Coming Off a Writing High is a Great Time for Soul Care

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Yep, you read that title correctly. 

Soul care isn’t just for times when life is difficult. 

I’m recently back from one of the highlights of my writing year—THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS CHRISTIAN WRITERS CONFERENCE. For me, this is a spiritual high. It’s a time when:

• I’ve heard from God 
• Gotten to witness what He’s doing in my life and in the lives of other writers 
• And a time when I’ve been able to fellowship with other believers who are also writers. 

I come back from this even like I do every year—overwhelmed, blessed, and absolutely exhausted.

How Taking Photos of Flowers is Like Getting Our Writing Published

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

This flowering bush stopped me in my tracks. I was first struck by the rich white of the blossoms. As I studied the plant, my photographer’s eye searched for just the right flower in just the right setting. It took several minutes before I chose this particular one.

It wasn’t that the other flowers weren’t as pretty, some had even more perfect shapes and petals, but they weren’t at the correct angle or had too much sun or shade. I wanted to get a picture of the entire bush, but it was too large and busy to get in one shot. The flowers showed best when I focused on just one.

Are You Using the Right Light When You Write?

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light Ephesians 5:8 (HCSB) 

In addition to being a writer, I’m also a photographer. And one of the earliest lessons I learned about good photography was that exposure matters. I’ll be non-technical: for an image to work, there has to be light—and plenty of it—or the picture won’t look right. Not enough light means it’s a blurry dark mess that’s unrecognizable. No matter how much post editing we do to an underexposed picture, it can’t be fixed. 

Contrary to that, too much light will blow out a picture—littering an otherwise beautiful image with spots of bright white that can’t be toned down. I’ve discovered that developing a life of writing is a lot like finding the perfect exposure for a picture.

When Failure as a Writer Brings Blessings

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:10 NIV).

For me, failure reinforces and validates the fears I battle as a writer. Every mistake I make seems to add weight to the voices I hear in my head that feed my insecurity. And I make a lot of mistakes. Because this vicious cycle can bring my writing to a screeching halt, I’ve had to find a way to combat this way of looking at life. 

Quit Writing from a Place of Fear and Rediscover Your Joy

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson 

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him (Psalm 28:7 NIV).

A while back, I was having difficulties with a project. As I tried to figure out why, it dawned on me that instead of writing with courage and faith, I was writing from a place of fear.

As Writers We've Accepted the Post of Ambassador

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. 2 Corinthians 5:20
(HCSB)


I’m constantly amazed at how God chooses to use me in the work He’s doing in this 
world. It’s humbling and terrifying at the same time.

Writing in the Light

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light Ephesians 5:8 (HCSB).

In addition to being a writer, I’m also a photographer. And one of the earliest lessons I learned about good photography was that exposure matters. To be non-technical, for an image to work, there has to be light—and plenty of it—or the picture won’t look right. Not enough light means it’s a blurry dark mess that’s unrecognizable. No matter how much post-editing we do to an underexposed picture, it can’t be fixed. 

Contrary to that, too much light will blow out a picture—littering an otherwise beautiful image with spots of bright white that can’t be toned down. 

I’ve discovered that developing a life of writing is a lot like finding the perfect exposure for a picture. I can’t do it in the dark. The dark is a scary place, and when I’m there, my fears take root and grow. 

As a writer, trying to write in the dark means trying to compose my thoughts away from God. He’s the light-bearer for my life. His insight and illumination brightens all that I write. When I don’t spend time with Him—in prayer, Bible reading, and reflection—my words lose their shine.

The over-exposure that sometimes happens isn’t too much God in my life. There can never be enough of God—ever. But that destructive light comes when I’m spending too much time in the false light of the world. I’m exposing myself to the lies that tell me I’ll never be good enough, or keep up with the trends, or reach the people I want to reach. By bathing myself in the light of those lies, I destroy the composition I’m working toward with my words. 

Now I’m working to compose my writing life with an eye toward the amount, and type, of light around me. Join me and let God use our words to bring light to a world that is dark.

TWEETABLE

Thoughts on Writing in the Light from @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

*This is an excerpt from Soul Care for Writers (Bold Vision Books 2019)

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Edie Melson is a woman of faith with ink-stained fingers observing life through the lens of her camera. No matter whether she’s talking to writers, entrepreneurs, or readers, her first advice is always “Find your voice, live your story.” As an author, blogger, and speaker she’s encouraged and challenged audiences across the country and around the world. Her numerous books reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts and apply them to their lives. Connect with her on her website, through Facebook, Twitter and on Instagram.

Find Joy in Your Writing by Remembering to Write in Faith

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1 NIV)

This verse is one of the first verses I learned when I began memorizing scripture. But until today, I had never thought about applying it to my writing. This morning I was texting back and forth with a fellow writer, trying to encourage her to move forward and leave the result up to God.

A Writer's Stumbling Block—Expectations

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him (Psalm 62:5)

When I was young all I wanted to be was a writer. As a matter of fact, I actually wrote my first novel in eighth grade...long hand, with a purple-ink pen. But through the years, my dream of writing drifted farther and farther from the realm of reasonable possibilities, until I finally I gave up. 

A book Launch & a New Facebook Live Study

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Many of you have heard that I have a new book coming out. It's my first experience collaborating with another author and it's been so much fun! The book is unRuffled, Thriving in Chaos. I had the honor and pleasure of writing it with the amazing Rhonda Rhea for Bold Vision Books.

Rest for the Writer’s Soul

by Susan U. Neal RN, MBA, MHS @SusanNealYoga

As conference season winds down, I am exhausted. Do you feel the same way? It’s hard to generate creative ideas, write excellent prose, and meet deadlines when worn out. How do we recuperate? Through rest. There are many different ways to rest.

Prevent Post-Writing-Conference Burnout

by Susan U. Neal RN, MBA, MHS @SusanNealYoga

I enjoyed attending the 2019 Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference. During the conference many industry relationships were cultivated as discussed in my last article Writing—A Juggling Act.  I saw friends I hadn’t seen since last year and met new ones. Now I have several new podcasts and magazines to query, dozens of social media pages to like, and book proposals to complete. By the time I got home exhaustion ensued. 

Soul Care for Writers

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson 

Those who write have opened themselves to specific stresses. We pull from what’s inside us to create a gift. Our individual goals and dreams are as varied at the words we use. No matter why we write, I believe we each fight this battle to bring forth words to make the world a better place. We are hope givers, joy bringers, and light shiners. 

Feed Your Writing Creativity in Five Easy Bites

by Cathy Baker @CathySBaker

No doubt there will be a lot of feasting happening later this month, so today I’m serving up five bite-sized morsels to fill your creativity tank. The turkey and dressing will just have to wait!