Tag: encouragement in writing

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

The Power of Encouraging Words

Earlier this month I received feedback and critique on my latest screenplay from the professional screenwriting website which currently hosts my screenplay. The professional’s thoughts on my WIP (work in progress) were beyond my wildest expectations. They enjoyed my screenplay so much I was awarded another month of free hosting and another free evaluation.

After years of researching, plotting, and problem-solving, I was hopeful, but not confident my narrative would capture the hearts and minds of others, especially in the industry that is hard to break into. After reading the comments about my character and his journey, I was on cloud nine and excited to take the professional feedback and put it to use in polishing and perfecting my passion project.

My screenplay isn’t perfect, but it has tremendous commercial potential for a worldwide audience and tackles a lot of current issues in this “high-octane” inspirational cyber terrorism spec. Proofreading and a little dialogue polishing are my main focus now.

While there is still a little work to be done, the encouraging words inspired and motivated me to take action. I  am focused more on the story and even stopped procrastinating and doing what needs to be done to get my story and its message where it needs to be for a sale and production.

Encouragement

Personally, I struggle with a lack of self-confidence since I wasn’t able to finish college after sustaining my brain injury during my junior year. Although I did eventually take professional writing classes and was mentored by others in the industry, I still question my calling and writing ability.

So any word of encouragement affirms and energizes my writing chops. Encouragement is defined as, “The action of giving someone support, confidence or hope.” At this stage of my writing journey, I can use all of the support I can get.

Life is hard and I don’t know anyone who couldn’t use a little bit of encouragement. Some of the benefits of encouragement are; it provides awareness, creates belief, builds confidence, improves attitude, and it promotes action. If you are struggling with anything in life, I hope this post lifts your spirits and encourages you.

As writers, we have the tools, means, and opportunities to encourage others with our words and that is what I try to do with my writing. We each need to harness the power of our words.

Power of words

The irony of being wordsmiths is we understand the power of our words, yet the writing life can be so overwhelming, we ourselves need words of encouragement to keep writing.

Being a writer is both hard and enjoyable in a weird kind of way. The reward doesn’t always outweigh the risk for most of us. Striving for publication is like reaching for the stars a lot of times.

We can see them and know which way to go, but there’s no guarantee we will ever achieve our writing goals. In times when we fall short of the stars, we need encouraging words ourselves.

We must believe that our words can bring hope or change to the lives of our readers. One of my writing mentors is the first to cheer me on during times I feel like I cannot go on.

She uses her words to encourage her readers and other writers to use the power of their words to encourage others. Below are some of the tips to help us encourage others with our words.

  1. Acceptance
  2. Awareness
  3. Determination
  4. Joy
  5. Love
  6. Passion
  7. Sacrifice
  8. Servanthood
  9. Transparency
  10. Willingness

As writers we have an opportunity to do more than just make a living, we can make a difference in the world we live in. Inspire others to be positive. Give others hope. Educate others about what we have learned on our journeys. Motivate others to press on through the pain.

Motivated

Motivation is a psychological stimulant that affects our minds and bodies positively. During those early days in the hospital after my accident, I lacked the motivation to even live. My life was over as I knew it.

Neither my body nor my brain will ever be the same as they were before my accident. It doesn’t matter how severe an injury to the brain is, the slightest injury to the brain can affect the body for the rest of a person’s life.

The main thing that kept me going during those dark days was the encouragement from my friends and family who came to visit me in the hospital and during my time in rehab.

Recently, a childhood pastor who came to see me while I was in a rehabilitation hospital almost 30 years ago again left encouraging words on my Facebook page about how proud he was of how I was using my words and story to uplift others.

Recovering from a T.B.I. is just as much mental and psychological as it is physical. Below are some of the ways brain injuries affect our brains, even years after the injury.

  • Sensory sensitivity
  • Depression
  • Feeling overwhelmed
  • Problems sleeping
  • Cognitive impairment
  • Fatigue
  • Hormone dysregulation

Motivation is a key to staying positive while living with a TBI. Traumatic brain injuries are life-changing events with no guarantee of improvement. Mental abilities can become impeded or severely limited.

With such a negative outlook, it is clear why survivors need to hear the power of an encouraging word!

Martin Johnson

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at MartinThomasJohnson.com  and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Stronger Together

As I write, the holiday season has begun and most people are spending time with friends and family. The holidays are about a lot more than just having fun together. There are reasons we like getting together with other people.

  • Encouragement
  • Resting
  • Helping others
  • Sharing

However, the holidays aren’t pleasant for everyone. Recently the mother of my best friend from college passed away unexpectedly. I decided to reach out and encourage him.

I can still remember her coming to see me in the hospital after my accident. She assured me there was a reason I didn’t die and she would pray for me to get better.

Over two decades later, I can still remember how much better I felt after her brief visit with me in the hospital. I can still remember her smile the first time I entered her home after I finished my rehabilitation.

It was extremely important for me to get all of the support and encouragement I could in those early days after my accident, especially once I finally was able to think clearly. It was their support that helped me to get stronger.

Stronger

I cannot express enough how important it is for us to grow in life and for healthy brains to grow neurologically. That is why I continue to work out and focus on my health.

There are numerous benefits of staying physically active for our brains. I benefit by lowering my stroke threshold. Recent studies have shown that physical activity helps reduce the risk of dementia.

The older I get the more thankful I am for my health, especially considering my brain injury. But, I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for getting help and advice from other health-conscious people.

The gym is more than just a place to exercise, it is a place to build relationships and community. Often, it is in the gym where I learn about other things going on in the community I live in.

Recently I shared with a brother from church a new back exercise I learned and he told me today that he, too, really likes the exercise. It’s not always about showing off or who looks the best in the fitness community, in the gym I have accountability and encouragement; gym rats know we are stronger together.

Together

Being together doesn’t always mean being in the same place. My best friend from college lives in Texas now and we still support each other from afar. I have learned new exercises from friends across the country and on YouTube.

There is a psychological bond that connects us with other people with similar interests and goals. We’ve experienced what others have experienced and we strive for similar goals.

Recently, I received another rejection email from a literary agent and of course, I was pretty depressed. However, thanks to my writing friends across the country whom I keep in touch with, I received the encouragement and advice I needed to continue in my writing journey.

Most of us have experienced how lonely and disappointing the writing life can be at times, we’ve all faced rejection at some point; even best-selling authors have experienced rejection and discouragement in their writing journeys.

We are a weird sort of community because we know we’ll face painful moments. Just like with the fitness community, we need the support and guidance of others to help us get stronger and to motivate us not to give up.

Friendships and community are important, regardless of their nature. Below are some benefits of building stronger friendships from betterhealth.com.

  1. Lower rates of anxiety
  2. Lower rates of depression
  3. Higher self-esteem
  4. Greater empathy
  5. Stronger immune system

As writers, we understand the demands and the pitfalls of the writing life. We can help encourage other writers who are struggling. We can also receive encouragement from others within the community.

Encouragement

Recently, I reconnected with another disabled person in my community. I had actually met him at the local gym about a decade ago. He is a brain cancer survivor who is wheelchair-bound.

I had the chance to share with him about my experiences after my accident. All of these years later we’re both feeling depressed and forgotten.

I offered to help him with his problem, just knowing I could help someone else made me feel better. Community has its advantages.

  1. Encouragement
  2. Opportunity
  3. Sense of belonging

Having a place to fit in is rewarding in itself. It isn’t about getting paid. A stronger community benefits us all. Ask Matthew Whitaker, a blind musician who returned to the school that taught him music to give back. That is how we become stronger together!

Martin Johnson

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at MartinThomasJohnson.com  and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

Categories
Guest Posts

Publishing Dreams Can Come True

In the early 1920s, a young boy who hadn’t cared much for reading became enthralled with Jack London’s The Call of the Wild. He then read everything he could get his hands on.

He dreamed of writing his own stories. He hadn’t had much formal education, but he knew life with his dogs and home. He didn’t have paper, so he wrote descriptions in the dirt of what he heard in nature.

As a young man, he traveled around the country looking for work and wrote stories in his off time. He cut open brown bags for paper to write on. He couldn’t spell well. He wrote line after line continuously with no paragraphs. His only punctuation was a dash when he came to a pause in a narrative. When he finished, he rolled the paper up, tied it with a string, and put it in his trunk. He was ashamed of his lack of skill, but he kept writing the stories on his heart.

When he met the woman he wanted to marry, he was so ashamed of his writing that he burned all his manuscripts before the wedding. Some months later, he told his wife, Sophie, about the stories he had burned. She encouraged him to write them again.

He wouldn’t let her see the manuscript until he was done. When he finally gave her the manuscript, he left the house because he didn’t want to see her reaction. When he called her, she told him the story was wonderful but needed to be lengthened. What he had was too long for a story and too short for a book.

