Are You Writing Your Song?

by Emme Gannon @GannonEmme

I’m a big fan of southern storyteller Rick Bragg. His narrative style of writing brings notoriety to the common man—the living and the dead and the trembling membrane in between. He takes us back to a day when computers and cell phones didn’t rule the day and the heart of each small town was the church, where God and country were worshipped and honored, in that order. 

Reading Rick transports me to my grandmother’s front porch swing, where I sipped sweet tea, and ancestors came to life as real as if we were reunited at the rapture. I become a kid again, staying up late in summer so I can catch flickering fireflies in the old mason jar kept under the back porch, just waiting for the thrill of the hunt. Then the release, when the sky explodes with the twinkling light of a handful of fireflies escaping into the night.

Bragg’s writing has a beat that is hauntingly beautiful—a beat so rhythmic that something inside of me wants to continue the song. But, Rick’s words are his song, written for me to enjoy, learn from, and sometimes even shed a tear or two, as I connect with his heart. 

But, I have my own song to sing and write about, and so do you. We need to allow God’s voice to breach the armor of our mind and settle comfortably in our heart. We need to listen for our song, and then let our words sing to those the Lord has put in our paths.  

Perhaps it’s time for a little one-on-one with God. Don’t be afraid. He’s waiting for you. Ask. Then listen. Then go forward, writing the symphony of words He has for you, knowing He has and will equip you with all you need and will open the door in His time. For His purpose and His glory. And your good and the good of those for whom you write. God always wants more for you than you want for yourself. 

Just ask Rick Bragg. Abandoned by his father at age six and raised by his mother, who picked cotton and sacrificed to provide for her children, he reached deep and found the calling. He writes in, My Southern Journey, “In junior high school, I fell in love with books, and I abandoned my family’s legacy almost completely.” Amid all the voices in his head, he finally tuned in to the One calling his name. He became a writer. 

For now, I’ll excuse myself while I begin my Rick Bragg reading marathon. Knowing I was a fan, my daughter sent me six of Rick’s books for my birthday. You heard that right. Six. Barnes and Noble and Amazon fought for a place on my front porch as packages piled in front of the door. Yes, my sweet girl often overdoes it when it comes to loving her mama. 

While I’m reading away, I challenge you to reflect on the unique personality of your writing. Your special voice. The sound of your words? The cadence they reflect? The beat that so delights the senses that your words resonate deep in your reader’s soul. If you’re not sure of your unique sound, don’t you think it’s time to reach deep and find out? The world is waiting.

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Finding your unique voice is an important part of following your #writing road - @GannonEmme on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Emme Gannon is a wife, mother, and grandmother who loves to write stories that stir the heart. Her award-winning writing has appeared in Focus on the Family magazine, several anthologies, and numerous newsletters. She just completed her first novel.