Candice YamnitzWhat would you tell yourself back when you started your creative journey?
Here’s my letter:
Dear Candice,
Welcome to your creative journey writing novels. No matter what happens, keep praying through it and keep writing.
That may not seem like big advice, but it will be. Why? It’s because learning a new skill is hard. You will want to give up once you realize how much work writing involves. But don’t give up. You’ll thank yourself down the road when your writing has improved. It will improve.
Keep writing even when you get demoralizing feedback. The person writing the feedback doesn’t hate you. In fact, they’re probably right.
Keep writing even when you’re stuck on a scene in your story. That might not be how the story will go in the next revision, but you did some great practice.
Keep writing even when you’ve received the first rejection. Your writing might not be where it needs to be right now, but it will get there one day.
Keep writing and learning about writing even when you’ve received a list of rejections. Not everyone will like your writing and that’s okay. Also, keep making improvements.
I can say this about any new skill you want to learn. Remember all the other hobbies you’ve tried and stopped. Remember how you wished you would have continued. This will be like that if you don’t persist.
Remember how much you love telling stories and the messages you want to share. You can’t share them if you give up.
Try writing all those crazy ideas in your head. They aren’t too crazy. In fact, they aren’t crazy enough.
When you’re stuck, too busy, too anything to write, keep dreaming and writing snippets of the scenes playing in your head. Just keep at it.
Most importantly, pray through each setback. Pray because God is your helper. God gave you your creativity.
Sincerely,
Your future self
What would you tell your past self about your creative journey?
Misha
Kristen Gwen
Julia N. White
I don’t really know. I guess I would talk about how I always put those random ideas in my head down on paper and sometimes write around them, and that’s great! But you can’t hold on to everything. So, just keep writing, even when you think your done, even when you are bored of your own writing.
I get that. I’ve lost so many ideas to laziness. There’s a pad and paper by my bed and I still don’t get up to write them down.
Great post and so true. I would add to write for the pure enjoyment of it. It is wonderful when you get something published or win a contest but those times are few and far between. Without the God–given joy of writing – I would have quit a long time ago.
Sharon Rene
Thank you Sharon! Oooo…I like that addition. I need to remember to write for the pure joy of it.