How to Think Strategic About Your Writing

Happy New Year. Thanks for coming back. To kick off our third year I am hosting our first 1 Question Interview Winter Series. Throughout winter I will be posting some of your favorite Christian authors answers to this question:

What did you do for your spiritual life in '07 that also improved your writing?

Today Christy, Rita, Romantic Times Inspirational and Gold Pen Awards winning author , Sharon Ewell Foster responds.

You know, I always have big dreams for other people. One thing I did this past year was to commit to read Julie Cameron's The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity [10th Anniversary Edition]. The Artist's Way is a book of wisdom, prayers, and exercises. It forced me to examine my writing, my life, and to be honest about my desires and expectations for my art. The introspective look helped me to better articulate to my new agent (another positive thing I did) and my new publisher (another positive step) what I hope to accomplish and what I wanted. In the past, I haven't been very strategic in my thinking about my writing. I'm strategic about other people and wanting the best for them. But, I've minimized my own gifts, settling for less. I thought of it as art and ministry and kind of just let it happen. But the truth is, no matter what the endeavour, without a target--without focus--you won't get where you plan to go! The Artist's Way helped to remind me that God has a good plan for my art, as well as for my life! The Lord has big dreams for me; The Artist's Way helped me to acknowledge His plans for me and to embrace them. 2008 is going to be a whole new thing!

Blessings to you and Happy New Year!

Sharon