Cry Out for Insight, Writer

“Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.” ~ Proverbs. 2:3, New Living Translation.

The watchful buzzards of anxiety and confusion circled above me with their bulging bloodshot  eyes and unflagging patience. When would I finally faint under the strain of my stalled writing projects? How soon could they swoop down and shred my writer’s dreams?

The Daunting Challenge

Two publishers, each eager to  receive a different novel manuscript, was a good thing. Right? Then why was I paralyzed? Why barely inching forward, not sure how to start, much less complete those 80,000-word manuscripts? Good grief! I wasn’t even certain how I managed to write the first two novels.

By the grace of God, certainly. But in my panicked state, that truth failed to come to my aid. And those sweet words from readers (bless them!) pleased me but also increased my stress.

“I love your novels! When is the next one coming out?” left me momentarily speechless. What could I—a writer buried under many false starts—what could I say? I usually offered an apologetic smile before thanking them and promising, “I’m working on the next one.” Ambiguous enough to be true without really answering the reader’s question.

Mostly because I had no answer. Neither novel had a contract or a publisher-assigned release date.

The Heavenly Solution

Desperate, I cried out to the Lord, and he answered through three resources I already owned:

• “Undaunted”—a speech on CD by Tim Shoemaker during the Wednesday evening session at the 2019 Write-to-Publish Conference. Tim started with “Don’t be overwhelmed by the task,” offered ten pointers from the life of the prophet Nehemiah, and ended with “Be faithful to the King … finish the task.” Thanks for pep talk, Tim!
• The Story Equation: How to Plot and Write a Brilliant Story from One powerful Question by Susan May Warren. I picked it up at the 2019 American Christian Fiction Writers Conference. While reading it, I scribbled notes in the margins, and the important plot points of my third novel took shape. Excitement rekindled my passion for this novel. Perfect!
• “Being a Writer”–Lecture # 24 from the Writing Creative Nonfiction course by Tilar J. Mazzeo that I purchased  from Great Courses assured my weary heart that I really WAS a writer. It also revealed a few areas where I might improve. Excellent!

Lesson learned! When we’re stuck … when we don’t know which way to turn … when confusion and anxiety circle, we have a certain and ever-ready source of help. One to whom we can cry out for insight and for understanding.

The Prayer

Dear Lord God, you raised us up to be writers for your Kingdom. Thank you that when we’re stuck, when we’re anxious and confused, we can cry out to you for insight and ask you for understanding. What a wonderful comfort and help you are in our times of need.