How I received supernatural training
How I received a God-education in how to write books.
There came a moment in my writing life when I realised I did not have even close to a natural ability to write novels.
After writing a series of fantasy novels for kids, and deciding I didn’t really like writing for that age group after all, I turned my attention to adult fantasy. Here, I felt more at home, and I wrote this huge novel, one of a trilogy, that I thought was just wonderful. I sent the novel to several agents, breaking all the rules of how to send it because I simply didn’t even know there were rules, and I got back crisp rejection letters.
“That’s okay,” I thought. “It’s just hard to break in. I’ll try coming at them from left field.”
Just before I sent the manuscript off, positive that glory awaited, I said to God something that was to become a turning point for my life.
So I sent the novel to a book doctor of sorts, whose job is to give a report on the strengths and weaknesses of the book and how you might fix it if it needs it. I was expecting all good things and thought I would turn that wonderful report into a glowing referral for an agent. It was a way to break in at that time in the long history of How to Secure a Publisher and I thought I would try it.
Just before I sent the manuscript off, positive that glory awaited, I said to God something that was to become a turning point for my life. I said, “If this comes back negative, I will pack up writing for a while.”
I waited weeks and weeks (it took my assessor longer than it should have because it was a huge 280,000 word novel). Finally I got my report and I read it. And it wasn’t good news. Not at all. Instead of the recognition I thought I deserved, I got back a very restrained list of just how bad this book was. Not one positive thing was mentioned. Not. One.
After the initial shock, I remember what I told God. I cried and cried as I packed up my writing. It felt like I was packing up me. Somehow, I knew this wasn’t forever. And armed with that knowledge, I decided I would at least learn if the assessor was right or wrong.
The first book God led me to, light bulbs went on. I was stunned that no one had taught me this before.
I had no one to teach me at the time, so I followed God’s leading. I knew that if he wanted me to pack up writing and learn for a while, he knew all the right books for teaching me. With perfect timing, my husband I were sent to live in Toronto Canada’s deep dark of winter for three months, and I was right near several enormous – and I mean ENORMOUS – bookshops. With hours and hours to myself, I had nothing else to do with my time except read and learn.
I still remember the day I walked into the bookshop and there, on display, near a cafe table just begging for me to sit at, was a book all about writing called, “Edit Yourself Into Print” by Dave King and Rennie Browne. (I believe it’s now called, “Self-Editing for Fiction Writers.”) I knew, just knew, that book was for me.
The first book God led me to, light bulbs went on. I was stunned that no one had taught me this before. It was like my mind opened up to a whole new level I did not know existed. And I was suddenly insatiably hungry for more. When I finished that book, I went back into the bookstore for another one. And a second book was on display in the exact same spot. I knew that book was for me too. It was exactly the right second book I needed. It spoke my language somehow. Again, I had lightbulb moments. And on to the next book, and the next. And it continued when I got home to Australia as well. All in all, I didn’t read masses of books; I read just the right ones.
And the books were just the beginning. While I read, and even at times when I wasn’t reading, I was making leaps about writing that even the books couldn’t teach me. I learnt things that to this day I haven’t seen taught anywhere but that I know works. It was like reading books on high school maths and suddenly understanding maths at a university level based on a few pages I had just read. I can only describe it as downloads from God; downloads I hope to share in the pages of this blog.
God gave me an education that taught me the mechanics of writing at such a deep level, I was able to know when someone else’s book was “working” and when it wasn’t, which is not the same as liking a book or not. I could detach myself enough that I could simply see the mechanics and understand them, like an actual mechanic who sees the engine of a car he may not like and can still tell you what is and isn’t wrong with it. More importantly, I was able to see WHY a book wasn’t working and could tell you how to fix it.
I combined all of these new abilities with editing skills and journalistic skills I was developing in tangent with these abilities. For a few years now, job choices had immersed me in the nitty gritties of grammar and the power of word choice. My education was even more well-rounded and extensive than I could possibly have chosen for myself.
And the education did not stop there. I learnt so much about the power of writing to change us and our world, about writing heroes of the past and how they shaped who we are now. Later I was given an education about the publishing industry and a deep knowledge about book design. And even later still, I learnt a tremendous amount about partnering with God to achieve our dreams and to write and create, and all the highs and lows that that particular journey can lead us through.
I started out wanting to know if my assessor had been right or wrong, and do you know what I learned? Firstly, I learned that my book truly was the most awful amateurish and pointless piece of rubbish. But I also learned most interestingly that my assessor was wrong. All the things he picked on as reasons for why the book was bad were wrong. The book was bad, yes, but for whole other reasons. I was able to see that his advice, had I taken it, would have led me astray and would not have taught me anything like what I needed to become a professional writer. It was extraordinary to me to be able to detach myself emotionally and see clearly whether someone’s comment about my book was right or wrong. That was when I knew I was ready to begin – this time properly and professionally. My first true book, Bloodline: Alliance, was born, and what I learnt through writing that book is beyond price. When God stepped in and wrote that book with me, I was discovering things that not one book on writing had been able to show me. It was the greatest apprenticeship of my life, and I hope I get to share just a few of the things I learnt during that time through the stories on this blog.
If you are at the beginning of your writing journey, and you feel alone and don’t know where to turn in order to learn your craft, you are in a very good place. And that goes for any creative career.
I later went on to help other budding writers discover what did and didn’t work about their own books, and that grew into editing for published writers, fiction and non, and becoming a book doctor for those just starting out. And though I’ve helped many and hope to help more through the stories I will share on this blog, let me just encourage you that if you are at the beginning of your writing journey, and you feel alone and don’t know where to turn in order to learn your craft, you are in a very good place. And that goes for any creative career. That’s because the ultimate teacher, the ultimate source of all knowledge and wisdom, wants to partner with you from the ground up. And he is a teacher who cares more about your creative career than you do. He knows you better than any teacher ever will, never grows tired of your questions, is available 24-7, and he speaks your unique learning language! He knows how to get the information across in a way that you will best understand and that will shape who you are designed to be. So your very first and very best step is to turn to Daddy God and say, “Teach me. I really want to learn.” And then wait. Watch. See who he brings your way or what books happen to turn up, or what article you happen to stumble on, or what mentor he brings your way. Be patient. Be willing to listen. Most importantly, expect an answer.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU.”
James 1:5 (Emphasis mine.)
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About the Author: Lisa Saul
