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Welcome to The Inkwell, the blog site of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) of Colorado.

Each week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, you can find a wide variety of topics and insight
from inspiration to instruction to humor and more!

For detailed information on ACFW, click here to visit their main website.

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Monday, July 20, 2009

Confessions of a Novelist

My 16th publication is due out in September; 11 novels, 1 novella (released in two different books), a long short story, and two repackaged compilations. I have been given a few writing awards. To many people I may look successful.

But I have a secret.

I . . .

Can’t . . .

Write.

That’s right. A writer who can’t write.

Growing up in school if you would have asked me if I wanted to be a writer of any kind, I probably would have laughed at you or ran away crying because I would have thought you were making fun of me. School was very hard for me. Reading and writing in particular were very challenging to the point of painful. And spelling? I still can’t spell my way out of a soaking wet paper bag to save my soul, even with spellchecker. Fortunately, my salvation is not dependent upon my spelling ability. Jesus paid the price in full (and no spelling required). :-D

If you were to make a list of characteristics of a writer growing up, I doubt that I had a one.

Good in English . . . Nope.
Liked English . . . No way.
Decent Speller (Could at least last one round in a spelling bee) . . . Only in my dreams.
Read a lot . . . read minimally only when forced.
Liked to Read . . . Hardly. It gave me a headache from struggling so hard.

So if you had asked people when I was in school what they thought I might be when I grew up, writing not only wouldn’t have been last on the list, it wouldn’t have been on the list at all.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” II Cor. 12:9

I am like a stubby little pencil. You know the kind; it’s about 1”-2” long, eraser long worn off and the end chewed, and the lead worn down to the wood. Not very useful But in the hand of the God, He can do mighty things even with this stubby little useless pencil.

I am humbled when I finish writing a book or see one in print because I know I can’t write. The God of this universe and all creation chooses to use me, a stubbly little pencil.

My challenge to you: What weakness can you give to God to use and see what He does with it?

3 comments:

Andrea said...

Oh my, this is timely. My weakness is my extended family. Rejection over and over again through the years has left me a bit emotional. I thought I had dealt with these issues. Recently, I was able to reconnect with cousins and other family members. We exchanged information and friended each other on facebook. About a month ago, I realized one of my cousins "Defriended" both my sister and I. Here I am.....

Kathy Kovach... said...

Awesome post, Mary! It's freeing to know that God, and only God, can give success. What does that look like? Whatever He deems it to be. That's freeing, too.

Thanks for the insight!

Anonymous said...

Perseverance, that's what I get when I think of what you wrote.
Thanks for sharing your life with us Mary.

Hugs to all, Paulette Harris

 
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