Category: Writing

4 Reasons to Persevere in Running Even if You’re Bad at It

~ Ruth ~ 2 Comments

When I first started running a few years ago, I was really bad at it. Even now, I’m still only mediocre. Yet I persevere. I have four good reasons for doing so.

Reason 1: It’s a Quick Calorie Burn

This is the main reason why I took up running in the first place. As a writer who spends a fair amount of time in a computer chair, I need regular exercise. Running is quick, effective, and a cheap alternative to the gym, since the streets don’t charge me monthly fees to run them.

Reason 2: No One Punches Me in the Face

Before I took up running, I trained in boxing and kickboxing. Our coach eventually moved out of state, however. The class disbanded, I stopped sparring, and working out now no longer involves the danger of dropping my guard and walking directly into someone’s glove. I can say with some confidence that even a bad run beats getting punched in the face.

Reason 3: I Don’t Have to Be Good 

I’m not out to impress anybody, bring home trophies, or even beat my own personal records. In short, I’m not in it to win it. My goal with every race, every run, and every training session is the same.

“You don’t have to be good,” I tell myself. “You just have to finish.”

The funny thing is, though, I am getting better; but it’s not because I’m pushing myself or following some slick training program. I keep showing up, and the consistency pays off.

Reason 4: The Struggle Is Worth It

Running is difficult. Everything about it is a struggle. In the end, however, it’s worth it.

I feel the same way about my writing. It’s a struggle from beginning to end, and none of those daily writing sessions feel important or impressive. I keep showing up at the keyboard, day in and day out. I plonk down on my computer chair, open a manuscript, and give myself my daily pep talk.

“You don’t have to be good. You just have to finish.”

