Friday, July 5, 2013

The Reluctant Writer by Sherry Carter



Sherry Carter

Have you ever questioned your calling to write? Doubted your abilities?  Today on Seriously Write, author Sherry Carter shares her journey to publication and how God didn’t accept “no” for an answer. Enjoy her fun story! 
~ Dawn

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The Reluctant Writer

I never wanted to be a writer. I didn’t start writing as a child and I didn’t dream of publishing books, like other writers I know. 

I’m this weird mix of biologist and engineer. I love biology, research, as well as designing experiments and equipment. Words? Not so much.

During the years from 2003-2005, I walked through a rapid-fire series of catastrophic events, the last one being laid off from my job as a biomedical engineer at Johnson Space Center. In the following few months, I heard God’s call to write a Bible study describing my journey with Him through those events. My response was, “Are You crazy? I’m an engineer! Engineers don’t write softy-feely things like Bible studies. We write technical manuals.”  He didn’t give up; I didn’t stop arguing.

In May of 2006, after being hounded unmercifully by family and friends, I attended the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference at Ridgecrest N.C. I went armed with a long list of reasons why I couldn’t write and believed I could convince Him He’d made a mistake. During the conference, I realized God wasn’t going to bend—but neither was I.

In the following year, I made a meager attempt at writing three chapters, three chapters I was certain were horrible. As the 2007 conference approached, I submitted them for a critique, convinced God would see how bad they were and come to His senses. Can you spell
D-E-N-S-E? For an extra ten dollars, I entered my chapters into a contest. I gave it the title, Sheltered during the Storm, and off it went.

Then came awards night. My sister was positive my study would win; I thought she was crazy. I was flabbergasted when it won first place winner in the Bible study category. When it also won the Award for Excellence in Christian Literature, I almost passed out.

Trust me, my study didn’t win because it was the greatest—it won because I have frying-pan syndrome: God says, “do this,” I say no. God says, “do it,” I say no. Eventually He picks up a frying pan and bops me in the head with it. Those awards were the frying pan: “You can’t write but I can. So shut up and do it!” All I could say was, “Yes, Sir!”

In December 2010, my study, titled Life Principles for the Storms of Life, was published as part of AMG Publishers Following God© Bible Study Series.

So…I’m a writer. A reluctant, rebellious, stubborn writer. One who never dreamed of being a writer. One who’s still trying to talk God out of the idea. But, one called to be a writer, nonetheless. As I work on my second study, I wonder what new journey God has in store for me.


Tweetables:

Sherry Carter didn’t want to be a writer, but God had other plans. Click to tweet.

Engineers don’t write softy-feely things like Bible studies—or do they? Click to tweet.




 
Life Principles for the Storms of Life
Life Principles for the Storms of Life is an eight-week Following God Bible study that leads women through dark days using the analogy of a storm: preparing as the clouds gather, walking through the intense storm, and picking up the pieces after the crisis has passed. Readers are guided to apply God's Word to their difficult situations, allowing them to resolve their anger and bitterness. Finally, they’re encouraged to find strength in Scripture, challenged to seek God's purpose and perspective in a time to suffering, and inspired to draw close to Him for strength and healing.





Sherry Carter is slowly, painstakingly being reformed from an engineer into a Bible study author. Her study, Life Principles for the Storms of Life, published in December 2010 by AMG, won first place in the Bible study category and the Award for Excellence in Christian Literature at the 2007 Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.

Sherry and her husband live in west Texas in service to their adopted greyhound. Her daughters and grandchildren live much too far away.

To learn more, please visit: