The Writers' Journey by Nikki Salt

Over the past four months, what has your writing journey been like?

Perhaps for you, it has been a journey of your ‘actual’ writing (character developments, prose, editing, research (much of it through Google, of course) or you may have bravely stepped out and launched your book online (I’m extremely privileged to be reading and reviewing a couple at the moment) or possibly you feel this journey has taken you away from your writing. You might be feeling frustrated, perhaps imagining the last four months a writing waste. You couldn’t be further from the truth.

God is just as interested in our writing journey as He is in the destination.

During the past four months, I have written little but, metaphorically speaking, I have swum oceans, soared into celestial spaces, and plummeted into endless chasms but all the while He has shaped me. He’s shaved bits off, moulded bits on, pressed and, just as he does with everyone, pummelled me into His work of art. A work of art that’s never quite complete.

The Great Sculptor knows far more about artistic diversity than any of us. As He moulds, He allows us all sorts of experiences and injects them with a whole plethora of emotions. Just as we teach and parent our own children, he nurtures us, and sometimes it hurts a bit.

However, as He sculpts, we too become artists and from these life experiences, we create our own characters, our own stories. We draw upon our darkest fears, our deepest grief, our times of elation, of pure, utter delight, and those moments that made us laugh so much our bellies ached. We write and we share and allow others a glimpse of our true selves in the hope that as they read they can identify with our journey and know that they are not alone in theirs.

No part of a writers’ journey needs ever be wasted. I’d love to hear about your writing journey if you’re happy to share.