It seems everywhere I turn in the writing world lately, someone is doing a podcast, writing a blog post, or offering a workshop on how to write through difficult times.
It makes sense, after all, given the past two years.
Most of this advice is meant for the difficult times on a personal level - family struggles, illness, job loss, etc. Certainly the uncertainty of a pandemic, inflation, threats of recession can scramble your ability to concentrate as well.
Difficulty focusing in times of great personal distress is a real thing. Like with scientific explanations. 😎😎
In an odd way I find that comforting, like a reassurance that I'm not simply making excuses. I mean if the difficulty focusing is a more widely known phenomena, then I don't have to feel as guilty for struggling. I'm in good company.
Alas, that doesn't get proposals sent, books written, or careers kept on track.
So what do all these workshops have to offer?
If we're lucky, we might hear something that clicks, a word or phrase that unlocks us.
But because we are Christian writers we have another resource to help us when we're struggling.
PRAYER
As I was going through the still as-yet unpacked boxes to find the craft book I wanted to post about. I found this instead.
This lovely book is full of wonderful reminders of God's love for us, and is is overflowing with wonderful prayers, offered over centuries, that will perhaps allow us to gain strength and the courage to fight through the brain fog.
No post on writers' prayers would be complete without me including our own Debby's Writer's Prayer.
So many writers struggle with the demons of doubt and inadequacy. Too often we are paralyzed by our inability to focus or be productive.
It is good to remember to pray that God will give us the strength to maintain the ministry he gave us.
A Writer's Prayer
Lord, inspire me to write stories that touch readers' hearts. Breathe your spirit into my characters so they come alive on the written page. Help me develop intriguing plots full of twists and turns that capture the imagination and move the story to a satisfying resolution. Keep me focused and on schedule, and take away any fear or sense of inadequacy that blocks my progress. Give me courage to step out in faith, to stretch and grow and to be the writer you have called me to be.
Amen.
Written by Debby Giusti
LOL here as I read this morning - I'm leaving this here because it proves that the brain fog is real! I really thought I had deleted the repeat paragraph when I moved it. As the saying goes... To err is human.
So many writers struggle with the demons of doubt and inadequacy. Too often we are paralyzed by our inability to focus or be productive.
It is good to remember to pray that God will give us the strength to maintain the ministry he entrusted to us.
Cate, this is so true. I love Debby's prayer. It hits all the right notes. And I love that the Seekers pray for each other regularly, that whatever is going on in the world or in our lives, there's a prayer group lifting us up all the time. Not forgetting. Not back-burnering. Not shrugging... praying. And uplifting. We are truly blessed to be here.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, Ruthy. I don't know how I would survive without prayer sisters.
DeleteWe also pray for the Seekerville community. On Sunday, we post the day's Scripture and pray for any special needs mentioned in a comment. Be sure to stop by and let us know about any intentions that are heavy on your heart!
DeleteThank you for that reminder, Debby.
DeleteI admit that prayer is not my go-to nearly as often as it should be. Thanks for the reminder and the beautiful prayer from Debby. Prayers for all of us to continue whatever path the Lord has set us on, especially in our writing.
ReplyDeleteGlynis, we all need to be reminded - over and over and over. But that's what makes us human, right? Debby has such a way with words. I love her prayer.
DeleteThank you. That past six months have been so filled with family trauma and drama that I needed to hear my difficulty with writing is not unique.
ReplyDeleteSo not unique at all! I've had a few years of similar trauma and drama and it's ground my writing to a halt too many times. I will keep you in my prayers.
DeleteCate, this is so true and a good reminder. I'm currently "blocked" on my fiction writing and don't know if it's the project I'm on or a general malaise. I can't blame COVID because my family was relatively unaffected by it, and I've had PLENTY of time to write. I know all the tricks -- free-writing, leaving the chapter before it's done -- I just don't do them. My head is going in too many directions.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that prayer should be the foundation of what we do. This year I started praying the Jabez Prayer, and that's made a lot of difference to me. It says "expand my territory." It doesn't say, "expand my territory to sales" or "expand my territory to make me a household name." "Expand my territory," and let Him decide where.
May be back later.
Kathy Bailey
Your Kaybee
Learning as I go in New Hampshire
I think we go through cycles sometimes. I know I do with reading, so it makes sense we would with writing as well. You're doing wonderful work with your nonfiction though, so maybe that's this season.
DeleteThank you, Cate. Makes sense.
DeletePraying for a breakthrough for you, Kathy!
DeleteThanks, Cate, for including The Writer's Prayer in your blog post! God "gave" me that prayer soon after I got The Call. He knew I needed the prayer, and eventually I realized that others might need it as well.
ReplyDeleteI was stalled early in COVID. A deadline moved me forward when it started to loom far to close. Recently, I've realized that at long last, I'm moving out of that Pandemic fog. It's almost a resurrection experience for me, which came a short time before Easter. I never want to go back to where we were. I like freedom, I like smiling faces, I like hugs, I like open churches and schools and businesses, and I'm so glad we're at this point in time instead of where we were two years ago!
I'm working on a new proposal, and praying the writing comes together! Praying for all of us in this wonderful Seekerville community! Happy writing, dear friends!
Debby, I remember you giving me a card with that prayer on it the first time I met you - I think it was at RWA in Atlanta.
DeleteI still have the copy of that prayer you gave me at RWA, Debby.
DeleteGreat post, Cate. I have a copy of Debby's prayer. I need to look at that daily. I need a lot of prayer with my writing.
ReplyDeleteI love Debby's prayer, too. It's a great reminder to center in and focus when it's time to write, and an even better reminder of why we write, and for whom.
ReplyDeleteWriting rarely gets me down. It's the rest of the world that gets me down!
ReplyDeleteThis post made me think of a song that came out recently. If you haven't heard In Jesus Name by Katy Nichole, I highly recommend it. Our praise team sang it over the congregation at church a few weeks ago and it was powerful. Here's the link to the video with lyrics. https://youtu.be/YqHjjZz1Syg
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderfully encouraging post. Writing through Covid wasn't my trouble, but writing the past year had been super tough. Lots of personal hardship hitting and challenging my creativity, but, for me, writing is a wonderful way to work through hardship. It's been an amazing blessing to be able to pour out my heart or organize my thoughts or...what I need most...set my heart and mind in the right perspective by visibly writing down truths/reminders.
ReplyDeleteI would also add that going through a grief, whatever the grief may be (whether a person, a job, a lifestyle, dream...etc), creates real mental congestion. God is so gracious and kind in helping me work through the "congestion" as I focus on him through journaling my prayers. So when I'm "stuck" writing fictionally, I'll start journaling my thoughts and prayers, and somehow He uses that to help move me beyond my mental congestion! LOL. I'm so grateful! Because I've REALLY needed it since May 2021.
I love that prayer. I still have the copy Debby gave me at one of my first conferences.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mindy! :)
DeleteLike everyone else, I love that prayer. But I also love this post. I think sometimes we think we should be able to get through anything, after all, we're Christians. But we are also humans with human weaknesses. Whether it's the world, family issues or health issues, this calling came from God. I sometimes need to remember to take these issues to Him.
ReplyDelete