Champions plan to beat the record holder. Successful businesses plan ahead for future growth and expansion.
It is difficult to measure progress without a written plan. Writing out a plan helps us attain our desired goal. A plan is a written formula to determine what actionable steps are needed to make the vision come about.
If your desire is to become a Christian author, then develop a plan for that to happen.
In a previous post I mentioned that we should always be growing in our own faith before we can lead others to grow. First, we have a duty to write material that changes lives. Since God's Word holds all truth, you can change people's lives by sharing it accurately with them. Anemic faith won't transform people. Many in the church no longer recognize or hold to truth. Your job is to be uncommon. Write material that empowers others to succeed in life by using God's methods of success.
The second step will require you to educate yourself regarding the art of writing. Writing is a skill. A skill can be learned. That's good news, for many successful authors didn't start their career by being natural writers. It means that with hard work and determination, they developed their craft and became good writers.
The Internet holds a lot of free information to help you in your growth process. Read everything you can about writing. This is what I started out doing and continue to do. I also went to the library and checked out books on writing. Much of the material is technical and a lot of it is about fiction writing, but you can glean something from each book. I also took an Internet Writing Course that only cost me $40.00. What I learned was invaluable. It was a good investment. Be aware you don't need to spend a fortune for good information.
A good command of the English language is the first step to writing well. The book I found to be the most helpful was a Kaplan book titled "Power Writing." Do a search on Kaplan books to see what interests you. I found it at our local library. I would also encourage you to look for Christian books on writing, as much of what is out there will discourage you because it is difficult to find a publisher that will take on an unknown. But in this post I am addressing the topic of improving your writing skills.
Another way to grow your writing skills is to read good writing. Study the sentence structure. Notice that the sentences are tight and that unnecessary words are left out. Learn the clichés that are often used, but should be avoided. I now read books with an editor's eye, something I never used to do.
Writing, publishing, and editing has been a learning curve for me. But I enjoy learning and find that having a goal keeps me sharp. Boredom is not my problem when I have a goal. Self publishing is a learning curve, but it can be empowering. When you come to a place of utter frustration, step away from your computer. Maybe you will need to stay away for a day or two, and go do something fun.
Moving away from the stress, will remind you that God will get you to the plan He has for you. Your job is to not believe that everything starts and ends with yourself. Your mind will clear when you pray and ask God to help you absorb what you're learning. Remember Rome wasn't built in a day, so don't become impatient with the learning process.
I would encourage you to learn all you can about writing FIRST, then start doing. There are many marketing and non-fiction writing books for Kindle on Amazon. Many of these books are $3.00 and under. Take advantage of the mentoring you receive from authors who have traveled the road you want to take.
It is tempting to compromise and follow the world's system to success. As a Christian author you will need to put God's plan for success before you. The Bible tells us in Habakkuk 2:2 "Then the LORD answered me and said, “Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run" (NASB).
Honoring God in your writing, is a plan God will honor in return.
It is difficult to measure progress without a written plan. Writing out a plan helps us attain our desired goal. A plan is a written formula to determine what actionable steps are needed to make the vision come about.
If your desire is to become a Christian author, then develop a plan for that to happen.
In a previous post I mentioned that we should always be growing in our own faith before we can lead others to grow. First, we have a duty to write material that changes lives. Since God's Word holds all truth, you can change people's lives by sharing it accurately with them. Anemic faith won't transform people. Many in the church no longer recognize or hold to truth. Your job is to be uncommon. Write material that empowers others to succeed in life by using God's methods of success.
The second step will require you to educate yourself regarding the art of writing. Writing is a skill. A skill can be learned. That's good news, for many successful authors didn't start their career by being natural writers. It means that with hard work and determination, they developed their craft and became good writers.
The Internet holds a lot of free information to help you in your growth process. Read everything you can about writing. This is what I started out doing and continue to do. I also went to the library and checked out books on writing. Much of the material is technical and a lot of it is about fiction writing, but you can glean something from each book. I also took an Internet Writing Course that only cost me $40.00. What I learned was invaluable. It was a good investment. Be aware you don't need to spend a fortune for good information.
A good command of the English language is the first step to writing well. The book I found to be the most helpful was a Kaplan book titled "Power Writing." Do a search on Kaplan books to see what interests you. I found it at our local library. I would also encourage you to look for Christian books on writing, as much of what is out there will discourage you because it is difficult to find a publisher that will take on an unknown. But in this post I am addressing the topic of improving your writing skills.
Another way to grow your writing skills is to read good writing. Study the sentence structure. Notice that the sentences are tight and that unnecessary words are left out. Learn the clichés that are often used, but should be avoided. I now read books with an editor's eye, something I never used to do.
Writing, publishing, and editing has been a learning curve for me. But I enjoy learning and find that having a goal keeps me sharp. Boredom is not my problem when I have a goal. Self publishing is a learning curve, but it can be empowering. When you come to a place of utter frustration, step away from your computer. Maybe you will need to stay away for a day or two, and go do something fun.
Moving away from the stress, will remind you that God will get you to the plan He has for you. Your job is to not believe that everything starts and ends with yourself. Your mind will clear when you pray and ask God to help you absorb what you're learning. Remember Rome wasn't built in a day, so don't become impatient with the learning process.
I would encourage you to learn all you can about writing FIRST, then start doing. There are many marketing and non-fiction writing books for Kindle on Amazon. Many of these books are $3.00 and under. Take advantage of the mentoring you receive from authors who have traveled the road you want to take.
It is tempting to compromise and follow the world's system to success. As a Christian author you will need to put God's plan for success before you. The Bible tells us in Habakkuk 2:2 "Then the LORD answered me and said, “Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run" (NASB).
Honoring God in your writing, is a plan God will honor in return.
