A Day With Emma

I took my dog Emma with me to a book reading of Emma and the Paper recently. I think she was a big hit with the children. She’s such a good dog that I finally just let her off the leash to wander around the room so the children could pet her.

They hugged Emma and talked to her. They wrote stories about what a good dog she is. At one point, Emma was lying on the floor and was covered up with children.

All of the kids were very gentle with Emma because they were sweet kids. Of course, Emma is a gentle dog. There’s no threat of any kind from her, except maybe of getting licked in the face.

It was a wonderful morning and I didn’t want it to end. Getting to read to precious children while having my dog with me – wow! That’s probably one of my top ten favorite things.

If you have a children’s story tucked away in your heart and you haven’t had a good reason to let it out, here is one: the joy I saw in the faces of those children. Your book can do that too.

Because of the book they were able to see Emma. They now have an experience to treasure. I’m sure some of those children will grow up to be writers themselves one day. They will be the ones to create stories to read to the next generation and so on.

All this happens when we obey the urging of the One who has blessing for us in everything. In a little act of love for my dad, God has multiplied the gift of this book over and over. It’s like watching spring unfold on people’s faces.

I encourage you. Write it. Don’t worry about how you’ll get to the audience of children part yet. Just write your story and imagine that you’re already there, because I know this with all my heart: if the Lord has given you a story, He already has an audience prepared.

If He has an audience, He also has an illustrator, and a publisher, and someone for marketing, and the rest. Don’t let any doubt hold you back from writing what He has planted in you. Let it grow into something wonderful, full of the fruit of your heart’s desire.

Hey, you may even get to have your dog with you. That was and is a desire of my heart and He made it happen. He longs to do such kindness for you.

Phyllis Keels

Sharpening

Lately I’ve had several people tell me they’ve written something – a novel manuscript, a children’s story, an autobiography. Before this, I hadn’t known these people were writers. I am thrilled for them!

It’s great to meet another writer – at any stage of his or her writing life.  But the thrilling part is they’re starting to tell others about their writing. It means they really believe in what they’re doing.

That makes me happy. I was especially honored when these people asked me to read what they’ve written. It’s an honor because it means they trust me.

I remember how scary it was for me to let someone read my stuff years ago.  It takes a great amount of courage to let someone see your inner thoughts (which always come out in our writing whether we know it or not). It also takes a lot of humility:  being willing to let someone else help you.

Being willing to receive… Well, that’s an art form and in the writing community it’s vital. But it’s a lot easier here. Writers are mostly collaborative and not competitive; feedback and critique are highly valued.

I have a dear friend whose favorite saying is, “Iron sharpens iron.” It’s from Proverbs 27:17 – As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

It means we need each other. We need each other’s unique personalities, talents, gifts and even weaknesses to sharpen us. It means we should be willing to be sharpened.

So now that you’ve written something let someone read it – someone whose opinion you trust, someone with writing or reading expertise. It’s the only way to what is really inside your work, that message the Lord put in it and how He will use it.

Pretty soon, your sword will gleam and be ready to sharpen someone else’s.

(ACFW.com has great online critique groups, or start your own group with writers you know)

It Could Happen

It could happen. That’s what I said when I finished the manuscript for “The Lady of Daldriada.” It could be published and sell and be accepted as a real book. Yep, it could happen.

Well, it did, and if it happened to me, it could happen to you. I hope this will encourage you to stick with your gift and to faithfully wait on the Lord’s timing.

My little novel, the one I wrote because I had to write (woe unto me if I don’t write) was a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards 2012. In the category of Religious Fiction my book was one of four finalists. I am overwhelmed!

When I opened the email I almost didn’t read it because it looked like many other emails I get telling me to enter a contest or attend a conference or whatever. I almost fell out of my chair when I saw the first line telling me that I had won an award.

This is huge! I thought. This is an international contest and this organization promotes the books of winners and finalists everywhere. How is this possible that my book made it this far?

There’s only one answer to that question:  God is faithful and is a rewarder of those who seek Him. It’s as simple as that.

All that time I spent writing because I wanted to be with Him and to love Him, all the times He directed me to the next steps and I took each one, all the pain of going ahead after my daughter’s death, when I felt like I would die – He rewarded. Not because of me, but because of Him and His desire to bless us.

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. 
For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!

Isaiah 30:18

He longs to be gracious to us! It means He is taking every opportunity to do it. All we have to do is go with Him wherever He leads us. All we have to do is to love Him and obey Him. He will do the rest.

