by Lynn H Blackburn @LynnHBlackburn
It’s
hard to turn a parked car.
Ever
heard that one before? I can’t remember where I heard it first, but it’s so
very true. You can be in the car, behind the wheel, motor running, ready to go.
You may even have the brute strength to force the steering wheel to make the
tires twist on the pavement.
You know where I’m going with this,
don’t you?
If
one of your resolutions is “write more” then you’re going to have to put this
writing thing in drive and actually WRITE.
If
you’ve been writing and the goal is to land an agent then you’re going to have
to actually query one (or three).
If
you’re ready to go to a conference or take a course then you’re going to have
to set aside some money and some time.
God
is Sovereign and He can do anything, but as a general rule, when He gives us a
dream, a calling, a passion, He expects us to get our rear in gear and do the
hard work that comes with following Him.
All that stuff going on in your head?
That’s you sitting in the driveway with the car running. Not going anywhere.
You
may have gone to bed one night with an idea and awakened with a fully fleshed
out plot. You may know your characters better than you know your friends. You
may have dreamed up a world to rival Middle Earth.
Guess what? Dreams don’t get published.
Documents do.
You
may have written the book, the poem, the article, the Bible study, the short story.
It’s been polished and critiqued until it is a lean, mean, written machine. You
think it’s time to send it out into the big bad world, but for some reason,
you’re still waiting. You keep thinking it’s possible there’s more you should
do to it so you keep tweaking it.
Guess
what? Possibilities don’t land agents. Proposals do.
But
what if you’ve done all that? You’ve been writing. You’ve been to conferences.
You’ve queried agents. Maybe you’ve had some nibbles, or even some big bites,
but as 2015 dawns, your hands are sweating on the wheel because you have no
idea where you’re going.
You
want to do to the right thing. Want to make the best of your time. Want to
please the One you write for.
Should
you revise the story again? Pitch to that other agent? Go to the conference
close to home or the one with the focus on your writing? How on earth can you
know?
This is where it gets tricky.
Because
the path you’re supposed to follow and the one I’m supposed to follow won’t
look the same. We have different abilities, situations, passions and interests.
What
God wants to do with your writing will be unique. So if you’re writing and
you’re scared about where you’re going, remember this…
You
steer where you stare.
They
teach us this when we learn how to drive. You can’t stare at the sides of the
road or you’ll mess around and drive off in a ditch. You can, and should,
glance around you, but ultimately, you need to keep your eyes to the front.
When
it comes to your writing, you need to stop worrying about the others driving
around you, quit staring at the steep edge you’re afraid you’ll fall into it,
and keep your focus on the One who already knows your ultimate destination.
He
hasn’t taken you on this road to leave you stranded in a ditch.
Keep focused on Him. Keep the car in
drive. And hang on for the ride!
What
about you? Are you sitting in park? Driving aimlessly? What would it look like
for you to change that? Let’s talk about it.
Don’t
forget to join the conversation!
Lynn
TWEETABLES
Lynn Huggins Blackburn believes in the power of stories, especially those that remind us that true love exists, a gift from the Truest Love. She’s passionate about CrossFit, coffee, and chocolate (don’t make her choose) and experimenting with recipes that feed both body and soul. She lives in South Carolina with her true love, Brian, and their three children. You can follow her real life happily ever after at http://www.lynnhugginsblackburn.com.
Lynn, thank you for this inspiring post. Our old pastor used to remind us we can't steer a parked car. I'm definitely driving, focused on a goal to draw closer to God each day. My writing goal is to self-publish at least one novel.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for the reminder to put action to our dreams to make them happen.
What an exciting goal, Henry! Thanks for sharing!
DeleteI love the line "Dreams don't get published, documents do." When I started writing many years ago, my critique partners and I did so with the goal of getting published. We worked hard toward that goal, doing everything that needed to be done. And without giving up, we eventually all made it.
ReplyDeleteIt's' a journey I wouldn't trade for the world. We went from raw newbies, knowing nothing, ti published. But it takes tenacity and focusing on the goal. And leaving the time element to God. :) excellent post, Lynn!
"leaving the time element to God"...so very true, Ane! I've seen His timing at work in the lives of several of my writing friends (and my own, of course!). Sometimes it was STRESSFUL, but looking back, we can see how He's been at work and moving and we are in awe of His plan.
DeleteSo totally agree with your post. Funny, I'd never heard the "You can't turn a parked car" before but I love. Passing it on to a friend today.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Patricia! I love it, too. It has a lot of applications. I imagine someday my kids will be rolling their eyes saying, "We know, we know, you can't turn a parked car." :-)
DeleteReally enjoyed this post. Everything you said is so very true!
ReplyDeleteMy goals are to submit at least 6 pieces this year (one every two months) and do at least four guest blog posts, get my own posts on my blog posted as scheduled (I'm a terrible procrastinator with my own posts!), and launch my blog talk radio show.
Wishing everyone the best with their writing in 2015!
Taking first steps to join a writing group.
ReplyDelete"He hasn’t taken you on this road to leave you stranded in a ditch." I think that is now my 2015 motto!
ReplyDeleteI read this post yesterday in the middle of procrastinating and made myself go write! Thanks for the guilt trip, since we're talking driving. LOL. I'd never heard about the parked car, but like it. Took mine out of park and yes, it's much easier.
ReplyDeleteI like you steer where you stare. That's so true in more than just driving. It's why we need to keep our focus on where God's leading us. I can't imagine going it without Him.
What a great and encouraging post. Thanks for sharing.