And, eventually, I do.

~~~

Training sessions and first drafts don’t have to be impressive to prove effective. They just have to be done!

Is there something you’ve been wanting to try but have been too intimidated or too afraid to start? Share in the comments below. Is there something you’ve finally started that you’d been putting off? Tell us all about it so that we can cheer you on.

You also may enjoy seeing how I worked some boxing and kickboxing exploits into my debut novel, Collapsible: A Novel of Friendship, Broken Bones, Coffee, Shenanigans, and the Occasional Murder.

Happy Monday, everybody! May your coffee be stronger than your yawns.

Expectation, Reality, and Hope

~ Ruth ~ 9 Comments

Recently, a former student of mine found a typo in a book. Normally this would thrill me. I love seeing my students apply what they’ve learned–especially post-graduation. This time was different, however. This time the book was mine.

“I found a typo in your book.”

Her comment sparked an inner war.

Obviously, I make no mistakes; therefore, she must be wrong. But she can’t be wrong. She’s my student. She knows her stuff. To doubt her is to doubt the quality of her English education, which I can’t do. I was her English education. Besides, I want to be proud of her. In a small way, she’s an outflow of me. But so is my book.

Moments like these underscore two basic truths. First, we desire perfection. Because we’re made in the image of a perfect God, we keenly feel the tension between that desire and the reality of our lives. We are completely incapable of the perfection we require. Every day, in incalculable ways, we fall short.

I’m not just talking here about sin, although that’s also true. I’m talking more about faulty memories, missed turns, slips of the tongue, and yes–even typos.

What do we do when we’re forced to confront our own inadequacy?

We thank God that once, there was a Person who held it together. Though he suffered the same human frailty we battle every day, he surpassed expectations, ushered in a new reality, and is our source of hope.

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. – Hebrews 4:14-16

Without the hope of mercy and grace found in Jesus, the frustration and shame of our own inadequacy would crush us.

Fortunately, because Christ was perfect, we don’t have to be. He freed us from the frustration of trying to meet an impossible standard.

Our hearts can rest in him.

~  ~  ~

For more information on my books, see here. To read along and check for typos, see here.

What’s the best/worst typo that you’ve ever found in a book or–perish the thought!–caught in your own work? Feel free to share in the comments below.

Happy Monday, everybody!

When Life Has Continuity Issues

~ Ruth ~ 6 Comments

Recently I stumbled across a list I’d scribbled in one of my writing notebooks while editing my first trilogy. At the top of one page, in giant loopy (and–let’s face it–slightly manic) handwriting are two words: CONTINUITY ISSUES!

In crafting fiction, continuity issues crop up for a number of reasons. The most common reasons include late-date tweaks to a plot or a character that are inevitable and yet frustrating because they nearly always require total book (or, in my case, total series) checks to ensure that the story still hangs together as a unified whole. This is a time-consuming process, but a relatively simple one. Once I root through my manuscripts and make the necessary changes, no one is the wiser–except perhaps my editor, who either approved the changes or suggested them in the first place.

jess-watters-519012-unsplashThough I occasionally offer justification or pushback against editorial changes, I know deep down that there’s no way I can be objective about my writing. I’ve spent too much time with my nose buried in the page to see the big picture clearly, and my insane emotional attachment to the time I’ve invested in certain sections unduly influences me to champion them even when they add little overall value. That’s why as a writer, I’ve learned to trust my editors. Although the process is sometimes painful, each edit is a kindness.

In life, I also have an Editor. He’s constantly reworking the narrative, adjusting my story goals, adding and subtracting characters, and tweaking the timeline. When I recognize this happening, I have two options: I can try to superimpose my will over His, or I can learn to trust his firm editorial hand.

A man’s heart plans his way,
But the Lord directs his steps.
(Proverbs 16:9 NKJV)

How to Recover from a Writers Conference

~ Ruth ~ 2 Comments

You’ve just arrived home from your writers conference. Your brain is boiling, your fingers twitching, and that little muscle under your eye has been jumping for the last twelve hours.

Totally relatable. But you can’t stay like this forever.

What do you do first?

Stop Talking

If you’re anything like me, then you’re sick of the sound of your own voice, and the pitch for your current work-in-progress has begun to sound like gibberish through constant repetition.

Above all, you long to eat a meal without talking proposals over mini roast potatoes.

If possible, build some extra quiet time into your day. Indulge in long unaccompanied walks, lock yourself into your closet, take a drive to nowhere, go to dinner with two pillows tied to the sides of your head.

Whatever you have to do.

Hydrate

Oh, you thought your headache was from meeting five hundred people in four days? Perhaps. But you were also too busy to drink water between sessions, and although you had good intentions of hydrating at meals, you spent the entire time talking about your current project instead.

This ends now.

Go to the kitchen and get a glass of water. Or coffee. Contrary to popular opinion, coffee actually will help hydrate.

nathan-dumlao-264380-unsplash

If you fall asleep while waiting for the pot to brew, don’t worry. This post will be here when you get back.

Speaking of which…

Sleep

Between rising early to hit breakfast before the first session and dropping off to sleep while actively debating marketing techniques with your roommate somewhere in the wee hours, you got nowhere near your standard six hours per night. (Or whatever magic number you favor.)

I promise that although you feel overwhelmed right now, you’ll feel better once you’re rested.

And speaking of promises…

Prioritize Promises

We all make promises at these conferences.

Whether our promises are to an agent, an editor, a writing partner, or simply to ourselves, we’ve all committed to take certain steps. Though it’s tempting to dive right in on day one with all the commitments we made during the conference, we must first take time to pray and seek wise counsel before prioritizing which steps to take.

That’s actually good news. You don’t have to do everything in a day. Though the Lord has not promised us a specific number of days to work, He’s promised strength for each day’s tasks. And that’s a good thing.

So once you’re hydrated, rested, and have your next steps prioritized…

Get to Work

I often hear from new writers that they’re not certain writing is a good use of their time. Although their phrasing varies, they generally say something like, “What’s the use spending all this time on something that might not turn into anything in the long run?”

That’s how all investments work. They’re all risks. Though we’re never certain that anything we do will pay off, we can all be certain of this: there’s no chance of success if we don’t do the work.

So go get it.