@LisaCarter27

In this age of instant coffee, instant communication and instant everything, it is sometimes hard to come to grips with the reality that writing is a long, slow journey. Every writer’s path will be different, but for the sake of mental health, we must learn to embrace the individual journey in which God has placed us. Despite what we’ve been taught in this got-to-have-it-now era, it really isn’t all about the destination. Like the Christian life, writing is not a sprint, but a marathon. Pace yourself.

So what can writers just embarking on the journey do to develop their writing craft?

A few suggestions:

1. Carve out time to write something every day. A journal entry. A blog post. A grocery list . . .
2. Join professional writer organizations like American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Sisters in Crime (SinC). There’s a writer organization for every genre. Network and learn from industry professionals, published and unpublished writers.
3. Find a critique partner or group that shares your writing goals and reflects a diverse background of publication experience.
4. Seek out a mature, published writer who might be willing to mentor you in the craft of writing. Usually this kind of relationship cannot be solicited or hurried, but happens organically while learning and growing together with other writers via conferences, professional organizations, writing e-forums, etc…
5. Attend at least one professional conference a year—more if your budget allows. The Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference is one of the premier writer conferences in the nation.
6. Be the kind of encourager to another writer that you would like to find for yourself.
7. Read and study books on the craft of writing and apply them to your current project.
8. Take online courses or creative writing classes through local institutes of higher learning.
9. Persistence is fundamental. Keep on keeping on despite the self-doubt, time pressures and rejection slips.
10. Recognize you are in this for the long haul. Most writers will not be overnight sensations. Prepare yourself mentally and emotionally.

Remember—as C. H. Spurgeon once said—“Because he never gave up, the snail reached the ark.”

Enjoy the journey and happy writing.

What advice would you give to a writer in the early stages of the journey? What do you know now that you wish you’d known way back when?

Multi-published author Lisa Carter likes to describe her romantic suspense novels as “Sweet Tea with a Slice of Murder.” A Vast and Gracious Tidereleased in June 2018. The Strongholdwon a 2017 Daphne du Maurier. Under a Turquoise Skywon the 2015 Carol Award. Beyond the Cherokee Trailwas a 4½ star Romantic Times Top Pick. She also has two contemporary romance series with Love Inspired. Lisa enjoys traveling and researching her next fictional adventure. When not writing, she loves spending time with family and teaching writing workshops. A native North Carolinian, she has strong opinions on barbecue and ACC basketball.

Join the adventure at http://www.lisacarterauthor.com.

Follow Lisa on Facebook, Twitterand BookBub.