When God Gives You a Story Nobody Wants by Robin Patchen

As an author and freelance editor, I’ve had the privilege of knowing and working with a lot of writers, and I’ve discovered most have one at least one thing in common: a sense of urgency to publish.

Since the majority of my writer friends are Christians, I’m not sure if the rush is unique to Christian authors or universal among all, but I do suspect that believers may feel a bit more hurried, what with the need to get the message out there and share the truth with the world.

Would that we were all so eager to witness to our neighbors, but I digress.

Whether you’re published or not, you may feel a sense of urgency about your writing projects. Maybe you worry that somebody else will come along with the same idea and beat you to it. Maybe you worry that by the time your book reaches your audience, the perfect opportunity for your message will have passed. Or maybe the worry is more personal than that. After all, none of us is getting any younger.

With the explosion of indie publishing, impatient writers don’t have to wait any longer. All it takes is a few clicks of the mouse, and you can load that book on retail sites, making it available to your adoring public.

You can indie publish, but should you?

I’m not knocking the process. I’m indie published myself, so I consider this a valid option. The question I want to tackle isn’t whether or not you should take this route. The question is when. Even if the Lord handed you the story, the image for the book cover, and the title, that’s not proof He wants you to rush out and throw it on Amazon. Not sure I’m right? There’s plenty of biblical justification for waiting:

• Abraham was told he’d have a son and then waited 19 years before little Isaac was born.
• Biblical scholars estimate David waited 10-15 years after he was anointed king before he finally ascended to the throne. 
• The apostle Paul didn’t begin preaching until more than a decade after his conversion.

I’m sure there were times when Abraham, David, and Paul felt the waiting was unnecessary and wished God would hurry it along. Abraham and Sarah did hurry their promise along. We know how that turned out. David not only waited but, for much of that interim, had to battle just to stay alive. The time wasn’t wasted, though. Lessons are learned in the waiting. Patience, perseverance, and faith, of course. But I suspect some of those lessons were more basic than that. For instance, David learned how to be a leader others were willing to die for. If he’d been crowned sooner, he may not have become the greatest earthly king in Israel’s history.  After all, he began as a shepherd, lowly and obscure.

Maybe you have a book you believe needs to be published. Maybe it’s a book you think the Lord gave you, and maybe it even came with a promise. If so, be patient. The anxiety fluttering in your stomach when you think about this project—that isn’t from God. When you pray and trust, you’ll be filled with peace, not worry. But if you force your way through doors He hasn’t opened, the anxiety will likely grow. And the book will not have the impact it could have if you’d remained in His will.

I’ve seen too many books brought to the light through indie publishing that weren’t mature enough, weren’t seasoned enough, weren’t ready to be there. Instead of jumping ahead, trust that when God wants you to publish your words, He’ll make it clear. He’ll open the right doors and lead you to exactly the right the people who can help make it happen.

In the meantime, move on to other projects. Build your newsletter list, learn new marketing strategies, make connections with other authors. Mostly, keep learning, keep growing, and keep improving your craft.  It may be that if you come back to that project in a year or two, you’ll realize you can make it shine. 

I speak from experience. The Lord gave me a book almost four years ago. It’s the only time I’ve ever felt one of my stories came from God, and, still, it was the hardest book I ever wrote. I believe that with the help of a great editor, it can be my best book. But that story has been pitched and pitched, and nobody’s interested. I write and publish other books and help other authors do the same while that book languishes silently on my laptop. When I pray about it, I don't have a clear direction. I don’t feel free to indie publish it, and no acquisitions editor has shown any interest. So I wait. The last thing I want to do is treat His gift with haste and carelessness. I trust that God has a purpose in the waiting and a plan for the story He gave me.

The Lord may make you a promise, give you a vision, or impart to you a message, and then ask you to wait. He’s been doing it for thousands of years, and He’ll keep doing it today. You could choose to be like Abraham and Sarah and rush ahead, or you could trust God’s timing, which is always perfect.
 

Twisted Lies: Book 2 in the Hidden Truth Series

She thought they’d never find her.  And then her daughter vanished.

