A couple of months ago, I really felt like the Lord wanted me to write a book about my adventures in prayer. I did not think that I could give any substantial information as I'm only 29 years old. Who is going to listen to an average woman that is so young? However, the Lord told me that the time is now. So, you do what you gotta do. (See the last sentence? I'm obviously not a writer!)
I intended to spend the entire last week writing since Brock was out of town. I was working on a chapter about intercessary prayer. I wrote about three paragraphs and that was it! I kept getting distracted. I would go eat lunch or dinner with friends. A girlfriend of mine invited me to spend the night with her. It was strange, but I felt as if the Lord wanted me to accept every invitation.
True, I had great conversations with every person that I spent time with. One girl confided in me about an insecurity that she battled for years and knew that the only way to defeat it was through prayer. Another girl shared her concerns about some of our mutual friends. I found out that another friend broke off her engagement because she was having doubts. All of this time spent with friends was great, but it was Sunday, the day Brock was flying back in, and I had only written three paragraphs!
I entered the church feeling slightly defeated, but I left feeling empowered. I wrote about what happened with Hilton in the Sunday entry. Also, the pastor spoke about a couple whose daughter had been killed by a hitchhiker. I knew of the story because when I saw it on the news, I felt compelled to pray for that couple. Our pastor informed us that the couple in the news attend our church.
Then, it all clicked! Last week every conversation lead me to pray something specific about the person. Every engagement had a divine purpose. The Lord was helping me write the chapter on intercessary prayer, except He wasn't writing it on paper. He was writing it in my life!
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
The Process of Writing a Book
Posted by AUNY at 10:37 AM
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1 comments:
I disagree that you're "not a writer." In fact, when I read your first blog post, I was really impressed. Now, we were joined at the hip for almost five years, so it's not as if I didn't already know that you are articulate, intelligent, and well-read.
However, I don't think I've ever really read any of your introspective work until now. We've written a lot of silly notes and to-the-point emails, but I'm just now noticing that you are, in fact, a gifted writer. You have a unique tone that welcomes the reader and makes him feel comfortable. You're not afraid to use colloquialisms where appropriate, and the fact that you don't stand on the proverbial literary ceremony is an asset, not a downfall.
Write what you feel like writing. It's good work. If you want to really develop what you've got, there's a great website I use often. It's www.poynter.org. Go to the writing/editing button on the left and then click on the article "Writing Tool #50..." It's a good article, and at the veeeery bottom, there are links to the other 49 writing tools. Most of them are rich, informative, and easy to understand and practice. The writing tools have really helped me understand WHY certain sentences, phrases, etc. work, and why others do not. They really do "demystify" the writing process. God bless your efforts!!!
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