Just Right? Or Just Write! By Patti Jo Moore

Are you a perfectionist? When you’re getting ready to write, does everything need to be organized and completely tidy? I’m sure there is a writer—somewhere—who has a special writing desk that is perfectly neat. No messy papers or post-it notes scattered, no books spread on the desk (or floor!), no coffee stains on anything, research materials, character information, and any other needed materials all arranged in perfect order, ready to be used by the writer to compose a wonderful (maybe even best-selling) story. If this describes you, I’d love to meet you—maybe even get your autograph! 😉

But for the rest of us, we seldom (if ever) have circumstances that perfectly align with our “ideal” writing time or space. Even those of us who are blessed to have a designated room in our home to call our writing office, there will still be obstacles when we want to produce those needed words. If you have children at home, then it’s likely you write when they’re busy with their own activities. For those of you who work at a job besides writing, it can be very challenging finding that “right” time to write. When I taught kindergarten, I still had children living at home and cannot imagine trying to write a complete manuscript in those days! Whew! Even if you have plenty of time to write with no interruptions, there might be health-related issues that interfere with your writing. It can be a challenge to be productive if you have a throbbing headache or any physical illness/discomfort.

The Dawn by Shannon Redmon

Sometimes I wonder if I misunderstood God’s call on my life to be a published author.

Often these moments, filled with doubt, arise after I receive rejected book proposals or struggle to come up with interesting story ideas. I’ve even been known to write several chapters into a story and scrap the whole thing because I didn’t think it was good enough or even worse – that I’m not good enough?

Then God, in his loving grace, gives me a verse of encouragement,

“The path of the righteous is like a dawning light, that shines more and more until the perfect day.” Proverbs 4:18 (ASV)

When light dawns in the mountains of Western North Carolina, the sun doesn’t just pop up all at once, bright and ready to go. The warming star takes its time, inching into early hours of morning. But rise it does, with a plethora of colors sure to make an accomplished painter envy the hues. Strokes of pinks, oranges, reds and blue streak the sky beckoning anyone willing to leave the comfort of fluffy duvets and padded mattresses.

At just the right moment, the sun emerges from behind the mountains' dark and rocky faces, distributing its light across irregular topography, stretching rays across the land into the welcoming arms of a new day.

Then I realize...We are a dawning light.

We might start off slow, barely a blip on the writer’s scene. Maybe we are unpublished, unagented with only the undeniable call placed in our hearts by the One who created us. We shine more and more with every word, every blog, every story until one day God’s light emerges through our work, illuminating others with his warmth and love.

This is the kind of writer I want to be. One that does not give into doubt and questions, but one that allows God to disperse His story, His words and His light into a darkened world.

What say you?

As writers, we're a dawning light. We shine more brilliantly with every word, blog, & story until one day God’s light emerges through our work, illuminating others with His warmth & love. @shannon_redmon #seriouslywrite

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Shannon Redmon remembers the first grown up book she checked out from the neighborhood book mobile. A Victoria Holt novel with romance, intrigue, dashing gentlemen and ballroom parties captivated her attention. For her mother, the silence must have been a pleasant break from non-stop teenage chatter, but for Shannon, those stories whipped up a desire and passion for writing.

There’s nothing better than the power of a captivating novel, a moving song or zeal for a performance that punches souls with awe. A rainbow displayed after a horrific storm or expansive views on a mountaintop bring nuggets of joy into our lives. Shannon hopes her stories immerse readers into that same kind of amazement, encouraging faith, hope and love, guiding our hearts to the One who created us all.
Shannon’s writing has been published in Spark magazine, Splickety magazine, the Lightning Blog, The Horse of My Dreams a compilation book with other authors published by Revell, and the Seriously Write blog. Her stories have been selected as a semi-finalist and finalist of the ACFW Genesis Contest and won first place in the Foundation’s Awards. She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. The StoryMoore Blog is named in memory of her father, Donald Eugene Moore.

Connect with Shannon:
www.shannonredmon.com
The StoryMoore Blog
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Shannon's debut, Cave of Secrets, releases in October 1st and is available now for pre-order.