From the Hart
Janet Hart Leonard
For someone who feels a nudge to write but keeps holding back… what would you want them to know?
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When God gives you a nudge, it means He has given you a gift. God nudges are sacred. Even if you write just a few minutes a day or an hour a week, your writing will eventually come together.
Writing is often done in short jaunts, not marathons. It is a long, messy, deliberate process. Before you start, you may already feel discouraged... STOP right here. Take a deep breath. You are going to love this journey if you relax and enjoy it.
Keep a journal in your purse, or even a small one in a pocket. Write down even a thought or two. You can even use the Notes app on your phone. Over time, your thoughts can be shared on a blog, on Substack, and someday in a book.
Read books in the genre you want to write. Highlight or take notes on what speaks to you. Listen for the writer's voice. You will find your voice as you keep writing. AI will never have the power your voice has over a reader.
I tell people that a writer can’t not write. I know that is a double negative, but it’s just the best way to put as to why I write. Those who have been writing for any length of time will understand. I started writing twenty-seven years ago in A personal journal. Twenty years ago, I submitted a column to a newspaper as a guest columnist, which led to my writing a weekly column.
It seems blogs have now become Substack posts. Even posting on Facebook and Instagram gives you an audience for your thoughts. You never know where your writing will take you. Over time, you will grow braver as you realize your thoughts help others. I remember the first time someone wrote to me and said, “Your words say how my heart feels.” I needed that reassurance.
Writing is the lyric of what the heart has to say. Just as music has a way of settling the heart, so does sacred writing.
As people become familiar with your writing voice, they will follow you and want more.
Find what motivates you. Maybe it’s writing pajamas, a certain snack, or a time of day. I’ve used all of the above. My inspiration comes in the wee hours of the morning, around 4:38. Yes, 4:38 is when I often wake up, hear the voices telling me to get up, stumble to the kitchen table, pour myself a cup of ambition (coffee), and start writing. I try not to edit as I write; I just let it flow.
When I write, I picture a younger me sitting across the table from me. I write to her, telling her what I wish I knew when I was much younger. Even when I write columns that make people laugh, I remember that laughter is a balm for a weary soul. I know that weariness well.
I read and follow the writing of people who write the way I want to write.
The best writing isn’t about just what happens in a story but how the reader is made to feel. When you hook a reader’s heart into your words, they will follow you to the moon and back. May not go to the moon, but at least to the end... leaving them wanting more.
You’ve got this, dear writer. You just needed someone to tell you that you have had the power all along. IYKYK
Listen to Episode 5 of My Friend Writes
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