The man transformed his 30,000 words into 80,000. His wife edited his handwritten manuscript.

The manuscript was accepted for serialization by the Saturday Evening Post and then published as a book by Doubleday. But Doubleday marketed the book to adults, and sales languished. One editor who believed in the story arranged for the author to speak to a group of teachers, who then took the book back to their classrooms. Children loved it. The publisher reclassified the story as a children’s book. The book eventually became a beloved classic: Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls, based on his boyhood in Oklahoma.

Rawls later spoke all across the country. His most famous speech was titled “Dreams Can Come True” about his own writing journey (his speech can be heard in five parts on YouTube beginning here).

Rawls’ story encourages writers in several ways.

1. If you have a story on your heart, write it. Rawls found ways to write through less than ideal circumstances.

2. If you don’t have the necessary skills, it’s never been easier to acquire them. Numerous books, classes, and conferences are available. Many writers share vital information and advice for free through blogs and podcasts. You probably have friends willing to read your work and give you feedback. You might pray for your own “Sophie,” who would be willing to edit your work.

3. Trust God’s guidance. I don’t know if Rawls was a Christian. But you can’t listen to his story without noting several key factors or people without which his book would not have come to be: Sophie, the Saturday Evening Post editor who wanted to take the book to Doubleday, the Doubleday editor who fought for the story, the speaking engagement to teachers, the switch in marketing from adults to children. Ask God to guide your way, bring across your path the people you need to meet, and incline your thinking and your publisher’s as to the best way to present the book.

With help, hard work, and God’s leading, publishing dreams can come true.

Barbara Harper lives with her husband of 40 years in Knoxville, TN. They raised three sons, one of whom added a lovely daughter-in-law and an adorable grandson to the family. Barbara loves reading, writing, and card-making. She has blogged for almost 14 years at https://barbaraleeharper.com/. She wrote a newsletter for women at her church for 15 years as well as magazine articles, newspaper columns, and guest blog posts. One of her passions is encouraging women to get into the Word of God for themselves. She’s currently working on her first book-length project.

Categories
Writer Encouragement

King Saul, Impatience, and Pride

A recent sermon at my church could have been written for writers. It revolved around impatience and pride.

The subject of this lesson was King Saul, who seemed to have everything going for him: talent, good looks, and the anointing of a prophet.

There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people. (1 Samuel 10:2 ESV )

Despite his physical attributes, Saul did not consider himself anything special. So when the prophet Samuel spoke to him in a mysterious, anointing way, Saul was shocked: “Am I not a Benjamite, from the least of the tribes of Israel? And is not my clan the humblest of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way?” (1 Samuel 9:21 ESV)

It was not long after that, Samuel took Saul aside, poured oil on his head, and prophesied that he was to be king. “Has not the Lord anointed you to be prince over His people? And you shall reign over the people of the Lord and you will save them from the hand of their surrounding enemies.” (1 Samuel 10:1 ESV)

Yet despite this promise, Saul continued to doubt his abilities. When it was time for Samuel to declare him king before all the tribes of Israel, the shy Saul hid rather than be presented to the masses.

Probably many writers can relate to this fear of being in front of others. The fear of being inadequate. The fear of speaking because we are not good enough. We feel so humble.

Yet that same Saul, after being a king who successfully defeated enemy nations to protect Israel, developed another quality as well. He became impatient.

He had tasted success. And in that spirit of accomplishment, pride crept in. Was there nothing he couldn’t do?

One day, while awaiting the arrival of the prebattle heavenly blessing, the prophet Samuel was running late. Samuel was supposed to offer the sacrifice to the Lord before the Israelites faced the enemy Philistines. The people waited and waited, then grew scared. They began to scatter out of fear.

Rather than rallying the Israelites as their leader, he succumbed to impatience. Saul knew the sacrifice was only to be offered by the prophet, Samuel, yet he ordered the people to “bring the burnt offering here to me.” They did so and Saul took it upon himself to offer the sacrifice.

“As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came.” (1 Samuel 13:10 ESV) As soon as he had finished. Had Saul waited just a few moments, everything would have been different. And the kingdom would not have been taken away from him. The kingdom went to David, and Saul went insane.

I don’t know about you, but I can relate to Saul with his insecurities and doubts. I can also relate to his impatience. Haven’t I waited long enough to get a contract? Why is this writing journey taking so long?

