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| Emilie Hendryx |
I’d like to say that every time I sit down to write I pray
before I start…but there are days that I forget. It’s not that I don’t want His
involvement through every page—I do—but I forget, as sad as that sounds. Yet,
if you were to sit down with me (preferably over a cup of coffee) and ask me
what my heart for writing is, I would say it is to write the story’s that God
places on my heart. I’d guess that most Christian authors have that same
desire.
I’ve interviewed many authors over the last few years and
one of my favorite questions is, “What
is one take-away from your book that you hope readers identify with?” I get
varying answers, but the heart behind them all is that a Christian author hopes
to share the message God has placed uniquely on their heart.
But how do we know what that message is? We may wonder if
God even has a message for us to share. I’ve outlined three things that I think
we can do as writers to help us on our writing journey. These aren’t
mind-blowing things, just simple reminders crafted to encourage you as a
writer.
Ask Him
This may sound redundant, but pray about your writing. As I admitted previously, I sometimes for
get to do this, but I know that it is the best way to truly connect with my
Savior over what I am writing. The trick here is to keep it up! We don’t just pray about an idea and then forge ahead
with our own way. He should be involved in all aspects.
Ask Others
God has specifically placed others in your life for a
reason. They may be other writers, readers, or just friends who have no vested
interest in writing but who can give you a godly perspective. Have these
friends pray with you. Let them know a direction, and then have a discussion if
needed.
Write
Then comes the fun part. Writing! Of course, you may say, writing
was the whole idea. But that’s not true. It’s not so much about the writing
as it is about the story. We each have unique perspectives on life shaped
through our experience. We may not all write inspirational fiction, but that
doesn’t mean our story is any less an extension of what Christ is crafting in
us.
So…write! Take the next step to craft that story you’ve
always wanted to. It will be shaped through your prayer time with Him, your
conversations with those He’s placed in your life, and your own story. When
focused on Him, you will be writing
His story.
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Emilie Hendryx is a writer and photographer living in Washington, DC. She is a member of ACFW and writes weekly on her blog, Thinking Thoughts. When she isn’t busy writing romantic suspense novels or taking wedding photos, you can find her curled up with a book and a cup of coffee. Connect with her on her blog, her Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
