If you’ve checked out my blog or know me, you probably have picked up that I really enjoy writing. It’s something I’ve been pursuing lately and hope to continuously grow in, possibly even making it a career someday. But, there comes a big question: why do I/we write? Many view writing as something tedious and annoying that is a necessary evil of school while others consider it a joy and calling. Here’s why I write:
-Obviously, I enjoy writing. For me, it’s really fun to just write. Whether that be stories, poems, or (my favorite) just scribbling some pretty sentences onto a sheet of paper or the notes app on my phone.
-The pure enjoyment of it (and because I could tell it was something I’m good at) was what initially prompted me to start writing more outside of school. It was fun to write and learn about writing, so I’d do just that.
-As I got increasing involved in writing, learned more about writing, and grew in my relationship with Jesus, I realized two things:
1. Writing is something I’m really passionate about and want to be able to seriously pursue.
2. Writing creates change.
Coming to the realization about how passionate I am about writing was really the foundation. You can’t pursue something you aren’t passionate about very well. Passion drives effort, creativity, motivation, and so on.
As I read some books, grew in my relationship with Jesus, and thought about how important writing can be, I realized that writing can be so much more than a hobby or even a profession. Writing can change the world. Using written words can be the way God has called us to be Kingdom builders. Isn’t this exciting?!
A few months back, I knew it was time to start working on a serious story. Ideas, frankly, aren’t my strong point, and I couldn’t think of anything that really excited me. I eventually decided that even without a fantastic idea, I really needed/wanted to start on something. What I started on is not a stellar idea, has been done before, and is probably not something I will ever pursue publishing. After working on this story for a little while, I started wondering if it was even worth it to put so much effort into this story.
I then had a realization: Right now, I don’t have a story idea that I feel incredibly passionate about. I’m not in a place where, if I finished a novel, I’d probably try to publish it. I need to develop writing skills, story-building skills, and gain a deeper understanding of how I want my writing to produce change.
What I do have is a story that’s pretty fun to work on, no deadlines or commitment, and lots of room to grow.
I realized that right now, my story is somewhere I can practice and grow my skills as a writer so that when the experience, skills, time, and calling comes to write a novel that I want to take very seriously and try to publish, I will be ready.
So, no matter what stage of writing you are in, here are some amazing resources for (teen/young adult) writers that I have found extremely helpful:
Go Teen Writers- This blog has an amazing amount of immensely helpful information about everything
from point of view, to the publishing process, to encouragement for teen writers. Plus, its been around for quite a while, so there's a massive archive of posts and you're almost guaranteed to find what you're looking for.
The Young Writer Revolution Videos- This is a series of four videos (each about 15 minutes long) for
young Christian writers, produced by Jaquelle Crowe Ferris and Brett Harris, designed to empower and inspire young writers. The series doesn't focus on technical writing tips (plot, structure, character development), instead the focus is on the importance of building young writers for God's glory and how you can pursue writing as a young person. I found these videos really inspiring. They are kind of meant to be a lead-in to the the Young Writers Workshop, which seems cool, but I haven't participated in. However, you definitely don't need to be a part of it to watch the videos.
Do Hard Things- This is not a book about writing and you will find no writing value in it all. That being said,
this book is phenomenal to encourage, challenge, and inspire you to pursue hard things (such as writing a novel) for the glory of God. I 10000% recommend this book to all Christian teens.
Blogs and Books- 1000s of blogs for writers exist, all with their own unique things to bring to the table. Go
look at some awesome blogs or just search for posts on a specific topic.
-Reading books (not necessarily writing books, just books you like) can be so valuable to writers. Not only will you pick up tips, styles, plot structure etc., but I think an amazing book always inspires us to write a little better.
I hope you enjoyed this post! I know that there's so many more resources for writers out there. What are some of your favorites?
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