Tag: editing

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God doesn’t need another book – And other lessons learned

Leeanne_Sype_500  By Leanne Sype

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me, “So when are you going to write a book?” I would be a kazillionaire.

My response is: “As soon as God gives me a book to write.”  Usually my remark elicits a reply of, “Oh” or simply a blank stare. Somehow the qualification for being a writer has come to mean either one has written or is writing a book and/or is also published or seeking to be published. Well, if this is the case then I guess I am not a writer because not only haven’t I written a book, but I don’t want to.

I’ve spent the last 14 years editing other people’s written works, yet I have been writing all my life. I have thousands of pages sitting in my office that I’ve written; essays, poems, journals, letters, etc.  I have a few articles and newsletters that are published, but probably not in anything you’ve ever seen. And I have a blog. I’ve been writing on my blog since 2009; sometimes I post regularly and sometimes I don’t.

I am essentially unknown in the writing industry. Does this mean I am not a writer? Of course not! Does this mean I am not a “real” writer?  Of course not!

Look, I went through the (10-year) internal battle of  “Am I a real writer even though no one knows who I am and may never know who I am because there are…

…a million people who write way better than me,
…who have published a book,
…who have at least 35,000 followers,
…who blog five times a week,
…who guest blog three times a week,
…who speak at conferences,
…and who are now working on their second book?

Oh my gosh, I need to write a book, something really good so I can be the “real” writer I know I am supposed to be. ”

This was stressful for me because I didn’t want to write a book, and I am not a believer in writing or doing anything merely to fit in with cultural expectations. Yet, I knew I was a writer. Something wasn’t lining up.

Then I heard angels sing a harmonious “Ahhh” when Wm. Paul Young  spoke at the 2013 Faith & Culture Writers Conference. He said:

“God doesn’t need another book. Or a movie. Or a song. It’s you He loves . . . He is a God who loves you with relentless affection, who does not need you to write a book . . . You don’t need it for identity if you know who you are. You don’t need it for security if you know who’s your provision. You don’t need it for worth if you understand how you’re loved.”

Young’s words changed my life. I became comfortable, in that very moment, with who I am as a writer. I am a daughter of God who writes out of pure love for her Father. (And I am the weirdo writer who doesn’t want to write a book. So what?)

Culture gives us mixed messages:

  • You are writer, own it—but you are not really legitimate until you are published and noticed by zillions of people.
  • Be a headline, shoot for the public by-line—but write something worth reading and be “authentic.”
  • Build your followers, grow your audience—but create real and meaningful relationships.
  • Find your voice and use it proudly—but don’t add to the noise because no one will pay attention to you.

Culture was driving me to build my own kingdom and it wasn’t lining up with my heart—my faith.  

I am not interested in building my own kingdom; I am interested in inviting people into God’s kingdom.  God gives us a different message: You are mine alone and I love you. All I want is a relationship with you.

From this perspective, God is my one and only—He is my audience, he is my publisher, he’s my editor. When I write for God, the pressure is off to adhere to worldly formulas and expectations for success. I am better able to find my voice and confidently use it to express my honest thoughts. I am a better writer when I write for God because I’m writing in response to and for the purpose of a deeper relationship with Christ. When I write to please God rather than to please culture, I give the Spirit within me permission to speak freely and the ability to connect with a reader better than I could have in trying to manufacture something I think a reader may want to hear.

Writing for God means this: before I write anything I pray, “Lord, I just want people to know you the way I know you. Instruct me in the way I should go.” I don’t worry about stats, I don’t worry about comments, I don’t worry about notoriety. I trust my work will land where He needs it to land and it will connect with whomever it needs to connect. God has been faithful in blessing me with a humble little audience and delightful conversations with people all over the world.  Somehow in writing to connect with God, I also connect with other people. Everything lines up beautifully when God is in control, and I don’t have to work so hard.

God created me to be a writer and it’s through writing I grow closer in relationship with him. That’s all that matters. He does the rest. I confess God has recently given me a book to write.  Why would a God who doesn’t need another book ask me to write a book? Have I mentioned I don’t want to write a book??

The book itself isn’t for God. It’s for me. Somewhere in the process of writing this thing, I’ll grow even closer to Him. That’s what He needs. I still don’t want to write a book, but I do want to be obedient. Now when people ask, “When are you going to write a book?” I’m working on it. But it doesn’t mean I will necessarily publish as culture would expect. After all, God has only asked me to write the book.