Whatever good comes of this, whatever may happen, know this now: our Heavenly Father is the source of all good things and He gets all the credit for any good thing even remotely associated with me. His is the glory. His is the reward. His is the honor.

I am full of awe at His kindness toward me and how carefully and tenderly He always deals with me. How great is our God, the Father of our Lord Jesus! Glory be to God!

Phyllis Keels

Snowflakes

Most of the time when people ask me how to get starting writing, I just say, “Write. See what comes out.” That might be easy if you’re already a writer. But what if you’re not sure? What if you don’t even know what you’re supposed to write?

I still say the same thing. “Write. See what comes out.” The reason I say this is because if you are to write, God has already put in you what is to come out. You don’t even have to worry about it.

I spent most of my childhood and adolescence daydreaming. It might seem like an unproductive waste of time but now I realize it was preparing me to write down stories. It was preparing me to see in my head illustrations, pictures to help people who are struggling with something, pictures to explain things.

I was in training to one day write down God’s spiritual truths.

Please don’t underestimate your desire to write, even if that desire has been just a few passing thoughts. Snow storms start with one snowflake.

If you have even the slightest idea of what you want to write, don’t sweat over how to start or what the whole will look like. Just write a sentence that would tell a reader something about your work.

“I’m writing this blog to encourage others to write, so they can feel the same joy I feel in doing what I was born to do.”

Get that first sentence out and more will come. And more, and more, and more. Pretty soon you’ll be wondering how you’ll live long enough to write down everything you now feel inside of you.

Don’t worry about anyone else reading it yet. Don’t worry about whether it’s good or not. And certainly don’t worry yet about getting published yet. All of that will come when it’s time. For now, do one thing:  write.

Whether it’s an email to someone you had a falling out with or a letter to a loved one who has passed away (that person you never got to say goodbye to) write it. If it’s a story idea you’ve carried around for years or an experience you had, write it.

You’ll feel better. I’ll feel better. Everyone who one day reads it will feel better. Trust me. I know.

I’ll be watching for your snowflakes.

Phyllis Keels

Learning to Walk

This weekend two people asked me how to get started in writing. One has written a children’s book and wants to get it published, the other wants to start writing about her experiences in life.

I love it when I get to see the Lord showing someone who they are.

Having that desire to do something with what you’ve written, or to start writing is from God. He knows when it’s time. All He asks from us is that we are obedient when He calls.

I think many people want to be obedient, they just don’t know how. Often we’re afraid of doing the wrong thing, disappointing the Lord, looking foolish, or – the mother of all reasons – failing.

I’m not exactly sure why we’re afraid of any of those things. We had to fail a lot when we learned to walk. We fell down, got up, took a step and fell down again. We shouldn’t be surprised when we struggle and often fail at something else.

Now, those things we’ve learned to do, we do without even thinking of failure. We just do them naturally. But being good at them didn’t happen in a week or a month or even a year. They took time.

To be a writer is a commitment because if we want to be good at it, if we want to let the Lord speak through us, we have to be willing to practice.

I’m one to talk. I haven’t gotten anything written on my second book in weeks. I’ve written each day’s blog posts and some Bible study lessons, but that’s it. Sometimes we have seasons of life when it’s not possible to crank out the amount we long to write.

But pushing ahead toward a time when we can write, planning for it, preparing everything to be ready, that’s important too. No time is wasted with God. He may be using the dry season to make our roots go deep so that we will depend only on the true water source – Him.

So. How to get started? Write. Write and write and write. Then check back here tomorrow for the practical steps, for God is not a God of disorder but of peace. He will show you the excellent way in all things – even in how to start or publish a book.

Because He is faithful.

Phyllis Keels

Time for the Gift

I’ve got to learn how to write in little snippets of time. I like chunks of time. You know, days or weeks or months…

Even hours of time are hard to come by, much less days. So how do we squeeze every last drop out of the writing time we do have? Or how do we allocate time to do anything important for that matter?

