photo: canva
graphic: Martha G. Brady
I’m joining a group of friends…old and new, at Kate Motaung’s blog for the next 6 weeks each Monday and Wednesday. We’re working through a great book on the writing life called ON BEING A WRITER: 12 Simple Habits for a Writing Life that Lasts, by Ann Kroeker & Charity Singleton Craig.
If you are a writer, published or not, join us. Do you journal privately, write on a blog, write best sellers? It makes no difference. Join all of us in this group and learn more about what it takes to improve your writing life.
These two writers were featured at our retreat in an online discussion. I enjoyed them very much and know I’ll learn much from this book that will improve my writing skills and habits!
Am I a writer? Yes. I still say it with trepidation. I hold my breath thinking someone will shout out, “Fake! Fraud!”
Am I a writer? Yes. I still say it with trepidation. I hold my breath thinking someone will shout out, Fake! Share on XI think to myself, “But I’m not nearly as good as Mr. X or Miss Y.” Then I realize that isn’t the point. Writing is not a game of comparing.
Do I like their styles? Yes. Do I have a long way to go in developing my own writing skills? Absolutely! But that makes me no less a writer.
Do I like their styles? Yes. Do I have a long way to go in developing my own writing skills? Absolutely! Share on XI still look forward to the day when can I earn money doing it. I’ve been doing this (blogging) since 2007. I was 61 years old! But the technological side of it has been a steep learning curve! I still have a lot to learn.
It seems that once I learn one chunk of it, I open a door and find a whole new realm of things I need to learn! It can be overwhelming at times!
I hear people who have said they always wanted to be writers. I used to laugh and say, “I never wanted to be a writer until recently.”
I forgot that I had dreams of writing as a child and young mother
But then I remembered early stories I wrote in elementary school. They usually started with “Once upon a time…” because that was the way most of the stories I read began. I just knew my stories would someday be famous. Did I have delusions of grandeur or did I want to be a writer?
I don’t know. I just know that it wasn’t long before I was told that writing was no way to make a living and I needed to be practical.
What could I do? My parents were both teachers. It was fun to be a teacher in the pretend world of a young child, but the realities of teaching were not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I thought I wanted to be a doctor, but decided if I wanted a normal family life, nursing would be the wisest way to go.
It was a great profession. It was never dull…ever! Learning not only about the human body, but about people and what made them tick…so interesting. It truly was and has been. What I learned in nursing helped me as a pastor’s wife and vice versa.
When my two girls were young I went through a surge of creativity that included writing. It was after my father’s sudden death of a heart attack. It shook my world! Writing and journaling became part of my way of dealing with the shock.
I wrote free poetry for the first time in my life. No, it probably wasn’t any good. I have no idea what even makes good free poetry! But it was a great release for me when my feelings were so raw that full sentences didn’t help.
I do remember writing enough that I read some books on writing and learned about query letters. But I never had anything that I thought merited being sent off to a magazine or publisher.
Shortly after Ron retired #1, writing came back to me
Meanwhile, we moved from Jamaica to the U.S. Life got very busy. A number of moves later, after the children were grown, we moved to a small town outside of Peoria, IL…from TX…in the middle of January! I was freezing cold and felt a little lost.
Someone told me about blogs. I had never read one before. I started reading. As I read, I saw mommy bloggers giving child raising advice to each other that wasn’t always wise. They were all in the middle of the same season. They didn’t have the overview picture of raising a child to adulthood! They needed some voices of older women to speak up!
I was a an unacknowledged writer, but a writer just the same!
I didn’t think I was a very good writer, but I couldn’t keep quiet! People who know me will laugh and say, “No surprise there!”
I didn’t tell anyone when I first started my blog. I had something to link to when commenting on other blogs though. I broke all kinds of rules. I had no idea there were rules, much less what they were!
No, I didn’t have people flocking to my posts. I still don’t. But I have more than I did. And I’m learning.
To be a writer, intent and effort need to be present (as described in this chapter). That is a helpful, objective ruler for me.
But intent and effort have been there as I regularly write. On my GrittyGrace.com blog, I have written for 6 years like clockwork about 3 times a week…give or take.
So, I’m a writer. But I have no money to prove I’m a writer. I’m not the writer I want to be. Or the writer I wish I were.
Therein lies the reason for my attendance at blog and writing conferences and participation in this kind of forum.
Keep improving, keep writing, keep doing what makes you unique
So I keep learning how to improve. I write. I edit. And sometimes GOD uses my words to touch the hearts of women. It is humbling when it happens because I know I’m not innately, overwhelmingly or stunningly gifted! The right words don’t just ooze from me. When and if they come, it is a bit of a miracle.
And that’s what makes it fun. To put ideas down on paper, edit them in a way that is organized and somewhat creative and watch GOD use them.
Sometimes I get feedback, sometimes I don’t. It doesn’t really matter if GOD is glorified, does it?
