Working on my first book, Seeking the Lord, was a labor of love. The most frustrating part of writing was the limited time I could give. I wrote it in the early morning after praying. Once I reviewed where I had left off and thought about what to write next, it was time to go to work. I scrambled to get a paragraph or two written and had to leave dissatisfied with my lack of progress.
On weekends I was able to get in a good couple of hours writing, which was more satisfying. Working a little at a time, as you might imagine, really extended the writing process. It took two years to finish the first draft.
What’s Critical for Some Writers but not for Others?
Another part of the writing process that was critical for me, does not necessarily apply to every author or book. Since my book was based on God’s Word, I needed to pray for guidance and results. It would be one thing to misrepresent something a human had said, but to misrepresent or misapply the Bible is a grave error with catastrophic consequences. Why do I say this? Just look at all the false doctrine that is being proliferated under the flag of Christianity. These deceptions are leading people away from Jesus because the peddlers misuse the Bible to suit human ambitions.
Since my book was about seeking God, it needed to help people do that. Misapplication, bad interpretation, poor writing, or even spelling mistakes could push readers away. So, I prayed each time I sat down to work toward the goal of the book being pleasing to God and helpful to humans. I’m grateful the Lord answered those prayers. It was remarkable how relevant passages came to mind at just the right time to support or explain a topic. Or sometimes I couldn’t find a Bible verse I thought would fit, so I’d have to change the direction of my writing to be in line with the Bible verses I did have.
I’d encourage you, whether or not you’re writing about the Bible, to be careful. Don’t try to make God’s Word fit your plans or thoughts. If things don’t match, we need to change. The Lord has the big picture, so its best we keep in step with Him. Trying to do that led to some encouraging conversations after my book was done!
What came after two years of writing? Editing and reviewing. Find out about that critical process next time.