Thursdays – Dawn’s Devotions for Writersin love, in faith and in purity.” (I Timothy 4:12 NIV)
Writers strive to educate, motivate, entertain, and inspire. Fiction writers also focus on creating storyworlds, snappy dialogue, lovable characters, and engaging storylines.
The difference between secular and Christian/inspirational writing is the “take-away.” It’s what’s left after the reader comes to the last line of an article or novel. The “take-away” is what readers still remember long after the cover is closed and the book is shelved. It’s what causes them to think or feel differently than what they did before. It helps bring them into a better understanding of God or a closer relationship with him.
As writers, we search for beautiful prose to help create the right feel. We spend a great deal of time thinking about, as well as implementing the “take-away.” After all, isn’t it our purpose to make an impact on the reader with our powerful words?
But, are we as concerned about the impact we make on people we come in contact with? Are we motivating, encouraging, and inspiring them?
At the end of the day … like at the end of a manuscript … what kind of “take-away” have we provided for our family, friends, co-workers, or the woman at the grocery checkout counter?
Dear friends, as we weave spiritual threads into our writing, let people also see and experience spiritual threads within our daily lives.
