It wouldn’t let go of my heart.
I have had stories to tell for years. It was, and is, my dream to write them. However, I felt the work was insurmountable, the goal of being a writer impossible to attain. Hope eluded me when finances for a computer and things like professional editing were not available. There were times, I couldn’t face the dream and laid it down. Other times I clung to the dream because it wouldn’t let go of my heart. God made a way for me to buy my first computer, and I started typing.
I ignored the nagging voices of those around me that said I wasn’t good enough, no one would want to read my stories or I needed to stick with regular work, for that was all I could do. Some days, it takes every ounce of energy I have, to come home after a long day of physical labor at work, to mental labor all evening as I pour myself into my stories.
Belief in my ability to write
Through the years, I typed in silence, settled into the belief that my writing would only read by few, for that is all my heart would accept. One day a friend read my poems and stories; that’s when things changed. Her belief in my ability to write compelled her to push me. God put into her heart to help me in whatever way she was able to—and help me she did. She has continued helping for several years now.
Through her encouragement and telling me to not give up, I sat at my computer daily. Not knowing if anything would ever come of all my work. She told me once; I had a quiet tenacity. I believe this causes me to write, and to say, this story will be told.
God spoke a word.
Last year God spoke a word into my heart, and it was clear. “Your work will be published.” It moved me to the core of my being. I am a writer; that is who I am. I attended my first writers conference in May, and it changed me forever. I am a writer; that is who I am. This keeps me putting one foot in front of the other.
Challenges? Yes, they still exist and have not changed. Even though I’m bone weary; when I come home I write. I still require the resources for professional editing, and buying software that will help improve the quality of my stories, but now I face these challenges with a new hope.
I am a writer; that is who I am.
I am a writer; that is who I am. This belief keeps me researching history, so my stories, although fictional, will ring with authenticity. It keeps me learning new programs so I can write with more clarity and efficiency. It keeps me watching every webinar on writing so I can learn about point of view and sticky sentences, and all the other rules an author needs to know.
God is my strength; he pushes me onward. It is he who speaks into my heart one truth I cannot ignore… I am a writer; that is who I am.
Author: Lauren Harrison
Website: http://www.lauren-harrison.net
Lauren writes Christian fiction and inspirational poetry. She has had poems published by the International Library of Poetry and won an Editor’s Choice Award for her work. Lauren currently has several stories in first draft and editing stages and knows God has a plan and is confident He will help her as she completes the work.
When Lauren isn’t working, or writing, she enjoys long walks, spending time with friends, window shopping at the mall, and playing with her cats Misty and Lightening.