One Writer’s Window

War and Peace
The Good Earth
To Kill a Mockingbird
Watership Down
The Fountainhead
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
This Side of Paradise
Madam Bovary
The Diary of Anne Frank
The Bridge Over the River Kwai
Lord of the Flies
Ulysses
The Wind in the Willows
A River Runs Through It
The Razor’s Edge
Moby Dick
Animal Farm
Gandhi
Valley of the Dolls
The Time MachineT
he Picture of Dorian Gray

No, this is not my 11th-grade son’s required reading list for his English class, although it well could be. Nor is it a list of classics I’ve read over the years, though I have read most of these.

What these titles have in common is this: each was rejected by one, two, or several publishers, sometimes with scathing reviews, before finding acceptance and publication. What would have happened had the authors of these rejected manuscripts given up after their first, second, third, or tenth rejections? What if these authors had decided to quit?

Consider some of their names: Pearl Buck, Pierre Boulle, F. Scott Fitgerald, Beatrix Potter, Gustave Flaubert, Anne Frank, William Golding, Kenneth Grahame, James Joyce, Norman Maclean, Herman Melville, George Orwell, William Shirer, H.G. Wells, and Oscar Wilde.

These authors, whose works have been read by generations of children, high schoolers, and college students, persevered through rejection. And their works, it could be said, have influenced the hearts and minds of thousands upon thousands of readers over the years.

All because they chose to persevere.

Statistically it’s unlikely we’ll reach literary greatness or influence young minds the way these authors have. It may be unlikely, but it’s still possible. If we quit, if we give up in the face of rejection, the outcome is assured: no one will hear our voices.

I’ll take “unlikely, but possible” over certain failure any day.

How about you?

‘Til next time,
Joan

War and Peace
The Good Earth
To Kill a Mockingbird
Watership Down
The Fountainhead
The Tale of Peter Rabbit
This Side of Paradise
Madam Bovary
The Diary of Anne Frank
The Bridge Over the River Kwai
Lord of the Flies
Ulysses
The Wind in the Willows
A River Runs Through It
The Razor’s Edge
Moby Dick
Animal Farm
Gandhi
Valley of the Dolls
The Time MachineT
he Picture of Dorian Gray

No, this is not my 11th-grade son’s required reading list for his English class, although it well could be. Nor is it a list of classics I’ve read over the years, though I have read most of these.

What these titles have in common is this: each was rejected by one, two, or several publishers, sometimes with scathing reviews, before finding acceptance and publication. What would have happened had the authors of these rejected manuscripts given up after their first, second, third, or tenth rejections? What if these authors had decided to quit?

Consider some of their names: Pearl Buck, Pierre Boulle, F. Scott Fitgerald, Beatrix Potter, Gustave Flaubert, Anne Frank, William Golding, Kenneth Grahame, James Joyce, Norman Maclean, Herman Melville, George Orwell, William Shirer, H.G. Wells, and Oscar Wilde.

These authors, whose works have been read by generations of children, high schoolers, and college students, persevered through rejection. And their works, it could be said, have influenced the hearts and minds of thousands upon thousands of readers over the years.

All because they chose to persevere.

Statistically it’s unlikely we’ll reach literary greatness or influence young minds the way these authors have. It may be unlikely, but it’s still possible. If we quit, if we give up in the face of rejection, the outcome is assured: no one will hear our voices.

I’ll take “unlikely, but possible” over certain failure any day.

How about you?

‘Til next time,
Joan

When I began my writing career, a quote by author and Nobel Prize in Literature winner John Steinbeck crystalized the instruction I’d received from so many writers to know your audience. Here’s what he said:

“In writing, your audience is one single reader. I have found that sometimes it helps to pick out one person–a real person you know, or an imagined person–and write to that one.”

I took Steinbeck’s words literally. When I started writing Our Mighty Fortress: Finding Refuge in God, I identified a woman from my church who best represented my target audience, taped her picture from our church directory on to my computer monitor, and referred to her image every time I encountered difficulty articulating my topic.

When I felt I sounded too theological or when I couldn’t find the right words, I’d say to myself, How would I explain this to __________ (the woman whose picture hung on my computer) if she were sitting here with me now sharing a pot of tea?

That trick helped me write a readable, accessible manuscript on an abstract, deeply theological topic. And the comment I receive most about that book today is that readers hear my voice in its pages; they feel as though we’re sitting side-by-side carrying on a warm, inviting conversation. I couldn’t be more pleased.

But I couldn’t have done it without applying Steinbeck’s words to “write to that one.” And I certainly couldn’t have done it had God not given me grace to envision my reader.

To whom are you writing? Do you know? Envision her now. And if you can’t see her, ask God to show that reader to you. It’s best to know who she is before you begin; it will make the writing process that much easier in the long run.

‘Til next time,
Joan

When I began my writing career, a quote by author and Nobel Prize in Literature winner John Steinbeck crystallized the instruction I’d received from so many writers to know your audience. Here’s what he said:

“In writing, your audience is one single reader. I have found that sometimes it helps to pick out one person–a real person you know, or an imagined person–and write to that one.”

I took Steinbeck’s words literally. When I started writing Our Mighty Fortress: Finding Refuge in God, I identified a woman from my church who best represented my target audience, taped her picture from our church directory on to my computer monitor, and referred to her image every time I encountered difficulty articulating my topic.

When I felt I sounded too theological or when I couldn’t find the right words, I’d say to myself, How would I explain this to __________ (the woman whose picture hung on my computer) if she were sitting here with me now sharing a pot of tea?

