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The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World…Word by Word

The Steve Laube Agency

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World Word by Word

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Home » The Writing Life » Page 76

The Writing Life

God Does Not Need Your Book

By Dan Balowon September 5, 2017
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The creator of everything, who spoke things into existence, who threw the planets across the solar system, tossed solar systems around the galaxy and blew galaxies across the universe like so many dandelion seeds, does not need anything.

God does not need you to serve him in any way.

He does not need your money.

Or your prayers.

God does not need your worship.

Or your speaking ministry.

God certainly does not need your book.

The sustainer of life who holds us in his hand, who can humble great leaders in an instant, who can cause it to rain, or not…does not need me to work as an agent.

God doesn’t need me or anyone or anything else. He doesn’t need us to supply him with anything.

But we need him for everything.

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19, NIV)

The savior of the world who came to earth on his timetable, who lived a short but powerful life as a human, willingly took our sin upon himself along with the accompanying punishment, was crucified, died, buried and rose again from the dead, does not need our books.

But the people for whom he loved so much and sacrificed his Son? He gives them opportunities to join him in his work in the world. The world he made.

It seems to me this invitation to join him in his work is a special privilege, bestowed as a gift. We can talk to, work with and take part in a blessed life of service to the Almighty God, the creator and sustainer of everything seen and unseen.

Sounds like a pretty interesting life if you ask me.

Multiple times in Scripture a situation or problem is presented, then pivots on two words:

“But God…”

But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. (Genesis 8:1, NIV)

But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. (Genesis 45:7, NIV)

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. (Genesis 50:20, NIV)

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8, NIV)

For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise. (Galatians 3:18, NIV)

Lots of people would like to write a book, but God inspires authors with creativity, allowing them the incredible joy of joining God’s work in the world using this creativity.

Speaking in front of a group is daunting, but God, the sustainer of life, leads some to speak with power, encouraging and discipling his people.

Writing from a dark place in your life is painful, but God, who defeated death forever, motivates some people to use their writing to build up his children during their darkest hours.

God does not need your book. But he loves it when you exercise your abilities for his glory and not your own.

God does not need your author platform, but when you serve and encourage other people he is pleased you used your time well to build others up.

God does not need your book to become a bestseller, but once in a while he uses something to draw many people to him in a powerful and mighty way.

God grants his children the privilege of joining his work, no matter what you do.

Like writing.

Finally, God does not need you to put in the thousands of hours of work to become a good writer. But through the painstaking process, you see and learn things only total commitment to something worthwhile can reveal.

 

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Category: The Writing Life, TheologyTag: Faith, The Writing Life, Theology

A Writer’s Top 6 Productivity Practices

By Bob Hostetleron August 30, 2017
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I’ve met fifty book deadlines, never missing one (though I have renegotiated a few), and many more article deadlines. These days, as a writer, editor, and agent, I have even more tasks, schedules, and details to juggle than ever before. Happily, I’ve installed a handful of productivity practices that aid my feeble mind and fragile memory. Here are six that I find the most helpful: Working ahead …

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Category: Technology, The Writing LifeTag: Productivity, Technology, The Writing Life

Find More Writing Time – Use Your Agent

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon August 24, 2017
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Have you ever been to a “perfect” wedding? You may think so, but chances are, even if you weren’t aware of it, procedures went wrong. Why is it hard to plan and execute a wedding? Because we don’t practice to perfection. So, many people hire wedding planners to take care of details for them. A similar profession? The interior decorator. Though my home was likely among the more modest …

Read moreFind More Writing Time – Use Your Agent
Category: Agents, The Writing LifeTag: Agents, The Writing Life

Every Book is a How-To

By Bob Hostetleron August 23, 2017
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C.S. Lewis famously said, “We read to know we’re not alone.” I think that is true. But I have long subscribed to a similar statement that I see as sort of a corollary to “Lewis’s Law.” It is this: No one reads about other people. We read only about ourselves. Feel free to quote me. And send me royalties. But you might say, “How can that be, Bob? I read a lot of romance novels. They’re fiction. …

Read moreEvery Book is a How-To
Category: Craft, The Writing LifeTag: readers, The Writing Life, Writing Craft

Deadlines Born – Deadlines Made

By Steve Laubeon August 21, 2017
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Deadlines. The bane of every writer’s existence. “A necessary evil.” “My nemesis.” I talked to an author who changed the internal time clock on his computer just so he could have three extra hours, claiming he was writing on the West coast (USA) instead of where his office was (East coast USA). Writing Without a Deadline (Deadlines Born) Not everyone, however, is …

Read moreDeadlines Born – Deadlines Made
Category: Get Published, The Writing LifeTag: Deadlines, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life

Writing Thoughtful Books

By Dan Balowon August 15, 2017
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There has always been a hierarchy in fiction distinguishing “literary” from “popular” books, with lines drawn between both topics and reading levels.  Authors of each are different, somewhat like actors who work on stage versus those who work on screen. Comparisons of literary vs. popular and stage vs. screen are often done in a derogatory manner. Christian authors describing non-fiction might use …

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Category: Art, Faith, The Writing Life, TheologyTag: Faith, fiction, Nonfiction, Theology

Write Like You Brush Your Teeth

By Bob Hostetleron August 9, 2017
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I listen regularly to a half-dozen podcasts. One of them recently talked about how valuable “systems” are in making life run more smoothly. The podcast host said that making something a habit is the simplest but also one of the most effective “systems” a person can install in his or her life, because it eliminates the need for decision-making. For example, he said, did you decide to brush your …

Read moreWrite Like You Brush Your Teeth
Category: Get Published, The Writing LifeTag: Encouragement, Get Published, The Writing Life

Write Like Baseball

By Bob Hostetleron July 26, 2017
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Did you know there are nine ways for a batter to reach first base in the game of baseball? A few are obvious, of course. The batter could get a hit. Or a walk. Or even be hit by a pitch. But those are not the only options. The batter could reach on a fielding error. Or hit into a fielder’s choice, a play in which the fielder could throw him out at first but instead chooses to throw to another …

Read moreWrite Like Baseball
Category: Get Published, The Writing LifeTag: Get Published, The Writing Life

I Love Change, Especially For Someone Else

By Dan Balowon July 18, 2017
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Several decades ago, the British magazine, The Linguist printed a graphic with the phrase, “The strongest drive is not to Love or Hate; it is one person’s need to change another’s copy.” In the cartoon, the word “change” was crossed out and replaced first by amend, then by revise, alter, rewrite, chop to pieces, then back to “change.” I am not sure whether the cartoon necessarily struck a …

Read moreI Love Change, Especially For Someone Else
Category: Book Business, Career, Communication, Editing, The Publishing Life, The Writing LifeTag: Creativity, Editing, publishing

Someone Stole My Book Idea!

By Karen Ballon June 28, 2017
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Years ago, a successful author friend of mine contacted a group of us, horrified at the discovery that another author’s most recent release centered on the very same little-known historical event as her just-turned-in book. What should she do? What if that author—or readers!–thought she’d stolen the other author’s story idea? We all assured her that, as crazy as it may seem, she was far from …

Read moreSomeone Stole My Book Idea!
Category: Book Business, The Publishing Life, The Writing LifeTag: Book Business, The Publishing Life, The Writing Life
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