Skip skip skip. I danced around the kitchen. Couldn't get into doing anything, much less writing. The phone rang. I think my heart may have skipped a thousand beats. Grinning from ear to ear I ran to answer the call I had been anxiously waiting.
.
“Hello?” “Hello Mary, This is Cindy.” I sounded a bit giddy as I replied “I am so excited Cindy.” Her reply made me sit quickly in the dining room chair.
“Why?”
Uh oh. Here it comes. I was not as prepared as I thought I would be for what came next. Corrective criticism isn't always an uplifting. After sitting for what seemed like an eternity, listening to all the mechanical mistakes my short story had, I had deafened my ear to anything positive my critiquing instructor said. She did say. “This is a good story.” Those words were faint in my memory. I struggled to stay positive… a lump in the back of throat, convincing both her and myself I was fine with all she was teaching me. UGH.
Two days passed with Satan playing his games in my head. Words like inadequate, not good enough, give it up, all attacked my insecure mind. I shared these feelings with my fellow writing friends. They encouraged me and reminded me this was instruction to learn by. I knew all that. I wasn't feeling that way.
Cindy also said, “You have the coloring book outline. Now color the pictures.”
Yes, that was it. I only had the outline. I have outlines of everything everywhere…notebooks of all kinds. Composition, spiral, three ring binders. Even scratch pads have a bits written in a jig-saw of pieces. Although I felt my story was complete, it was far from it. I only had to see it with an experienced artist’s eye.
I have a clearer vision of who I am as a writer and who I will become. I am as a writer like an artist who doodles. It does not mean I am not a writer. It makes me one - one with good ideas who must learn to color in the lines. I am looking forward to Writers Advance! Boot Camp and more classes to come. I am eager to learn, to grow and to paint His words into a masterpiece for the Lord. Doodling words may be done with my pen. My prayer is He colors His will through my hands.
For I am a writer for Him.
Mary Edwards is a children and young adult book writer and photographer. As publicist chairperson for the Gathering, A Meeting Place for Creatives in Christ Conference, she has written advertisements and promotional articles for newspaper, radio station, and magazine submission. She has been published in Mature Living magazine, The Tryon Daily Bulletin and several church bulletins. Mary also writes children church curriculum and planning for various children ministries. She is self-employed at Photos by M.E. where she combines both her writing and photography. Contact Mary at wordsbyLOU@yahoo.com .
