Find Your Own Hole

How do you fit a square peg in a round hole? Well, I could get all mathematical on you (stop groaning at the back) and explain that as long as the diagonal of the square is shorter than the diameter of the circle, then it’s not a problem.  

However, this misses the point of the phrase. Square pegs are not designed to fit comfortably in round (or hexagonal, or triangular) holes. They tend to look a little awkward, too. And yet the pressure of familial expectations, social media ideals or (tragically) rigid church structures mean that many of us spend far too much time trying to force ourselves into a space that was never intended for us, often bruising ourselves in the process. 

 

This way of thinking can damage our writing selves, too. There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with wanting to write a bestseller (I can dream) or at least see our words in print. But if we spend too much time fixating on becoming the next Tolkien or (insert your writer of choice here) then it’s likely we’re trying to force our hexagonal self into a square hole. Being inspired by another writer is fine, but aiming to become their carbon-copy will leave you feeling faded and smudged around the edges. Similarly, while I’m all for getting advice from other writers, treating their words of wisdom as a magical formula that guarantees success will almost certainly end in disappointment.

 

I love the fact that ACW represents such a wide variety of writers; journalists, songwriters, poets, letter-writers, bloggers, novelists and so on. Some write full-time, many fit it in around regular employment, and others snatch odd moments in the midst of caring for small children. To borrow from Paul’s analogy, the writing body is made up of many parts, all of which matter. Writing takes many forms, and God is less impressed by six-figure advances than the rest of us. What counts in His kingdom is being faithful to the vision He has given us, whether that’s writing something for the church magazine that will encourage another believer or seeing our novel in the local bookshop.

 

So, can I encourage you to learn to be comfortable in your own writing ‘hole’? As Oscar Wilde might have said, ‘Be your writing-self; everybody else is already taken.’

 

Fiona Lloyd is Chair of the Association of Christian Writers and writes regularly for Together magazine. Her first novel, The Diary of a (trying to be holy) Mum, was published by Instant Apostle in January 2018. Fiona also works part-time for Christians Against Poverty.

 

Twitter: @FionaJLloyd & @FionaLloyd16