Hi Martha, I’m coming late to reading the posts from the online book discussion but I really enjoyed hearing about your writing journey. I also wanted to encourage you that God has really used your words to impact me. I commented a couple of weeks ago about how your FMF “Try” post had challenged me. This week it came back to me over 3 different situations in the one day- it was like God was hammering home the message and it made me respond differently. I look forward to reading more of your posts.
thank you so much for your kind words carly:) i’m glad they have been helpful. i find it encouraging to hear. being able to influence people for good has always been encouraging to me. hopefully, this is a place you will be able to find encouragement for positive growth. blessings girl:)
Martha!
Love your blog and title. I don’t think I’ve ever been to it!
What a lovely story of you! You are a writer of good things, and I hope that our “gritty grace” will keep us writing of His love for many years to come. Praying you find each day a space with Him in it. I’m glad you reminded me this Writer group with Kate kicked off! I read Chapter 1 but with school starting this week I forgot to join in!
Jenn C
it’s a great group! i’m loving it jennifer. thanks so much for you kind words. your husband hit on a common way we give meds to kids…and older adults…with a syringe. is your son’s sensory issue on the autism spectrum or is it unrelated? i found it so interesting that so many of you at the retreat have these issues with your children…many with adopted children. it certainly adds a new element of needing to trust GOD in every aspect of life doesn’t it?
See dear friend, you had the same struggles as I, you were just farther along in your realization that you ARE a writer…just took me a little longer 😉 This is gonna be GREAT for our writing!
i was laughing to myself at the retreat christy when you said you didn’t think you were a writer…after 12 years of writing a blog. you said you did it for yourself even if no one responded. if you aren’t a writer, i don’t know what one is! i’m not sure i would have kept on if i didn’t think anyone cared. i know you had a few…probably more than you realize.
i’m glad the retreat caused you to realize you were a writer. great step! if you haven’t read debistangeland.com, you would enjoy her. she talks more about the tech side of blogging in colorful ways that i can understand. very practical. i’m working thro’ a series on developing a 31 day series now. in the process, i’m learning about other aspects of blogging. reading her blog/fb page and keeping up with her things will teach you a lot about ways to liven up the looks of your blog, improve titles, etc. i love it:)
I love that part of what prompted you to start blogging was giving encouragement to young mothers. I have three children ages six and under, and I appreciate the wisdom of older Mom. Thank you for sharing your writing journey with us.
i don’t write about it in the package you would expect liz. i talk a lot about our acceptance in Christ, how the work we do for Him after we become christians has nothing to do with our salvation (it is an outworking, but has nothing to do with gaining more acceptance by Him). He already loves us so much He died for us! Can’t love us anymore than that. No one needs to hear that our acceptance to GOD is totally based on the work Jesus did for us on the cross and not on anything we do in addition . young moms, singles, older moms of teens that are mouthing off, women whose kids are walking far from GOD, women who know they failed GOD…all of us need to know at our gut level that we are accepted in Christ because of what He did for us on the cross!
If our husband loves us on a given day or not. if our kids are driving us nuts or not. if we don’t know if we can go on another minute or not. you don’t need me to harangue you about having a more organized life or a prettier home or doing a better job having your devotions. While those things are great. you need to know, based on GOD’s Word, that Jesus loves you unconditionally. He died for you. He is going to sovereignly and graciously work to change your heart in line with His values but He will do it on His timetable and not on mine or anyone else’s.
sometimes the changes He brings into your life will be used to do it. sometimes He will use other people to do it. but He will do it. it is an encouraging promise found in Philippians 1:6. “I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (when He comes the final time)
so in the middle of diapers, sleepless nights, demands that you feel totally inadequate to fill, etc. you don’t have to be responsible to set the agenda for you christian growth. that is GOD’s job! he is up to it. He can handle it if you miss a day or 2 of devotions. but it will be helpful for you to understand the kinds of things that are needed to encourage your growth.
i’ll do a plug for my series in october. it will be on that topic. it won’t be legalistic but it will be letting you know what things will help your growth. sometimes we spin our wheels doing things that don’t really help and leave out other things we need. blessings as you raise your 3 littles:) didn’t mean to write so long:(
I look forward to reading your series in October. This was the encouragement that I needed to read this morning. Your words remind me of this Jason Gray song.
“Remind Me Who I Am”
When I lose my way,
And I forget my name,
Remind me who I am.
In the mirror all I see,
Is who I don’t wanna be,
Remind me who I am.
In the loneliest places,
When I can’t remember what grace is.
Tell me once again who I am to You,
Who I am to You.
Tell me lest I forget who I am to You,
That I belong to You.
To You
yes liz, for sure:)
Martha, great post! Why is it so hard for us to utter those four words? And I loved this line: “No, I didn’t have people flocking to my posts. I still don’t. But I have more than I did. And I’m learning” I so identify with that line. You are a writer!!
thanks tara:) one of the reasons it is so difficult has to do with fear i think. fear of ridicule. fear of failure. fear of ….(fill in the blank!) Being a writer is a lot different than i expected, that’s for sure. I love writing. Just wish I could earn some money for my time. someday…maybe.
YES! Totally agree…fear esp. the fear of what will people think!