Staci
Stallings, the author of this article, is a Contemporary Christian
author and the founder of Grace & Faith Author Connection. Check
out Staci's brand new release...
Although
there are a lot of careers in this life that could teach someone to
let go, I think that writing has to be near the top of that list.
Maybe that’s because I write, or maybe that’s because it really
is. Whatever the case, this understanding was made clear recently
when a writer friend of mine asked the question, “How could I not
see the holes in my manuscript that my critique partners caught and
pointed out? They were so glaring.”
As
a writer, I completely understand the frustration in this statement.
If you are a high school writer only, you may not. While teaching I
saw plenty of high school writers. They wait until the last
conceivable moment to start, write down everything they can think of
on the topic at hand in no particular order, then race to the
teacher’s desk to fling the paper at her, hoping it’s good enough
for passing. These people are not the writers of which I speak.
I’m
speaking about the writers who think all the way through every word
they put down, who cross out, delete, rewrite, re-think, edit,
re-edit, and hone every inch of a manuscript before they let anyone
else so much as hear the idea presented in it. These are the writers
who research until their eyes bleed, think until their brain hurts,
and generally torture themselves over every single word because it
doesn’t just need to be “good,” it needs to be “perfect.”
Then
after they can see no other place in the entire work of oh, say
80,000 words, they heave a sigh of relief and acquiescence and place
it into the hands of someone else to read. In high school, these are
the kids who have been finished with the first draft of their
250-word essay 40 minutes before the bell rings, but who are still
crossing things out and rewriting them even as they slide toward the
teacher who’s saying, “That’s it. Turn in your papers.”
It’s
painful for them to turn their work over to someone else. It’s
like a mother leaving her first baby with a sitter for the very first
time. They hope and pray the reader will be gentle. They hope that
when the paper is returned, there are very few red marks if any at
all. And above all, they hope they haven’t made any grievous
errors that will make the reader think they are a complete imbecile
who should never have been given a pen and paper in the first place.
This
is the kind of writer my friend was and then came the shocker. She
had missed something, and not just something but a huge gaping hole
in the story and how she told it. When that happens to a writer of
this ilk, devastation sets in like a hurricane across a soul. Even
the mildest criticism is like a knife to the gut. Immediately after
the devastation blows through, the rains of doubt begin to pour.
“Maybe I’m not supposed to be a writer. Maybe I just don’t have
what it takes to do this.”
Haven't we all felt that way? Like we don't have what it takes to do what God is calling us to do? What happens next...come back Thursday to find out. In the meantime, check out Staci's book...
Houston
firefighter, Jeff Taylor is a fireman's fireman. No situation is too
dangerous to keep him sidelined if lives are on the line. However,
when control freak Lisa Matheson falls for him, she quickly realizes
she can't control Jeff or the death wish he seems to have...
To
Protect & Serve
The
Courage Series, Book 1: To
save other's lives, they will risk their own
Buy it
on Amazon Kindle:
http://www.amazon.com/Protect-Serve-Courage-Series-ebook/dp/B008391QB2/ref=sr_1_22?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1337091378&sr=1-22
Buy it
on Barnes & Noble Nook:
"To
Protect and Serve
will hold you prisoner to its pages until the final one is turned.
Prepare to cry, laugh, wish, love and maybe even cry again as you
become enveloped in the hopes and feelings of Lisa and Jeff."
-Cindy
Reiger
Staci we're looking forward to part 2. Thanks for visiting with us today.
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