From Edie: Discover how faith, risk, and creativity intersect in the writing life. Learn to trust God with your dreams and step beyond your comfort zone to write boldly.
Faith, Risk, and Writing Dreams: How to Trust God with Your Creative Calling
by Henry McLaughlin @RiverBendSagas
“Dreams always require risk.” Les & Leslie Parrott, Healthy Me, Healthy Us, p.92
Over the course of my writing career, I’ve learned my dreams and passions for writing are always found just outside the boundary of my comfort zone.
I enjoy writing but I often find it a chore to sit myself down, open the laptop, and be creative. The drive just isn’t there. A nap is sending its sweet melodies, beckoning with images of the comfort of the couch, which has somehow been transported to a shade covered beach on Maui. Or a new novel is calling me to start reading it.
A while back, I was jolted by one of the characters in my Riverbend series, Rachel Stone-Archer. She jabbed the top of my shoulder and told me I must write another book in the series. I said, no, the series was finished, all the plot lines wrapped up; she and Michael were married now and were going to ride off into the sunset to live happily ever after.
Her next words pierced like a needle. “You left me pregnant.”
What I thought was the last book in the series was published a few years ago. I’ve moved on to other projects—or so I thought.
“I only hinted you might be pregnant,” I said.
“You did more than hint” she said. “Elephants aren’t pregnant as long as I’ve been pregnant.”
Rachel has these laser-like violet eyes. They feel like the sword of the Spirit, piercing and dividing the bone and the marrow of my writing spirit.
So, I opened Scrivener to start book four of the three volume Riverbend Saga series, which has already tilted my nerdy math brain. Then I closed Scrivener. I had no idea what pregnancy was like in the late 1870s. Hello, research.
A few months later, I reopened Scrivener and, being a pantser, let the story unfold.
Well, lo and behold, Rachel is having a difficult pregnancy. I told her my research showed this was likely to happen to a woman with her background. She raised one-eyebrow at me, but showed me grace and allowed me to follow the theme.
And then there came her husband, Michael. I could not come up with a feasible and interesting story line for him. I tried several ideas and even switched to writing him in first person. Nothing clicked. Every plot I tried faded away. Even interviewing him proved fruitless. I knew I was missing something. Then, I heard from the Holy Spirit. It wasn’t an audible voice, it was more of a sensing. “Don’t write him. Watch him.”
I watched him as I kept working on Rachel’s story. I thought he didn’t have a story this time. But he does, buried in his emotions and love for Rachel. He’s floundering in life, and thus in my story, because he’s frightened beyond description over Rachel’s pregnancy. He’s afraid Rachel will die either before or during delivery. And there is nothing he can do about it.
I was overwhelmed at the depth and breadth of Michael’s fear. He’s a few steps short of being paralyzed by it. As it is, he can barely concentrate on the work he’s doing for Joshua Carstairs and the town.
Now, I can write his story as I follow him around watching him, writing down everything he says and does (to paraphrase William Faulkner).
Back to the quote at the beginning of this article.
Writers dream of the perfect agent, the great contract, bestseller lists, TV interviews, and a host of other things.
Writers also dream about stories—ideas, characters, plot twists, dialogue, story worlds—all the material that goes into creating a story.
I wasn’t dreaming about a fourth book in the Riverbend trilogy. But after my conversation with Rachel, I began to dream. For me, writing frequently involves mental movies of scenes, setting, dialogue, motivation, and story development. Then, I translate these movies onto the page.
There is always a risk with these dreams. The imagined scene may fall apart in the writing. The wonderful plot twist may turn into a labyrinth, a corn maze where exit the exit keeps moving. The characters may not act in the way I think they will.
The dream of seeing the book published also carries risk. The book may actually stink, and no one will touch it. Self-publishing is a stumble and bumble of covers, formatting, proofing, editing, and the dreaded marketing.
To write, we must grab our dreams and write our hearts out. We face risks. The reality is all of life is a risk; everything we has an element of risk. But we don’t let the risk paralyze or stop us. We can’t allow it if we’re going to fulfill our dreams and the plans God has for us.
Philippians 2:13 NLT tells us, For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
Another word for desire is dream. God gives us our dreams. He’s given many of us the dream to be writers so we can please him. And if this isn’t enough he gives us Philippians 4:13 NLT: For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
He not only gives us the dream, he gives us everything we need to fulfill it.
Fellow writer, cling to your dream, fight for your dream, give everything to make your dream a reality under the grace and strength of God.
TWEETABLE
Henry edits novels, leads critique groups, and teaches at conferences and workshops. He enjoys mentoring and coaching individual writers.
Connect with Henry on his BLOG, X (TWITTER) and FACEBOOK.
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