I’ve been writing for a long time. Elementary school introduced me to the fun of words, and I’ve been putting them together ever since. Nothing award winning, but the mind of a ten year old is very imaginative. Sometimes, when I come across something I’ve done in the past, I look back at who I was, what I thought, what I felt about the world around me, and how I fit in to that world.
For the past few months I’ve been looking back on the Logoria Series. I started the series when I was around sixteen years old. I was in an awesome youth group, I had an intense passion for the Lord, and I wanted everything I did to reflect my love for Jesus. That included my writing. Every story needed to speak of God’s love and what He’d done for me.
We had deep discussions in my youth group. We talked about so many things, real things. I learned so much about the bible and what God’s word said about a variety of topics. My first draft of Save Me (then Martin West) was about fourteen pages of… imaginative fiction. At the time, I wasn’t interested in character arcs and plot points and grammatical perfection. I just wanted to tell a story about God’s love. Evangelism at its purest, I think.
Since then, I’ve learned and studied more, both about the Bible and my craft. I’ve improved, but still have a ways to go, but that isn’t what stays at the forefront of my mind. When I first published Martin West, I was excited about so many things – publishing my first work, actually having physical evidence that yes! I am a writer! I was pumped, I was pragmatic, and I had a plan set in place for the rest of the series. Then, something happened.
I had a baby. My world changed. I stopped sleeping for the better part of two years, and my priorities shifted to caring for my daughter. I looked back at the Logoria Series and I wondered, if my daughter were to read this, would she see the message of God’s love? Would she be inspired and encouraged by the story and the characters? I started asking questions about the direction the series was going, and I honestly wasn’t sure.
So I cancelled my plans and spent some time in prayer to find out. I think I got my answers, and we’re four books in so far. My hope is that the series will water seekers and encourage believers. It’s my primary goal, actually. So it’s free. Except on Amazon (couldn’t get around that, sorry). I love writing. It’s my passion and calling. The Lord will make my way successful, and along the way I intend to let anyone willing to listen that His love is unfailing, and He is relentless in the pursuit of His children.
The lesson I learned? Sometimes the only way to move forward is to look back. We have to take time, in what seems to be the middle of what we’re doing, to pause, reflect, refocus, and readjust. It’s ok. It’s part of the process. We don’t get it 100% right 100% of the time. Pursue God and allow your passion to be shaped by His will. Then, move forward.
Be First to Comment