Yeah, But What If...

"Ok, Yeah, mmmm, I do have an idea for a book, but I'm no author, I'm no writer, I could never write a 'book'. You're kidding me. Naah, that's for somebody else, I could never see myself doing something like that..."

Really? How long have you been telling yourself that? How many years? And yet, somehow, some way, the idea just keeps coming back to you in some way, shape, or form, doesn't it? And, oh, by the way, here it is again...

"Ok, ok, but what if I just don't have time to write a book? I mean, I'm just too busy to put hours and hours into writing a book..."

Really? Hmm, let's see... How much time did you spend last night watching TV? No, seriously, how much?
yeah, I know, you don't really spend that much. So, go ahead, just calculate it to yourself, we'll all wait...

{Whistling to self...}. Ok, you done? Ok. So how long was it? Now, multiply that by seven. How much did you come up with?
Wow. Surprising isn't it? I know, I know, some nights are really busy nights for you, so we'd have to subtract those.
I get it, really, I do.

Uhh, but we'd also have to rememeber those nights when your favorite shows came on and you ended up watching a little bit longer than usual too... So, it pretty much all evens out.

"Yeah, but it is soooo noisy in my house! My kids, their music, my dogs, my cats, my parrots, my wife, my goldfish, my neighbor's Orangatang Collection, and man! You just don't understand, they are all just so noisy, it is simply impossible to concentrate!" 
"Sure, I've had a book idea for years but I never have a moment to my self to do anything with it!"

Ok, all humor aside, have I touched or your excuse yet?

Say, listen, let me cut to the chase and be frank. I believe that God is a creative God, and that when He made you and I, that that creativity is like 'Chocolate Icing' for a cake. Now guys, I'm sure your wives can really identify with this, but I'm sure you'll be able to relate too...

Remember the very first time your young son or daughter helped Mom out in the kitchen when she was 'icing the cake'. You came home, more likely than not, and found icing everywhere, because your son or daughter, once thay had the icing on their hands, ended up anointing every thing in the house!

Well, your Heavenly Father is like that, He is so creative, that when He made you and I, He could not help but get some of that 'creativity' inside us. Infact, He did it on purpose.

"Yeah, but Dave, I don't know if my creativity is in the area of writing..."

And you never will, unless you try.  Understand?

"Ok,ok, so what makes you such an authority?"

Uh, because the same excuses you offered are the same one's I did, for years.
After 30 years in the Ministry I have discovered several things to be true about things that God has purposed, Called, or Anointed you and I to do...

1. The Gifts and Callings of God are without repentance. Translation: God Never Changes His Mind About What He Has Called or Commissioned You To Do, or, What Talent He Has Given You To Use For Him... Romans 11:29. KJV

2. There are many devices in a man's heart, nervertheless, the Counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. Translation: No matter how many times you shoo it away, no matter how many times you tell yourself that you can't do it, and that there is no way you can get that thing done, a God-Idea just keeps coming back to you--once a week, once a day, once a month, once a year, once every ten years, but it keeps popping up in your thinking. It's just like that persistant fly you ran into at your last picnic. You shoo'd the thing away, you swatted at it, you blew a puff of air at it, threw water at it, moved, and changed your location, and yet and still that persistant little thing came and found you again and was right back in your face, weirdest thing you had ever seen.

God Inspired Ideas are like that. They won't go away, and they won't quit, until you get the hint that God is trying to get your attention and tell you something... Proverbs 19:21 KJV

Ok, so let's say you have an idea for a book, what do you do?

Make the time to write.
How so?

a. Cut down on your TV watching time. {Uh, that scream you just heard in the background, was my flesh. From time to time I still have to over-ride his squeals of protest to get a project done. *Click*"Hey! I was watching that!!"}  Be prepared from time to time for him to 'beg' too. "Erraa, can't we watch this tonight, and write tomorrow? Pra-leaseeees!"

b. Make sure that you do things to capture story concepts, dialog, and ideas. Take a small recorder with you as you drive, speak your ideas into it and write them down when you get home at your first opportunity.

c. Keep a note paid or, a small micro recorder on your nightstand by your bed at night. Again, to capture ideas and storyline for your book, or ideas for articles that you can write and submit to magazines.

d. Be sure to tell the family, that you will be writing for an hour or so (or 30 min., whatever you can manage to wrench free) and that you will be sequestered for that length of time and unavailable except for emergencies.  And oh, be sure to tell them that a 'cup cake craving' does not qualify as an emergency. (Ask me how I know, go head, ask me..).

e. Another little Guerilla Tactic For Writers, (Hey, there ya go! That sounds like a great title for a book, right there! That's free, I won't charge you for it.) ;-) But learn to take advantage of your down time. At lunch time while you're eating--write. Waiting for a client to arrive who's late--write. Stuck in traffic--write/record (which ever is the most practical). Bored and just sitting around the house with nothing to do--write. Standing in line at the hardware store, or trapped in the grocery store waiting in line with your Honey-Do List-- yes, that's right--write/record.  And lastly when reposing upon ("ahem") the 'throne'--write.
You will be amazed, as you are consistant with this, how much you will get done.

d. Also make sure that you do your Intelligence Gathering. Plan now, while you are writing and comprising your book/manuscript, once you get your finished product (remember our last blog, finish your book, use a Print On Demand Publisher to have a finished product in hand that you can then send to a major publisher or Agent that they can look over and be suitably impressed by your resolve to get into print) start scoping out major publishers/agents now, so that you'll already have a 'target' in view. Research their contact information, check out how they prefer to be contacted (very important). By query letter, by email, by phone? Some may prefer a few sample pages first, not the whole book. Try to obtain a contact name, rather than just sending your material addressed to "Whom Ever Wants to Make Me a Millionaire Author, Publishing Company"...
That usually doesn't go over too well...
But where would you find such information readily available?
Sally E. Stuart has put together a great book that includes that information and much more (book seen above).  A veritable gold mine of writing info.
For Info on Sally's Book and Other Great Books on Christian Writing

And finally, Pray. Pray over your ideas and your projects. Pray for story ideas, if you don't have one already kicking around inside. Why?
Because of something that the Ancient Book of Wisdom that we know as The Bible, says...

"In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths..." Proverbs 3:6. KJV

A powerful truth, and vital key that our forefathers learned, as they strove to maintain their focus and their, American Tenacity...

God Bless...