Thursday, July 6, 2017

Title: The Diet of a Writer: What Feeds Us – Part IV by Susan Tuttle


The past several months we’ve been talking about what feeds a writer. From actual snacks to technical growth to the friendships we have. Today I want to talk about the staple of our diet. The part that feeds our very spirit and should breath life into every word we write: God.

We can forgo every other part of the diet we’ve spent time talking about, and our writing may suffer in quality, but it could survive. If we miss out on this piece though? We might as well put away our typewriters and not write down another word on paper.

See, writing is a God-given gift. It is the one thing all of us share in common. It spans genres and publishing varieties. No matter why, what, or how you write, you write because when God created you, he placed this gift inside of you. It was the purpose he created you for. And not acknowledging the gift-giver leaves a hole right in the center of anything you write.

Last month we talked about how friends can fill us up. They can, and they are an important part of our lives. But we also need to spend daily time with God for him to renew our vision, bestow direction, and breath life into us—and the words we write. We don’t simply write for entertainment. We write for Him. For his message to be heard.

Some of us do that overtly. Some do it subtly. But we all should be doing that. I encourage you to protect your daily time with God. Begin each writing session by praying over your keyboard. Seek him for direction and invite him into the process with you. He longs to partner with you in the very gift that he gave you. The stories you write with him will far surpass anything you could ever write on your own.

What fills us as writers? Many things. But the only thing we truly need is God.

Susan L. Tuttle lives in Michigan where she’s happily married to her best friend and is a homeschooling mom of three. She’s firmly convinced that letters were meant for words, not math, and loves stringing them together into stories that inspire, encourage, and grow women into who God created them to be. Romance, laughter, and cookies are three of her favorite things, though not always in that order. You can connect with Susan at her blog, Steps, Facebook, or Twitter.

Susan contributes on the first Thursday of each month.