Another week, another media amplified frenzy; great time to pen away my latest discovery unto the blogosphere. Great time to write it all out . . . where I'm at it again!
Writing Isn't Always Easy
This day has finally come.
The day I will confess that I don’t know what to write.
I'm sitting at a table, staring at the blank screen and feeling so human.
It’s perfect, actually.
Because it’s Sunday night, and I just got home from House Fellowship - where I teach about the Word of God. Or better still, where we share and grow in the Word together. It was another great one today. Yeah. We talked about Vashti who let pride rub her off her throne and crown.
By the way, how was your weekend? *smiles* My weekend was fantastic! From Friday up until now, I've been on high key. Like really high! (I will give you the gist tomorrow). No, that's not the reason why I have nothing to write. I only wanted to let you know I'd been busy outside the blogosphere.
Oh! OK, take it to mean that I'm tired.
Too tired to write.
So, it is with great humility that I pull back the curtain and confess:
I don’t know what to write.
Writing is more like passion for me, but sometimes I wish it was easier for me. You see, I'm not a writer who whips it out all the time. Sometimes I'm very slow. Sometimes I feel exhausted. Sometimes I wonder why God would give me a fire for something that can take me to the edge and make me want to scream.
It burns. Even when I'm too tired.
These are one of the days where trusting God becomes the only way out.
If you ask me, I don’t think it matters that I don't know what to write. You know why? Because I just keep going. Remember the last time it happened? It was a blank sheet. At the end of the day, the sheet wasn't blank. *grins*
And it is happening again. This time, it is a confession. I want to be real, open and honest to the fact . . .that I'm a human who doesn't know what to write.
So by telling you that I don’t know what to write, I am telling you what to do when you don't know what to write. Ironically.
Secret
The secret is that there isn’t really a secret. One thing is when I know I have to write an article, my head responds to the desire God has placed in my heart and starts to collect ideas to make the post. It evolves, in a way. In other words, by pushing myself to post an inspirational article every Monday, my mind changes and starts coming up with ideas on its own.
LOL. Sounds cheesy. Right? But it's not. It is a painful process. It takes discipline, perseverance and commitment to meet up to my posting time at 5:59 AM GMT West Africa.
Trusting to write when you don't know what to write is like stepping out of the boat, and saying "OK. Lord, take my hands. Carve the words as you please!"
What to do when you don’t know what to write: Write.
Write.
Just write.
Just write.
I like to think most of us are writers. If you’re creating stuff - stuff that they call "content" in the form of blog posts, articles, or newsletters, books, tweets, replying comments or producing videos or podcasts, (or all of the above), I’d call you a writer. Yes, you are a writer like that.
Writing begets writing. I have discovered that the more I write is the more I really want to write. Just keep writing.
Writing begets writing. I have discovered that the more I write is the more I really want to write. Just keep writing.
Season
As a writer, you’re going to be struck with a period during which you just cannot get any work done. You might go through these phases:
- incomprehension - when you be like "I don’t understand what I am writing about"
- lack of confidence - when you be like “I’m not sure this is worth writing about"
- then finally fatigue - when you be like "I’m too tired to write about this"
Guess what? The best write-ups are created in these seasons - uncertain times.
Even if it’s nothing, even if it’s crap, you’ve got to carve the words onto the paper. Even if it’s only a hundred words, You just have to keep writing. Keep moving. Keep doing.
Sometimes I write things I don't understand. I have written things that sounded somewhat meaningless to me but the amazing thing is it starts to make sense just after few days, weeks or months later.
Writing is doing. Living. Being.
Sometimes I write things I don't understand. I have written things that sounded somewhat meaningless to me but the amazing thing is it starts to make sense just after few days, weeks or months later.
Writing is doing. Living. Being.
Purpose
Writers (Christian writers especially) may not always know what to write, but we can always know why we write. I believe so because I know why I'm writing this article. I am writing for Him. I am writing to fulfil a mission. To stir up my gifts. To inspire other writers. I am writing because God gives me the desire to communicate through words on paper. I am writing because I'm taking steps to learn how to travel the path. I am writing for the journey ahead.
If you have a passion, there's a reason for it. You can develop writing skills but you can't fabricate the passion. Passion is what keeps you going. Purpose is what keeps you on track. You need passion and purpose altogether.
So when you don't know what to write, remember why you have to have to write. And Trust God to let it flow.
Trust God
Don’t give up on the discouraging days, because they will come. Proverbs 16:3 says, "Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will succeed". If you do, then you can’t fail. He’ll make sure you get where you need to be at the right time. He will make sure you do what you need to do no matter how impossible it seems to be.
Phew! It feels good to unburden myself and totally relinquish charge over the fact that I'm human who doesn't know what to write. I go through booming and gloomy seasons. There are days when life can be completely uncontrollable and unpredictable. There are days when things wouldn't work out as planned. There are days when there will be a high tendency to misplace priorities. These are days to trust Him even more.
Phew! It feels good to unburden myself and totally relinquish charge over the fact that I'm human who doesn't know what to write. I go through booming and gloomy seasons. There are days when life can be completely uncontrollable and unpredictable. There are days when things wouldn't work out as planned. There are days when there will be a high tendency to misplace priorities. These are days to trust Him even more.
Finally, You're a human being.
When we realize the purpose for our being, we will have content.
But seriously, if writing was always easy, why would a writer (like me) be needing God?
Happy New Week, sweethearts!
May God help you when you don't know what to do. Be open and let Him lead you.
Stay inspired.
I love you.
May God help you when you don't know what to do. Be open and let Him lead you.
Stay inspired.
I love you.
Follow on Twitter: @Amakamedia
Email: amakamedia@yahoo.com
Heart Rays . . .giving out the light.
