Back to Work

I just came back from one of my favorite writers conferences, Writing for the Soul, held by the Christian Writers Guild (www.christianwritersguild.com).

 

On the last day of the conference, most attendees are flying high with new skills acquired, friendships made or renewed, and positive Happy Peopleresponses from agents and editors. We leave with new story ideas or new insights into how to revise our current projects to make them better.

 

We exchange hugs and business cards as we say goodbye and head for home. Excitement buzzes amid dreams of contracts and book signings and, dare we dream so high, Christy awards and the New York Times bestseller list.

 

And then Monday morning arrives. It can be like stepping on the wrong end of a rake. All that enthusiasm meets the reality of our worlds. Kids and spouses need our attention. We’ve been missed and we’ve missed them. And there’s nothing like little Jake can’t find his homework five minutes before the bus arrives to drive visions of show-don’t-tell and tension on every page right out the window.

 

Frustrated Woman at Computer With Stack of PaperMany of us have day jobs where our bosses and coworkers think we’ve had a mini-vacation, not realizing how hard we work at a conference to learn, to be on time for classes, to keep appointments with agents and editors, to be at our best when we pitch, to keepgoing on little sleep.

 

I don’t have a magic formula for making this transition from the world of the conference to our world at home.MP900443136

 

For me, and I know for many of us, we are called to write. Pen to paper, fingers to keyboard, words from heart and mind to printed page. These are all visual manifestations of God’s plan for us to communicate Him to the world through the wide variety of tools and outlets He’s created.

 

Happy ComputingNow is the time we take the emotional and spiritual high of the conference and convert it to energy to fuel our work, to look at our projects in the new light of better skills and renewed dreams, and to make our writing time vibrant. To make the time part of worship of Him, part of our thanksgiving for the inspiration and talent He’s given us, and, most important, to use it to glorify and honor Him through the words we write.

 

7 Responses to Back to Work

  1. diane February 20, 2013 at 4:18 pm #

    Thanks for the encouraging words, Henry! It was a great conference. I always find it so God ordained. He is so good.

  2. Henry February 20, 2013 at 5:06 pm #

    It was a great conference and I really enjoyed connecting with you. Abundant blessings on your writing.

  3. J.A. Marx February 20, 2013 at 5:07 pm #

    Laughter, Henry. You forgot to mention all the therapeutic laughter at the conference that still makes us chuckle Monday morning. Like Lizzy avoiding self-glorification by twirling off stage. LOL And Steven J. mimicking her.

  4. Tina Boone February 20, 2013 at 6:55 pm #

    I love what you said about feeling hit in the face when you come home from a conference. Sometimes I feel like my brain is brimming over with ideas, and if I don’t get them on paper ASAP they’ll slosh out, gone forever. But having big dreams helps me steady the cup and get it on the page. So keep dreaming big. I’d love to see your name on that bestseller list.

  5. Henry February 20, 2013 at 7:06 pm #

    You’re right. But there was only so much I could squeeze into the blob.

  6. Henry February 20, 2013 at 7:07 pm #

    Thanks, Tina. I’m believing we’ll both be there some day.

  7. Marney McNall March 20, 2013 at 1:18 pm #

    Wish I could’ve been there!

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