the roads I described above? Instead of a dead end, perhaps you need to journey in a different direction. If you think of it as an adventure into new uncharted territory, you might be able to envision two different roads. Which will you choose?
If you've been following my blog, you know that I've been struggling with my latest manuscript. I recently cut 20 pages because it wasn't going where I wanted to go. Yesterday, I ruthlessly cut another 39 pages. The problem? I didn't turn left or right. Instead I turned around and backtracked.
After much introspection, and many prayers, I have come to the realization that I've been forcing my passion for writing to fit a "mold." Because I enjoy reading romance, especially romantic suspense, that's what I've been writing. But I turned in the wrong direction. I sold myself short. Sure, I can write a novel that readers tell me are page-turners, that they couldn't put it down, and they eagerly ask when my next book will be out. I won't lie. That feels good. It's a great ego boost. But it's not the real me. What is the real me?
I have been on a faith journey for some time, and have come to the realization that I need to write inspirational to add sunshine to my soul. And I don't need to try to fit any particular mold. What I need to do is put my fingers to the keyboard and write, truly write from my heart. Whenever I do that, the words flow freely. When I wrote "Hands of Time" and sent it to Chicken Soup for the Soul, that piece flowed from my hands in a matter of minutes. And they bought it. Not just once, but three times! That piece has been in three different Chicken Soup books, and is the story they use on their website to promote one of their books.
I may not get the books I intend to write published, but I will nourish my soul in writing them. If I get a contract, it will come in God's time. And that brings a smile to my heart, and a joy to my soul.
Thank you for stopping by, and may God lead you in the direction that will bring joy to your soul.
1 comment:
Kudo's to you, my friend. I truly believe our best work as authors comes from the heart. The best peice of advice I ever got when I found myself floundering in the sea of genres is, stop trying to fit in, write what you know and the rest will fall into place.
I wish you much success CarolAnn. I cannot wait to read your Inspy :)
Wishing you Miles of Smiles on your journey.
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