Why Write, when cost is so high?

This morning I met with a group of passionate writers. We come together under the banner of Omega Writers Sunshine Coast. Sharing with like-minded people is an encouragement. We laugh, celebrate our wins and share the load.

 As I drove home and mulled over our conversations, I asked myself again. ‘Why do I write? Why spend the hours and the dollars to produce another book that I love, but few read?’

 At home I opened the emails. My publisher confirmed that she’d love to publish, El Roi, my third book next year. How exciting! One more book in the birthing canal. Another opportunity to spend hours editing, pouring over words that they may skilfully portray the story to a reader. Another opportunity to spend dollars, lots of dollars, on professional editing and printing. Why? So a few people pick up the book and absorb it, be inspired to walk and talk with our amazing God.

 My question extended. ‘Why do feel such excitement and satisfaction out of a project that would horrify any business person?’

 The answer comes in a quiet idea that sneaks into my mind. ‘I have food to eat that you know nothing about.’ (John 4:32)

 Jesus, when he walked with men, was more satisfied by a conversation with a Samaritan woman than he was by the bread the disciples had obtained for him. It reminds me of the opportunities I’ve had to preach. A sermon where I watch revelation awakening in a listener is so satisfying. In one way. In another it often left me depleted, craving a good steak. Even when my physical body wanted food, my spirit was deeply satisfied.

In the gospel John goes on to explain. ‘My food is to the will of him who sent me an to bring it to completion.’ (John 4:34) In other words, following God’s leading was Jesus’ source of satisfaction. Jesus broke a lot of the current social rules and religious expectations as he walked among men. His obedience came at a cost. Yet he delighted to do ‘the will of him who sent me’. 

Writing comes at a cost, so why continue? Unlike Jesus I’m not called to save the world…but I am called to inspire others to experience Jesus. I preached for a season and that was satisfying, but writing is the same call with a different look. Written words can reach multitudes. The possibilities are endless.

 

I write stories because Jesus told stories. If God wants me talk about his light touching lives of those he loves, I could write a teaching book. Or I can write a story. A story can hide new ideas and theology in fast moving action, demonstrate who God is and how much He loves the people of the world. A good book can display the love of God to a protagonist. A reader who relates to the question the heroine struggles with will receive the new truth.

 

There lies my answer.

My time is the Lord’s. My money is the Lord’s. The Spirit fills me, and brings stories. I continue because the call of God is on me and really there is nothing else I’d rather do.

My next book, El Roi, is coming soon. Dan is trying to find light… and he needs a good father. Here’s a short insight into Dan’s search, if you’d like to get a taste.

“On the end of his bed, near the open window, he sipped coffee and opened the Bible at random.

'Our Father in heaven...'

There's a father in heaven? Dan shuddered. Whose father? His father wasn't there. One thing he knew; he wasn't going to heaven if he had a father there. He read on... 'hallowed be your name.'

Dropping the Bible, he gulped hot coffee. It didn't even make sense. Why was his grandmother so fond of the book? He preferred a God who claimed to be the light of the world, rather than anyone's father. How he could he find more about light? He needed light. The darkness was freaking him out. Flicking through the book, he looked for light, reading bits here and there.

Jesus went up the mountain to pray... why would he do such a thing?

The disciples started to argue... Well, that sounds normal.”

 

What about you? What inspires you to continue following God, even when it’s costly and time consuming?

Jo Wanmer is a story teller. But struggles to put those stories into accepable prose. She writes with the help of the Holy Spirit. Without His inspiration there would be no books. Though the Bud be Bruised was published thirteen years ago. Last year El Shaddai was released and it's prequel, El Roi, is just been published. 

She lives with her husband of fifty-three years just north of Brisbane. Family, God and writing are here three passions. Eleven great-grandchildren (under 5) now fill their home with love and chaos. 

 

From the Archives: Tips for New Writers

collated by Jeanette O'Hagan



Since its start in 2010, Christian Writers Downunder blogspot has shared a up-welling fountain of encouragement, experience, wisdom about writing for writers.

Today we look at some tips for new writers from our bloggers.

Why Write? 

Passion, vocation, worship?

Many Reasons to Write by Anusha Atukorala

I pondered the fact that having reasons for loving things and loving people is great fuel. Take writing for instance. Why have you chosen to become a writer? Do you know?


I know why I write. It’s because inside this outer covering is a God breathed writer. I believe God has programmed me to write - perhaps there is a wee computer chip called ‘Writer’ embedded deep inside of me? Read more here.