Marisa Vega’s life as an adoptive mom in a tiny Mexican village isn’t what she’d dreamed while growing up in New York, but as the target of a man who’s convinced she stole millions of dollars from his financial firm, Marisa believes hiding is her only way to stay alive. When her daughter is snatched and held for ransom, Marisa must discover who really stole the money in order to rescue her. 

Months after being kidnapped, tortured, and left with PTSD, Nate Boyle is ready to live a quiet life in rural New Hampshire. When the source of his breakout newspaper article—and the woman who haunts his dreams—begs for help, he gets pulled into a riddle that’s proved unsolvable for nearly a decade. 

Can Nate and Marisa unravel the years-old mystery and bring her daughter home?

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2kotGFL
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/twisted-lies-4
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/twisted-lies/id1198420662?ls=1&mt=11

Robin Patchen is an award winning multi-published author, but only because she can't pursue her other dream.

If time and money were no object, Robin would spend her life traveling. Her goal is to visit every place in the entire world--twice. She longs to meet everybody and see everything and spread the good news of Christ. Alas, time is short and money is scarce, and her husband and three teenagers don't want to traipse all around the world with her, so Robin does the next best thing: she writes. In the tales she creates, she can illustrate the unending grace of God through the power and magic of story.

Visit me at robinpatchen.com.

Realm Makers: Sometimes God gives you a sucker punch by J.J. Johnson

I'm excited to have J.J. Johnson as my guest today. J.J. is a talented speculative fiction writer. When I found out he was heading out to the Realm Makers Conference I couldn't wait to see what he learned! I know you'll be blessed by his post. - Terri

 

I must say- Over the past year, I've been feeling quite down about my writing. Frustrated by the number of projects I have started, only to stop and start something else. I’ve gotten lost in a sea of noise, trying to ward through the static of good advice vs. what is bad advice. Not knowing if my ideas would flourish or fall flat.

A few weeks ago I was excited to attend The Realm Makers writer’s conference in PA. But I have to admit. Even though this was my second year attending, there was a point around December where I was on the fence about it. I was doubting my writing. Hurting. Irritated. And at one point ready to give up. 

Most of it was just pitiful “poor me attitude.” In the end, after some prayer and encouragement from my wife, I decided this was something I needed to do. I had no desire to pitch. I wanted to network, hang out with old friends, meet new friends, and just have a great time. I’m not a huge introvert so working the room has never been a problem for me. But I was struck by what God was trying to show me over those few days.

I had a list of people I wanted to meet and talk to while there. Other authors, I had been following and interacting with online. I thought it would be nice to finally meet face to face and make a connection. But there was one author I met that I didn’t expect to be there. 

On Thursday evening I took part in a cup stack challenge. I must admit and brag – I stack red solo cups like a BOSS!!! My prize for this ridiculous fun challenge – I got all of Lori Stanley Roeleveld collection- Including an Advance Reader’s Copy of her new book “Jesus and the Beanstalk.” 

I have followed Lori’s blog for a few years now. And I really enjoyed meeting her. Our interactions over the course of the weekend were brief. But the few chats we had made me enjoy meeting a blogger who has inspired me. 

Once home I dove into her new book, and it quickly hit me like I had slammed into a brick wall. I won’t release any spoilers at this time, but I will say this book is incredible. The first chapter made me realize a few things about me as an author, and what God has been trying to show me for some time.

Conference’s are fun- Crazy- Energetic. And at Realm Makers you average 4 hours of sleep at night and chug coffee by the gallons the next day. I had a great time. 

So- For those heading to ACFW or any other writers conference. Understand that having an agenda is amazing and smart- But sometimes God hits you upside the head with a new friend or word when you least expect it. I met so many new friends- Reconnected with old ones. And I have learned like so many others that Realm Makers isn’t just a conference with weird story ideas and crazy costumes. It’s a conference where God is working. 

So no matter where you go as an author. ACFW, RWA, RealmMakers- never be blinded by the static and white noise- Sometimes God is speaking in the stillness of a quiet whisper.

J.J. Johnson is a Geeky Father who Reads, Writes, and Loves God. When he isn’t writing he can often be found trying to brew the perfect cup of coffee or invent a means of Time Travel. He blogs at www.jjjohnsonwrites.com and can also be found posting crazy fun pics on Instgram under @jjjohnsonWriter