Survival Tips for the Waiting Part of Writing, Tip #6 – Recognize your motivators and use them

A few weeks ago, I walked into the family room and caught my husband asleep on the sofa. This was not an isolated incident. That’s where he goes to “rest his eyes” after a hard day’s work. I wrestled the remote from his hand, but before I could click the power button I found myself drawn into a Netflix documentary titled The Perfect Bid: The Contestant Who Knew Too Much. The film followed the life of a man named Ted Slauson, a Texas math teacher who dedicated much of his life to one pursuit—mastering the TV game show, “The Price is Right”. Ted spent countless hours recording and reviewing episodes. He meticulously documented and memorized thousands of prize facts and figures. He scrutinized the process of every nuance of the games—from the opening bid to the showcase showdown. After traveling from Texas to California 24 times to try to become a contestant on the game show, Ted finally heard those words he had longed to hear for over a decade: “Ted Slauson, come on down.”

I felt sad, and a little lethargic, at the conclusion of that documentary. The ending was anticlimactic and seemed to be a testament to a wasted life. But upon further reflection, I realized that even if Ted’s lifelong pursuit did not end with the spectacular finale my storyteller’s heart wanted to hear, the final interview with the man showed him to be happy and fulfilled with the outcome. Why? Because Ted’s drive to master the impossible proved to be a reward in itself. The mastery of the game is what energized him when he woke up each morning and what gave him hope for the future when he fell asleep on his price-down dollar sign printed sheets at night.

As Christian authors, our ultimate drive—that force that compels us to push forward in our writing even when it seems like we are getting nowhere—is fueled by the fire of our God given mission. In this blog series I’ve talked about keeping our eye on the goal and putting first things first many times. When we keep our eyes fixed on Him, He often places unique tools in our hands to help encourage and motivate us.

What are your motivators?

For some it might be the inspiration we receive from a session with our critique group partners, or the euphoric thrill that comes from attending a writer’s conference. Maybe that motivation comes through the simple act of perusing a bookstore and dreaming of your future book on those shelves. All these motivators have worked for me, be none more so than the stimulation I receive from entering writing contests.

The funny thing is, I’m not generally a competitive person. In any given situation I prefer peace to confrontation. I’ve even been known to purposefully lose games during family game nights to avoid the sulky-wrath of my hyper competitive husband and children. But when it comes to writing—there’s a spark that ignites my insides when I’m given the opportunity to put my craft to the test in a competitive arena.

Many times, when I have felt stuck in the literary mud, entering a contest has helped me regroup, focus, and emerge from the muck victorious. Some of my contest submissions have led to awards. Others have produced new or perfected manuscripts. But all of them have provided the oomph I needed to go the extra mile. What are some practical things God has used in your writing life to prod you down the path to success?

Scripture: Philippians 2:13 (NLT) “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”

Fun Fact: This link contains an awesome article about how you can improve your craft by entering contests:

Besides entering writer’s conference contests, here’s a cool resource to use when you’re looking for a writing contest to enter.

Annette Marie Griffin is a award-winning writer who speaks at local women’s group meetings and women’s retreats on the topic of biblical womanhood and finding our identity in Christ. She is the Operations and Events Coordinator at a private school for special needs students and is the editor of their quarterly newsletter. She has written custom curriculum for women’s retreats and children’s church curriculum for Gateway Church in San Antonio, Texas where she served as Children’s Ministry Director and Family Program Director for over twenty years. She and her husband John have five amazing children and two adorable grands. She’s a member of Word Weavers International, ACFW, SCBWI, and serves on the Board of Directors for The Creative Writing Institute.