The Things We Authors Must Learn

When I started writing, I learned that I must show more and tell less. That meant describing the places and people I was writing about. I worked on that and improved.

There were more instructions, one of which was read a lot. No problem with that because I loved to read, and so I read more of the genres I wrote in. More inspirational pieces, more poetry, more children's books. I’ve learned from people further on in the journey, writers who’ve paid their dues and worked hard to get to where they are. Authors whose writing I enjoy, whether they’re household names or not.

It seemed I was always hearing a new set of directives. At workshops, at conferences, and from fellow writers. It’s like anything else, the more of it you do, the more you study, the better you understand and process it. That works for me, because as I write, I process information and figure out how I feel. Well, maybe not hard science and math, because my brain doesn’t handle those as well.

Then there’s the matter of social media and promoting the books we write, whether alone or in tandem with other writers. That’s a whole different matter. I have a Facebook page and a website, which I also have invested in.

My current learning curve, quite steep I might add, is moving a blog from one place to another. After collecting the files, uploading them to the right place, I learned I needed a new domain and I could have that within my website. And so I did the work on my own of acquiring the new domain. That was likely the easiest part.

 I was already using that blog platform, so once I can access the site, I may be home free. Well, maybe not free because I had to pay for help, to actually get it up and running. Once I can get in — just happened today — I can post again. It has felt like quite a lengthy project between my work and my summer activities.

Being a Christian is a process too, one where we get into it and learn along the way. A long way. We try to understand a teaching and put it into practice — not always the easiest thing to do. Unlike paying someone else to do it, we have to put in the time ourselves and ask for help when we need it. And we will eventually learn if we just stick with it. We’ll learn what we’re able to absorb.

 Our prayers may not always be answered as we’d like — something I learned a long time ago — but they will be heard. And that experience doesn’t stop me from asking again when I need wisdom or direction. Or to say thank you for a prayer that's been answered.

 We are assured that God loves us, that Jesus took on our sin for us that we might be redeemed and forgiven. That part is out of our hands, already done. It’s grace that makes it possible.

Carolyn Wilker is an author, editor and storyteller from southwestern Ontario. In her spare time she spends time with friends and family. Her trusty cell phone camera is ever ready for interesting new pictures.

Please note the new location of Carolyn's blog, Storygal. http://www.storygal.ca/ 

Stop by and leave a comment.

 

 https://www.carolynwilker.ca/

Turning Deadlines into Lifelines

Since publishing my latest book, I seem to have more deadlines than I did when I was writing it. Writing Glorious Autumn Days: Meditations for the Wisdom Years, was the joyful and fun part of the creativity; promoting and selling the book is the work part of the process.

My deadlines include keeping my website up to date. Here I can promote my book and, in order to entice people to visit often, I change various pages to keep it current. Next, I send out review copies of my book to relevant publications and I spend time searching for appropriate magazines and newspapers; my deadline in this instance is to find at least six such publications every couple of weeks. The third deadline I have is to write for this blogspot every few weeks as scheduled, exercising my brain to think of a suitable topic on which to write and making sure that I put it on to the site on time. I also write talks for speaking engagements related to my book.

These are some of my deadlines and, indeed, they could take the life out of me if I let them. However, I prefer to see them as lifelines as they continue to put life into my book. They invite those who read my web pages or reviews to buy my book and read further about God’s love for us and the Divine gift of spiritual life.

Yes, the deadlines are work but they are cause for thanksgiving and, if I see them as such, I can name them lifelines. The word deadline reminds me of the straight line, with its accompanying monotone, on a patient’s bedside monitor that indicates the person’s death. The word lifeline reminds me of the path on which God leads me into spiritual life and light.

At this time of year, I see earth’s creatures all around me meeting their goals, and there is not a hint of death in their activities—all rush toward life. The birds have returned from their winter homes and, in the few short weeks allotted to them, they mate, build nests, lay eggs, hatch and fledge a family, bring them to maturity and prepare them to return to their southern homes. No one makes them do this; they know it has to be done and they do it whole heartedly bringing their lives to fulfillment. For the plants, it is the same thing; they push up from the winter ground as soon as the snow has gone; they bud, blossom, come to fruition and spread their seeds for next year’s cycle of life.

Deadlines suggest anxiety and force; lifelines suggest joy and responsibility. The next time I think of the things I need to get done as deadlines I will make the effort to change their name into lifelines. This will be to my benefit and to God’s glory.