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| Kariss Lynch |
Friends, if you’re a little discouraged with what’s
happening—or not happening—in your writing life, you’ve come to the right
place. You’ll be blessed by today’s post. Author Kariss Lynch shares a part of
her journey to publication and offers encouraging words for all of us. ~ Dawn
Your
Eternal Plotline
by
Kariss Lynch
It all began in third grade with a story about fairies. They
wore petals in their hair and boasted the most beautiful, delicate wings. From
my head to the page, the words poured, and I loved it. I loved the creation of
another world on paper. I loved that it came so easily. I loved characters that
I knew so intimately, friends almost.
As I progressed in school, words continued to flow with more
and more frequency. By the time I left home for college, the only logical path
seemed to be writing. What began as exploration, passion, and a way to express
myself and tell a story became a potential career path. But I considered it a
pipe dream. For someday. Maybe. If everything worked out.
With the identification of publication as a potential path,
writing not only became a source of refining and exploration but also a point
of rejection. But rejection didn’t always center over my style or my talent. It
sometimes centered around Christian content. Professors didn’t see how
characters could have hope or how God could be good. Classmates considered
Christian content less than sophisticated. And the rejection of something I
loved, something I poured myself into cut deep.
Little did I know it was just the beginning. As rejections
came more often, the sting began to lessen. I came to an unfortunate but true
realization – rejection is part of this path just as sweet success is part of
this path.
Just when I wanted to quit, I was challenged to keep going,
to allow my faith to overcome my fear, and to watch and see what God would do.
Little did I know, He was weaving those rejections into a journey marked by His
faithfulness. He never showed me the whole picture. But He did walk me through
each step and put up with my prayers and cries that all my work seemed futile.
Man, did He have a plan.
While rejection may put a cramp in your writing, it doesn’t
put a cramp in God’s. In fact, that rejection that you have experienced and
will experience on this journey is just a conflict that the Lord spins for the
good of the protagonist in His story. He is the Master Storyteller and yours
was an eternal story written long before you were born.
And it’s not over yet. We see such a limited perspective. We
are that character trapped in the throws of trying to get published. God sees
much farther and is using this time to shape you. Don’t lose heart. Instead,
channel what He teaches you in the midst of rejection and redirection into your
writing. It makes for a richer story. The ending promises to be sweet.
Keep writing, my friend…
Tweetables:
While rejection
may put a cramp in your writing, it doesn’t put a cramp in God’s. Click to tweet.
The rejection
you have experienced and will experience on this journey is just a conflict
that the Lord spins for the good of the protagonist in His story. Click to tweet.
God is the
Master Storyteller and yours was an eternal story written long before you were
born. Click to tweet.
Channel what God
teaches you in the midst of rejection and redirection into your writing. It
makes for a richer story. The ending promises to be sweet. Click to tweet.
SHAKEN is the story of Kaylan Richards, a young woman who
leaves returning love, Nick Carmichael, and her comfortable life in Alabama and
to serve in poverty-stricken Haiti. But when a devastating earthquake strikes
the country, Kaylan is caught in the middle of the destruction questioning a
God who said He was good. Can Nick’s love help Kaylan heal and show her the God
who never abandoned her, or will tragedy shake even the most rooted faith?
Kariss Lynch writes
contemporary fiction about characters with big dreams, hearts for adventure,
and enduring hope. Shaken,
her first book in the Heart of a Warrior series, released in February 2014. Her
second novel, Shadowed, releases
March 3, 2015. A former freelance writer, she now works as the writer for the
communications ministry at a church in Dallas.
To learn more and connect with Kariss, please visit:
Website/Blog – karisslynch.com
Facebook – facebook.com/author.karisslynch
Twitter – twitter.com/Kariss_Lynch
