In my last post, I shared my journey of getting readers for my manuscript.
Now, I’ll share how that went.
One of my readers happens to do copywriting, editing, and communications for her day job. She’s also one of my dearest friends and has walked the infertility journey. In due measure, I was completely and utterly nervous about sharing my manuscript with her but also over the moon encouraged that she wanted to read it.
Her feedback was constructive and encouraging. Although I had work to do on my next rewrite, she saw the value in the manuscript.
Another reader is a pastor who has become a treasured friend through this writing process. She took my comment sheet and did this:
She makes me laugh partly because we’ve got a completely different approach (so much for my comment sheet!). She challenged my heart to be more inclusive on my next take. But she, too, encouraged me to keep going.
All the time and energy I spent worrying about having people read my manuscript was for naught. This fear is the lie that wants to hold us enslaved. It whispers, “Did God really say you should write this?” What if I did mishear?
I could have chosen not to share my manuscript. I wouldn’t have received the encouragement these two women offered if I had.
I could have stopped writing a long time ago (and could still yet). But by continuing this journey, I accept again and again (by faith) that God will give me what I need. In this case, I got the feedback and affirmation that I needed to keep refining this work.
These two women spent time reading and thinking about how others would receive this manuscript. They affirmed the heart of what I wrote, and their comments have improved it.
That’s no small matter!
I’m so thankful for both of these women in my life. Not only because they’re my friends, but because their willingness to be part of my writing journey has been an external motivator to keep going.
We fear what we don’t know. But how does the unknown become known unless we step towards it with curious courage? That sums up a lot of this writing journey for me.
Comments