A writer’s prayer for you

 

“Many beginning writers believe

the writing process requires great confidence

and unfaltering courage.

 

I’ve learned the writer’s journey requires

the ability to admit we’re not brave

or altogether perfect.

 

As Christian writers, we fare well

if we possess the wisdom to ask God

for the strength and discipline needed

to buckle down

and type the words He gives us.”

 

Xochitl Dixon

Lord, thanks for this new year and the fresh opportunities You offer us to write our memoirs.

 

Remind us that you’ve given each of us life and therefore you’ve given each of us a story to share with others.

 

Help us believe that writing our stories is not a hobby—it’s a ministry! You’ve told us to always remember what we’ve seen You do and to tell our children and grandchildren (Deuteronomy 4:9).

 

And Jesus said, “Go back to your family and tell them all that God has done for you” (Luke 8:39).

 

Your Word urges us to tell everyone about the amazing things You do, for You are great and most worthy of praise (1 Chronicles 16:24-25).

 

Convince us that we should not look down on small beginnings—and that You, O God, delight to see our work begin (Zechariah 4:10). Lord, give us the courage to begin.

 

Ignite a fire in our hearts to work as disciplined, intentional writers, committed to finishing our memoirs.

 

Take away our fears, Lord, and help us compose our stories with confidence, knowing You will use our efforts to point readers to You and Your love and Your goodness.

 

Motivate us to make time to reflect—to think back and ponder and examine—and to search for Your holy fingerprints, footprints, and heartprints. Enlighten us so we connect the dots and notice connections we overlooked in the past.

 

Enable us to see Your big picture, to recognize what You were doing to bring about Your best for us—often not the easiest, but the best.

 

You have entrusted our stories to us. You want us to tell others so they can see how You fought our battles alongside us, You brought healing and hope—not because of who we are, but because of who You are! Not because we are so great, but because You, God, are so great.

 

You have called us to a sacred task so inspire us, dear Lord. Help us find joy in the process of writing, of retelling our “God-and-Me” stories. Place in us a desire to learn to write well, with clarity and grace, and to persevere through rewriting and polishing and editing and publishing and marketing. Bring good people alongside us to accomplish all that.

 

Help us to embrace fulfillment and purpose and satisfaction in doing what You’ve called us to do.

 

Lord, You can do far more than anything we can request or imagine (Ephesians 3:20) so we humbly ask: Please equip us to write the stories You’ve given us. And once they’re in print, use them to accomplish Your good purposes.

 

Help us remember: All of this is not because we’re so great, but because God, You are so great!

 

Not because of who we are, but because of who You are!

 

May our memoirs and lives bring honor to You, 

our glorious God.

 

Back to Basics: How do you begin writing your memoir?

 

If you’re new to writing, you might wonder just how to write your memoir—that is, how to find the precise words and how to put them in the right order.

 

The process can seem mysterious, even daunting. The specific how-to might feel out of reach.

 

You might be wailing, “How do I do this? How do I get started?”

 

Don’t let such worries incapacitate you. Ban discouragement. You can do this!

 

Take a deep breath.

 

Believe me when I say:

 

• Keep in mind you’re writing a rough draft. Don’t worry about making it perfect because you will revise it several times. (Revision is not punishment! All writers, even the most accomplished, revise and polish.)
• You can start writing anywhere in your storyline. You don’t have to begin at the beginning. Write short vignettes, knowing you can string them together in the correct order later.

 

Start by writing an easy part of your story.

 

Don’t do what a friend of mine did:

He started his rough draft by tackling

the most painful experience of his life!

 

That’s a recipe for disaster—

the pain can overwhelm you

and you’ll likely stop writing altogether.

 

Instead, begin writing the easy stuff, the fun stuff, fond memories, the light-hearted parts.

 

Describe key places in your story: your grandmother’s kitchen, or a rainforest, an Air Force base, a classroom, a nursery, or a factory.

 

Describe a key person: your favorite teacher, your best friend, your uncle.

 

In the process, get accustomed to the writing life. My heart longs for you to enjoy the process of writing.

 

Here’s encouragement for you:

 

“Do not despise these small beginnings,

for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.”

(Zechariah 4:10 NLT)

 

Go ahead and get started, even if you feel you’re accomplishing only “small beginnings.”

 

Take heart. We all start small—and that’s okay!

 

In fact, it’s good. Look at the rest of that verse. “The Lord rejoices to see the work begin.”

 

Now, doesn’t that make you smile? Give you hope? Inspiration? Encouragement? A desire to keep at it?

 

I hope so. 

 

You have no idea how many people your story will touch.

 

Don’t underestimate the value of your story.

 

Think back: When did a sentence or chapter or book turn your life around?

 

I still cling to a single sentence I read almost half a century ago. It altered my perspective and the way I’ve lived all these years. How I thank God for inspiring that woman to write her book!

 

And I can never thank God enough for leading a man to write his book—because one chapter rescued me and healed me and revolutionized my relationship with God.

 

Your book

could do that for readers, too.

Believe it!

 

Jeff Goins offers this perspective to those who haven’t begun writing:

 

“Starting is hard.

It requires courage and perseverance

and all kinds of gumption.

That’s why most people just talk about it,

but never do it. But starting is necessary.

It’s crucial to making your mark and leaving a legacy.”

("Start Today, Not Tomorrow")

 

No matter how long it takes, write your memoir!

 

“The legacy you leave hinges on your decision to start.”

(Jeff Goins, “Starting”)

 

Tuesday Tidbit: Write your memoir, even if you start small

Have you started writing your memoir yet?

