Why I Write

I'm back and ready! During my days off from writing, I was able to rest my mind and work through some things.

One of those things was the discouragement that came from seeing that none of my submissions last year bore any fruit. I had been daydreaming about how I would tell my husband, family, and friends that I had won a contest or signed a contract... my little heart flutters at the thought of receiving recognition from a big-time editor and admiring glances and attention from people. 

But I have nothing to show for all my hard work last year... or do I? If I write for money and prestige, then no, I have nothing. But that cannot be my reason for writing. I cannot write just to say what someone else wants to hear.

No, I write because God puts words on my heart and in my mind. I write because God opened my eyes to His truth and His glory, and through my writing, I hope to do the same for someone else. I cannot cater to editors and publishers, even if that means I may never be 'published'. (tangent: In one of my submissions for a contest, I quoted I Corinthians 13, even though the magazine was secular. I knew that that might knock me out of the running immediately, but I left that paragraph in anyway.)

God works in me, and I have so much more to learn. This was a good lesson, and I am ready to write again, with a new focus. Here's to another year of writing!

(And thank you for the little notes that you leave on my blog. I am encouraged when I hear that you are encouraged.)