With this goal in mind, I am looking forward to Faith and Culture Writers Conference 2015 as a daughter of God seeking to be inspired on how to be better in her craft, for the purpose of lovely and pure obedience to a Father who doesn’t need another book but only a deeper relationship with me.

—————

Leanne Sype is an editor, writer, mom, daughter, and student of God; she’s a lover of coffee, writing, and orange pens. True to her word-nerdy, book-wormish nature, she adores editing and has been doing it for the last 14 years. This is her third year speaking at the Faith & Culture Writers Conference. Portland is her favorite place in all the land, but she’s living and learning life in the suburbs, writing everything down as she goes, and encouraging others to do the same. She attends a local church and lifts her best worship to the One who guides her life and my pen.  Follow her on Twitter or at her blog.

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From Behind the Pages to In Front of a Crowd

By Leanne Sype

 

As an editor, I spend the majority of my time buried in the pages of unpublished books, blogs, and other beautifully blunder-filled prose.  I am energized by what I do, and I enjoy (prefer) being behind the scenes helping my writers polish their message so it shines for the world. I take what I do very seriously because writing is hard… and for most authors, editing is excruciating.  I respect that.  I honor it.  Hey, I’m a writer too, so I get it!

I love editing, though.  It’s my favorite part of the entire writing process because it is where the smoke clears and the destination you were trying to reach comes into view.  But more than editing, I love cultivating relationships with other writers.  I am inspired, intrigued and taught by my community of fellow writers, readers, and life-livers.  I find great joy in learning from others and engaging in discussions of or relating to reading and writing and life–life is what gives us the material about which we write.

So imagine my delight when I was asked to speak at this year’s Faith and Culture Writer’s Conference!

*hand to mouth gasp*

Oh yes!  I’m coming out from behind the pages and getting in front of a crowd.  EEP!  I’m stoked!

Why?  Several reasons but here are the main two:

1) Community!  Writing is a solitary (and sometimes dark) endeavor that requires community engagement.  Our craft, as writers, messes with the psyche, causing both doubt and euphoria regarding our skills in a matter of seconds.  A writer’s conference brings us together with others who understand the celebrations and commiserations associated with the writing process.

Writers are also a community of creators who share a common DNA for an art we simply must share with others, yet each individual is as unique as the stories he/she creates.  We come together at an event like this and gather knowledge, perspective, and inspiration that help us keep creating and sharing with the world– better than we did before.

2) Learning.  I hope to forever be a scholar of the writing craft–always learning how I can be better.  Though I am excited about the opportunity to speak, I’m looking forward to being part of this event at a student.  Reading through the session-topic schedule is analogous to walking through a See’s Candy shop… everything looks so good I just don’t know which ones to pick!

The bottom line is this: when it comes to writing, the rules are changing, the publishing arena is changing, and what readers want from content and its authors is changing.  I want (need) to know how to better connect with my readers.  I need to know how to better help my clients so they can reach their publishing dreams.  And everyone who’s speaking at this conference will offer perspective on how to be better.

Plus, the two keynote speakers are Ken Wytsma (founder of The Justice Conference) and William P. Young (author of The Shack), both of whom I respect and believe will offer outstanding insight/testimony!  To be honest, I am a bit geeked-out about hearing them live.

So what will I speak about?

My session is called “Beyond the Mechanics: Editing for Audience Connection versus Proofreading for Mistakes.”  I will illustrate the differences between editing and proofing, how to craft your message so it connects with your reader.  A reader does not connect with pretty words and perfect punctuation; however, good word choice and clean grammar are necessary for a reader to understand your message and take it to heart.  That is to say both editing and proofreading are crucial to your writing process…and completely different from one another.

I’ll be unpacking what all this means and how to approach this phase.

Enough about me! If you’d like to come to the conference, you should definitely come because you are invited!

You can also hop on over to the Faith & Culture Writers Connection Facebook page for updates and announcements.

Thanks for reading through this awfully long post, my friends. It truly is a always a wonderful opportunity for all who come, so I wanted to be thorough about why this is so from my perspective.  I hope to see you there… would love to meet you!