And sometimes, after having a measure of success in the publishing world with contracts and/or awards, we might pop a few buttons on our shirts and strut around a bit. Sometimes, a measure of success can be our downfall if we grow too big for our britches, as my mom used to say. The britches of pride.

Remember Saul. He had experienced the empowerment of the Spirit of God to bring him success as he listened to the voice of that Spirit. Yet ignoring that inner utterance from the Lord as Saul did, caused his downfall. It could destroy us as well.

I encourage you to beware, because humility can turn into pride in a mere moment.

Carry on.

Elaine Marie Cooper has two historical fiction books that recently released: War’s Respite (Prequel novella) and Love’s Kindling. Love’s Kindling is available in both e-book and paperback. They are the first two books in the Dawn of America Series set in Revolutionary War Connecticut. Cooper is the award-winning author of Fields of the Fatherless and Bethany’s Calendar. Her 2016 release (Saratoga Letters) was finalist in Historical Romance in both the Selah Awards and Next Generation Indie Book Awards. She penned the three-book Deer Run Saga and has been published in numerous magazines and anthologies. Scarred Vessels, a novel about black soldiers in the American Revolution, will release in 2020. You can visit her website/ blog at www.elainemariecooper.com

Categories
Embrace the Wait

Survival Tips for the Waiting Part of Writing Tip #8 – Leave Your Comfort Zone

The life of an introvert is whelming—not over, not under—just whelming. And that’s how I like it. When my well-planned days lead to drama-free nights, I thrive.

I first met Charlotte at a writer’s retreat. Her boisterous, Southern charm tripped my extrovert alert system the instant the hey y’all shrilled through her bright pink lipstick. Of course, I heeded the internal warning, veered away from her, and steered myself into a sea of reserved writers more commonly found in that habitat.

No, I’m not a snob and definitely not an unfriendly person. But a dark season of life had brought me to that conference weary and wary. The only thing worse than wrestling with mom-guilt over the troubles of an adult child, is having to endure the giddiness of someone who that kind of grief has never touched. So my official conference plan for rejuvenation and self-preservation involved dodging Charlotte, attending classes, and enjoying alone time with God.

The strategy worked until the final morning of the retreat. Even though my burden remained heavy, I was able to sit at cafeteria breakfast table and reflect on God’s goodness; the deepest valleys so often provide the sweetest refuge in Him. With my mind fixed on things above, my internal alert system must have malfunctioned, because when I emerged from my thoughts there she stood, wearing a bright fuchsia blouse and dazzling smile. Before I could say a word, Charlotte introduced herself, sat down, and plunged into an animated description of her ministry and writing.

I listened with polite interest, hoping the firecracker of a woman wouldn’t spontaneously combust before my eyes. But when she launched into the description of her book, the first sentence captured my attention and held it hostage. And every word that followed pierced my heart. I had been so wrong in my assumption that Charlotte had been untouched by grief. She had. Her son had been wrongly accused of a heinous crime and sent to prison. But God had shown her how to pray—how to fight for him in a way that was powerful and effective. That’s where her joy had come from, and she was shouting it from the rooftops—and the breakfast table. I left the dining area changed by her story—somehow healed by it.  

Later that day, Charlotte offered to drive me to the airport. I was tempted to decline, but something in me needed more of the life flowing through her. I accepted … before I realized she intended to shove me and my two-ton suitcase into in her fiery red convertible for the drive. If a human could ever have an automobile twin, there would be no doubt Charlotte and the hot-rod came from the same womb. I took one look at the vehicle and asked a logical question, “Where will we put my luggage?”

Charlotte never answered the question, but her laughter echoed through the parking lot as she popped a small hatch located behind the two miniature seats. She then chucked my enormous suitcase into the tiny opening where it wedged tightly to all four sides and stood tall against the opened lid.

Warning sirens blared in my head, demanding that I ask Charlotte several other questions, “If we can’t close the trunk, what will keep my luggage from flying out while we drive? How will you be able to see through the back window? And what if it rains?”   

Charlotte provided jovial answers. “I drive with my trunk open all the time, nothing’s ever fallen out.” “My side-mirrors work just fine.” and “A little rain never hurt nobody.”

With all questions asked and answered, I did the only thing any polite, shell-shocked recluse could do; I folded myself into the bucket seat of Charlotte’s red sportster, and silently vowed to never again ridicule those poor Lifetime movie characters who make irrational decisions that led to their demise.