That trick helped me write a readable, accessible manuscript on an abstract, deeply theological topic. And the comment I receive most about that book today is that readers hear my voice in its pages; they feel as though we’re sitting side-by-side carrying on a warm, inviting conversation. I couldn’t be more pleased.

But I couldn’t have done it without applying Steinbeck’s words to “write to that one.” And I certainly couldn’t have done it had God not given me grace to envision my reader.

To whom are you writing? Do you know? Envision her now. And if you can’t see her, ask God to show that reader to you. It’s best to know who she is before you begin; it will make the writing process that much easier in the long run.

‘Til next time,
Joan

Here’s a writers’ joke for you today:

A writer died and was given the option of going to heaven or hell. She decided to check out each place first.

As the writer descended into the fiery pits, she saw row upon row of writers chained to their desks in a steaming sweatshop. As they worked, they were repeatedly whipped with thorny lashes.

“Oh my,” said the writer. “Let me see heaven now.”

A few moments later, as she ascended into heaven, she saw rows of writers, chained to their desks in a steaming sweatshop. As they worked, they, too, were whipped with thorny lashes.

“Wait a minute,” said the writer. “This is just as bad as hell!”

“Oh no, it’s not,” replied an unseen voice. “Here, your work gets published.”

Of course, I chuckled when I stumbled upon this joke. It feels true. Believe me, I know how laborious and painful writing can be, especially when we face repeated rejection. And it can feel like it’s worth it if we just reach the Holy Grail of publishing success. But this joke distorts the truth (as most jokes do).

In God’s economy–in God’s measure of success and value–a writer’s Kingdom-worth is not determined by publishing status. The call to write isn’t about “success” or recognition or publishing credits at all.

It’s about faithfulness.

Writers who use their gifts to comfort shut-ins (via notes of encouragement) or to dialogue with seekers (perhaps through e-mail correspondence) or to challenge ungodly positions (through letters to the editor or web logs) or to encourage others in the faith (through church newsletters or in-house devotionals) contribute to the Kingdom of God every bit as much as those who end up published. God uses published and unpublished writers alike to accomplish His purposes.

Yet it’s still good to do a self-check now and then. When we evaluate ourselves as writers, it’s good to ask questions like these:

• Am I doing all I can to learn what I need to learn about the business or writing?
• Am I working at honing my skill?
• Am I investing in and using the right tools?
• Am I seeking constructive criticism?
• Am I open to constructive feedback?
• Am I teachable?
• Am I writing?
• Am I submitting regularly (if I want to be published)?
• Am I rewriting and editing my work?
• Am I seeking professional input?
• Is my writing today better crafted than it was six months ago? A year ago? Five years ago?
• And while these might be helpful self-assessments, we can’t help but to add this final question: Am I being published? We still use a ‘yes’ to that question to validate our endeavors.

I submit to you that the better final question to ask is this: Have I been faithful?

Have I been faithful to develop and use my writing gift to the best of my ability in this season of my life?

I’m responsible for faithfulness; God is responsible for outcomes. And if we can say “yes” to the question of faithfulness, then in God’s economy we are a success.

Shouldn’t that be enough?

‘Til next time,

Joan

Here’s a writers’ joke for you today:

A writer died and was given the option of going to heaven or hell. She decided to check out each place first.

As the writer descended into the fiery pits, she saw row upon row of writers chained to their desks in a steaming sweatshop. As they worked, they were repeatedly whipped with thorny lashes.

“Oh my,” said the writer. “Let me see heaven now.”

A few moments later, as she ascended into heaven, she saw rows of writers, chained to their desks in a steaming sweatshop. As they worked, they, too, were whipped with thorny lashes.

“Wait a minute,” said the writer. “This is just as bad as hell!”

“Oh no, it’s not,” replied an unseen voice. “Here, your work gets published.”

Of course, I chuckled when I stumbled upon this joke. It feels true. Believe me, I know how laborious and painful writing can be, especially when we face repeated rejection. And it can feel like it’s worth it if we just reach the Holy Grail of publishing success. But this joke distorts the truth (as most jokes do).

In God’s economy–in God’s measure of success and value–a writer’s Kingdom-worth is not determined by publishing status. The call to write isn’t about “success” or recognition or publishing credits at all.

It’s about faithfulness.

Writers who use their gifts to comfort shut-ins (via notes of encouragement) or to dialogue with seekers (perhaps through e-mail correspondence) or to challenge ungodly positions (through letters to the editor or web logs) or to encourage others in the faith (through church newsletters or in-house devotionals) contribute to the Kingdom of God every bit as much as those who end up published. God uses published and unpublished writers alike to accomplish His purposes.

Yet it’s still good to do a self-check now and then. When we evaluate ourselves as writers, it’s good to ask questions like these:

• Am I doing all I can to learn what I need to learn about the business or writing?
• Am I working at honing my skill?
• Am I investing in and using the right tools?
• Am I seeking constructive criticism?
• Am I open to constructive feedback?
• Am I teachable?
• Am I writing?
• Am I submitting regularly (if I want to be published)?
• Am I rewriting and editing my work?
• Am I seeking professional input?
• Is my writing today better crafted than it was six months ago? A year ago? Five years ago?
• And while these might be helpful self-assessments, we can’t help but to add this final question: Am I being published? We still use a ‘yes’ to that question to validate our endeavors.

I submit to you that the better final question to ask is this: Have I been faithful?

Have I been faithful to develop and use my writing gift to the best of my ability in this season of my life?

I’m responsible for faithfulness; God is responsible for outcomes. And if we can say “yes” to the question of faithfulness, then in God’s economy we are a success.

Shouldn’t that be enough?

‘Til next time,

Joan