The Freeing Power of Being READY

Who knew one word could make me feel so free? If you read my post last week, you’ll remember I finally chose a word to guide me through this year. READY. Actually, I’m pretty sure God chose the word making it all the more precious to me. (If you missed last week’s post, click HERE.)

I immediately embraced the word. I want to be READY. For anything.

Since that last post I found out I have been accepted for the mission trip to Mexico. I attended a Women’s Conference over the weekend at church and I have the focus and energy I had been searching for in my writing.

Yes, the word has impacted my writing. I love to write. I love to create word images. I love to touch those tender places in a reader’s heart. I love every piece of the writing process. To me it is exciting. To see a story unfold is fun. I can see every scene playing out like a movie in my mind and I can’t wait to see how it ends.

But if you’re in the writing game at all you know there is more to it than crafting a book. Breathing on Her Own is doing well, but I’m often asked, “When is your next book coming out?”

I wish I knew. I have manuscripts in various stages: outlined, drafted, completed, revised, and edited. You name it.

Assured that writing is part of God’s plan for my life and with so many people affirming my work, I have felt a great urgency to publish a second book. I’ve had a couple of agents read a manuscript. The comments have been encouraging, but I can’t report I have a contract or anything.

And then there is the constant expectation to “market” what I’ve already written. It is easy to get “sucked in” to a barrage of social media strategies, webinars, and the like.

There is also a sort of unwritten cultural expectation that it’s time I get on with my life. I’m not sure exactly what that means but it implies that a year is long enough to mourn and now I need to learn to live without Tom.

The truth is this: A lifetime is not long enough to mourn the loss of that man and I have used every bit of energy I have this past year and four months learning to live without him.

Then that last Sunday in February came with sunshine and hope, a song and a word: READY. Last week I wrote that I now understand my role as a writer at this time is not to pitch and market. My job is to get the manuscripts READY. It is the most freeing of words for me.

During this week I have discovered an unexpected joy as I  rest in God’s timing.

I have this great sense of freedom. Free to write. Free to fully enjoy writing as I did in the beginning. And the result? I have been more productive this week than I have been in months.

In the course of the week, I completed 5539 words on my current fiction piece tentatively titled Courtesy Turn. It’s based on a square dance call. It's a book I started before Tom died. Curiously, it is the story of a widow. With the work I did this week, I'm at a grand total of 15, 483 words. It's a start.

I also revised 4532 words on the draft of a nonfiction piece I refer to as A Handbook for Writers: Creating a Business Plan.  It is a boring title and I’m open to suggestions.

Now it is your turn. Did you choose a word? What are you writing? How can I support you? Leave your comments. I would love to hear from you.