by Sandy Kirby Quandt @SandyKQuandt

Two of my unpublished books are on the Tuskegee Airmen, Red Tails, of World War II. While researching the Airmen’s story, I found a quote by General Chappie James which, although it referenced the Airmen applies, I believe, to writers as well. 

General James said, “Prepare yourself so that when your Tuskegee appears, you will be ready.”

As writers we need to prepare ourself to be ready for our writing Tuskegee. Our opportunity. Our moment to shine forth God’s word. We need to prepare for the dream God placed in our heart to become a reality.

Your Tuskegee may look similar to mine. Or it may look completely different. My Tuskegee involves being prepared to write what God places on my heart to write, send it where I believe he wants it published, and get it in front of the people I believe he wants it in front of.

Prepare yourself so that when your Tuskegee appears, you will be ready. Sounds good, but how might one go about doing that?

For me, I believe no matter what is around the corner, our first step is to be grounded in God’s word. We need to pray about every aspect of our writing journey. Seek to know God’s will. Strive to please him above all others. 

Just as the Tuskegee Airmen needed to understand their equipment and study their manuals, so do we. To start, we do our homework. We study the craft. Participate in critique groups or have a critique partner. We read blogs and books on the craft of writing. Attend webinars and conferences. 

It wouldn’t do any good for the Airmen to read instruction manuals, sit in on class lectures, study weather charts and navigation, then never get inside an airplane. How foolish would that seem? They took what they learned and applied it to their mission of flying pursuit aircraft during a time of war. 

The same is true with us. All the knowledge of writing we might gain will not do us a bit of good unless we understand how all the pieces fit together, and use that knowledge to write. Our weapons are not pursuit aircraft, but the written word. 

Pilots are able to fly airplanes because they have trained and studied the flight manuals. They know their instruments. They understand the mechanics of flight. They put in the long hours and do the hard work. 

As writers, if we want to be ready when our Tuskegee comes, we can do no less. We study and train to know how the publishing industry works and the mechanics of it all. Long hours and hard work go into our writing pursuit. 

While we prepare for each step of our writing journey with God, I pray we are ready when our Tuskegee comes. I pray we are prepared to write for God’s glory and his pleasure. I pray we use the tools God gives us to fight the battles he calls us to.

In what ways are you preparing for your Tuskegee? 

I wish you well.

Sandy

Sandy Kirby Quandt is a former elementary school educator and full-time writer with a passion for God, history, and travel; passions that often weave their way into her stories and articles. She has written numerous articles, devotions, and stories for adult and children publications. Her devotions appear in two Worthy Publishing compilation books; So God Made a Dog, and Let the Earth Rejoice. She has won several awards for writing including the 85th and 86th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition in the Young Adult category, First Place in the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Children’s Literature 2016 Foundation Awards, First Place in the 2017 Foundation Awards in the Young Adult, Middle Grade, and Flash Fiction categories. Looking for words of encouragement or gluten-free recipes? Then check out Sandy’s blog, Woven and Spun. When The Way Is Steep