Overcome Discouragement by Thinking Differently about Your Writing Journey

by Tammy Karasek @PickledPinkTam

We’re half-way through our writer’s conferences for this year. Whether we were able to attend or not, we hear about the successes of our fellow writers. Meanwhile, we may feel the heartbreak of rejection. 

It doesn’t matter if we have attended a conference to pitch our book or submit a writing piece to a place online, we’d all agree that our desired outcome is to hear:

Oh yeah! This is the best story/article ever. We want this and will pay a million bucks as and advance! Who cares what your platform numbers are or if you even HAVE a platform. We’ve got to have this to publish!

I say that with tongue in cheek because I am, after all, a fiction writer like you, right? That scenario will not happen unless we write that into a book. (Grin)

But we can become overwhelmed with the comparison game if we allow it. How’d she get a contract, she just started writing—I’ve been writing for years? Why does he get every article published he submits?

Dangerous thoughts.

I propose we think differently about our writing and timelines. It may be safe to say you write because you felt God’s nudge to do so. If so, He’s equipped you with the talent of stringing words together to form understandable sentences. So keep doing it.

We need to continue to write the words God gives us to spread the gospel. We have no idea where He wants those words to land. We as Christ followers and writers have a great opportunity to write about Him to a person who may never pick up a Bible, but may pick up a book to read a good story. God has a plan for the words we will write. He wants us to walk in obedience and write the words he gives us—for this moment. 

We might think, “But how will my words get out there if God isn’t giving me a book deal?” Could He want us to write the words He gave us and when He is ready, He’ll place them where He wants them? Who knows where God wants our words to land. If we don’t get offered a contract on our first pitch, should we throw in the towel and quit forever? I don’t think so. 

God has a plan for the words we will write. He wants us to walk in obedience and write the words he gives us—for this moment.

If you or I are discouraged because we haven’t landed a book contract yet, let’s take a breath. What if we think differently about those No answers we get. Rather than taking that no and letting Satan roll that one word into things like: No, nobody will read this? No, you can’t write. 

What if we change that?

Instead of NO, followed by a string of negativity with it, let’s change our thinking. When we hear NO, understand it as NO (COMMA) not yet. 

No, not yet. 

Doesn’t that seem a much better way to hear that No? This might not be the time, the agent or the publisher. But God’s time is always the perfect time, even if we don’t see it in the moment. 

God has us right where we are. Let’s continue to learn and practice the craft. Attend a conference. Join a local writer’s group. Let’s be excited for each other as someone receives the desired yes from an agent or publisher. Someday it will be us and we’ll want to share our excitement with our fellow writers. Remember to rejoice when others rejoice. 

Our time as writers will come. 

Do you have a thought to share about how we can keep the discouragement of when we will have a turn at success from overwhelming our thoughts? Please share in the comments below.

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Overcome Discouragement by Thinking Differently about Your Writing Journey from author @TickledPinkTam on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Tammy Karasek uses humor and wit to bring joy and hope to every aspect in life. Her past, filled with bullying and criticism from family, drives her passion to encourage and inspire others and give them The Reason to smile. She’s gone from down and defeated to living a “Tickled Pink” life as she believes there’s always a giggle wanting to come out! A writer of Romance—with a splash of sass. She’s also The Launch Team Geek helping authors launch their books and also a Virtual Assistant for several best-selling authors. She is now under contract for her book on Launch Teams due to release Fall 2023. Her work was also published in a Divine Moments Compilation Book—Cool-inary Moments. She’s also the Social Media Manager for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, Founding President and current Vice-President of ACFW Upstate SC, and Founding President of Word Weavers Upstate SC. She’s a writing team member for The Write Conversation Blog, Novel Academy, MBT Monday Devotions, The Write Editing and more. Connect with Tammy at HTTPS://WWW.TAMMYKARASEK.COM.

Featured Image: Photo by David Marcu on Unsplash