Addicted to Approval? Writing with Purpose ... On Purpose by Josephine-Anne Griffiths

Have you ever questioned what your life’s purpose really is? I know I have.
What motivates me to write? What motivates others to sing or play an instrument?
What makes it worthwhile for each of us to awaken each morning, and do whatever we do over again? Maybe you are an accountant, or drive a truck – or you are a nurse or a teacher. Maybe you are the quiet, shy child at the back of the room, that no one has noticed yet. I am hoping that by telling you why I write and what motivates me, that perhaps you may start thinking about why you do what you do each day, why it is so important to you, and what makes it so motivating and relevant?  Read more here.

Make space and time to write

I Need A Personal Bubble For My Writing Space by K A Hart

A distraction-free writing space. Does anyone have one? I have lived in this house for four years and I still haven’t found the right spot. 

Somewhere that’s comfortable, but not too comfortable. A place with a view or inspirational pictures and famous quotes. Coffee, tea, a few snacks. Music. No music. A clean space, clutter-free. That’s what most writers suggest.


So. Writing space. Where have I made my writing space? Where have I not?! Read more here.

Practice, Practice, Practice 

Practice Makes (Closer Approximations To) Perfect by Nola Passmore

In other disciplines like music and sport, we understand that practice is an important part of skill-building. Sometimes I wonder if we really understand this as writers. We learn the basics of writing at school—grammar, punctuation, vocabulary, spelling. By the time we’re adults, we’ve written essays, reports, letters, and sizzling diary entries declaring our love for David Cassidy and the Osmonds. (Oops – that may have been my diary.) But have we really spent time practising our craft? Here are some reasons why we should value the good ol’ art of practice. Read more here.

Accepting Feedback

Writers: constructive feedback isn't going to kill you by Cecily Ann Paterson

Writing is such a personal thing. We’re told to ‘bleed’ on to the page, in a popular writing meme. We’re told to write what we know, and put our hearts into it. We inhabit our words and search our souls for meaning.

And then we ask for feedback.

And we’re supposed to just sit there and take it. Read more here.

Coping with discouragement

D-Day by Meredith Resce

In recent months, I have faced more than the usual amount of disappointments in both my personal and writing life. I recognise that this has affected my level of positivity, and if we were looking at it on one of those mathematics graphs, it has dipped below zero into negativity a few times.

Read More Here,

Invest wisely and beware of the pitfalls.

Aussie writer on the journey: Publishing pitfalls for new fiction writers by Narelle Atkins

One of the smartest things I did as a new writer was to join professional writing groups and connect with other writers. I gleaned valuable information from writing organisation newsletters, email groups and critique groups that helped me to avoid some of the newbie writer mistakes. There are a couple of things I’ve learned about publishing that I hope will help any new writers reading this post. Read more here.

Don't Do it Alone

All for One, One for All by Jeanette O'Hagan

So most of us don't live in garrets and most of us are not literally starving - though we might be if we tried to feed ourselves from our royalties (if we get royalties). And being seen and heard in a noisy, crowded book market can be daunting. So the struggles of artists and creatives maybe haven't changed that much over the decades, but one thing we don't have to be is lonely.  Read more here.

So ... over to you

Are you just beginning your writing journey? Do any of these things resonate with you? What questions would you like answered?

Have you been adventuring for a while? What would tips would you give to new writers? What things do you wish you'd known when you first started out?

Tell us in the comments below.

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Christian Writers Downunder is aimed at Christians writers (and those associated with writing field, e.g. editors, illustrators, reviewers and publishers) who live in Australasia. We have a dedicated team of regular and guest bloggers who share their experience and wisdom each Monday and Thursday.

Saints, Seekers and Sleepers

Why do Christian writers write? No doubt there are as many answers to this question as there are there are Christian writers. I know I write my blogs and fantasy stories because I love writing and I have these stories and ideas buzzing around in my head demanding to be told. Yet I also want to communicate God’s love – the love that I have experienced and that gives meaning and purpose to my life - to the hurting world around me. I want my stories to connect with people who may never walk into a church, who may run a mile from an evangelistic crusade, who may in fact be antagonistic to God and Christians and who may not know the difference between Jesus and soap. Of course to do this, my stories need to be published and read. If I can make a living doing it that would be a wonderful bonus.

