I Want to Be a Writer

Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. This was not an occupation my parents or extended family wanted, as none of them are writers. My parents were blue collar workers and it was presumed that I would do similar work.

Decades later, I am still trying to fulfill that dream because the dream never died. I sidestepped my dream many times because I thought that’s what I was supposed to do. For example, I worked as a salesgirl, waitress, daycare teacher and office worker, but none of those jobs were right for me. I wasn’t happy and the work was only somewhat satisfying. 

It takes a long time for some of us to realize that maybe God has a plan for our life and to trust that a persistent knocking at the door of one’s heart and mind must be answered. I eventually opened the door to let God’s word come in and understood that I should pursue writing as a life’s work.

Use It or Lose It: Steps and Challenges

When God plants a desire in our heart or gives us a certain talent, that is a gift. But the desire or talent remains dormant unless we do something with it. Like the story of talents in the Bible, if we fail to use what God gives, it is the same as burying the talent and never doing anything with it. 

Passion alone does not bring a dream to reality. Practical application must accompany desire. Steps must be taken, and missteps must be addressed. I am still learning the steps involved in freelance writing.

Writers encounter various challenges along the way, everything from having their manuscript rejected, waiting sometimes a long time for an editor’s response, accepting criticism from editors, revising a piece multiple times, waiting sometimes long times for payment, and accepting an unpredictable income. 

I get article and story ideas for a reason and I know they need to be expressed. All of my ideas won’t be published, but I must write them nonetheless. Regardless of setbacks, I write because I enjoy writing and I feel peaceful when I write. Writing is part of who I am as a person. 

Using My Gift

How do I bring this gift from God to its full fruition? By practicing. Just as a painter must pick up the brush every day or a musician must play an instrument, so a writer must put pen to paper every day. 

As I am learning, the road map required to fulfill a dream may take a while to travel, but by taking the necessary steps, we will discover how best to make the dream become a reality. It is never too late to be what we want to be when we grow up. It is never too late to fulfill a dream, especially a dream planted in one’s heart by God. 

Maddy Thompson writes from Northern California.

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