We pulled onto the winding country road with car top down and trunk lid open. My neatly arranged hair whipped in the wind and wrapped around my face for over an hour. And it rained. But while Charlotte talked a million miles a minute and drove almost as fast, another voice broke through. I never realized God could speak with a Southern accent; Charlotte’s every word provided real answers to my most agonized prayers, and as a bonus— her infectious joy lifted my heavy heart. I felt so refreshed I didn’t even care that I looked like a deranged vagrant when we arrived at the airport.

Charlotte is now one of my favorite people in the world. She’s a precious woman, full of life and God’s Spirit. Just the thought of her makes me happy. It scares me to think how much I would have missed had I chosen a safe route home. The common ground that bridged the gap between elusive introvert and excitable extrovert became my road to hope.

My tip for this month is to step out of your comfort zone. Allow God to use His people—all kinds—to help mold your faith and your writing career into what He has destined it to be.

Scripture: Hebrews 13:2, Ephesians 4:16, John 17:21

Fun Fact: If you’d like to learn more about dear Charlotte and her amazing testimony check out her newly released book, Live In The Victory: God’s Victorious Battle Plans for Parents of Prodigals. Her picture is on the front and back cover of the book if you’d like to sneak a peek. You can find her book on Amazon here.

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.

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

I’m a Superstar!

Living with a disability is never an easy thing, but there are times when it is more difficult than other times. I’m wired to be an outdoors person and try not to let my disability keep me from being active.

I learned years ago that I can’t live a life based on my feelings or limitations. To be honest, if I lived that way I would never accomplish anything. Especially this time a year, the shorter days and cooler temperatures sometimes suck the energy out of me.

The last few months have been particularly difficult this year. I’ve had a lot of writing projects I’ve been working on. Then the weather in the South decided to skip fall and go straight to winter in a matter a few days.

I’m not sure if it was shellshock or winter shock, but one morning I woke up to a cold winter rain pounding against my roof and windows. As I lay in bed, the thought of tackling my projects almost sent me into hibernation.

When I finally pulled myself from the black hole of my bed, I was sucked into the currents of a hurricane as I sat at my desk and tried to write. For almost an hour I sat there motionless as I stared at the blank monitor and I wondered if I actually had what it takes to make it as a writer. The endless fears and thoughts paralyzed me more than my brain injury.

  • What if I never get an agent and I’ve wasted all these years chasing a selfish dream?
  • What if I lose my passion for writing?
  • What if I am too old or too young to write what I write?
  • What if I’m pursuing the wrong kind of writing and I never sell anything?
  • What if I run out of ideas to write about?

I know we all have doubts at some point and many give up on pursuing a writing career. However, I’ve been fortunate enough to meet and work with a number of outstanding writers who managed to break free from the black holes and hurricanes to become not only professionals but superstars in their own right.

Superstars

In 2013 the Huffington Post noted 145,900 American “writers and authors” counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.[i] That’s almost a quarter of 1 million Americans who make a living as a writer. But what does it take to be a writing superstar?  I spent some time talking to some of my writing friends to get an idea of what disciplines they practice.

  1. Keep writing.
  2. Keep learning the craft.
  3. Network (writers conferences, social media)
  4. Be consistent and meet deadlines.
  5. Be a fierce self-editor or get a professional one.
  6. Manage your time wisely.

One of the luxuries of being a writer is making your own schedules for the most part. We still have deadlines to meet. A schedule is still a schedule. Get things done when they need to be done.

Get it done!

As 2018 comes to an end have you accomplished everything you set out to? I know I haven’t, I’ve spent this last few weeks focusing on other projects when I really wanted to be working on rewriting my screenplay.

Perhaps it is just my brain injury that gives me tunnel vision, but here are six mindsets I’m learning to help keep me focused and encouraged for the new year.

  • Expect rejection.
  • Write, even if you don’t feel like it.
  • Timing is everything.
  • Our timing isn’t God’s.
  • A roadblock isn’t the end of the road, just a detour.
  • All writers have to start somewhere.

As the holidays interrupt our writing schedules and plans, disappointments will come and I hope you return to this post to find some encouragement on your path to becoming a superstar.

[i] https://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-dietrich/the-writers-odds-of-succe_b_2806611.html

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Truamatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

Categories
Child's Craft

Wandering Aimlessly in Writing

Have you ever wandered aimlessly in your writing? A friend asked me the other day what I was working on. I usually am always working on something, usually several things in different stages. But, all I could say was, “Ummm, nothing in particular at the moment.” For some reason, that reality stung. I believe there are different seasons in writing, some abundant, some sparse, but to not have any project in the works made me feel like I was wandering aimlessly in my writing career.

