Encouragement for your 2025 Writing Goals

ACFWACFW, Advice, Authors and writing, Encouragement, Learning, Perseverance, tips, writing 7 Comments

by Chandra Lynn Smith

“Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that.” ~ Galatians 6:4 (MSG)

It’s Christmas Eve as I sit here writing this post. My heart wants to get back to the cooking and cleaning and wrapping. But, I must first write this post for New Year’s Eve. The thing is I am not big on New Year’s Eve celebrating. Once I finally got old enough to stay up and watch the ball drop I found out it was not as big a deal as I thought. I’d much rather spend my New Year’s Eve at home in front of a roaring fire in the fireplace, reading a good book, and drinking French Vanilla Mocha.

This coming Thursday, before I am really ready to let go of the magic and miracle of Christmas, everything on TV switches instantly to after-Christmas sales, the year in review, and New Year’s resolutions. Yep, another thing of which I am not a huge fan. I know very few people who keep their resolutions. And I know many people who beat themselves up when resolutions are broken.

In the beginning of this year I did set a list, a lofty list, of my writing goals for 2024. And, guess what? Pretty much none of them were met. But, also guess what? There is no self-shaming going on over this. Years ago at an ACFW Conference, Allen Arnold taught about writing WITH God and only WITH Him. I wrote WITH Him this year. It is a slower process, but a more beautiful one. I end this year, with nothing I had hoped to publish published. But I end this year with two better stories that should be edited and published during 2025—if that is the plan my Savior has for us to do together the coming year.

Did you make writing goals for 2024? Did you meet them?  My friends, I think those questions are not the important ones. Try these two: Did you do life WITH your Savior this year? Did you write WITH Him this year? And, know this, he is not waiting to judge or condemn you, He loves you.

I have shared these before, but at the end of the year and before we start a new one with its goals and challenges, maybe these little tidbits from other authors will help you begin 2025 writing WITH Him. And once again, Allen Arnold, I thank you for your teaching.

“To experience the fantastical you have to step into mystery.” ~Allen Arnold

“Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end!” ~Allen Arnold.

“We owe our readers fresh words to describe the rain.”  ~By Cunning & Craft, page 28

“Good writing is supposed to evoke in the reader—not the fact that it is raining, but the feel of being rained upon.” ~ E.L.Doctorow

“Don’t look for the right word… look for the exact word.” ~Angela Hunt

“The difference between the right word and the nearly right word is the same as that between lightning and a lightning bug.” ~Mark Twain

“A writer begins by breathing life into his characters. But, if you are very lucky, they breathe life into you.” ~Cary Phillips

“It’s time to stop telling stories and start making movies—on paper.”  ~Jeff Gerke

“God doesn’t require that we succeed. He only requires that we try.” ~Mother Theresa

“A writer must have all the confidence in the world when writing the first draft and none whatsoever when editing subsequent drafts.” ~ T. Davis Bunn

“Anyone can write one book and perhaps even sell it, and in the rarest of circumstances, become famous from it—because lightning does strike. To make a career of writing, though, you must take up the burden of making lightning strike regularly, where and when you want it.”  ~Holly Lisle

Friends, enjoy your Christmas, loaf a while, but not too long. The world needs your stories. Here’s to hoping you make lightning strike! And in the words of the Greek artist, Apelles, “Nula dies sine linea,” which means ‘not a day without a line.’

Chandra Lynn Smith is a Certified Professional dog trainer and writer of contemporary fiction filled with inspiration, intrigue, romance, and dogs. She is a 2015 American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Contest winner with her novella, Turtle Box Memories. She has also been a 2-time semi-finalist with To Follow a Dream and To Chase a Dream. Coming soon are To Rescue a Dream and Song in the Night, the sequel to The Light Holding Her. Chandra and her husband live on a small farm in South Central Pennsylvania which is often filled with all four sons, wives, beautiful granddaughters, friends, and anywhere from four to nine “grand dogs” Find Chandra at www.amazon.com/author/chandralynnsmith.

Comments 7

  1. Thanks for your blog. It’s a great reminder. I would paraphrase from one of my wife’s sayings and apply it to writing, although I would not suggest I’m some sort of great authority. But here goes:

    In writing, if nothing’s going right, go left. If it feels like there’s nothing left, go right again. Repeat as necessary.

    Happy New Year!

  2. So I want to say I needed this post. I have a full request from an agent on my first novel, and the agent was asking if I had a second novel as publishers are reluctant to publish a first-time author who only has written one manuscript. (Her words. I dunno anything….) I said yes, I have a second novel about a marriage that is faltering, but by relying on God they learn to get through the difficulties and fall in love with each other all over again. She said I need to write something else, as no one wants a romance book in which the main characters are already married.

    I was discouraged and debating if I should rewrite or totally toss the whole manuscript. And then I read your beautiful piece. My book is about following God’s plan for marriage. As you said, work with God, not by myself. If this agent is not interested, there are other agents out there. If God wills it, the book will be published. If not, that’s OK too. But you gave me direction for my thoughts, and peace in my heart. I thank you.

    And I agree. New Year’s Day is way overrated.

  3. Thank you, Chandra, for your encouraging words. I wasn’t aware I needed them, but your focus on writing with Him and the accompanying quotes are inspiring. Thank you for your guidance in bringing hope and purpose into this new year!

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