Enthusiasm for Writing - What's Next?
Dear Reader
When I was working my booth at a county fair last week, I had the pleasure of meeting a young aspiring author ("H"). She was at the fair with her grandparents and they were browsing the various booths on their way to buy tickets for the carnival rides.
When she found out I was the author of the books I was selling, she got really excited. I mean REALLY EXCITED.
“I want to write books!” she gushed.
Her grandmother had to take a picture of us together. Then they got back in line for the ride tickets. My daughter Laura asked if I had mentioned the writing program she studied in high school. I had completely forgotten about it so she went to where “H” was in line and introduced herself and described the One Year Adventure Novel curriculum.
When they were finished riding the rides, “H” and her family stopped by to purchase The Story Farm and Families from the Beginning and to visit some more.
“H” just turned 17 and plans to go to college to learn to write after her senior year of high school. Encouraging her in her writing was the most enjoyable part of my day. I met a lot of people that day, but “H” sticks out because of her enthusiasm for writing.
That's what it takes
That’s the thing about writing. You can be enthusiastic about a subject, a hobby, a cause, or an organization. Those are sparks for writing, but enthusiasm for writing is the fuel. To be an on-fire writer, you have to develop a love, passion, and enthusiasm for writing.
You must love communicating ideas in a way others can understand. There must be a passion for processing ideas. You must be enthused about getting those ideas from your head to the paper or screen. The writing process shouldn’t scare you, it should excite you.
That’s what was so refreshing about meeting “H”. She was genuinely excited about the hope of writing a book. I believe she will write several books.
I don’t think it will be easy for her. Not because she can’t do it, but because writing can be hard. But I believe she will do it because she has the enthusiasm to keep going even when it is hard.
More Writing for Me
The other morning I wrote the junk draft of a new story for a sequel to The Story Farm. I have a different book that I need and want to write next, but this story got into me early that morning so I had to get up and write it. It was the enthusiasm about writing it that got me out of bed way before my alarm vibrated. It will now sit in the Scrivener binder until I get back to writing more stories from the Story Farm.
For my newsletter readers, here’s the premise for my next book:
This book will examine that disconnect and the scriptural principles involved. But it will also give ideas and examples for young parents to work into their parenting so their children will know how to parent their own children. The book will expand on some of the ideas in the last chapter of Families from the Beginning, and I believe it is going to help a lot of families for generations.
I can get enthusiastic about that.
By His calling, in His strength,
Dean
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