by: Shannon Redmon @shannon_redmon

That’s a question all authors must answer at some point in their careers. There are many different reasons—some toll away for days on end hoping for big payoffs, while others want the fame and fortune of bestsellers like Nicolas Sparks or James Patterson. Not all writers chase after money or notoriety but simply hope to share their story with the world, accomplish their dream, or finally be able to call themselves published.

Most don’t expect continuous rejections, the long journey of daily writing, pages of red-lined critiques or hours of effort required to improve our craft. When the dark days of writer’s doubt hit, the few Benjamins earned, do little to sustain the drive that keeps serious writers moving forward.

So, what is the difference between writers who continue on this long, slow path to publication and others who only dream about the end result?

For me, there are two sustaining reasons:

• God
• A love of sharing stories

I still remember the day God called me to be a full-time author. We had a guest preacher at my church and by the time he completed his message, my heart pounded so hard in my chest, I thought I might drop to the ground. The pastor asked us to stand if we wanted to take a step of faith with God and I shot to my feet. I wasn’t sure how he’d provide for our needs or convince my husband that leaving the lucrative corporate world behind was a good idea but God provided everything we needed so I could join him on this journey.

At first, my end game was to get as many books published as possible and climb the writing ladder of success. That’s what I had done at the corporate level and figured I’d take the same approach with my new endeavor but boy was I wrong. I struggled with the discouragement that came along with every book rejection. Either the stories didn’t meet the market demands or the plots were too contrived. Success didn’t come immediately and God used the constant disappointment to change my heart’s desire. This calling wasn’t about my glory, success or fame but his.

God opened my eyes to the truth, that one day, all of our books, all of our awards, all of our accolades will be nothing but ash, not because man destroys them with book burnings and bans but because God will return in all his glory and set up His kingdom where the souls of those who have accepted Jesus will thrive. Only the impact of our stories will remain. Either we drew people to Christ or we pushed them away.

This is our reason for writing—to share the light of Christ through the words and ideas he gives us. To demonstrate through our characters, God’s undying love and redemption. Not to build ourselves up to a level of worldly praise or fill our coffers with millions. We must humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt us (1 Peter 5:6)

Not for our glory but for his.

The sun doesn’t rise to warm us each morning. It peeks over the horizon—because of God’s glory.

The ocean tides don’t stop at the shoreline to wet our toes. It stops—because of God’s glory.

The birds don’t sing for us every day, but their melodious songs fill the air—because of God’s glory.

How much more should the words we write be for God’s glory. After all, he is the author of the greatest story ever told.

Shannon is a Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author and her greatest hope is for her stories to immerse readers into a world of suspense and escape while encouraging faith, hope, and love in Christ.  She has three books published by Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense line–Cave of Secrets, Secrets Left Behind and Mistaken Mountain Abduction. She is also one of the Managing Editors of Acquisitions for Spark Flash Fiction Magazine, where she received her first official published byline. Shannon is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube
Agency.