 

If not, may this Bible verse inspire you to begin.

And if you have begun writing but know you still have a lot of work ahead, you can identify with those words, “small beginnings.” If that term describes you, may this Bible verse comfort you, too.

 

Take heart. We all start small—and that’s okay!

 

In fact, it’s good. Look at the rest of that verse. “The Lord rejoices to see the work begin.”

 

Now, doesn’t that make you smile? Give you hope? Inspiration? Encouragement? A desire to keep at it?

 

I hope so. 

 

Take joy in your writing. 

You have no idea how many people your story will touch.

 

There you have it: your Tuesday Tidbit.

 

 

A writer’s prayer for YOU

Lord, thanks for this new year and the fresh opportunities you offer us to write our memoirs.

Remind us that you’ve given each of us life and therefore you’ve given each of us a story—a story to share with others.

Help us believe that writing our stories is not a hobby—it’s a ministry! You’ve told us to always remember what we’ve seen You do and to tell our children and grandchildren (Deuteronomy 4:9). And Jesus said, “Go back to your family and tell them all that God has done for you” (Luke 8:39).

Convince us that we should not look down on small beginnings—and that You, O God, delight to see our work begin (Zechariah 4:10). Lord, give us courage to begin.

Ignite a fire in our hearts to work as disciplined, intentional writers, committed to finishing our memoirs.

Take away our fears, Lord, and help us compose our stories with confidence, knowing you will use our efforts to point readers to You and Your love and Your goodness.

Motivate us to make time to reflect—to think back and ponder and examine—and to search for Your holy fingerprints, footprints, and heartprints. Enlighten us so we connect the dots and notice connections we overlooked in the past.

Enable us to see Your big picture, to recognize what you were doing to bring about Your best for us—often not the easiest, but the best.

You have entrusted our stories to us. You want us to tell others so they can see how You fought our battles alongside us, You brought healing and hope—not because of who we are, but because of who You are! Not because we are so great, but because You, God, are so great.

You have called us to a sacred task so inspire us, dear Lord. Place in us a desire to learn to write well, with clarity and grace, and to persevere through the rewriting and polishing and editing and publishing and marketing. Bring good people alongside us to accomplish all that.

Help us recognize that while we’ll be full of joy when we publish our memoirs, we can and must find joy in the process of writing, of retelling our “God-and-Me” stories. Give us the ability to embrace fulfillment and purpose and satisfaction in doing what You’ve called us to do.

Lord, You can do far more than anything we can request or imagine (Ephesians 3:20) so we humbly ask: Please equip us to write the stories You’ve given us. And once they’re in print, use them to accomplish Your good purposes.

Help us remember: 

All of this is not because we’re so great, 

but because, God, You are so great!

Not because of who we are, 

but because of who You are!

May our memoirs and lives 

bring honor to You, our glorious God.

I encourage you to follow Write to Worship with Xochitl E. Dixon on Facebook. She writes lovely, deep prayers for writers.

Tuesday Tidbit: Write your memoir, even if you start small

Have you started writing your memoir yet?

If not, may this Bible verse inspire you to begin.

And if you have begun writing but know you still have a lot of work ahead, you can identify with those words, “small beginnings.” If that term describes you, may this Bible verse comfort you.

Take heart. We all start small—and that’s okay!

In fact, it’s good. Look at the rest of that verse. “The Lord rejoices to see the work begin.”

Now, doesn’t that make you smile? Give you hope? Inspiration? Encouragement? A desire to keep at it?

I hope so. 

Take joy in your writing. You have no idea how many people your story will touch.

There you have it, your Tuesday Tidbit.

Tuesday Tidbit

Today we continue with our new Tuesday mini-feature

to inspire you

and to bless you.

Your finished memoir: How do you envision it?

When you close your eyes and picture your finished memoir, what do you see?

Have you chosen a title for your book? (If so, let me know!)

Imagine your memoir’s cover. What will it look like?

Dream big!

These days we have a myriad of publishing options. We’ll cover them more fully in the future but for now, you can start thinking about a few:

• a published hardbound or softbound book (either self-published or with an agent and/or publishing company)
• a three-ring binder
• a scrapbook-like format
• a spiral-bound book from your local print shop or office supply store
• a digital book compiled on the Internet (Is that the same thing as an e-book? I'll let you know.)

While you mull over your title, cover, and publishing options, pray for a clear sense of what you want your stories to accomplish in the lives of your readers—children, grandchildren, and other special people.*

Then, grab hold of that vision and make a plan.

This week your finished memoir might seem only a blurry dream, but planning for it now will help speed you toward that glorious accomplishment.

 

“Little is accomplished by those who dillydally.”

Donald Grey Barnhouse

Strategize, organize, and establish short-term and long-term goals for completing your memoir.

Get out your calendar and schedule weekly writing times.

And remember the beauty of memoir.*  It’s not autobiography!

In memoir, you don’t need to start with the day of your birth and include details about preschool, elementary, middle school, high school and college.

Facts that are imperative for a résumé are optional in memoir.

Memoir is a slice of life, a story or collection of short stories along a specific theme.

In Spiritual Memoirs 101, our theme comes from several Bible verses that tell us to remember what we’ve seen God do and be sure to tell our children and grandchildren. (See Deuteronomy 4:9 and 6:4-9, for example.)

And do this: Circle a date—probably on your new 2012 calendar—to finish your memoir’s rough draft.

Yes, go ahead! Do it!

Do it now!

And have fun!

*Related post: What is a memoir

http://spiritualmemoirs101.blogspot.com/2011/04/what-is-memoir.html

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