“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” (Eph. 6:10)

In last week’s blog post, I wrote about the difficulty I’ve had lately with being creative. This past weekend, I attended the virtual Oklahoma Writers’ Federation, Inc. (OWFI) conference. Attending the conference, learning from fellow writers, and mingling (even virtually) is always a boon for my creativity.

This year, the conference coordinators took a chance on me and allowed me to conduct two workshops on self-editing practices. I’ve done a lot of speaking over the years, but this was the largest event where I’ve been invited to speak.

To top it off, my Christian cozy mystery, which will be released this fall, won second place in the unpublished mystery novel category. A couple of years ago, this same story won honorable mention. I’ve made a lot of changes to it since then, and placing in the contest is validation I’m on the right track.

I’m fairly confident in my ability to write nonfiction. After all, I practice consistently by writing and publishing this blog. I’m not always certain I’ve written something the best way, but I know God will use my words to reach the person who needs the message.

But when it comes to writing fiction, I’m full of self-doubt. What writer doesn’t struggle with self-doubt at some point? It hovers nearby, waiting for me to take someone’s criticism to heart and shut down. It’s the reason I’ve held onto my cozy mystery for such a long time, revising and reworking it many times over.

I have to remember that God is in charge of my words. No, they won’t come out right the first time. What’s in my head will not match what’s on the page. It will take multiple tries to get it right.

And that’s okay. With each revision, I learn more about the writing process, which helps me help my editing clients, and I learn more about myself. I know God can use my novel because novels have played a huge role in my own development. Placing in the contest reminds me to trust that God is moving and working through me, and my job is to remain open to conveying the message he gives me.

And what about my other entries that didn’t place in the contest? The lesson is the same—take the feedback given by the judge, pray about it, and use it to make the story stronger. No matter what, I’ll keep writing.

Dear Jesus, thank you for validation that I’m on the right track with my novel. Thank you for speaking to me and through me. I pray you will use my words, whether in a blog post or novel, to reach people with the message of your love and grace. Amen.