Writing To Inspire

Since I am a Word Weaver president I’m often mentoring other writers. My joy always comes from experiencing the wide smiling mouth of one of our members when a short story, article or book is published. My excitement however, most often comes when we share our successes, small or big, with one another at a meeting. When we talk about successes we want to hear, “I sat in front of the computer today and wrote a few paragraphs.” or “I submitted a story to Chicken Soup For The Soul this month.” Maybe we’ll hear, “I edited three pages of my book.” or “I sent enquiry to an agent or a publisher.” These are all successes!

Writers can be a strange breed of people. We read ferociously. We find errors in the books, newspapers and articles we read. We find all the same errors in our own work, even after it has been edited many times! Our passion to write continues to push us forward in spite of rejections or comments from our critique group. Why is this?

For me, as a Christian writer, it’s because I’ve made so many poor choices in my earlier life, I want to share with others how we are not defined by our past. I want to share my stories with the hope I may save someone from having to go through a similar trial. I also want to make someone laugh, cry… a good cry, and perhaps encourage someone to take a good long look at the path they’re on and make a u-turn if need be.

I know my stories are not significant enough to produce change in everyone, but because they are truth written from my pen, I will be pleased if just one life is affected. I know when I read a chapter in my Bible, I’m not always convicted, I sometimes don’t change the direction of my day but my thought process is tweaked enough, without me knowing it, I often make a choice that surprises me. I’d like my stories to have this effect on someone…

Keep writing my fellow writers, it might be just your own soul that you speak to!