I'm so happy to have Patty Hall here today to share some lessons she learned on her writing journey--lessons that also apply to everyday life. Here's Patty:
Over
the last few days, I’ve been wondering exactly what I could offer you
in this article. Yes, I’ve learned many things in this writing journey
I’ve been on these last thirteen years--point of view, motivation and
conflict, characterization and so forth. But recently I’ve been
pondering the lessons my writing life has taught me that come into play
in my day-to-day world, and thought I’d share what I’ve come to know.
Writing Life Lesson #1
A
very wise writer once told me that you can’t eat an elephant in one day
so don’t expect to write a book in one. I learned the truth of that
statement very quickly, just as I also realized that setting a daily
word count, getting those words down was slowly but steadily devouring
that elephant. The same goes for building new habits. This year, I’m
determined that our family will eat healthier, something we’ve been
trying to do for years. But this year, instead of going cold turkey like
years in the past, we’re going slowly, cutting out soft drinks this
month, excluding breads next month. We may not lost weight as fast as we
could but we’re giving our selves the opportunity of succeeding by not
taking too big of a bite and staying steady on our course.
Lesson Learned: Consistent work in small bites gets the work done, no mater whether it’s writing or changing life-long habits.
Writing Life Lesson #2
When
I first started writing, I loved to talk about my stories, about how I
hoped God would use my words to draw readers closer to Him. I look back
on that now and feel ashamed of how prideful, how self important I was.
That is until I had a friend who asked me what God had taught me through
my writing. At first, I couldn’t pinpoint anything, but as I continued
to write, I realized that God was using my stories to teach me. My first
published novel, the story of a girl pilot in WWII Georgia felt like a
love letter, teaching me about my self worth in God’s eyes. Each book
that followed taught me something that grew my faith, and I found myself
digging deeper into the Bible, setting myself firmly on the Word so
that I could keep writing and learning from the stories God gives me.
Lesson Learned: That person you may be reaching for the Lord could just be yourself.
Writing Lesson #3
We
live in a world of instant gratification. No saving our money to buy a
new car, not when you can click a button online and have it delivered to
your front doorstep. Amazon’s even developing a delivery system that
can have your order to you on that same day. But with this
hurry-up-and-get mentality, we’ve also lost something, that
indescribable joy that comes with a job well done. Publishing is a hurry
and wait industry. We as writers rush to submit what the market wants,
then wait for a week, a month (or in my case, a year!) Rejection is
difficult and inevitable with no promises of ever getting the holy grail
of a contact. But that moment when your first story is accepted for
publication after years of writing and suffering for your work is so
full of joy, you feel as if your heart can’t contain all the happiness.
Lesson Learned: Hard work doesn’t bear fruit overnight but the wait is worth every second.
Writing Lesson #4
Before
I started writing for publication, I had my nose into
everything--volunteering at the local school, leading the ladies
ministry at my church, caring for my aging grandparents. When it came to
helping out, I was like that old song for the musical, Oklahoma--I was
the ‘girl who can’t say no.‘ But when I felt God’s calling to write for
His glory, I wasn’t ready to give up all my activities--I mean, who
could run the Ladies Group better than me? What about the Christmas
program I was charge with at my girl’s school? When I didn’t give up
those ‘good things,‘ God worked in my life, taking me far away from
everyone I’d ever know, teaching me to rely on Him and the plan He had
just for me.
Lesson Learned: It’s okay to say no to the ‘good‘ when God is offering the GREAT!
What
about your writing life has influenced your day to day world? All
replies in the US or Canada will be entered into a drawing for a copy of
my latest release, Hearts Rekindled.
Hearts Rekindled Blurb:
"I'm Here to See My Daughter."
She
never thought she'd see John Davenport again. Merrilee Daniels
Davenport's former husband has returned to their small Georgia town
after fighting in the Pacific. And now the soldier is bearing a letter
from the little girl he didn't know he had. Merrilee wishes that she and
her daughter could lean on John's able shoulders, but her new
assignment as a homeland informant won't allow it.
Thanks for bringing us these tips, Patty!! I'm so excited about your new release! The storyline is just precious. I love reunion stories.
ReplyDeleteRemember, everyone! Leave your email address in the comments so Patty can get in touch with you!
Use the following format to avoid spam: emailaddress(at)server(dot) com
Thanks for having me, Natalie! I've enjoyed being your guest today!
DeleteThough I've never had the desire to write fiction I do LOVE reading it. Thank you so much for allowing us to see some of the techniques you employ during the writing process. The book looks wonderful and I pray it is a real blessing to all who read it!
ReplyDeleterhondamccollough(at)hotmail(dot)com
Welcome, SnoopyMcC!! ;) Great to see you over here!
DeleteThanks so much for coming by, SnoopyMcC!
DeleteThanks, Ms. Hall, for your transparency. You speak with wisdom. I am one of those "can't say no girls." If I see it needs doing, and nobody else volunteers, there is just this unseen magnet that draws me into doing "good" things. But in reality I have this secret desire to write non-fiction. But I've always been too busy to pursue it. Congratulations on your success thus far. Your perseverance is truly paying off.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by!!
DeleteAnonymous, I truly understand how you feel--I've always been a 'go-to' gal. If it needs done, I was doing it! But when I learned to say no, I began to see God really take hold of my writing life. Blessings! Patty
DeleteGreat post!
ReplyDeleteI'm learning that I shouldn't be ashamed to answer truthfully when people ask what I've been doing lately."
"I'm writing a book." That's what I should say, but for some reason I always claim up.
I shouldn't be ashamed to say I'm doing what I believe the Lord wants me to! So many good thoughts in this post. Thank you!
Thanks for coming over, Courtney! Great to see you!!!
DeleteI know exactly what you mean about clamming up! Seems to be my specialty. :) Not sure why it's like that. Maybe it's the fear of another person's reaction.
You definitely have a talent that God has given you! Keep on keeping on and never be ashamed! :)
Courtney, I use to do the same thing. Then about four years in to my writing journey, I came across a Bible study called "Write His Answer'--and one of the things that grabbed my heart was the statement that writers are literary missionaries. That changed my whole attitude toward my writing. If you have the chance, pick up this Bible study--it's fantastic!
DeleteThanks for the replies, yall!
DeleteA literary missionary--I love that. Reminds us of our responsibility. Thank you! I'll check into that Bible study for sure.
Oh yeah. Clp1777 (at) aol (dot) com
ReplyDeleteOh my word. I cannot type on this phone. Forgive the typos in that comment. Lol.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips and your book sounds great! pat at ptbradley dot com
ReplyDeleteWonderful to see you here, Patricia!!! Thanks for coming over! I'm excited about your new release, as well! Suspense set in the sultry South! I love it!
DeleteThanks for coming by, Patricia. I'll have to look your latest book up--I'm a sucker for any book set in the South!
DeleteNatalie, you are doing a great job creating a community of writers. That is so important!
ReplyDeleteHi, Aunt Linda. These ladies have been so kind to come by today. I'm blessed to know them!
DeleteHi Natalie,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on a beautiful blog and thank you, Patty, for such an inspirational post. I definitely can relate and I love WWII stories.
ehmanders(at)cox(dot)com
Elaine, thanks for stopping by!
DeleteThank you, Elaine! I'm enjoying yours as well!!!
DeleteGreat blog post Natalie with lots of nice advice. I love Patty's World War II stories with her Georgia locales and I look forward to more of them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming, Piper!!
Delete