Rediscover Your Writing Passion

by Karen Porter @KarenPorter

Writing is a calling that pulls at your soul. 
Like the air you breathe or the beat of your heart.

By definition, writers are passionate creatures and part of a broader category called creatives. Elizabeth Reyes said, “I write because I must. It's not a choice or a pastime, it's an unyielding calling and my passion.” 

We love shaping words into sentences and paragraphs, even if there is no money or recognition—and even when no one understands.

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Passion is important but it isn’t your strength:

Identifying your strengths is different from identifying your passion. If you discover what makes you tick—it’s magic.

Some signs you are losing your passion:

1.  Drag yourself to the computer

2. Tired of the subject

3. Bored

4. Research is a chore not a delight

5. Easily distracted and procrastination

I found three steps to rediscovering your passion.

Step One: Connect to God

Writing requires a connection to the source of all strength and joy. Without Him your writing will be shallow and mediocre. 

• Read the Word. For three years, T.W. Hunt read only the Bible (not newspapers, magazines, or blogs) before he wrote his masterpiece The Mind of Christ.

• Pray. Talk to the Father about life and life situations. He will give you insights you never dreamed possible. Part of prayer is listening. Be still to hear his voice.

• Take notes. While you read and when you pray, keep a pen handy to write new insights and fresh faith.

• Get healed. In my coaching, I often read a manuscript which shows the author is still living in the wounds and hurts of his or her past. Never having forgiven those who hurt, he or she hasn’t dealt with the pain. You will only help others by being healed. The good news is our God is in the healing business.

• Time away. Carve out a few hours in a day or an entire week to break from your normal routine and away from your regular surroundings.

• Change your genre. Try writing something different: poetry, stage plays, or screenplays.

• Remember. Make a list of what you love about writing. 

Connecting with God helps you do the heart work you need to become the person God wants you to be—before you try to become the writer you want to be. 

Step 2: Conquer the Craft

At the first writers conference I attended, a man spoke. He was older and had been in the industry a long time. He was the expert in the room—the G.O.A.T. 

He said, “I read a writing craft book every month” I was stunned. Are you kidding? You are the expert. Why are you reading a how-to book? His habit of reading books was the reason he was an expert—he knew the craft. I decided to follow his example. I would also read a craft book each month, and I’ve kept it up for more than 20 years. What will you do to conquer the craft of writing? 

It’s important you conquer the craft of writing, because it shows in your writing. 

Step Three: Change Your Reader 

A book which reaches the heart of the reader is a work of art. If it inspires you, evokes tears, or makes you feel strongly, you will think about it even when you’re not reading it.

            Some books have changed my spiritual trajectory:

                        The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith

                        Your God is Too Safe by Mark Buchanan

                        Messy Spirituality by Mike Yaconelli

                        The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson

            Some books I read early in life made me want to write:

                        Giant by Edna Ferber

                        The Thornbirds by Colleen McCullough

                        The Chronicles of Naria by C.S. Lewis

                        Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

What are you writing? Could it change a life?

Harper Lee said this about To Kill a Mockingbird. “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. [Courage] is when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.”

Writing is a joy and a job. It seeps deep into your soul, and you feel you must write. That’s the joy part, but the job part is learning to write well so you can communicate from your heart that has been saturated by God. 

So today start a new commitment:

Connect with God

Conquer the craft

Change your reader 

Be so good they can ignore you! ~Steve Martin: