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| Melinda Viergever |
I’m a pretty tough chick. Not only do I come from pioneer
stock, a hardy breed, but also the Lord has used our family tragedies to
instill strength I would never have chosen to learn. Even with all that, some
of my efforts as a writer have been the scariest deeds I’ve ever personally
attempted.
This isn’t about wife-strength or mother-strength. This is
solely about me, just as your writer struggles are entirely about you. The
writing journey prompts us to chase after some of the bravest feats we've ever
pursued as individuals.
Over and over we have to push past fear.
Early on we have to overcome shyness about allowing others
to read what we’ve written, and we must move rapidly to accepting criticism of
our work. We’re not building cars here. We’re gushing our hearts onto the page,
so criticism often feels very personal. We must learn to separate our craft
from our person. It’s tough.
We have to learn an entire industry that was previously
unknown—new terms, new rules, new formats for presenting our work. Our social
fears come to bear. We’re afraid one little mistake might cost us a contract,
and it might. Still we must press on.
Developing a thick skin progresses from taking criticism to
being rejected through silence. No response to queries and messages feels very
personal. Will we give up or will we press on? Learning to move forward,
because God has given us a message to share, produces courage and strength.
Overcoming fear never stops, even after we’re published.
Then the criticism becomes public. As businesswomen, we must market our fiction
without fear that others will think we’re brazen. And we must do it all again
when we present our next novel to the public.
Recently I stared down yet another scary publishing
endeavor. I launched out into indie publishing and utilized a Kickstarter
campaign to raise funds. It was far more intense than a book launch!
This campaign caused me to realize I still had fear lurking
below the surface. If the fund request was not met totally, no funds would be
received. No funds equals no novel. Fear enlarged when I took my eyes off the
Lord, and fastened them onto people and expectations.
Thankfully, God is with me, and he is with you! That is the
crucial reality.
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews
13:5).
The Lord enables us to hit that “send” button, just as
surely as he enables us to care for a sick child or to say goodbye to a parent.
He empowers us to broadcast our words, so he can direct them to the readers he
knows need them. His promises sustain us. Just as they apply to the other parts
of our lives, so they also apply to our writing.
God met me in miraculous ways in my latest challenge. He
helped me not to be afraid as I worked so hard to achieve the outcome, even if
I might not gain success.
As Romans 8:31 says, “What, then, shall we say in response
to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Regardless of the
outcome, nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:35), not a
scary publisher, slow sales, or Kickstarter.
These realities provide power for life. They sustain us. So
hit that “send” button, attend that conference, query that big-name agent, or
go indie. God is with you!
Nudged
toward evil by Satan, Cain 's hard-hearted hubris results in Abel's murder and
Lilith's broken heart when he is banished, splitting the family and propelling
mankind toward ever-increasing violence as their siblings seek revenge. Crushed
by what he's done, Cain runs, certain he's destroyed Lilith, his parents, and
the entire family. With Satan hounding his every move and no idea of the forces
arrayed against him, can Cain ever find God after he's committed a sin of such
magnitude? Can he ever be forgiven?
Melinda Viergever Inman was
raised in the tornado capital of the U.S.—Wakita, Oklahoma, of
"Twister" fame. There her parents met. There her roots were sunk in a
storytelling family. During years of relocation, tragedy struck. Wounded and
heartbroken, Melinda forsook her roots and ran from herself and from God. A
journey of trial and heartache brought her home again. A prodigal now returned
to her secure foundation, she writes with passion, illustrating God's love for
wounded people as he makes beauty from ashes. Refuge is her first novel. Melinda shepherds women in church and
in prison ministry and writes inspirational material on her biweekly blog at http://melindainman.com/blog/. With
her family she is involved with Mission India, rescuing orphans and providing
theological and job training for impoverished students— http://rimi.org/.
You can learn more and connect with Melinda here:
