How Discipleship Relates to Writing

Have you ever thought about how the writing journey has some parallels to discipleship?

             Disciples                Writing

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Some things discipleship and writing have in common are:

Prayer

Prayer for the person, the project, for ourselves as we dedicate ourselves to either task. Both discipleship and writing needs to be bathed in prayer.

Commitment

Just as getting to know a new Christian takes time and commitment, and even more time to develop trust, so writing takes commitment to follow a book through from idea conception to publication. Both with discipleship and writing it takes a certain sort of dogged commitment that refuses to give in or let go in the face of opposition, heartache, or just plain hard work. :)

A Vision

We need a vision of not what the person looks now--but what he/she will become. A vision of not what the jumbled first draft look like--but of how the spiritual arc and characters will touch the reader and in turn leave them changed.

Mentors

The guiding hand of someone who has gone before us, a lantern a few steps ahead and an encouraging smile that says, "You are doing well! Keep going...you're on the right track." With writing this is especially helpful to have feedback and encouragement from those who have walked the path to publication before. Mentors: we all need them whether we are new parents, new Christians, or new writers. Learn from them--and then become one yourself.

Testing

Now, I'm not an advocate of setting specific tests or trials before someone who is being discipled. Life hands out enough lemons without burdening them further--and I believe that it is up to God to test a person's heart--not us. I'm talking about observing someone as they walk through one of life's trials. It is there that we put 'feet to our faith' and live out what we say we believe. 

With writing through the eagle eyes of our critique partners, judges comments from contests, feedback from an agent or editor that our writing is tested. The chaff is sifted away until only the heart of the story is left--refined, tested, shining for the reader to enjoy.

Image courtesy of Anusorn P nachol http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

What do you think? Anything else I could have added? That I'm not quite right on? I'd love to hear your thoughts. :)