by Edie Melson @EdieMelson
I believe now is the best time of all to be a writer. With the advent of the Internet, there are more opportunities to share our words than ever before. However, along with the good also comes the challenging.
Writers today must be equipped and ready to face many obstacles that our predecessors never imagined—much less faced. We each need a well-equipped personal arsenal to help us stay the course not lose heart amid frequent chaos.
26 Attributes that Make a Writer Stronger
A – Adaptable. The world is changing on a dime. Not only must we adapt and anticipate it, we have to be far enough ahead to actually write about it.
B – Brave. Life is scary—and getting scarier every day. As writers, we must be willing to move forward and share the words God has laid on our hearts even though we run the risk of being criticized or even cancelled because of what we write.
C – Creative. All the writers I know personally struggled with creativity during the intense time of COVID lockdown. There may have been a few who didn’t, but I don’t know of a single one. Some are still fighting to fill that creative well. We must each learn what we need to do to bolster our creativity and then we must be diligent to do it.
D – Disciplined. Writing is a creative endeavor, but it’s also—for many of us—our source of income. That means we must be disciplined to write when we feel like it and when we don’t.
E – Equipped. As a believer who writes, I must be equipped by God to share the words in my heart. This means I need to constantly stay close to Him through study, prayer and a growing relationship.
F – Faithful. Each writer’s calling is unique. And each writer is valuable. We must remain faithful to follow the path set before us. Now isn’t the time to doubt or waver.
G – Grace-filled. By this I mean we should give everyone we meet the benefit of the doubt. If I’m criticized, I need to look for a kernel of truth, even if it hurts. And I need to remember that I don’t know what’s going on in someone else’s life. They may be in the midst of a storm and unable to treat me the way I want to be treated.
H – Hopeful. For me as a believer, my hope is steadfast in God. I have learned by study and experience that His timing is perfect. So no matter how long it takes, I remain hopeful as I wait on Him.
I – Inclusive. Today there are too many things that divide us. I want my words to include others. I want those who read what I write to feel seen and heard.
J – Joyful. I never want to come across as falsely optimistic. Instead I want everyone I meet to see the joy I feel. It’s a blessing to live in this time—even with social media! LOL. We can reach the world with our words without ever leaving our homes. This is a great time that God has chosen for me and I never want to forget that.
K – Kind. I want my words to bring hope and healing. I never want my words to injure or destroy someone who’s vulnerable. However, I never want to water-down the truth. Misleading someone isn’t a kind thing to do either.
L – Loyal. I hope that I’m seen as loyal—to my God, my calling, my family, my friends and my audience.
M – Multifaceted. Writers today must have numerous skills. We need to how to reach an online audience, as well as those who read printed materials. No longer can we rely on a single thing to reach our readers, instead we have to learn how to do a lot of things—from social media to videos. I hope I never shrink from learning new things that help me become a more effective writer.
N – Near. I hope my writing is near to the hearts of my readers. I pray that I stay near to my God. And I hope that my words convey the idea that there is always someone nearby that cares.
O – Observant. I want to be an observant writer. I want to see things, situations and people that others may miss or find unimportant. I pray that my words may someone stop and really see what’s around, from the blessings in every life, to the fact that God is always present and ready to walk with us through the difficult times.
P – Peaceful. I don’t really have any wish to be an arbitrator, instead what I want to be is someone who helps others see the peace of God in every situation. Jesus walked into chaos and brought peace. When we allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, we can also be instruments of God’s peace.
Q – Quiet. I want to be slow to speak and quick to listen. I want to pause and consider the things around me—and the things God is showing me. I want to carry deep inside the confidence to not always have to speak up and be right.
R – Revolutionary. I don’t want to accept the status quo. I want to always be striving for something better. I want to my words to bring about positive changes.
S – Secure. I want to be a writer who is secure in the place I am right now. I don’t want to be comfortable and unwilling to grow, but I also don’t want to be dissatisfied.
T – Teachable. I never think I’ve arrived. I know there will always be things to learn and people to learn from. I don’t ever want to feel superior and like I can’t learn from someone.
U – Unique. I want to embrace the things that make me unusual as a writer. Each of us could write about the same thing and end up with something different. It’s that uniqueness that we must value. None of us is better or worse, but we all need to embrace being unique.
V – Vulnerable. Even though it scares me, I want to vulnerable. I want to be willing to reach out and speak into hard situations, describe challenging times, and embrace difficult people. I want to be unashamedly me—no masks and no lies.
W – Well-informed. It’s far too easy to only read what we agree with. But I’ll never grow if I don’t listen to the things in life that make me uncomfortable. That doesn’t mean I’ll always change my mind, but I need to know what’s out there and be willing to listen with an open mind and heart.
X – Xerophilous. I want to practice flourishing in a dry season. I have learned it’s necessary to write when I’m full and when I’m empty.
Y – Yes. I want to be a writer that says yes. Yes, I’ll try that. Yes, I’ll learn that. Yes, I’ll do that for you.
Z – Zealous. I want to be zealous about improving as a writer. I want to be zealous about helping others succeed as writers. I want to be zealous about serving God. I don’t ever want to be complacent and unwilling to be excited about about is coming next.
This is my list—the things I try to use to become the writer God has for me to be. I’d love to know what words you’d add to this list!
Don’t forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie
TWEETABLE
She and husband Kirk have been married 40+ years and raised three sons. They live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and can often be found hiking—with Edie clinging to the edge of a precipice for the perfect camera angle and Kirk patiently carrying her camera bag and tripod. Connect with her on her website, www.EdieMelson.com and through social media.
I love this list, Edie! If I added one, it would be another "G" for Grateful. I am so fortunate to have found this new world to frolic in.
ReplyDeleteAfter writing for over three decades, the one I would add starts with "P" and it's a word that I don't care for .... "patient." I'm not always a patient person by any stretch of the imagination, but I believe writers need to be patient to wait for God's perfect timing when it comes to our writing journey. I've found that some of my writing dreams and goals took years to achieve while others happened in less time. But more often than not, it took time - God's perfect timing.
ReplyDeleteGreat list. I am going to print it out and hang it somewhere I can see it every time I sit down to write. Peace and blesings.
ReplyDelete