Create While You Wait

By Kariss Lynch

We’ve all experienced these seasons: the endless waiting for a dream to come true. We wonder if God hears, or if we heard him wrong when He called us to this crazy writing gig. Wait—the word that can make us squirm with anxiety and doubt our stories and our skill. Or it can make us hope.

I’ve felt stuck in my current season for a while now. Same pattern, same places, same tasks, same job, same responsibility. No movement on what I really want, what I am praying and seeking. The Lord has been kind to show me that He works in the wait. He is stirring my heart out of frustration and toward hope and diligence. So, I’m creating during the waiting.

1. Practice the art of personal discipline.

So many of us are waiting on what feels like an elusive contract with an agent, a book deal with a publisher, or just clarity on what to write next. Waiting can be difficult. True writers are shaped and sharpened in the waiting seasons when they choose to keep writing anyway. It takes discipline to work without the accountability of a deadline. Practice writing and finishing until God reveals the end goal.

2. Identify your non-negotiables.

Writing without a contract in this season has taught me a lot about what I’m willing to sacrifice and what I’m not willing to sacrifice. It’s taught me boundaries and the importance and weight of a verbal yes or no. I finished a book on my own timeline and am in the middle of a couple more. I’ve learned when to write and when to leave my office and experience and enjoy the moments and people that feed the writing. This season of waiting has taught me to identify where I will sacrifice to pursue my dream. Waiting has helped me develop healthy mentalities and habits so I’ll be ready if the time comes to write under deadline again.

3. Hone your creativity.

Under deadline, time is precious. During waiting seasons, time feels endless. We can either utilize it well, or waste it. Spend the time honing your creativity. Read craft books, start a writing project just for the fun of it, watch shows, read outside your genre, go on an adventure. The possibilities are endless. Feed creativity so it enhances your story. Whenever it comes time for that book to face the world, your story will be better for it!

The most profound lesson I am learning in this waiting season is to thank God in advance for what He is going to do. In his book, Chase the Lion, Mark Batterson says, “Gratitude is thanking God after He does it. Faith is thanking God before He does it.” I tend to beg God for an answer or a sign. But that’s not always how He works. Waiting forces trust. It requires hope. And it requires a gratitude for how God will use obedience in the waiting season for His glory when He ushers you into the season to come.

Kariss Lynch is the author of the Heart of a Warrior series and writes contemporary romance about characters with big dreams, adventurous hearts, and enduring hope. In her free time, she hangs out with her family and friends, explores the great outdoors, and tries not to plot five stories at once. Connect with her at karisslynch.com.