Perhaps you have similar motives for writing. Your passion may be non-fiction or it may be a different genre of fiction such as romance, crime, suspense, historical or adventure and you may also wish to communicate God’s love and grace in your writing. The question is how do we do this and I suspect that the answer to “the how” depends a great deal on “the who” (we wish to connect with) and “the where” (the community they belong to). Mike Duran suggests that there are two main approaches in Christian fiction – the “holiness” and “honesty” camps. In the first, the focus is on upholding God’s standards while in the second the focus is engaging with the brokenness of the world. It is clear Duran favours the “honesty” camp and claims that the “holiness” camp’s driving concern is God’s law. The law gets a bad rap these days for as Paul said two thousand years ago our standing with God depends on accepting His offer of forgiveness not our (failed) ability to keep His law (e.g. Rom 3:20-28; Gal 3:11). Yet God gave us the law to show us His vision of how we should live and what type of people we should be (e.g. Deut 12:28; 28:9-10; Rom 7:12). As Paul says it is through love that we do what the law demands (Rom 13:8-10). So a concern for God’s standards is not a bad thing. We are called to be prophetic and counter-cultural as well as compassionate.

On the other hand, Jesus associated with sinners to the extent that the religious people of His day called him a glutton and a drunkard (Luke 7:34). Jesus sends us out into the world as the Father sent Him (Matt 17:18; John 20:21). He calls us to be salt and light – we are not to hide our light nor are we to stay in the saltshaker (Matt 5:13-16). As Christians our calling is to engage with the world that the Father loved so much that He sent His Son as ransom to reclaim it (John 3:16). As far as I can see, it is not an either/or proposition – either uphold God’s standards and the truth of His Word OR connect and engage with the hurting world that Jesus came to rescue. So I prefer Tony Whittaker’s more nuanced analogy of three ways of moving across the ocean – as a hovercraft (the “holiness camp”), a submarine (“the honesty camp”) and a ship cutting through the waves. Or as Jesus intimated, we are to be “in” the world but not “of” it (John 17:14-18). Whittaker is discussing the design and writing of websites but I think much of what he says is relevant to literature including fiction. He says that 99% ofChristian websites are written for the saints (i.e. Christians) and much of the rest is written for seekers (people who are positive towards Christianity and/or are already familiar with Christian concepts). However there are many people (over a third of Australians) who have little or no contact with the church, who are unfamiliar with Christian concepts and who are indifferent or antagonistic to the Christian message. Perhaps we could call these people the Sleepers for they are unaware of their need for God and/or His existence (and, okay, it keeps my “S” theme going).

Does that mean that I am arguing that all Christian writing should be explicitly evangelistic? Not at all! This is for three main reasons. Firstly, to my mind good fiction does not preach overtly. Rather, as Robin Phillips  suggests good fiction immerses us in a journey which engages and changes us. The message flows organically through the story rather than being imposed from outside of it. Secondly, I am convinced we need writers who write to inspire, challenge and strengthen believers (the saints) and engage those close to the Kingdom (seekers) both with good Christian nonfiction and fiction. Thirdly, we actually need a more subtle and nuanced approach with Sleepers in contrast to Saints and Seekers. This may mean presenting a Christian world view or concepts in a winsome and understated way. It definitely means avoiding Christian jargon or stereotyped scenes. It means engaging the reader wherever they are on their spiritual journey. It may mean a layered approach or moving one step at a time. To be honest I am still exploring what this may look like (and would like to explore this further in a future blog). I am sure that as Christian writers we are called to write the stories God gives us. To paraphrase Whittaker, any story that brings people further along on their journey towards God is evangelistic. So a large part of why I write is to strengthen the saints, guide seekers and to begin to awaken sleepers so that they might turn to the Light.

As the early Christians sang:

 “Awake, O sleeper,
    rise up from the dead,
    and Christ will give you light.”

(Ephesians 5:14, NLT)

May God's love, peace and joy bring life and light to you, your family and neighbourhood this Christmas.

Jeanette (Jenny) O’Hagan

JennysThread.com

FantasyTrekkers.com

https://www.facebook.com/JeanetteOHaganAuthorAndSpeaker

Jeanette has lived in Australia and Africa and has studied medicine, history, communication, ethics and theology. She has practiced medicine, taught theology, spoken at various groups, accumulated a few degrees and is focusing on caring for her young children and writing. She currently writing her fantasy fiction Akrad series and has several concept plans for non-fiction books as well.