Happy New Year, Insecure Writers! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. If you want to join this amazing group, created by Alex J. Cavanaugh, click here.
First, a fun bit of news. My cover for The Boy Who Loved Fire (designed by J. Allen Fielder) made the Top 19 list over at WriteKidsBooks.org. Check out the link here.
Now, on with the regular post...
Our church had a special guest this Christmas--Colton Dixon. If you watch American Idol, you'll likely be familiar with him. He came in 7th in season eleven.
On Christmas Eve, my sons and I went to church and were blessed enough to watch this young man perform. And while I was wowed by his music and his message, I was also wowed by his journey.
You see, his American Idol dreams didn't come true. He didn't even hit the top three. But what impresses me about Colton Dixon is that he stayed true to himself and his art. His mohawk-skinny jeans-rocker style and meaningful messages have catapulted him to the top of the Christian music charts. He didn't shy away from his faith--he embraced it--and found his audience his way.
His story reminded me how important it is to:
- Embrace opportunities
- Write what's uniquely ours
- Follow our own paths
Given the same writing prompt, ten thousand writers would write ten thousand different stories. That's really cool. So while I love the work of Jodi Picoult and Kristin Hannah, I can't write like them or torture myself by trying to mimic their paths. I've learned this important lesson--peace comes from writing what's in your heart and enjoying your own unique journey.
Have you heard of Colton Dixon? Do you struggle with writing what's uniquely yours? Do you try to mimic the paths of other writers? How has that affected your mood and style? Please share!
Have you heard of Colton Dixon? Do you struggle with writing what's uniquely yours? Do you try to mimic the paths of other writers? How has that affected your mood and style? Please share!