Estimated reading time: under 5 minutes.
You can either write for yourself, or for something else.
Now, writing for something is different than your audience. Of course, you can write to working mothers or middle grade children or young adults anytime—but what you write for is much different.
Why do you write? That is the question.
For years, I dreamed of becoming famous. I dreamed of speaking at huge writing conferences at age twelve, partnering with J. K. Rowling. I imagined we’d be friends. I pictured myself meeting Brandon Mull and James Patterson and C. S. Lewis all at the same time. Maybe I’d even make a movie out of my book. I used to pick out songs for the sound track (I know, it’s pretty hilarious).
But the entire time, I was writing for myself.
Donald Miller once said, “Don’t write out of your identity wounds.” If you write a story because you long for acceptance and validation, your story will become strained and forced. You will strive for a perfection that can’t be reached. Trust me, I’ve been there, and I still struggle with it to this day.
And these “identity wounds” that I face come straight from a place of not knowing who I am. If I view myself as the best writer that ever walked the face of the planet, I become disappointed with my best. If I come from a place of pride, my expectations are never reached. But if I view myself as a joke, someone with too little experience or strength to face the challenge, I lose my inspiration and motive. If I come from a place of self-hate, by default, I hate my story as well.
But writing for God means my identity is set. I am not great. I am not the worst.
I am a child of God.
There is grace in this gift of writing that God has given me. I certainly fail to demonstrate Christian themes 100% of the time in my writing. Sometimes I feel the allure of fame and significance in the world, and Jesus has to reel me back in. Sometimes I forget I am not the best; sometimes I forget I am not the worst. But who I am never changes.
I am a child of God.
I read an article on the inner artist by Amy Lee, and I highly recommend reading it. It convicted me in so many ways, and it only took me about 10 minutes to read. Read it here.
My prayer is for humility and a confidence in true identity—for myself and for you as well. Thank you for reading:-)