From Edie: Lilka Raphael shares how embracing change can refresh your writing, open new opportunities, and help you grow your skills, reach, and writing career.
When Your Writing Isn’t Working: How Embracing Change Can Open New Writing Opportunities
by Lilka Raphael @Lilka_Raphael
“Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.” — Jim Rohn
Autumn is my favorite time of year. Not only because the air is cooler, but because the transition is distinct. Yet, unlike seasonal color, recognizing the need to alter our writing routines isn’t always as easy to identify. If your writing has become stagnant or unproductive, perhaps it’s time to do something different. Like trees embracing a new season, there are times we need to shed things that no longer serve us.
For years I blogged faithfully. Suddenly, I found it impossible to continue. I became frustrated and didn’t comprehend what was happening. My heart wasn’t in it and managing the site became cumbersome. I finally acknowledged that blogging like I’d done previously was no longer working for me.
My disappointment subsided when I was unexpectedly offered the opportunity to blog for another site. I was once again excited to write. Blogging for that site led to requests to write for two more. Later, I was asked to contribute to a newsletter. The community I gained by writing for others subsequently allowed me to contribute to a few books. Accepting my closed door gave me the vision to walk through others.
You may be a blogger who is eager to write a novel. Or you may be an author contemplating another genre. The “what ifs” floating in our minds are often God nudging us to try something else. Yet converting our writing practices from what’s familiar and embarking toward the unknown can be uncomfortable and even nerve-wracking.
Consequently, a writing career isn’t always linear. However, each step that we take prepares us for another. The more we broaden what we write and who we write for, the more we can hone our talent. As we develop our craft, the methods through which we communicate with audiences may change.
Consider that trees drop their leaves when the leaves fail to generate food through photosynthesis. Yet after they fall, those same leaves feed the tree as they decompose into the ground and nourish the roots. The leaves fulfill their purpose all year, yet the manner in which they do so depends on the season. As writers, the same is true for us as we develop our skills.
We may be prompted to accomplish our purpose in ways we never imagined before such as through newsletters, a recurring column, or guest posts. As new technology emerges, there are endless options. But if we casually dismiss innovative platforms, applications, and collaborative partnerships, our gifts will never develop into everything they destined to become. Whatever season we’re in, our writing can thrive when we accept the inevitable.
The only constant in life is change.
He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. Daniel 2:21 NIV
TWEETABLE
Lilka’s greatest achievements are her two adult sons who have flown the nest. Happily married for thirty-two years, she lives east of Atlanta with her husband, Rod. They now share their home with two German Shepherds—Holly and Ivy—and one naughty kitty, Moxie.
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