Thursday 12 June 2014

Tubthumping - by Natalie McNee




I was wondering about what I should write for this blog post when the song Tubthumping (I get knocked down) by Chumbawamba came to mind. I haven’t heard this song since the 90’s so I YouTubed it to listen to the lyrics; now I know it’s not a Christian song and the use of some language is not great but I could really relate to the first part of the song which goes like this:

“We’ll be singing when we’re winning,
We’ll be singing,
I get knocked down, but I get up again,
You’re never gonna keep me down!” (Repeat last two lines x7)

Doesn’t this just sum up a writer? How many times do we get critiques, comments and rejection letters to our work which might knock us down but after overcoming the hurt (hopefully not by drinking the whiskey/vodka /larger/cider drink as stated in the song) do we get back up again and just keep going for it?! I believe writers must be the most persistent people on the planet. 

For many years we have had only a few “stars”; those big name authors from big ministries who have had their books published but I believe that is changing. God is no respector of persons so there are no “stars” in the kingdom of heaven. I believe that God is raising up armies of people all over the world armed with pen, paper and computers to get His Word and revelations out to both the saved and unsaved. The more we learn about the craft of writing the more steadfast we will become when opposition heads our way. God has already qualified us as writers and so we need to remind ourselves that if one way doesn’t work then we can try another way and continue to stand until we are victorious in breaking the opposition. 

Persistence pays off, it is a vital character trait for a writer and I have never heard of a writer becoming successful without persistence. Elisha was one of the most persistent people in the Bible, so I encourage you to read 2 Kings 2, and then get back to writing so you can start singing because you’re winning!

Image by Stuart Miles, published on 09 May 2014
Stock Image - image ID: 100259557
www.freedigitalphotos.net



Natalie is a freelance copywriter and ghostwriter servicing the Christian market. She is also the co-owner of Flowers To Remember. Natalie is also proudly a Child Advocate Network supporter with Compassion and volunteers for the Street Chaplains in her free time. To connect with her on various social networks please visit her website www.nataliemcnee.com

13 comments:

  1. Thanks for that Natalie, though you do realise we'll all be singing that song for the rest of the day! You're so right about persistence. It's easy to get discouraged, but if God has called us to write, He'll give us what we need. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Yes, even if God gives us the dream and the gifts to be able to write, we still need that persistence and determination and self-discipline, for sure. Thanks for your reminder of this, Natalie--and especially for mentioning 2 Kings 2. A great example of persistence!

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  3. I have sure proved that to be the case, Natalie. I have lost count of the times in which I've come close by agents accepting my book proposals and then getting overturned by a publishing committee.But as Christians we're meant to persevere AND the best thing of that is you constantly improve.I am in a waiting position right now, to see if another book is accepted. If not, singing, "They're never gonna keep me down!"

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  4. Hi Natalie,
    I absolutely agree, if a writer has lacked persistence at the start, they've acquired it somewhere along the journey. I'm glad that what you say is true, and these days of ebooks and more opportunities make it easier for those who aren't 'big names' to at least get our work out there.

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  6. Thanks for your encouragement everyone, I too have had to remind myself to keep going, that's what's so great about a community like this - we can support and encourage each other to persevere and yes the publishing world is changing so more of us will see our books reaching and impacting people's lives.

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  7. Thanks for your post Natalie. Great reminder to keep on keeping on :)

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  8. Great word, Natalie. Better to think of ourselves as 'persistent' than as 'gluttons for punishment' - which also applies at times. I also find the encouragement of this network adds backbone to my persistence.

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    1. Previous post came up twice - hence second deleted. :)

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  10. Thanks for your encouraging words Natalie. Yes, perseverance is indeed the way to go I agree. Thanks for the heads up about 2 Kings 2 - I must have a look at it. Thanks for pointing us in the right direction!

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  11. Yes, all need encouragement at times to keep going. Thanks

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  12. I love what you say about there being no "stars". In the kingdom. We all need each other in God's family. .

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