  1. Accept reality (getting a baseline)
    1. Admit that right now you have X time available for writing. This is where you are. It’s a starting point.
  2. Choose to make a plan
    1. It’s easy to stay where we are, even if we don’t like where we are. Change is hard even if it’s for the better.
    2. Deliberately planning means we’re serious about something, we’re investing in it. It becomes even more important to accomplish it.
    3. If something is important to us (as using our gifts) then we can trust that the Lord already has a way – we just can’t see it yet.
  3. Make decisions (do something)
    1. Even if I want to make a change but don’t step toward it, I’m not really doing anything.
    2. Whole hog is not always best – small steps work well if we’re willing to take a lot of them.
    3. Even when we have to wait before or during any change, we can do something while we’re waiting. We can make preparations or research. Waiting can be productive time.
  4. Tackle the fear/doubt/whatever-holds-us-back head on
    1. I know in my heart when I feel any of these things they are excuses. Sometimes I let them hold me back, sometimes I don’t. I make progress only when I don’t let them hold me back.
  5. See how far you’ve come
    1. Remember all the steps and changes you’ve made over the years. Look back at where you were even a year ago. Think about how simple some of those steps seem now, though they seemed difficult then. These new ones will be no different.

Whether you’re a writer, an artist, a chef, a parent, or whatever, you’re gifted. You need time and resources to use your gift. That’s because the Lord made something beautiful when He made you and He wants to bless you – more than you know.

Phyllis Keels

How to Say It?

Do you ever have trouble figuring out what to write in a sympathy card? Or in an email, especially to address a difficult subject? You know, those things that are sometimes really hard to write?

Either we wish we didn’t have to send them or we don’t want to hurt someone. Whatever the reason, it’s difficult for us to come up with the right words but there are a few things we can keep in mind to help write:

1) What would I want to hear?

That’s the first question I ask myself when I’m writing something important to someone. If I were on the other end of this and someone had to send me a card, an email, whatever, what would help me receive this so that it helps me?

Emails can be especially challenging. Sometimes our words sound harsh even when we don’t mean them to just because of the nature of emails. Courteous writing helps, but the compassion is the key. How would I want someone to address a topic with me? I’d want them to care more about their relationship with me, than with the thing between us.

I have to care about the person.

2) Have I asked the Lord what His message is?

I’ve gotten many sympathy cards over the last few years and I’m pretty sure about the senders who prayed before writing anything in their cards. In those, I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit.

His voice is unmistakable and He comforted me in just the right way at just the right time. Only He can set that up, knowing that what was written will reach me when it is supposed to.

Before I write, I must be willing to let Him be the author of the message.

3) Is what I’ve written edifying?

Does what I’ve written repair, build anew, restore? Or does it tear down, leaving rubble for someone else to clean up? If what I’ve written doesn’t in some way encourage, teach, build up, restore or do something else good, I have to tear it up and start over. If it doesn’t do these things, the Lord is not in it.

Remember that Paul said, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

If I may add – and write on these things.

Then what we give, we will receive – something that edifies us and gives us hope. Something that honors the Lord and draws us closer to Him. Something that teaches others how loving He really is.

Phyllis Keels

How Do You Know?

How do you know how to know? Yep, you read that correctly. How do you know how to know what to do with your gift? How to use it? When, where, how often? A reader asked me that question this week.

The short answer is, the Lord has to show us. While that might sound trite, like saying, “Just leave it with the Lord…” it’s not. If someone gives us a gift that we’ve never owned before, never used, wouldn’t it make sense for the giver to show us how to use it?

He’s probably already shown us more than we understand already. He made us to like certain things – our preferences. He made me to love reading and writing romantic, heroic stories filled with honor and true love. I don’t ever read horror or anything that has even the appearance that evil wins. It makes my soul sick.

So I write what I like to read. It’s that simple. I love horses and dogs so there are usually endearing animals in my stories. My favorite time period is the middle ages so that is usually the setting. I’ve always been fascinated by time travel so I usually work within that fantasy.

But most of all, I write about the faithfulness of our Heavenly Father in Jesus Christ. He is the central character. He is the One who directs events. He is the One who sustains, guides, shows mercy and tender compassion. He is the One I’m really writing about.

First we must know Him above anything else. If we know Him, we will come to know ourselves and if we know ourselves we begin to see what we can write. After that we can see what will be the perfect avenue for using our gift.

That was very freeing to me. I had tried for years to write what I thought I was supposed to write but it was never, well, right.

Only when I let out what was already in me did I see how it was really supposed to be. It was supposed to be full of me. That sounds conceited but it’s not.

Think about the writers of the Bible – those Godly men who spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. David’s heart was full only of the love of God. He loved God so much that he said things like, “Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord?”

The Apostle John was much the same. His account of the gospel and his epistles are full of the Love of God in Jesus Christ. Solomon was all about the wisdom of God, because God gave him a heart full of wisdom like no other person who has ever lived except Jesus.