And then God, in all His majesty, wisdom, and with humor and love put me in a situation in which I was literally wandering aimlessly.

I love the US National Whitewater Center which is just a few miles down the road. I took my house guest, Stan, with me to the center one morning. I wanted to go for a quick 30 min run on the trails with my dog, Poppie, and Stan planned to walk around the white water circle. We’d meet back in 45 min. I encouraged him to try some trails saying, “You can’t get lost on these trails. The signage is great.” With that I blew off to the trails with Poppie. I’d been on these familiar paths numerous times. I knew where to cut off and head back.

However, I missed the cutoff. Poppie and I wound back and forth but couldn’t find a way off of the main trail. I remembered the center was expanding the parking lot and when I heard construction sounds, I figured that was the parking lot direction. I stayed close to that sound. Finally, after 45 minutes of weaving around, I bee-lined to the construction sounds to bail out. I discovered that noise came from a manufacturing plant not the parking lot. What in the world? I had no idea where I was.

I headed to the power lines in the field. I knew those crossed through the parking lot. We ran up the trails on the field in the blazing sun, my faithful dog sticking close every step of the way. The power lines ran over rolling hills. In both directions. For miles. No parking lot in view.

I had to guess where I was, then popped back into the woods for shade for Poppie, which led to the Lake Loop. Perfect! I’d been here before! I circled the lake. Again. And again. And again. Seriously, I could not get off this stinkin’ Lake Loop. I didn’t even know which way was the way back to the center. Did I mention this whole time, I’d only seen 2 people on the trail and that was early on?

I could have pulled up my GPS to get my bearings, if I hadn’t inadvertently left my phone at home. We’d been running for an hour. We could be miles away. I cried out, “Lord. We’re lost and needing a little help now. You have GOT to get us out of here. Please send help!” Within a matter of minutes, I heard music and two bicycle dudes approached. Thank You, Jesus! Those angels led us back.

Lessons learned in trail running and writing…

  1. Don’t be overconfident.

Don’t assume you can’t get lost. Don’t assume you’re always gonna have projects to work on. There will be seasons of abundant inspiration, and seasons of quiet. Draw close to God in both.

  1. Don’t put your trust in the wrong voice.

That construction sound may not be what you think it is. Don’t listen to the voice saying you can’t do it, you’ll never get published, you’re going nowhere or that you’ll never have another inspiration. Those are lies from the deceiver. Focus on the Voice of Truth, the One who gave you the gift of writing, the One who believes in you, who says, “You can do it! You’ll write again.” Listen to the One who loves you and desires the best for you.

  1. Explore God’s World

God’s world is simply amazing. His world is full of inspiration! Take in the beauty, the fresh air, the sounds of nature. Many of my inspirations for stories have occurred on runs. Listen to others around you. What sparks an interest?

  1. Cry out to God

Why did I try to find my way out on my own? Why did I wait until I was exhausted and had exhausted all possibilities before pleading for help? Can’t find your way in writing? Plead to God for direction, cry out for inspiration, for a way out of your slump then trust He will answer.

  1. Let others help you

I would still be circling that lake if I hadn’t followed those dudes’ direction. I needed them. Connect with other writers. We need each other. Learn from them,  let them critique you, inspire you. Don’t think your writing doesn’t need help. All of ours does. Join a critique group, exchange your work with other writers, join an online critique group. Don’t try to go it alone. You might be the Godsend somebody else needs, as well.

  1. Be thankful for other writers

I was thankful to have had Poppie with me. She was a sense of support, a reminder that I wasn’t alone. Writers are a unique breed. Others may not understand us, nor understand what we’re going through. But other writers will. They know the struggles, the heartbreak, the loneliness, the fears we face because they’ve most likely experienced them as well. Depend on each other for accountability. Embrace each other with shoulders to cry on and hugs to share the joys.

  1. Enjoy the ride

I got much more of a work out than I’d planned. I experienced more of God’s nature than I’d anticipated. I became a stronger runner. God gave me an experience to write about. See what God has in store for you. Learn from your trials, depend deeper on God, stand amazed at His answers. Enjoy the swervy path and know that you can always use your experiences as fodder for your next project!

God bless you all on your trail runs and your writing! May you never get lost… and if you do, you know the One who knows the way out. Happy trails (and trials)!