Write a Story

I usually wave my beloved off to work each morning, perched on a large rock on the side of our steep driveway, then run indoors to have breakfast with a good book for company. Recently as my breakfast-time-reading I enjoyed “A Praying Life” by Paul E. Miller. The book taught me, fed my spirit and got me thinking. I usually receive dozens of prayer requests from family and friends. There are times though (I must confess) when I struggle to pray sufficiently for all of those needs. (Discipline, Anusha. Discipline!)

A tool which I’ve found helpful in intercession is my little prayer diary, one which I carry everywhere with me. On its leaves, I list prayer needs sequentially. When I reach the last page, I copy all the unanswered requests into a new prayer diary and repeat the process. The system has worked really well for over 25 years, but lately, my prayer life had become a tad jaded. Paul Miller blessed me with a fresh cocoon of an idea; one which made my heart thump with excitement. Paul uses prayer cards not lists, jotting down the name of a person or topic per card—unsaved friends, people in need, sick folks and the like. A brilliant notion.

I rummaged through my pile of notebooks and found the perfect little diary. I opened it to the first page and wrote my son’s name on it, listing his prayer needs and chose a Bible verse that was just right for him. Next I added family and friends’ names, allocating a few pages to each and including a relevant verse for every person or group. I used four pages to record my own needs, dreams and Bible verses, selecting another two pages for my writing journey.

My sagging prayer life bounced back with a freshness it had lacked for a long while. (Thank you Paul Miller!) I spoke life, hope, health, joy, freedom, purpose, salvation into many hearts and lives. It was interesting to note that the cover of my newest prayer diary had an unusual title. “Write a Story” it declared boldly. Perhaps by talking to God on behalf of others, I was re-writing their lives? What do you think? My night-time reading a few days later was ‘Praying Circles around your Children” by Mark Batterson. It was thrilling to discover that Mark Batterson had the same idea too. Surely God was speaking to me?

 “The perfect way to predict your future is to create it.” Abraham Lincoln

Psychologists ask us to envision the future we desire and to create it through visualisation. But that’s a new age concept isn’t it? How does visualisation work? I have no idea. But prayer is different. Prayer works because God is sovereign and cares for His world on a moment by moment basis. Prayer works through the power of the Holy Spirit as He guides us, the body of Christ, to partner with Him as He wills and carries out His purposes in our world. What an honour to be included in God's plans!

You and I will agree that most of our stories are crafted via our computers as we write with our Creator and for Him. But stop for a moment with me and dream a different kind of dream. Perhaps … just perhaps … another kind of story is being birthed, every time you and I pray? Those are the real life stories, being fashioned through intercession—stories whose characters are walking and leaping around the stage of life. Each of these novels might even reach their happy endings because of your prayers and mine. Isn’t that encouraging?

I love writing stories, don’t you?

Tell me about your stories, please, all of them.

I’m listening.

And don’t forget … God’s listening too!

Anusha Atukorala is a writer and speaker with music in her heart and a message to proclaim. The abundant love of a faithful God is her theme song. God’s call to writing in 2007 led Anusha on a Grand Adventure which continues to surprise and thrill her. Anusha loves to build the body of Christ and to encourage others through the written and spoken word. Her first book ‘Enjoying the Journey’ is comprised of 75 little God stories. 

She has twelve short stories published in Anthologies and lots more in the pipeline. Do drop in to say G’day at her website Dancing in the Rain. She’d love to meet you.

Create, Cultivate, Collaborate

The English language is amazing. I fell in love with it as a young child, wondering at the plethora of words that could be constructed from 26 letters. The different sounds that flowed as consonants and vowels worked together seemed incredible to my young mind. I have never lost that sense of wonder and still love to weave letters and words together in such a way as to touch those who read them.

Create

As writers, we take words and by combining them, tell stories, set scenes and build atmosphere. As our words flow into readers’ minds, they create an inner world that they can escape to as they read our stories. I always pray when I write, asking God to help me with fresh ideas that will resonate with my audience. In the case of my latest novel, Broken Shells, the whole story-line unfolded on a road trip. I was driving along the East Coast of the South Island of New Zealand, past neat rows of grape vines, turquoise seas and grey beaches and in my mind this became the backdrop to the story of Taylor and Logan.

Cultivate

Once the creative spark has been ignited, I work on cultivating it. With Broken Shells, I wrote several pages of notes about my characters. I developed a soft spot for Donny, a young man with Down Syndrome and from a small role at the beginning of the story, he ended up being a significant part of the book. Logan and Taylor also developed over the weeks and by the time the story was done, I knew far more about them than was ever revealed in the book. By cultivating this type of knowledge, our characters come out as flesh and blood, real and believable. Take time to cultivate them and bring them to life.

Collaborate

I learned many years ago that writing the story is just the beginning. For it to reach its full potential, it needs input. This is where collaboration comes in. I have beta readers who read the competed manuscript and comment on it. These are not professionals, but rather people who love reading. Broken Shells went to several such people before I submitted it to the Rose & Crown New Novel Competition 2012. To my joy it placed first in the contest but the initial report back was that there were areas that needed to be rewritten. Fast forward to late 2015 when it was undergoing the editing process. Two editors went through the manuscript and marked errors, things that didn’t tie up, and weaknesses in my writing. Back and forward it went until we were satisfied it was the best it could be. It then went to another person who checked it for accuracy, dates, time line and other such details. Only then was it ready to go to print. While it remained my story and work, I was able to improve it greatly by collaborating with others. 

Learning to write well is a lifelong process and as I look back over the decades, I see how the stages of creativity, cultivation and collaboration have improved my work. Twenty six letters, countless words, God’s touch, and help from people around us. What a wonderful way to bring life and inspiration to our world. 

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