New Projects

New Projects

Turning the Pages Series
Net's Notations Tuesdays

Another way God turns the pages in our writing lives is by giving us new projects. What if you’re a published writer who found your niche writing chick lit a few years ago? Now, the market has dried up, and you’ve had to find a new project—a new genre.

Recently the trend has been toward historicals—they’re what publishers want. But what if you don’t write historicals? Dawn’s wise position on this is sooner or later it has to come back around—editors will want contemporaries. All those of you who write contemporary fiction, can I hear an amen?! :D

Sometimes, timing clicks and writers get to begin a new project. Maybe God’s been leading us in a certain direction, and we’re finally at a point we can move there—try something new. Like screenwriting or YA. Maybe what we’ve always wanted to write is now possible—like spec fiction.

The opening of new doors can make things possible which weren’t before. Sometimes the open door coincides with a project we’ve always wanted to do.

Or sometimes working on a new project will help us practice our writing craft as well as give us time and space from the last project. That way we’ll be more effective when we return to that first project for editing, rewriting or just plain old evaluating.

And sometimes a new contract determines a new project with its own set of deadlines.

What page are you on? Where does God have you? The key is to write what God gives you and trust Him with the timing, both for that project and the next. The Author of our faith is simply keeping things interesting as He turns the pages of our writing lives.

New Arenas

New Arenas

Turning the Pages Series
Net's Notations Tuesdays

Last month, a few friends, my husband, and I attended a booksigning with James Rubart (Jim to his friends), author of Rooms and William Paul Young (Paul to his friends), the author of The Shack. Jim’s a friendly guy, whom I believe never meets a stranger. And Paul? He’s a down-to-earth, humble hugger. After he signs your book, he hugs you. *grin*

Got me thinking. A couple years ago, I don’t suppose Jim imagined he’d be spending a day with Paul Young, signing books at the same table, after occupying the same stage. Because his book Rooms has been so successful, he’s had access to more public arenas in 2010 than perhaps he’s had all along as a writer. (Thanks, Jim, for letting me use you as an example. *smile*) New arenas have affected his writing life, opening up his sphere of influence. And his writing opened up these new arenas in his life.

I attended my first Mt. Hermon conference in 2005, I didn’t know many people. In fact, it’s probably safe to say, I only knew a handful of fellow conferees. I didn't yet belong to ACFW. Never attended a large writer’s conference. Okay. I knew Steve Laube. He’d been at a small-scale conference in Seattle as an editor (then).

But now, through ACFW, Facebook, blogging and book reviewing, I’ve met many, many Christian writers. Just ask Dawn, recruiting for Seriously Write keeps us connected, networked.

I found my first book publishing opportunity through ACFW. See that? New arenas opened up new writing opportunities. After that book was published, I was able to participate in a huge booksigning at the Mall of America a couple of years ago. Writing leads to new arenas.

Same’s true in your life. You meet up with your critique partners and suddenly your writing isn’t just yours anymore. I joke with my McCritters (Dawn and Ocieanna are two of them) that all our names should grace the covers of my books one day. *chuckle*

Another arena may be speaking engagements. Perhaps you started as a writer, but now you also have a speaking ministry.

New arenas affect our writing and our writing brings us into new arenas. It’s another way God turns the pages of our writing lives, keeping things interesting, connecting His kids, giving us fellowship with other writers, as well as readers.

And now, taking center stage of the arena: you!

Turning the Pages Series: New Lessons

How New Lessons Affect our Writing
Turning the Pages Series
Net's Notations Tuesdays

I couldn’t write a whole lot about being a mom until I became one. Now I can describe the sweetness, the all-encompassing love, the occasional heartaches. New lessons help me write at a deeper level about this relatable aspect of women’s lives.

I couldn’t write about marriage without first experiencing it. Well, I could, but can you agree there wouldn’t be much depth? Wisdom would be keenly absent from the pages.

Whenever we experience a new season in our lives, we’re presented with new opportunities to grow and change and learn. Then, because we’re authors and nothing’s ever wasted on us (*grin*), we can include our newly-gained wisdom in our writing.

New lessons can also affect the themes we include in our writing. There are times when God brings certain aspects to the forefront, have you noticed? So, maybe a year ago, I’d have written about one theme, but right now, another is burning inside me, waiting for expression.

The great thing is, God is leading us through our seasons and lessons. Then, we can use those nuggets we dig up, incorporating them into richer works of literary art. Well, that’s the hope anyway.

Take a moment to consider some lessons God’s recently taught you and how you could include them in your writing.

Ready? Set … Write!

Turning the Pages Series: Seasons

How Seasons Affect Our Writing
Turning the Pages Series
Net's Notations Tuesdays

Sure feels like fall here—cooler temps, darker skies, more rain and lots of color on our deciduous trees. Ahhh … autumn.

Time to put away the patio furniture, grab the rake and prepare for winter.

In summer, we can step outside without a coat or shoes to let our dog out. In fall, we’ll have to keep slip-ons by the back door.

In summer, I can grab a book, a lawn chair, and my sunglasses and read in the sunshine, soaking up some Vitamin D. In fall, all the reading happens indoors.

In summer, the kids are home from school, with an open schedule. Near the beginning of fall, they start back to school, have to stick to a schedule and more is expected of them by outside sources.

New seasons call for new actions, new approaches to familiar territory, and visiting of new territory. New seasons call us to answer to different authority figures, meet different deadlines, change our schedules.

Isn’t that true in our writing seasons, too? Some writing seasons are for “penning” that first draft. Others are for editing. And then others are for submitting. Then, *hopefully* there comes a season of answering to an editor for your book. What used to be yours is now shared.

Are you aware of the season you’re in? Maybe you’re a parent of small children, and the focus is on them. Maybe you’ve started a new job and are still adjusting to fitting everything into your schedule.

The key is to know the season you’re in, make the appropriate changes for that season and follow through. A student can be all prepared for the school year, but if she never attends classes, never sits under the teaching, never studies, she’s not truly engaged in her season, and she won’t reap the benefits of all her preparation.

God may be turning the pages of your writing season right now. Are you on the same page as He is? Be glad for new seasons, they mean you’re growing, moving ahead.

Now, go ahead, peek at that new page the Author of your faith is penning. Together, start at the top and work your way down. It's going to be good.