Advent Reflections on the Writing Life!

By Debby Giusti

Two thousand years ago, the world awaited the coming of the Messiah. As scripture tells us, when Christ was born a star marked the spot over Bethlehem, shepherds rejoiced and Magi payed homage to the King of Kings. All that had been foretold was brought to fulfillment in Christ Jesus, yet many people at the time failed to recognize him as their Savior and Lord. They expected a worldly king and powerful ruler instead of a tiny infant lying in a manger.

This is the Third Week in Advent.

Today, we—like the people of old—anticipate the coming of the Christ Child. Our period of waiting is called Advent and encompasses the first four weeks in December. During this time of expectation, we prepare, once again, to welcome Jesus into our hearts and homes.

 

The star identifies the place of Christ's birth
in Bethlehem.

Advent marks the beginning of the liturgical year, and in spite of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, the days leading to Christmas are a perfect time for reflection. The shopping and decorating, the cards and gift wrapping can wait. Let’s take a few moments to reflect on our writing journeys.

Throughout December, the weather where I live fluctuated greatly and the changing temperatures frequently brought fog that clouded the view from my window. Peering outside, I was reminded of our human inability to see beyond the present. We can plan for and anticipate the future, but as finite creatures, we have a clouded view of where we’re going and sometimes even question where we have been.

Without clear vision, we could miss the true meaning of the twists and turns of our lives and all that has brought us to this moment in time. We look too often at that which has not come to fulfillment instead of the positive steps we have taken forward. Like the unbelievers of old, we misinterpret signs that point to what is to come. Often, this brings discouragement and despondency and may cause us to give up dreams that are closer than we think to realization.

Perhaps we have set our sights on a certain achievement or goal. It might be a request for a submission or a book contact. It could involve catching the attention of an agent or editor or making a best sellers’ list. It might be to finish a manuscript or write a certain number of pages within an allotted period. If we haven’t achieved our goal, we may wonder if we are wasting our time and energy on a dream that will never come to fruition.

We’ve said it often here in Seekerville. The writing journey requires hard work and determination. We have to keep moving forward in spite of struggles and rejection. Writing detours happen, but we can’t give up. A wrong turn is not always a mistake. Sometimes it leads us along a fresh path that ends in a new destination we never would have imagined if we had stayed on the chartered course that seemed so appealing.

Instead of looking at what we haven’t achieved, let’s look at what we have accomplished. Have we become stronger writers over the past year? Do we have a firmer grasp of POV and GMC? Are we creating multi-dimensional characters who change and grow? Do we open with an insightful incident, include the five senses, end scenes with hooks and cliffhangers, ratchet up the emotion and provide a believable black moment and a satisfying resolution to our stories? Have we received praise from a critique partner or contest judge? Do we understand story and the parts that make up the whole?

Look at your own journey and find the positive growth—even the small steps forward—you may have previously overlooked. Any forward progression means you’re moving in the right direction. 

           

As we gather around the manger this Christmas to welcome the Christ Child, let’s give thanks for the many blessings the Lord has bestowed upon us and especially for the many ways he had led us through the fog to a new realization of his love and mercy.

The Nativity Scene on display at Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC.

Leave a comment to be entered in a drawing for Undercover Amish, the second book in my Amish Protectors series. I’m praying for each of you throughout this Christmas season and asking the Lord to shower you with abundant blessings now and in the New Year!

Happy writing!

Debby Giusti

www.DebbyGiusti.com

Undercover Amish

By Debby Giusti

After Hannah Miller’s mother is murdered and her sisters go missing, someone comes after her. Now the only way she can survive is to entrench herself in an Amish community…and rely on Lucas Grant, a former police officer who is planning to join the Amish faith, for protection. But finding refuge for Hannah— disguised as Plain at a secluded inn—pulls Lucas back into his old life. And when Lucas discovers the criminals after them may be the people who killed his partner, the mission to take them down becomes personal. With the assailants closing in, though, can Lucas stop them…and finally put his past behind him to start an Amish life with Hannah?

Order here!

Watch for Amish Rescue, book three in my Amish Protectors series, available April 2017!