One of the biggest obstacles I faced in becoming a writer was fear. What if I wrote for years and never got published? What if I was no good? What if people laughed? I was so afraid of failing and of being criticized that my husband was the only person who knew I wanted to write. One day during my quiet time, I realized fear was killing my dream. I needed to trust God and take the seeds of my dream into the sunlight so they could grow. I had to risk calling myself a writer.
Not long afterwards, I was writing on a Saturday morning while my children played nearby and my husband taught music lessons to a parade of students. One young man awaiting his turn wandered up to me and asked, “Whatcha doing?”
I hesitated. Should I admit to this 16 year-old stranger that I wanted to be a writer? I decided to overcome my fear and trust God. “I’m writing a novel,” I replied. “I’m a writer.”
“That’s really cool,” he said with a huge grin. “My mom is a writer, too. You should meet her sometime.”
I was speechless! When I could finally talk I asked, “What does she write?”
“We’re Christians,” he said. “She writes devotional books for Moody Press in Chicago.”
The following week, Glenn’s mother came with him for his lesson. And from that day on, this gifted Christian writer, Alma Barkman, took me under her wing and mentored me. In a Canadian city of more than 300,000 people, God had brought a published Christian author right to my doorstep and into my life. I wonder where I would be today if I had been too fearful to call myself a writer?
One of the first things Alma did was invite me to her writers’ critique group. Again, fear nearly defeated me. How could I possibly read my feeble work in front of other people? And risk criticism? No w
ay! But I set aside my fear—and quickly realized how helpful it is to have unbiased readers critique my work. I had to leave this group when we moved, but one of the first things I did in our new location was form a critique group. Two dear friends from that new group, Jane Rubietta and Cleo Lampos, have now been meeting with me for 21 years. None of us had published a single word when we began. Now, we all have multiple books to our names.
Whatever your dream is, don’t let fear hold you back a single day longer. Bring your dream into the sunlight where it can grow. I promise you, God “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20).
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Beautiful! Fear really can be crippling, can’t it? I frequently remind myself, “not to be anxious about anything”, to step out in faith and trust the Lord’s plans. It’s a daily (sometimes hourly) process. Thanks for the post!
I know what you mean, Becky. Fear is one enemy that keeps creeping back into my life in sneaky ways. But I’m learning!
Wow, Lynn! I thought I was the only one who didn’t tell a soul I was writing (except my husband, of course. To this day he’s my greatest champion!) For me it was the fear that I wouldn’t finish what I’d started. Only when I was nearing “the end” did I confess to friends and other family members that I’d been working on a novel for several months. A few were unimpressed, a couple were jealous, but most were supportive and encouraging.
I love how the Lord placed you in that writers group! Something you can still look back on as His blessing on your calling. He never ceases to amaze me!
I know, Deb! I’m continually amazed, too. And so grateful to God for helping me overcome my fear.
Deborah, I just finished my first novel and have still kept mum about it to many people. Though I feel well embedded in the calling to write, it still feels fragile to me. It’s a great encouragement to hear that so many published writers have faced the same fears. For me, the bottom line is being rooted in my identity in Christ, something that thankfully I’ve been growing in.
Awesome Post Lynn! How Blessed you were to have met Alma but it proves we are never on our own. Just as in “Footsteps,” God is by our side walking that path with us. I’m not an author but even as a reader, I can see you are an exceptional writer and I always look forward to your posts.:) I recognise Julie is in the photo with you(I’m not familiar with the other ladies)but you’re all holding up your awards, obviously a result from all your effort. You have every right to be proud of yourself… You are a great mentor and an inspiration to all of us.:)
Yes, Rosie, the picture was taken at one of the Christy Award dinners. I never could have imagined winning that award when I first began writing. But God is able to do so much more than we can ask or imagine if we put our trust in Him.
Thank you, Lynn, for your words of courage. Too often these days, I’ve allowed my fear to stifle my writing dream. I needed to read this today.
I’m so glad my story encouraged you, Christina. Trust the love of God to work for your good in everything you do. It was still a very long road to publication for me, but so much easier to travel that road with friends and mentors. Keep writing!
Hello, Lynn! Thanks for that uplifting post! It is so encouraging to see authors like you, so accomplished now, had the same fears as the rest of us. I have dreams of writing- always have since I was a little girl- but really haven’t found my writing niche, so to speak, yet. I’m not sure I would ever even try to get published. I only know that I love the written word (which is why I am a former literature teacher, now stay-at-home mom). Unlike you and the other amazing writers here, I don’t think I could ever write fiction. (Love to read it, though!) There is a writer somewhere within me, but she, perhaps, is sleeping still. Thanks again for the post!
God’s timing is rarely the same as ours, Courtney, so don’t get discouraged. I waited a long time for my dream, and was over 40 when my first book was published. But in hindsight I see how perfect His timing was.
Great post! So filled with truth. I love how God brought a writer to your door, Lynn!
Love,
Rachel
I know! God must have known I wouldn’t get the “hint” unless He delivered it to my doorstep.
Thank you for sharing this with us, Lynn. I think most all of us struggle with fear in some area, yet if we will step out and trust God, He will help us in SO many ways! 🙂
I hope your upcoming move will go smoothly – – am praying for you!
Hugs, Patti Jo 🙂
Thanks so much for your prayers, Patti Jo. Only 11 days until moving day. This house is starting to echo!
Thanks for sharing about this topic, Lynn (and I’m so glad you overcame your fear in that moment!). Fear has been a factor in my writing journey too.
It might sound strange, but for years I was afraid of success. There came a time in my long writing journey that I resolved I would live and die happily writing novels even if not a one of them was ever published. But from the mid1990s I’d timidly knocked on publishing doors from time to time, all the while praying that if whatever lay on the other side of that door wasn’t His best for me, God PLEASE keep it closed up tight. Because I was afraid. I didn’t know if I could handle all that comes with being published, which is a lot more today than when I started out writing novels in 1991.
Now I’m living my “fear,” and finding out that God’s on this side of the publishing door, too, ever faithful, stretching me and teaching me that fear is no match for His perfect love and plans, if I’ll just roll it over to Him daily. Or hourly, as the case may be. 🙂
Amen, Lori. Beautifully said! I think that no matter what we fear, God wants to help us overcome it. Thanks for sharing with us.
Lynn, I appreciate your words today, and I take them to heart. Fear walks on feeble legs in the presence of a mighty Savior!