Faithful pursuit of our God-given purpose is rewarding, regardless of the outcome.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve had a lot of conversations with different people about writing. One author admitted to me that her perfectionism has kept her sitting on a manuscript for months instead of getting a pitch letter and proposal drafted. Another one said she was scared to write about her past, worried about how putting those stories out in the world would affect her relationship with her family. A third told me that she wanted to publish her book, but she was so overwhelmed by all the options she was ready to give up.

I have tremendous empathy for all three of these author friends because at different times in my career, I’ve been right where they are.

I can’t even tell you how many times my perfectionism has prevented me from even starting to write something, especially when I’m writing for someone else. I get so worried about disappointing a client that every time I sit down with my fingers over the keys, I suddenly discover something incredibly urgent I must do—like scrub the grout in my shower. That old adage about writing crappy first drafts has never worked for me, try as I might to be footloose and fancy free on the page.

When I first started writing what would eventually become my MFA thesis, a memoir, I freaked out when I thought about what anyone in my family would do or say if they found “my stories,” as I called them back then. Would they be mad? Would they call me a liar? Each night, when I’d turn off my electronic Smith-Corona typewriter, I’d take the pages and shove them under my mattress. Then I’d lie in bed, hoping and praying those pages were never be discovered.

I’ve always wanted to publish a book, and over the past few years, when I’ve pondered what I wanted my author journey to look like, I couldn’t seem to establish a clear vision of what that path should look like. Should I get an agent? Did I want to go traditional or hybrid, or self-publish? Every direction presented a dizzying array of options and obstacles. It truly is overwhelming, even for someone who’s been in the publishing industry as long as I have.

However, I must continually remind myself of this: in the end, the only thing that truly matters is that I keep writing.

Writing is the thing I love to do—it’s the only thing, other than reading, that I’ve always loved to do. Writing is the thing I believe I was created to do.

Yes, building a platform and audience, determining how I want to publish a book, reading craft books, attending workshops, etc. are important aspects of my author journey. But none of those things matter if I’m not doing the thing that lights up my brain and sparks my imagination and makes my spirit soar. If I lose sight of my passion for stringing words together to create new worlds or re-create my past, I also risk losing the joy I derive from it.

So, my encouragement to my fellow writers—and to anyone who’s struggling to walk in their God-given purpose—is to focus on that passion. The fulfillment you’ll derive from your dedication will buoy you on the hard days, when you’re feeling uncertain and not sure what to do next.

In the end, the writing itself is both the calling and the reward, and staying connected to that truth can sustain you through the doubts and detours. And as you take one faithful step at a time, the rest of the journey will unfold before you.

Yours in Christ,

Amanda

xoxo