This week I’m embarking on rewrites for two projects–both a novella and my third full-length novel. It’s been a crazy-busy summer of writing, that’s for sure.
It’s easy, when in the trenches of drafting or revising or marketing, to get very focused on the moment…the most immediate to-do…the most necessary task.
But something cool happened yesterday that pulled me away from the tyranny of the urgent and gave me a sweeping view of my writing journey over these past few years. A friend told me some pretty exciting writing news. And as we chatted, it became clear this person and I have both been influenced by an author who’s much further down the publication road than us.
She has taught us, mentored us, encouraged us…
She’s become a friend and someone I look up to so, so, SO much.
And if you read any Christian fiction at all, surely you know her name: Susan May Warren.
She’s got forty-some books under her belt, a vibrant personality and gift for not only storycrafting–but teaching storycrafting. She knows how to bring out the storyteller in people. And I can’t even tell you how hugely she’s impacted my writing journey.
And I had this moment yesterday, after chatting with this friend, when I started thinking about Susie and all the lives in which she’s made a difference. All the books currently on shelves in bookstores across the country because of her.
And I thought of me, almost five years ago, sitting in a retreat center up in Minnesota, listening to Susie teach–practically in tears because suddenly my dream seemed doable and everything felt right and perfect.
I got goosebumps yesterday as I thought about the way Susie has used her gift to help people like me use mine.
And I found myself shooting off a quick email to her, just to let her know how thankful I am for her.
Then it came time to write this blog post and I had another topic idea altogether, but I kept coming back to Susie…and that email I’d just written to her. And how wonderfully good it felt to pour out my gratitude in a simple little paragraph.
So I deleted the post I’d originally started and, well, here we are.
This blog is called Inspy Romance. All of us authors—and hopefully the readers who stop by here–enjoy romance of the inspirational variety. We also love relationships and family and friends. And I can’t help thinking, in any relationship at all—man, it’s just so important that we tell people that we’re thankful for them. That we recognize the way they’ve influenced and inspired us.
That we don’t just admire people—but that we put that admiration into words.
I admire Susan May Warren so, so much. And there are other authors, too, who have inspired and encouraged and changed me: Rachel Hauck and Beth Vogt and Lisa Jordan and Anne Mateer and the list could go on and on.
So that’s my Friday challenge here at Inspy Romance. Let’s tell the people in our lives how much they mean to us.
Who inspires you?
Who’s influenced you so much you just know you wouldn’t be where you are today without him/her?
Susan May Warren is indeed an inspiration. She writes beautifully and not without packing an emotional punch. :)
For sure, Rissi. I’m FINALLY getting a chance to read her latest Christensen family one, the one that takes place in Hawaii, and oh my goodness, I love it!