On Being A Writer And Creating Expectations

I love that I get to write. I love processing my thoughts in writing. I love it when my words bless someone across oceans, miles, and cultures.

And yet, there are some things I wasn’t prepared for when I started my writing journey.

I wasn’t prepared for the rejection I would feel when a friend didn’t bother to buy my book. Or the hurt I would feel when someone said they didn’t get my story. Or the pain I would feel when sales did not correspond to my expectations.

Not that I ever expected my book to be a bestseller. Or that I expected my book to be for everyone. Or even that I expected every single friend to buy my book.

Yet, I confess, I did expect more.

I believed some friends would simply buy my book because they wanted to support me, not because the book was necessarily for them. And some did. But others didn’t.

Maybe I take these things too much to heart. Maybe it’s simply that I’m not good at marketing. Or maybe it’s the age-old “I’ll buy it later” and then never getting round to it.

But the truth behind my disappointment is that I imagine this: other people don’t believe in me. They see me as a disillusioned amateur.

Despite my—perhaps crazy—imagination, I take comfort in this one truth: God has called me to write. He will enable me, as I surrender to Him.

The same is true of you, fellow writer. Maybe, like me, you feel underappreciated or alone in your writing journey. Maybe you feel like others don’t really get you. They don’t get your desire for books reviews and support. Or, maybe, like me, you feel like others regard your writing as a hobby, and they see you as an amateur.

I’m here to encourage you and tell you this: if God has called you to write, don’t give up. Keep writing. Keep improving. Learn from your mistakes. But don’t let the enemy hinder you from doing what God has called you to do.

God desires obedience from us. In the end, that’s all that matters.

Your writing pal,