Bring Back the Joy of Writing

Most of us have heard of Marie Kondo–the organizational guru who wrote about sparking joy by getting rid of things. She’s recently changed her mind about things and being tidy with children under foot. We can laugh at the irony of it all or realize that we might find more joy in our lives as writers if we get rid of a few things too. Maybe it’s time to let go of our fear of rejection, perfection and imposter thinking. Perhaps it’s time to surrender our dreams for God’s plan.

There is a tension that comes with being a writer. We want our words to shine to the masses. But what if there aren’t people reading our words?  What if that book deal is taking too long? What if it never happens? Is this tension between your initial dream and your current reality robbing the joy from your heart?

If God has given you the heart to write and the gifting to do so, it’s time to bring back the joy to your writing life and experience. Remember He is always working towards what is best for you. Daring to trust His timing will be a game changer and a joy lifter.

Here are just a few of my thoughts on the subject of bringing back the joy of being a writer.

Four ways to bring back  joy  in your writing experience:

1. Write from acceptance not rejection.
2. Discover your inner researcher.
3. Write without editing—let your thoughts flow.
4. Enter into your reader’s experience.

 

Write from acceptance not rejection

What are your writing dreams? Are you racing towards the goal or are you distracted by possible rejection? Some may think that only a book deal legitimizes our gift with words. With a book being the only goal, all else can seem like rejection, being overlooked or missing out. This race to be published at all costs can get in the way of writing from the fullness of who God created us to be—long before we ever thought of having a publishing deal.

When we write to be noticed by people we are already writing from a place of rejection. We know the stakes are high. There are platforms to consider, a limited number of opportunities at publishing houses and other people with the same dream. But writing can take many different forms. Don’t limit yourself to just your name on the cover of a book. Be open and flexible, using your gifts to glorify God. When we write from a place of accepting the fullness of who we are and embracing God at work in our life —we write from a place of purpose and joy–whether it’s an article, a blog post or a book.

 

Discover your inner researcher

Has writing become a chore? Make your experience fun again by tapping into research. When we dig deep, we find  a multitude of interesting  things. This is true in nonfiction and fiction alike.  Don’t just write, throw yourself into the process by researching the details of your subject or story, thinking about what could go into your words and expression. Not only does this make writing more interesting, but it brings back the fun of the craft. Be a learner, a fact finder and watch the joy enter the scene again.

 

Write without editing—let your thoughts flow

The biggest joy killer in writing is trying to make our first drafts perfect. When being precise and measured we fail to be creative and free flowing with our words and thoughts. This makes writing more of a chore than it needs to be. Just write. Then rewrite. Then read it out loud and rewrite again. You will find yourself cutting and pasting, moving sections into different places and like a beautiful puzzle the end result will surprise you and bring joy in the craft again.

 

Enter your reader’s experience

Writing is never about us. We write to either entertain, uplift, instruct or inspire the reader.

Remember that when writing. As much as we have things we want to say, let the focus be on the person who will be reading our words. What is the felt need? Does this address it in a way that is helpful? Is the take-away clear to the reader. Afterall our readers are people just like us who might be living in the middle of messy situations. Like us they know about less than perfect lives and either need a story to take them away or biblical truth to inspire them to hold on to faith. It’s always about our reader. God calls us to use our gifts to help others.

 

The tension in writing can be addressed by changing our focus from a me-centered dream to a God centered surrender of our will and talents for the benefit of others. We don’t have to see our name on a book to be a legitimate writer. We just need to start where we are, stay focused on helping others through our words and write from a place of being fully loved by God.

 

Speaking of living loved—He is crazy about you, has plans for you and has equipped you fully for His purpose.

 

What are some things that you can get rid of as a writer?

What ways can you stay focused and live in a place of joy as you write?