So, to answer the question, write from what is in your heart. And that is easier than you think. Jesus said that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks – which I’m pretty sure includes “the hand writes.”

Whatever is in there is going to come out. We just need to let it.

Phyllis Keels

Soaring

One of the scariest things to me used to be speaking in public. I was one of the paranoid bunch who feared death less than speaking in front of people. I avoided it at all costs.

The other thing I always avoided was sharing too much personal information about myself, in any form. My business was my business. I didn’t want everybody and their brother knowing my thoughts, desires or pain.

Now, well, it’s funny how the Lord uses our experiences, especially our trials and tragedies to make our fears disappear like the monster in the closet at daybreak. It doesn’t matter anymore whether I’m writing or speaking, I don’t mind being vulnerable if it will help someone else who’s in pain.

I say all this because when I was afraid of letting myself be seen, I used to try to write like J.R.R. Tolkein, C.S. Lewis, or Margaret Mitchell. I figured if I could just get my voice to sound like theirs I would be a success.

What I was really doing was hiding behind someone else, imitating him or her so that no one would see my pain or step on my hopes. I learned later that you can’t keep your hopes from getting stepped on and your pain is more evident to people than you know.

Then one day I just wrote what was in my heart. I wrote it the way it came out, not trying to craft it or form it to someone else’s style. When I read it later, it made me soar. There it was on the screen in front of me – my voice and it was a pretty good voice.

It wasn’t until I let what was in me come out, not caring what anyone thought of it, not measuring it to the great authors of the past or even of the present that I found I liked the way I wrote. It wasn’t and still isn’t perfect but neither am I. The voice doesn’t have to be perfect – it has to be mine.

It’s mine because the Lord gave it to me as a gift. It was designed for me with love and a purpose. For me to alter it would, I think, dishonor the gift and the Giver.

No, I want to use it as it was intended – to honor my Heavenly Father. Stick with me and I will do everything I can to help you find your voice – the one that is only yours, the one that will surprise and delight you more year after year.

It will delight you because the more you use it, the more it will echo the voice of the Lord. Then, my friend, you too will soar.

Phyllis Keels

If you are interested in discovering and developing your gift of writing, join me for this Character Development Workshop on April 28th

Just a Daydreamer

For a long time I didn’t know that I’d been given the gift of writing. I wrote to escape from being unhappy. I wrote because the thing I liked to do most when I was a child was to daydream and make up exciting stories to act out.

When I grew up, I didn’t get to daydream anymore because that’s a childlike thing to do and it’s not generally accepted as an adult activity. So I came up with a work-around:  writing.

Writing is an accepted activity. Even if it’s not one’s profession, it is an acceptable hobby. But I always felt guilty when I took time to write. I felt like I was robbing from something else I should have been doing and that I was being frivolous, a time-waster.

It wasn’t until a dear sister in Christ told me that a clear mark of a spiritual gift is when you love doing something so much that you feel guilty doing it. Do you know that set me free? I was able to release all my desire to write. I was able to see that the daydreaming I had done as a child was getting me ready to write what the Lord had for me to write.

All those images in my head, like previews to a movie, were pictures of what He teaches us through life about Himself. The struggles, battles, rewards and relationships were all part of a tapestry of how we come to Him and how we can learn to love Him.

Now He takes the vivid imagination He gave me as a child and uses it to tell stories through characters that love, hate, fear, hope, cry and triumph just like we do. Through them the Lord speaks and calls others to Himself in the way a gentle father calls a beloved child to his side.

I want you to know that if you love to write but have doubts about yourself or about how you can accomplish God’s purpose through your writing, you’ve come to the right place.

I was once where you are and I can tell you that if the Lord has gifted you, He will accomplish His purpose. If He can do it through me, He can do it through anybody. You don’t even have to worry about how it will happen.

If you simply take pleasure in what He has given you, the way He has given it to you, and in the uniqueness He has created (you), then it will happen. You’ll see His hand all through your work and you will have more joy than you ever thought you’d have doing anything.

You will find that your voice, your voice is exactly the way the Lord intended it to be and that your writing will glorify Him forever. I am here to walk you through that process, whether you write fiction, poetry, a journal, or an email to a friend. The form doesn’t matter. The process of Him speaking through you does.

And that is what makes you a gifted writer my friend.

Phyllis Keels

If you are interested in discovering and developing your gift of writing, join me for this Character Development Workshop on April 28th