I want you to know I’m here to love you. I don’t need anything from this conference. I’m not looking for an agent, a publisher, nothing. I’m just here for you, beloved.
That verbal hug summarizes how Liz Curtis Higgs began her series of talks at Mount Hermon.
Ahh…
What an incredible gift for us insecure writers. Away from our families, in a world some may find new and scary, possibly facing rejection…sweet Liz’s heartfelt words cozied around the room like a big ol’ cup of mom’s hot cocoa.
Ever since, I’ve been thinking about how, as a speaker, I want to exude love too. Then in my prayers, it hit me. My writing can also show love. I learned this early on, but haven’t thought about it for a while.
One of the first writing books I read had a chapter about author voice. His advice still resonates. He said to love my readers. Think about them as I write, about how I can help them, communicate with their hearts. And my voice will reflect that.
Yes. That’s right. Like Liz Curtis Higgs, I can come to the page thinking, I’m not here for me. I’m here for you, dear readers, to share my heart with you, to share Christ, to love you.
As a reader, I’ve felt loved by authors. Have you? When I was a young teen, CS Lewis. Later, Francine Rivers, Max Lucado, and others.
There are no three easy steps to making readers feel loved. It comes from, well, actually loving them. And that comes not of ourselves. As we revel in Christ’s love for us, His love will flow naturally onto others—including our readers. So that’s my prayer.
Lord, help me dwell so deeply in the sea of your love that it overflows mightily through my words onto my readers.
This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 1 John 4:10-11 NLT
