Discovering Our Calling as a Writer

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Last week, I had the amazing opportunity to meet my favorite author, Karen Kingsbury. Being able to witness how many lives have been affected by her stories reminded me that, yes, it is possible to write as a ministry. It was encouraging to hear stories about how God has used Kingsbury's books in a special way to touch the hearts of others. 

By the time I left, my passion to accomplish the same in my writing career was stirred even further. I found myself reflecting on my own writing journey and the reasons why I write.

I wrote countless stories as a kid and pre-teen, but I "officially" began my writing journey in 2010, when I was sixteen and naive about the entire process of publication. All I knew was that I had a burning passion to write, a joy that immersed every time I became swept away through the process of penning a story. 

{One of the first "books" I wrote.
Complete with a translation at the bottom. Haha}

Accompanying that joy was also a dream to see my story in print. I would run my hands along the covers of books, smell their pages (okay, I confess, I still do this), and envision what it would be like to see a cover that represents a story I wrote. A thrill would rush through me any time I thought of how the characters, setting, and plot I craft -- ones that were birthed in my imagination -- could potentially make its home in readers' hearts as well. 

It sounded magical. It sounded surreal. It sounded like a dream.

Which is why, when I received my first book contract at sixteen-years-old, I couldn't convince myself that it was real. It was hard to grasp the idea that the book I'd poured hours into writing and editing was going to be real. It was going to be alive. Living and breathing. No longer would I tell people that I aspired to be an author some day: I now had a signed paper that guaranteed it would happen. 

I remember the day I received the box of books in my mail. The day I opened the package and saw the spine of Purple Moon. The day my eyes filled with tears because this story, the one I'd invested hours upon hours of my teen existence into creating, was officially born.

And so was my dream of being an author.  

I remember when I began to receive emails from readers, the shock that numbed me as I discovered they enjoyed my book far more than I thought they would. The way my heart swelled the day I received a handwritten letter by a twelve-year-old reader, telling me she came to Christ while reading Purple Moon.

Above all, those were -- and still are -- the best moments, the highlights, of my writing journey thus far. 


Those are the moments that remind me I'm not in this author gig for my own pride. 

Rather, I'm in it to reach readers. To touch people across the globe, people I may never come in contact with except through the magic and power of a book.

This is what ignites me to continue. It reminds me that, this writing gig of mine? It's ultimately not about how big I can make my platform. It's not about how many times I'm going to see my name in print or how nice my advances will be. It's not about whether or not I can secure a deal with a big traditional publisher for my next book. 

It's about asking God to use this gift He's placed in me -- this flame that has burned since I was three-years-old -- to reach the lost. To heal broken hearts. 

And to introduce people to a Love greater than they've ever known.

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I encourage you to take time reflecting on your own writing journey and dreams as well. Remind yourself as to why you write. Go back to the highlights of your journey, the moments when the dream felt tangible.

Then, ask God to give you His vision for your writing career.

Not all of us have been given the same assignment with this gift. God has a different purpose for each individual. So how can you discover what your Creator had in mind when He planted this dream inside of you? 

It's simple: Spend time with Him. See if He impresses anything on your heart.
 

Often, the answer lies simply in what motivates you to write, what gives you the thrill of joy and the inspiration to continue. 

Does it lie in the idea of encouraging kids and teens to pick up a book? Or maybe you'd like to shed a positive light in today's secular industry. Perhaps you write to entertain, to give readers a break in their days by weaving humor and laughter into your stories.
Whatever the case -- if God entrusted you with this gift, then you can be assured it must be there for a reason. He has a plan for it. A unique calling for those future books of yours. So take time this week to be still and listen. See if He reveals anything to you. 

Then, take another step forward in this writing journey, another step toward accomplishing this calling of yours. Because that vision of yours? It'll only come to pass if you begin by doing one thing:
Picking up your pen and writing.
Click to Tweet: Discovering Our Calling as a Writer via @TessaEmilyHall #amwriting #writingtips


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What is it that motivates you to write? What do you hope to accomplish in your writing career? Has God revealed to you His calling for your writing career?