Here I Am, Send Me

By Janet Morris Grimes

Writing is a rather lonely sport, as we all know.

In order to be a successful author, we must live within disciplined parameters that require us to keep our distance at times. While we’d love to accept every invitation from every family member or friend who is hosting a gathering, we’ve lived that life. And though we love it, it leaves us feeling frustrated with a string of intriguing but unfinished projects.

Instead, we must learn to carve out our time; to shut ourselves off from the outer world during our prime writing times. At a minimum, the social media/cell phone notifications/email world; any of which could steal 3-4 hours of our precious ‘go’ time with little warning.

I’m often amazed by my author friends who handle these challenges with discipline and creativity. They identify their ‘working hours’ and do everything within their power to protect those hours from interruptions. These are the same friends who release multiple books within the same year. The ones who flex their marketing skills with ease, tickling the faded letters of their keyboard in ways that bring in new readers and fans with a strategic Instagram post.

We are tethered to our keyboards in many ways, and it shows. Still, there comes a time when we must step away from our keyboards and join life outside of our fictional towns and beloved, quirky characters.

For me personally, there is nothing more beneficial than attending a writer’s workshop, conference or simply meeting with my ACFW Chapter or critique group. We get each other, and need each other, desperately.

And the truth is it’s easy to talk ourselves out of attending these types of events.

Do we really have the time? Shouldn’t we stay seated on our golden writer’s throne to force the magic to happen? Should we invest that much $$ into learning what we kind of already know?

Yes, yes, and yes.

Sure, we must choose which events to attend and scatter them throughout the calendar year. We look for some sort of return on our investments, but even that’s difficult to measure.

The greatest benefit?

Sometimes, the reward is simply being in a car by yourself for a while and contemplating the latest scenario our characters are facing. Sometimes, we allow other writers to pray for our journey, which prepares us for the coming obstacles we all face. Sometimes, the reward is a line of encouragement we receive from a friend, or the networking opportunities we’re never going to find if we stay glued to our keyboards.

I’ve served on planning committees for many conferences and had the opportunity to volunteer as well. Every time, I’m amazed by what God does when his messengers are in the same room. Even when we meet virtually, God magnifies our time, talent and treasures in ways we could never do on our own.

I’m convinced that He parts the waters differently for every writer.  I’ve seen it so many times, and for this reason, I’ve never once regretted showing up to a meeting or workshop. Through traffic, construction, speeding tickets (almost – thanks for the warning, Officer!) registration fees, schedule conflicts, and even grief.

It’s always worth the effort, and God shows up every time.

Isaiah 6:8  – Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.”(New Living Translation)

Janet Morris Grimes may not have realized she was a writer at the time, but her earliest childhood memories were spent creating fairy-tale stories of the father she never knew. That desire to connect with the mysterious man in a treasured photograph gave her a deep love for the endless possibilities of a healing and everlasting story.