Where Do I Fit In?

By Marilyn Turk @MarilynTurk

In this vast, unpredictable world of writing, do you ever wonder where you fit in? I do.

Although we try to avoid labeling people, the publishing business does this for us. Here are some examples:

1. Prepublished? Published? Multi-published?
2. Are you with a major publisher? Small press? Independent? Hybrid publisher?
3. Are you an A-listed author? B? Not even ranked?
4. What genre do you write? Fiction? Nonfiction?
5. Divvy up fiction and you have others. Romance? Suspense? Speculative? Young Adult? Children?
6. Award-winning? Finalist?
7. How about marketing? Are you a blogger? Podcaster? Social media whiz?
8. Are you a member of certain writers’ organizations like ACFW, AWSA, FHL, CAN, etc.?

We can’t help but look at other writers and place them in these categories while figuring out our own. And even though we want to be good little Christians and not compare ourselves, how can we avoid it? Then the categorizing ultimately leads to either pride or jealousy, neither of which fit the “What would Jesus do?” mantra very well.

Recently, I experienced some of these unlovable qualities when a writer I know won an award in a contest I had also entered. It wasn’t that I wasn’t happy for her. No, of course not. I was just unhappy for me, which dampened my zeal for her. Plus, my disappointment bled into other negative thoughts such as “Am I really a writer?” “Why am I doing this, spending all this time at my desk instead of joining family and friends?” “Did God really want me to write?” “Has my window of opportunity already closed?” “Should I give up and quit?” Thoughts like those can make us feel separated, lonely, and lost, like we don’t fit in the writing community.

Shortly after this experience, as I was looking over music our church choir will be singing and preparing for the practice later that day, a question came to my mind. Why am I in the choir? Is it because I have the greatest voice? The answer is no. I have no doubts about my voice quality. It is average. So why do I think I belong in the choir? Because the choir is a group of people who enjoy singing and we do so at church as a ministry of worship and praise. Few of us have perfect voices, but we all add to the whole, and in so doing, we create beautiful, harmonious music. And you know what? I’m not jealous of those with more beautiful voices. I’m actually very glad those people are in the choir because they make us all sound better together. God did not gift me that way, but He did give me an appreciation for music and the ability to carry a tune. Nevertheless, I keep practicing and trying to improve my singing to be a better part of the choir.

When I realized why I sing and how I fit in the choir, I saw the analogy in writing. I doubt I’ll ever be an A-listed author, but I can enjoy reading their books. And I can continue to work on my craft to improve it so I can contribute to the quality of Christian books available. I am in the “choir” or writers who write because God inspired them, God gave them the talent, and God wants us to use what He’s given each of us, no matter where we rank among peers. As Christian writers, we all belong to the Christian world of publishing, a world which is needed to spread God’s truth through our writing o this secular world in which we live. And when we get to heaven, that’s the only place we’ll care to fit in.

Award-winning author Marilyn Turk writes historical and contemporary fiction flavored with suspense and romance. Marilyn also writes devotions for Daily Guideposts, Walking in Grace, and contributes to other Guideposts publications. She and her husband are lighthouse enthusiasts, have visited over 100 lighthouses and also served as volunteer lighthouse caretakers at Little River Light off the coast of Maine. When not writing or visiting lighthouses, Marilyn enjoys walking, boating, fishing, gardening, tennis, and playing with her golden retriever. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Faith, Hope and Love Christian Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Word Weavers International, and the United States Lighthouse Society. Marilyn is also the director of the Blue Lake Christian Writers Conference. Find Marilyn and her books on Fiction Finder, as well as her website, Facebook, and Pinterest.