They say that a writer must find her own voice; her own way of telling stories that somehow pulls the words from the pages directly into the hearts of her readers. This is my desire as a writer; never to simply explain my feelings, but to invite you along for the journey so that you may feel them as well. I long to tell stories that matter; the kind that keep speaking to the heart long after the book is closed.
My writer’s voice has been screaming at me since I was a child. My role has always been to interpret my experiences so that others may join in. Writing is what I am. It is what I do on a daily basis; lest I implode.
After recently facing unemployment for the first time since I was 15-years-old, my writing dreams finally wrestled me into submission, forcing me to cry “Uncle” before allowing me off the ground to brush myself off and give thanks for the career path that has now chosen me. No longer content to remain a hobby placed on the back burner, my writing demands my full attention on a daily basis, gaining strength with each treasured word.
My journey to Publishment took an interesting turn when I was awarded a write-for-hire project through Atlantic Publishing. My first book project will be entitled, The Parent’s Guide to Uncluttering the Home, not necessarily what I consider to be a story that touches the heart. Still, it offers validation as an author, my chance to work with an editor and meet someone else’s deadlines, and strengthen my writing muscles along the way.
But what happens next?
What I hope happens next, as my devotionals and articles on faith, family and learning about life the hard way seep into the hearts of my readers, is that I find a new way to share my voice.
By speaking. In person. With a clear and unmistakable voice.
Stories are powerful. Face to face encounters matter for a lifetime. Relationships are the only thing we get to take to Heaven with us. And by meeting my readers, hearing their stories and looking into their eyes, my words can then grow, becoming a ministry. Because behind it all is not my desire to be famous, but rather my desire to make God famous. If I do this correctly, the deeper I get into my relationship and my story, the more of God you will find.
Whether the topic is uncluttering the home, growing up without my father, having a baby at seventeen while married and still a senior in high school, or the latest that God is teaching as we have moved four states away from the only home we have ever known, I am ready to tell my story. In person. With a strong new voice and a growing ministry.
The She Speaks Conference, sponsored by Proverbs 31 Ministries, would be a huge first step for me with my speaking endeavors. For additional information on their scholarship contest and the conference itself, please see the links below.
http://lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com/2010/03/she-speaks-scholarship-contest.html
http://shespeaksconference.blogspot.com/
