Foxes, Friends and the Father – Corrections for Becoming a Writer

By Kathryn Lang

“You are good – you should be a writer.” My friend likes to tease me. I have discovered that fellow writers tend to jab a lot with words. He may have meant the comment as a joke, but he was right.


I am a writer. I create content for other websites, write on my blog and contribute to a local paper. I have bits of books and bible studies scattered all around the office. Words pour out of me on a daily basis and sometimes they are even worth sharing.


I am NOT writing in a consistent and persistent fashion.


My writing talent and desire pours over me from my Father. It is a gift – uniquely wrapped up and presented for use in and through my life. So often I leave piled up in the wrapping like a pitiful after Christmas discard. My focus turns to things that I want or I think and I forget all about the gift that has been presented.


The more I think about those words the more I understand that I have missed the mark. My aim has only been a little off, but even a little off can cause you to miss the target altogether if corrections are not made.


Correcting my Path to be a Writer

1. I sat down and wrote out a business plan for my writing. I put the priority in the areas where God has pressed my heart and made other areas secondary to that one. Creating a business plan gives me guidance on how I should spend my limited resources of time, energy and finances.


2. I set goals and objectives that would challenge me to do more but that were reasonable enough to be obtainable IF I follow through. Several weeks ago I tried to set up a plan to create 9600 words PER DAY. This time I looked at the reality of life and then planned around that reality in a way that would push me a little harder towards my dreams. My new goal is 3200 to 4800 words per day (that includes personal writing and work writing, since I do work full-time as a freelance writer).

3. I set aside time to read words of encouragement and motivation to help feed my own words of encouragement and motivation. A spring that is not refreshed will eventually run dry.


4. I committed to specific writing times and narrowed down those writings to things that would help me achieve my goals and objectives set forth in my business plan. I left enough time in my plan to be flexible for the unexpected events and activities that life throws at me.


My own walk has not been disturbed by the big issues of life. It is the little foxes that have gotten into my life and wreaked havoc. The words of my friend reminded me that I need to recognize the little foxes. Keeping them at bay will allow me to treasure the gifts of my Father and through those gifts truly become the writer He intended.

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